Xining Nanshan Park

Xining Nanshan Park

Situated on Nanshan in Xining City, the park features breathtaking scenery and is a great place to relax and enjoy the views. Also called Phoenix Mountain, Xining Nanshan has a pavilion named Phoenix Pavilion, adorned with a plaque reading “Hehuang Invites the Phoenix.” It is said that during the Nanliang era, a phoenix once visited the site, thus giving the terrace its name. Like the tale of “a dragon appearing in Changning and a qilin roaming in Suiqiang,” this story is considered a legend, but it gave rise to one of Xining’s ancient Eight Scenic Spots — “Clouds Lingering over Phoenix Terrace” — which has become a major attraction in the city.

The architectural complex centered around the Guan Yu Temple on Nanshan was first built in the eighth year of the Yongle reign during the Ming Dynasty (1410 AD) and is among the best-preserved Ming-era structures in Xining today. Although the legendary Peacock Tower has long since vanished, the poem “Clouds Lingering over Phoenix Terrace,” which praises Phoenix Mountain, remains widely recited to this day: “On which day will the phoenix visit Phoenix Terrace? The phoenix soars high while the clouds linger. A Qiang flute’s note cannot blow them away, as a slender crescent moon hangs above the mountain peak.”

Nanshan is a wonderful destination for climbing and sightseeing. According to the New Annals of Xining Prefecture: “On Phoenix Mountain there are temple towers from which one can gaze into the distance; to the west are rocky caves, and below lies a vast river…” In the old days, especially on the 13th day of the fifth lunar month and the 6th day of the sixth lunar month, the area would be thronged with visitors, bustling with life. From the mountaintop, one can take in the sweeping views of emerald mountain mists and the misty valleys below.