Top Ten Cultural Landscapes of Qijin Mountain

Top Ten Cultural Landscapes of Qijin Mountain

At the foot of the main peak of Qijin Mountain, ten major Khitan cultural landscapes have been built to comprehensively showcase Khitan culture. Here, you can explore ancient sites, appreciate the Khitan civilization, experience its charm, and immerse yourself in Khitan customs. One: The Sanshi Temple

At the foot of the hill in front of the main peak of Qijin Mountain, the Sanshi Temple has been reconstructed, covering an area of 100 acres with a construction area of 10,000 square meters. The temple complex includes the Heavenly King Hall, Bell and Drum Towers, Medicine Buddha Hall, Mahavira Hall, Amitabha Hall, Guanyin Hall, Manjusri Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, Patriarch Hall, Sangharama Hall, Scripture Depository, Lay Practitioners’ Quarters, Wish-Fulfilling Rooms, and the Buddhist Chanting Hall. The main hall enshrines the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. The entire architecture features traditional upturned eaves and brackets, exuding grandeur and an ancient charm. In front of the halls stand lush pines, cypresses, ginkgoes, and ancient locust trees, creating a solemn and sacred atmosphere. The temple resonates with morning bells and evening drums, resembling a celestial mountain shrine. As the poem goes: “Morning enters the ancient temple, sunlight on high woods; along the winding path to secluded nooks, deep among flowers lies the meditation hut.” Two: The Film and Television City

In the year 1007, the Liao Dynasty built its Central Capital within present-day Daming City, spanning 4,200 meters from east to west, 3,500 meters from north to south, with a perimeter of 15.4 kilometers and an area of 14.7 square kilometers. It became the political, economic, and cultural center of the mid-to-late Liao period. After the fall of the Liao, the city was used by subsequent dynasties including the Jin, Yuan, and Ming before being destroyed in the wars of the Ming era. Now, the ancient city has been recreated at a 15% scale at the foot of Qijin Mountain, covering an area of 100 acres, serving as a film and television base for Liao cultural productions. Three: The Khitan Summer Camp Palace

On the western side of Qijin Mountain, the Khitan Summer Camp Palace has been constructed, covering a total area of 50 acres with a construction area of 1,000 square meters. The site features Khitan-style yurt encampments surrounded by fences, including the imperial tent of the Liao emperor, as well as the Northern and Southern Secretariats. It vividly displays the political customs and lifestyle of the Liao emperors during their seasonal hunting and camping tours. For the Liao people, these seasonal sojourns were not merely nomadic traditions of hunting but also an important political system. Through activities such as spring fishing, autumn mountain retreats, winter encampments, and summer cooling, the Liao emperors received foreign envoys, convened ministerial meetings, met with tribal and vassal state representatives, and carried out major political affairs. A summer retreat palace for the Liao emperor was once built on Qijin Mountain. Historical records indicate that Empress Dowager Xiao and Emperor Yelü Longxu once spent summers here to escape the heat. Four: The Khitan Customs Museum

On the western side of Qijin Mountain, the Khitan Customs Museum has been built, covering a total area of 40 acres with a construction area of 500 square meters. The entire structure reflects the architectural style of the Liao Dynasty and comprehensively showcases the unique customs of the Khitan people. The Khitan were an ancient ethnic group living on the grasslands of the desert, who developed many distinctive cultural traditions over time—some of which continue to this day. This museum fully exhibits Khitan ethnic attire, headwear, cuisine, wedding customs, and other traditional practices, allowing visitors to deeply experience the unique characteristics of this ethnic group. Five: The Khitan Culture Museum

On the western side of Qijin Mountain, the Khitan Relics Museum has been constructed, covering a total area of 40 acres with a construction area of 500 square meters. The building is designed in the Liao style, offering an ancient ambiance. It highlights relics unearthed from the Central Capital of the Liao and Qijin Mountain, using physical artifacts to demonstrate the glory of the ancient capital and the historical culture of the grasslands. Six: The Khitan Culture Square

At the central part beneath the main peak of Qijin Mountain, the Khitan Culture Square has been built, covering a total area of 60 acres with a total construction area of 500 square meters. Through bas-relief sculptures, it comprehensively depicts the rise, development, and decline of the Khitan people.

The Khitan people were a great nation that dominated the northern deserts and grasslands, making significant contributions to the economic development and cultural advancement of the region. They played a crucial role in unifying northern China and laying the foundation for the integration of the Chinese civilization. Come to this vast square to feel the strength of this great people and experience the profound cultural heritage they left behind. Seven: The Xiao Yao Palace

Located in the central part of Qijin Mountain, above the Khitan Square, the Xiao Yao Palace covers an area of 40 acres with a construction area of 500 square meters. Built in the Khitan architectural style, it uses wax figures to comprehensively present the life and military achievements of Empress Dowager Xiao.

Empress Dowager Xiao entered the imperial palace at the age of 16, ruled for over 40 years, reformed laws, promoted agriculture, appointed virtuous officials, advocated ethnic unity, and fostered a harmonious and civilized society, ushering in the revival of the Liao Dynasty. She is regarded as one of its most enlightened rulers. Notably, she oversaw the construction of the Central Capital of the Liao, turning it into the political, economic, and cultural center of the mid-to-late Liao period, greatly boosting its development and prosperity. Eight: The Khitan Literature Museum

On the eastern side of Qijin Mountain, the Khitan Literature Museum occupies an area of 50 acres with a construction area of 500 square meters, designed in the Liao architectural style. It comprehensively showcases the culture of the Liao Dynasty.

During the Liao Dynasty, the Khitan script was created, and the Khitan imperial examination system was implemented. Notably, institutions such as the Central Capital Academy and the Imperial College were established in the Central Capital. Literature, calligraphy, painting, music, and other art forms flourished during this period. This museum aims to exhibit Khitan culture, education, and the artistic legacy of the time, providing deeper insight into the artistic charm of the Khitan people. Nine: The Envoys to Liao Stele Forest Museum

On the eastern side of Qijin Mountain, the Envoys to Liao Stele Forest Museum covers an area of 40 acres with a construction area of 500 square meters. Built in the Liao architectural style, it presents, through a stele forest format, poems and memoirs from Song Dynasty envoys who visited the Liao.

After the establishment of the Central Capital of the Liao, the Northern Song, Western Xia, and Silla sent envoys to the Liao, resulting in significant cultural exchanges—especially the unprecedented fusion of Central Plains and grassland cultures. Many prominent Song officials and literati, such as Ouyang Xiu, Su Song, Su Shi, Wang Zeng, and Lu Zhen, were sent as envoys to the Liao and left behind numerous poems and writings. These are displayed in the form of a stele forest, allowing visitors to appreciate the depth and breadth of Chinese culture and the profound harmony resulting from cultural integration. Ten: The Liao-Song Battle Museum

On the eastern side of Qijin Mountain, the Liao-Song Battle Museum covers an area of 50 acres with a construction area of 500 square meters. Built in the Liao architectural style, it uses murals to depict the military confrontations between the Liao and Song during their prolonged standoff. Throughout Chinese history, the agrarian civilizations of the Central Plains often clashed with the nomadic peoples of the grasslands. This was particularly intense during the Liao-Song period. However, after over a century of conflict, the Treaty of Chanyuan was established in 1004, ending years of warfare and bringing peace and stability to the people for a long time. Visit this museum to sense the smoke of battle and to experience the tranquility and happiness of peace.