Guanshan Scenic Area

Guanshan Scenic Area

Guanshan Scenic Area is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Guanshan Scenic Area is located about 5 kilometers southwest of Pingding County. It earned its name due to its elegant and towering mountain ridges that resemble a formal headdress.

Guanshan first gained renown during the Tang and Song dynasties; its fame grew significantly after the Yuan Dynasty, largely because two highly esteemed literary talents emerged from Pingding Prefecture during the Yuan and Ming periods. One was Lü Sicheng, who served in various roles in the Yuan Dynasty, including as an editorial official at the National History Institute, an editor at the Hanlin Academy, Vice Minister of the Secretariat, and an imperial censor, and who also participated in the compilation of the histories of the Liao, Jin, and Song dynasties. The other was Qiao Yu, who held positions such as Minister of Rites, Minister of War, Minister of Personnel, and Chief Ritual Officer in the Ming Dynasty. Among the dozens of scenic spots on Guanshan throughout history, those most closely associated with the lives of Lü Sicheng and Qiao Yu—such as Guanshan Academy, Confucius Cave, and Yangzhi Pavilion—are the most famous.

Pingding’s Guanshan is imbued with an atmosphere of literature and refined scholarship. From the Yuan Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, it welcomed the footprints of numerous scholars. The rocks of Guanshan are majestic and striking, its pines twisted yet resilient; what Guanshan leaves behind is a timeless scholarly aura that neither wind nor rain can erode, nor mist and rain obscure. This scholarly spirit of Guanshan also invites visitors to pause and reflect.