Mount Qian (Qianshan) is a granite range south-east of Anshan in Liaoning, named for its many peaks — traditionally counted as 999 — and nicknamed the “thousand lotus-flower mountain”. Rising to about 708 metres at Xianren Tai, it has been a centre of both Buddhism and Daoism in north-east China since the Tang and Liao and is a national scenic area.
- National scenic area · 1982
Key facts
- Highest point
- Xianren Tai, about 708 m[1]
- Peaks
- 999 by tradition
- Religions
- Buddhism and Quanzhen Daoism
- Location
- Anshan, Liaoning
Overview
Qianshan is the northernmost part of the Changbai uplands that run south-west down the Liaodong Peninsula. It is a dense maze of granite peaks, knife ridges and ravines cloaked in pine and oak, just 20 km from the steel city of Anshan. Legend says that when a heavenly maiden scattered a thousand lotus flowers over the earth, one short of a thousand, they turned into these 999 peaks.
The mountain is one of the main religious centres of Liaoning. Five Buddhist monasteries — the “five great chan forests” — and several Daoist temples stand in its valleys, and it holds one of the oldest traditions of Quanzhen Daoism in the north-east.
How the landscape formed
The range is carved from granite intruded during the Mesozoic, weathered along its joints into pinnacles, domes and bare cliffs. Deep gullies separate the ridges, so that from any summit the view is of peak after peak — the origin of the name. Streams collect in the valleys where the temples stand. A natural rock silhouette on one ridge, first publicised in the 1990s, resembles a seated Maitreya Buddha some 70 metres tall.
Highlights
Immortals' Terrace
仙人台
The highest peak, about 708 metres, with a stone table and carved figures of immortals on a narrow summit reached by steep steps.
Five Buddha Summit
五佛顶
A summit with five Buddha statues and wide views over the peaks.
Natural Maitreya Buddha
天成弥勒大佛
A ridge whose outline resembles a seated Maitreya, venerated at a temple built below it.
Heaven above Heaven
天上天
A group of precipitous peaks reached by narrow ledges and chains.
Plants and wildlife
The mountain carries a mixed forest of Chinese pine, oak and broadleaf trees, much of it second growth. Pear and apricot trees flower in spring in the valleys, and autumn colours are among the finest in Liaoning.
Plants
Chinese pine
油松
Grows from the granite crags; ancient pines stand at the temples.
Pear blossom
梨花
White pear blossom fills the valleys in April and May, celebrated in a spring festival.
Mono maple
五角枫
Acer pictum, turning red and orange in October.
Wildlife
Siberian chipmunk
花鼠
Common along the stepped paths.
Culture and legend
Buddhist temples on Qianshan go back at least to the Tang and flourished under the Liao and Ming. In the seventeenth century Daoists of the Quanzhen Longmen lineage founded Wuliang Guan, and the mountain became a stronghold of Daoism in Manchuria. Monks and Daoist priests still live on the mountain, and the temples are busy on festival days, especially on the birthday of Maitreya and during the spring pear-blossom season.
Wuliang Temple
无量观
The main Daoist temple, founded in the early Qing by Quanzhen Daoists, set among cliffs.
Longquan Temple
龙泉寺
The largest of the five Buddhist monasteries, named after a spring beside it.
Xiangyan Temple
香岩寺
One of the five great monasteries, on the southern side of the mountain.
Da'an Temple
大安寺
One of the five great monasteries, surrounded by pine forest.
Zhonghui Temple
中会寺
A monastery on the middle slopes between the northern and southern routes.
History
Tang dynasty (618–907)
Buddhist temples founded
The first recorded monasteries on the mountain.
Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
The five great monasteries flourish
Qianshan becomes a principal Buddhist centre of Liaodong.
17th century
Wuliang Guan founded
Quanzhen Daoism establishes itself on the mountain.
1982
National scenic area
Listed in the first group of national scenic areas.
Through the seasons
Spring
Pear and apricot blossom from late April; mild days and cold nights.
Summer
Warm and humid, with lush forest and heavy summer rains.
Autumn
Red and gold foliage from late September to mid-October, the favourite season.
Winter
Cold and dry, with snow on the granite and quiet temples.
Routes and ways in
Northern route
From the north gate past Wuliang Guan to Xianren Tai and the Five Buddha Summit, a full day of steep steps.
Southern route
Through the southern valleys to the Maitreya Buddha and Xiangyan Temple; can be combined with the northern route as a traverse.
Practical notes
- Qianshan lies about 20 km south-east of Anshan, which is on the high-speed line between Shenyang and Dalian.
- Some paths to the higher peaks are narrow, exposed and slippery after rain; hold the chains and avoid them in wet weather.
- Temples are active: keep voices low in halls and respect the monastic routine.
Cities to start from
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Anshan Municipal People's Government — Anshan Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Liaoning Provincial People's Government — Liaoning Provincial People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- List of national scenic areas — Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (retrieved 27 September 2026)