Mount Tianzhu, the Pillar of Heaven, is a granite massif of nearly 1,500 metres in Qianshan, south-western Anhui, at the eastern end of the Dabie Mountains. Named the Southern Peak by Emperor Wu of Han in 106 BCE, it later became a centre of Chan Buddhism, and it is a UNESCO Global Geopark for its granite peaks and the deep-crust rocks of the Dabie orogen.
- UNESCO Global Geopark · 2011
- National scenic area · 1982
Key facts
Overview
Tianzhu's main peak is a single granite column rising above a crowd of lesser pinnacles, which gave the mountain its name. It is less visited than Huangshan or Jiuhua, but it holds a long history: for seven centuries it bore the title of Southern Peak among the Five Sacred Mountains of imperial ritual, until the Sui dynasty moved that title to Hengshan in Hunan.
At its foot, the Valley Stream (Shangu) with its cliff inscriptions and the Third Patriarch Temple mark its place in literary and Buddhist history. Above, stone paths lead through pine forest, granite caves and boulder mazes to the summit ridges.
How the landscape formed
The mountain belongs to the Dabie orogen, the zone where the North China and South China blocks collided some 230 million years ago. Rocks here were carried to depths of more than 100 kilometres and returned to the surface — ultra-high-pressure metamorphic rocks containing coesite and diamond inclusions, which have made the Dabie belt a key site for the study of continental subduction. The peaks themselves are Cretaceous granite, weathered into pillars, arches and boulder caves. The Qianshan basin to the south has also yielded important Palaeocene mammal fossils.
Highlights
Tianzhu Peak
天柱峰
The main summit, a sheer granite pillar standing above the surrounding ridges.
Mystery Valley
神秘谷
A maze of caves and passages among tumbled granite boulders.
Alchemy Lake
炼丹湖
A small high lake linked by legend with Daoist elixir-making on the mountain.
Valley Stream
山谷流泉
A rocky gorge at the foot of the mountain whose cliffs carry hundreds of inscriptions from the Tang onward.
Plants and wildlife
The mountain is forested with pine, mixed broadleaf woods and bamboo, and its higher slopes shelter plants typical of the Dabie Mountains. Frequent cloud and fog sustain mosses and ferns in the boulder caves.
Plants
Huangshan pine
黄山松
The flat-crowned pine that grows from rock crevices on the upper ridges.
Tianzhu tea
天柱剑毫
A green tea from the Qianshan hills.
Wildlife
Elliot's pheasant
白颈长尾雉
A rare pheasant of the evergreen forests of the region.
Culture and legend
Emperor Wu of Han climbed Tianzhu in 106 BCE and named it the Southern Peak, making it a place of state sacrifice. Daoists regarded it as one of their grotto-heavens. In the late sixth century Sengcan, the Third Patriarch of Chan, lived and taught here, and the Third Patriarch Temple still stands at the mountain's foot. The Song poet Huang Tingjian took his literary name Shangu from the Valley Stream, where Wang Anshi and Su Shi also left inscriptions.
Third Patriarch Temple
三祖寺
The Chan monastery associated with Sengcan, with a pagoda above the Valley Stream.
Valley Stream inscriptions
摩崖石刻
Cliff inscriptions by Tang and Song poets and officials, among them Wang Anshi and Huang Tingjian.
History
106 BCE
Emperor Wu names the Southern Peak
Tianzhu becomes one of the Five Sacred Mountains of imperial ritual.
589
Title moves to Hengshan
The Sui dynasty transfers the rank of Southern Peak to Mount Heng in Hunan.
Late 6th century
Sengcan teaches on the mountain
The Third Patriarch of Chan makes Tianzhu a site of Chan history.
11th century
Song poets at the Valley Stream
Wang Anshi, Su Shi and Huang Tingjian leave inscriptions and poems.
1982
National scenic area
Listed among the first national key scenic areas.
2011
UNESCO Global Geopark
Recognised for its granite landscape and ultra-high-pressure metamorphic rocks.
Through the seasons
Spring
Azaleas and fresh green from April; mist often hides the pillar.
Summer
Cooler than the Yangtze plain and a local summer retreat, with afternoon storms.
Autumn
Clear air and good long views from the summit ridges.
Winter
Snow and rime ice on the upper mountain in cold spells; icy paths.
Routes and ways in
Valley Stream and Third Patriarch Temple
An easy walk at the foot of the mountain among the inscriptions and the temple.
Summit circuit
Cableways lift visitors to the upper mountain; from there stone paths lead through Mystery Valley to the viewing points below Tianzhu Peak, a full day of steps.
Practical notes
- The mountain lies in Qianshan county-level city, part of Anqing.
- The summit pillar itself is not climbed; paths lead to viewpoints around it.
- Mystery Valley involves squeezing through narrow boulder caves; it is not suitable for everyone.
Cities to start from
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Tianzhushan UNESCO Global Geopark — UNESCO (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Anqing Municipal People's Government — Anqing Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Anhui Provincial People's Government — Anhui Provincial People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
More mountains and nature in Anhui
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