By Xinyi Li, iChongqing
Nanshan Mountain, located in the downtown of Chongqing, is a leisure destination for citizens. Though familiar with this site, people may not know its mysterious history. In the ancient time, people call the Nanshan Mountain at the Nan’an District of Chongqing “Tushan Mountain”. And this anticlinal mountain is situated by the south bank of the Yangtze River. It starts from Tongluo Gorge to the north and stretches to Jinzhu Gully to the south. It is a 5A scenic spot.
Nanshan Mountain, located in the downtown of Chongqing, is a leisure destination for citizens
Alongside the Yangtze River, over ten peaks rise straight from the ground. They include Jiangshan Mountain, Laojun Mountain, Wenfeng Mountain, Tushan Mountain, etc. They have formed a bright contrast with time-honored architectures of Tushan Temple, Laojun Dong, and Dafo Temple. Under their embellishment, Chongqing, the mountain city, is more than beautiful. Obtaining the honor of “lung lobes” of Chongqing, Nanshan Mountain serves as an ideal destination for mountaineering enthusiasts. The total area is about 2,500 hectares, and the average altitude is over 400 meters.
CRT Line 6, Shangxinjie Station—Laojun Dong—Tushan Temple—Nanshan Botanical Garden—Chongqing Historic Sites Museum of the War of Resistance against Japan—Yikeshu Viewing Platform—Shangxin Street
The total round-trip walking distance is about 18.1 kilometers, costing about 4.5 hours (sightseeing time excluded).
Located in Nanshan Mountain, Laojun Dong faces the vast Chongqing City, with Chaotianmen delta being diagonally opposite afar. It is the largest and most important Taoist temple in the main urban area of Chongqing. Moreover, Laojun Dong is of great significance around the whole city. For hundreds of years, floods of visitors often burn joss sticks and candles in the temple and climb the mountain. It enjoys booming pilgrimage on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar year, Tomb-Sweeping Day and Hungry Ghost Festival.
The gate
The joss stick smoke is dense in this temple, and visitors on the mountain roads are in an endless stream. The site saw the original complex of Laojun Dong in the Han Dynasty or the Three Kingdoms period. Officially built in the late Sui and early Tang Dynasties, it has existed for over 1,300 years. People say that Laojun Dong was Guanghua Temple of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty. Others believe it was a temple for Tushan-shi, wife of Yu the Great. It experienced rebuilding in 1480 and expanding in the winter of 1574 in the Ming Dynasty.
People will incense in the temple in front of the main shrine building
Because of war chaos in the late Ming Dynasty, Taoist priests took over the temple. They officially changed it into a Taoist temple named “Taiji Palace” (generally known as “Laojun Dong”).
Though its history is long, we do not know the specific year of its establishment. It was the memorial temple enshrining Yu the Great and Tushan-shi, his wife, in the Western Han Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi, a great poet and the then prefectural governor of Zhongzhou, composed a poem here. From its name of Traveling alone in Tushan Temple, we know that this temple at that time had the name of “Tushan”.
The temple embraces beautiful scenery in spring
Covering over 10,000 square meters, Tushan Temple now has eight shrine buildings and 100 rooms. The temple enshrines Shakyamuni statue in the main hall. And it sets up a monument inscribing “Great Yu controls the waters”. Buddhism and Taoism are coexisting in this temple. Featuring overhanging cornices and upswept eaves, Tushan Temple is imposing and solemn with endless pilgrims.
One room of shrine buildings
The history records that Yu married Tushan-shi (or Lady Tushan)—a woman from Tushan Mountain during his water control efforts. In memory of his dedication, people built the memorial temple of Yu the Great (or Yuwang Memorial Temple) here. Later, they also constructed Yuwang Temple and Zhenwu Temple on this site. In 1581 of the Ming Dynasty, with its function exchanged with Laojun Dong, it became a Buddhist temple. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Zhenwu Temple merged with the former site of Yuwang Temple, thus enlarging the scale. The following generations call them “Tushan Temple” collectively.
The Nanshan Botanical Garden in Chongqing is a national 4A scenic spot, and the TOP10 attractions in this city. Located at Nanshan Mountain, it collects the subtropical lowland plant resources in China. Centered on building a garden with ornamental plants, it is striving to preserve, collect, and plant special plant varieties. Integrating science popularization and landscape art exhibition, it is also an ornamental garden with lowland plants.
The blooming tree Nanshan Botanical Garden
The greenhouses of this garden have kept 1,646 plant breeds in total from home and abroad. It mainly has the nine sub-gardens for roses, plum blossoms, orchids, the world’s endangered plants, camellias, plum blossoms and sweet-scented osmanthus, bonsai art, etc.
It is located at the eastern end of the forest zones of Nanshan Mountain, with its two sides by the Jialing . Among the coverage area of over 500 mu, the cultural relic ruins take 4,053 square meters. In the 60th Victory Memorial Year of Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Chongqing renovated the “Alternative Capital Site at Huangshan Mountain” and built this museum.
It serves as a base of patriotic education and comprehensive scenic spot by integrating historical war sites and naturally-formed landscapes. The museum also boasts profound resources of culture, nature, and tourism. It has preserved 15 historical building ruins, revealing the development and transformation of modern architectures in Southwestern China. Besides, the museum also has a significant reference value for studying the history of the last-century architectures in Chongqing.
Yikeshu Lookout Point is on the Nanshan Mountain. It is a perfect site for visitors in Chongqing to enjoy the sight of night sceneries of this city. On the basis that the original facilities and style were unchanged, the sightseeing space extended backward. The designers have built outdoor leisure areas and 14 body-building items, thus expanding the leisure space. Then, visitors will enjoy the city landscapes in the daytime and the night sceneries in evenings.
The tree of the lookout point, which is also the origin of the name
The eight embossments in the hall further present the cultural connotations of Bayu region. And the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors are water bar, tea house, and VIP lounge respectively. In addition, there is a sightseeing elevator, which can take 20 people, and a protected stairway outside of the pavilion. This design will make it more convenient for visitors to enjoy the city sceneries and optimize traffic and safety.
The viewing from Yikeshu Lookout Point
There are another six high-beam colored spotlights and ancillary lighting projects. Therefore this pavilion, decorated by the beautiful lights, is as charming as a crystal palace. In the leisure zone, there is kiosk, gallery, and a fitness area covering over 2,000 square meters. 14 body-building items are for old, middle-aged, and young people and children, further expanding its functions.
Over 20 hotpot restaurants scattered on the three-kilometer-long street are serving various hotpots you want.
Coming here at nightfall, you will catch a delightful sight of the brilliantly-illuminated street. With guests sitting in the restaurants, the cars of foreign visitors are in long queues outside. Taking photos around, some visitors say that they are here not only for the hotpot but the beautiful sceneries.
The bird's eye view of the hot pot street
Longji Mountain is a section of the Zhenwu Mountain Range (commonly known as Nanshan Mountain). It is located in the Chongqing Technology and Business University of Nan’an District, Chongqing. The walkway is one of the best sites for fitness. The hiking route of Longji Mountain is a circle, whose two entrances are only 30 meters away from each other. Visitors need one and a half hours to cover all the way on foot.
As this walkway is stretching along the ridge like a spiraling-up dragon, people call it Longji Mountain (Dragon Ridge Mountain). We recommend you to go hiking on a sunny day, and you will obtain a clear panorama of Nanping, Chongqing. This picturesque scenery is far more than beautiful.
By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.
For any inquiries, please email service@ichongqing.info