Qingcheng City is one of the birthplaces of Taoism and one of the famous mountains of the Four Great Avenues in China, and has a prominent position in Taoism. Qingcheng Mountain is located in Dujiangyan City, which is now a world cultural heritage, a national key cultural relics protection unit, a national key scenic spot, and a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.
Mount Qingcheng is divided into front mountain and back mountain. Qianshan Road has many spectators, rich cultural relics and historic sites, mainly cultural landscapes, and is the main part of Qingcheng Mountain Scenic Area; Houshan is famous for its natural scenery and is an important part of the Sichuan Giant Panda Habitat, a world natural heritage site. In general, Qingcheng Mountain is known for its seclusion and lush forests, but in terms of scenery, it is not prominent among the famous mountains in China. The most unique is the various avenue view monuments in the secluded mountains of Qingcheng, as well as the Taoist culture contained in them. Therefore, this article focuses on the front mountain of Qingcheng.
The mountain in front of Qingcheng is mainly divided into two routes, the right side of the natural pavilion passes through the crescent lake, goes up and down the mountain by the cableway, and can go to the Taoist temples such as Yuqing Palace and Yuanming Palace, and the mountain road is gentle; The natural pavilion goes straight all the way to the mountain road, passing through the ancestral hall, the heavenly master cave, the Chaoyang cave and other landscapes, the distance is far. Both roads can reach the Shangqing Palace and Laojun Pavilion two major avenues, it is recommended that tourists choose one side to go up the mountain, one side to go down the mountain, to see the scenery and historic sites, but also more labor-saving. Qingcheng Mountain is a large area, closed in the evening, if tourists want to take a closer look, it is recommended to reserve more than 4 hours to visit, try to arrive at Qingcheng Mountain before 1:30 p.m. In summer, it is necessary to do a good job of mosquito repellent and sun protection to maintain physical strength.
Shangqing Palace is located on the slope about 500 meters away from the peak, was built in the Jin Dynasty, and the existing buildings were built by the Qing Dynasty. Shangqing Palace is the place of worship to the gods of Taoism, and it is also the main place for the heavenly masters to hold major religious activities in the past dynasties, and is known as the "fairy city". In ancient times, Kangxi gave the imperial book "Great Shangqing Palace" plaque, and the existing Chiang Kai-shek handwritten "Shangqing Palace" door plaque, and the status of Shangqing Palace in Taoism was highly recognized. In the palace, there are not only Laojun Palace, Jade Emperor Hall and other palaces, Magu Pond, Mandarin Duck Well and other legendary relics, but also Zhang Daqian, Xu Beihong calligraphy and painting exhibition hall, Nan wood carved plate "Tao Te Ching" and other precious works. The Shangqing Palace, with its quiet environment and beautiful scenery, is not only a holy place for the monks of the past dynasties, but also a place where the master Zhang Daqian lived and painted, where tourists can enjoy the famous paintings created by Zhang Daqian in Qingcheng Mountain. However, nowadays, the commercial atmosphere of key Taoist temples such as the Shangqing Palace is stronger, and there are more shops selling prayer supplies, snacks and drinks. In addition, it is recommended that visitors avoid the peak tourist season, otherwise it is difficult to experience the quiet and unearthly feeling of the deep mountain gym in the crowd.
Laojun Pavilion is located at the top of Pengzu Peak, the first peak of Qingcheng, with an altitude of 1,260 meters above sea level (the altitude of Taikoo Li is about 500 meters), and enshrines the holy statues of Laozi and Emperor Donghua. Laojun Pavilion has a total of nine layers, the top and the bottom are round, symbolizing the heaven and the round place; The appearance is a tower type, a spire, and a pile of three round treasures in the middle, implying that there are three talents of heaven, earth and man. Laojun Pavilion is built for the contemporary, and it is painted and built by Taoist priests, scholars, artists and others of Qingcheng Mountain according to Xu Beihong's posthumous works in Qingcheng Mountain. In addition to the peculiar architecture, Laojun Pavilion is also a scenic spot, and visitors can observe the sunrise, the sea of clouds, the magic lamp, the 800-mile Qingcheng and the West Sichuan Plain and other scenes when they climb the pavilion. Of course, tourists need to stay overnight at Qingcheng Mountain to have a chance to see the sunrise. Shangqing Palace, Tianshi Cave and other Taoist temples are all set up lodging, and the room conditions are simple. Because Qingcheng Mountain can be completed in half a day, there are fewer tourists who choose to stay overnight.
In addition to the Shangqing Palace, Laojun Pavilion two major views, other landscapes also have their own characteristics. Chaoyang Cave is located at the foot of the old Xiaoding rock, the building is simple and the area is small, but it is in harmony with the natural environment, and has a sense of independence from the world. The Patriarch's Hall was founded in the Tang Dynasty, and there are artworks such as the murals of the eight immortals, the carved stones of poems and texts, and the statues of the gods, and many visitors stop to watch. Tianshi Cave is surrounded by mountains on three sides, one side is facing a stream, the ancient trees are towering to the sky, and it is extraordinarily quiet. The most eye-catching is the treasures in the Heavenly Master Cave, including the Sanqing Palace, the Tang Tablet, the Sui Dynasty Heavenly Master Stone Statue, the Song Dynasty Demon Stone and other cultural relics, as well as the poetry, calligraphy and painting, plaques and other works of art of the literati. When Mr. Xu Beihong was sketching in Qingcheng Mountain, he created paintings such as "National Martyrdom" and "Mountain Ghost" in Tianshi Cave.
Overall, Qingcheng Qianshan is famous for its Taoist cultural landscape, although the scenery is beautiful but not outstanding. Tourists who prefer natural scenery and do not have much interest in Taoist temples may feel disappointed. The ticket price of Qingcheng Front Mountain is 90 yuan, and there are also expenses for receiving sightseeing cars, ferries, and cableways. In addition, there are many tourists in the front mountain of Qingcheng, and the queue time for sightseeing buses and cableways is long, and the high-density crowd also affects the tour experience. It should be reminded that Qingcheng Mountain is in the earthquake zone, some mountain roads have gravel rolling down from time to time, and some mountain roads are narrow and slippery, please be cautious and slow and pay attention to safety.
Suggested visiting time: half a day to one day
Indicative fare:
Full ticket: 90 yuan/person
Half ticket: 7-18 years old teenagers and students with a bachelor's degree or below, 60-70 years old
Free admission: Seniors aged 70 and above, active military personnel, etc
Opening hours: Peak season (March 2-November 30): 08:00-17:00
Low season (December 1 - March 1): 08:00-18:00
Tips：1. In case of bad weather such as heavy rain, try to avoid entering the mountain to prevent injuries caused by gravel rolling down and landslides on the top of the mountain; 2. Bring your own meals and drinks; 3. Tickets for on-site purchases, sightseeing tickets, and cableway tickets need to be brought in cash; 4. If you need to walk for a long time, try to choose comfortable shoes that are easy to walk
