Qiyun Mountain (Qiyunshan)

Taoist Danxia Mountain Of Southern Anhui With Cliff Shrines And Inscriptions · Huangshan, Anhui

A Taoist mountain of red Danxia sandstone in southern Anhui, half an hour from Huangshan and almost ignored beside it. Qiyunshan means as high as the clouds, and though it rises only about 585 metres its cliffs drop sheer from a plateau, with temples, shrines and monks' quarters built into overhangs along the rim. Taoists have lived here since the eighth century and the mountain became a major centre under the Ming, when emperors sent offerings; what survives is unusually intimate - small halls tucked under the rock, a village of tile-roofed houses on the summit where families still live and farm, and more than five hundred cliff inscriptions and carved stelae, some by famous calligraphers, weathering slowly on the red walls. A cable car runs up from the valley, a stone path called the Nine Li Ascent climbs for those who prefer it, and bamboo rafts drift on the Hengjiang River below. Set against Huangshan's crowds, Qiyunshan on a weekday can feel like a private mountain.

Qiyunshan Scenic Area, Xiuning County, Huangshan, Huangshan, Anhui, China

Daily, about 8:00-17:00; the cable car runs to about 16:50 with last tickets around 16:20, and the bamboo rafts about 9:00-16:30 (check).

Qiyun Mountain (Qiyunshan) on Spottos · Explore more places on Spottos