Mount Qingcheng

Mount Qingcheng has long been praised as "Tranquil Paradise under Heaven," with its peaks encircling like city walls—hence the name. Legend says Zhang Daoling of the Eastern Han dynasty established Taoism here in a thatched hut, making it the ancestral home of Celestial Master Taoism, where temple incense still burns today. The mountain divides into front and back sections: the front features Taoist temples and cultural relics, commonly referred to as "Mount Qingcheng" by most travelers; the back excels in natural landscapes like pools, waterfalls, streams, and gorges, making it ideal for hiking and summer retreats.

The highlights of Qianshan are concentrated. Starting from Jianfu Palace beside the mountain gate, follow the ancient stone steps upward past Natural Picture, Tianshi Cave, Chaoyang Cave, and Shangqing Palace, with the summit's Laojun Pavilion as the final vantage point. Tianshi Cave, also called Changdao Temple, is one of the mountain's largest Taoist complexes—its front courtyard holds a millennium-old ginkgo tree allegedly planted by Zhang Daoling, while the cliffside Ink-throwing Trough behind is said to be where the celestial master drew mountains with vermilion ink. Painting master Zhang Daqian once resided at Shangqing Palace, styling himself "Guest of Qingcheng." At the mountain's base, Yuecheng Lake's mirror-like waters add ethereal beauty to the lush greenery.

The rear mountain entrance is the quaint Tai'an ancient town. From here, the trails connect Wulong gully and Feiquan gully into a loop, with views like Misty spring triple pools, Double spring water curtain cave, and Hundred-zhang long bridge accompanied by the sounds of water and shaded woods. The Longyin gorge walkway built along cliffs overlooks rushing streams below, making it a dedicated hiking route. The mountain stays pleasantly cool even in midsummer.

The front mountain and back mountain entrances are not connected, usually requiring separate itineraries. Most 1-day tours choose one of the two. The front mountain's main temples can be visited in half a day, while the back mountain loop is longer and requires reserving most of a day. Travelers wishing to see the sunrise often ascend the mountain a day early, staying overnight at mountain temples for convenient morning viewing.