Mount Qingcheng is a forested mountain on the western edge of the Chengdu Plain, near Dujiangyan, regarded as one of the birthplaces of Daoism: in the second century the Celestial Master Zhang Daoling is said to have taught here. Its temples, set among dense evergreen forest, have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000 together with the Dujiangyan irrigation system.
- UNESCO World Heritage (cultural), with Dujiangyan · 2000
- National scenic area · 1982
Key facts
- UNESCO World Heritage
- 2000, with the Dujiangyan irrigation system[1]
- Religion
- Daoism (Quanzhen school today)
- Associated founder
- Zhang Daoling, 2nd century
- Location
- Dujiangyan, Chengdu, Sichuan
Overview
Qingcheng owes its name to its ring of green peaks, which enclose the mountain like the walls of a city. The saying 青城天下幽 — “Qingcheng is the most secluded under heaven” — sums up its character: it is a mountain of shade, moss, bamboo and quiet courtyards rather than of dramatic summits, and its temples are hidden in the forest along stone paths.
The mountain is divided into the front mountain, with the main Daoist temples, and the rear mountain, a wilder area of gorges, waterfalls and old villages. It lies within the county-level city of Dujiangyan, about 15 km from the ancient irrigation works with which it shares its World Heritage listing.
How the landscape formed
Qingcheng lies at the foot of the Longmen Shan, where the mountains rise abruptly from the Chengdu Plain along one of the most active fault zones in China — the fault that ruptured in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The mountain is made largely of conglomerate and sandstone, weathered into rounded ridges and cliffs, and cut by streams into narrow valleys. A warm, very humid climate with frequent mist supports continuous evergreen forest from the foot of the mountain to its summit.
Highlights
Cave of the Celestial Master
天师洞
The main temple complex of the front mountain, built around the cave where Zhang Daoling is said to have taught.
Jianfu Palace
建福宫
The temple at the foot of the front mountain, founded in the Tang dynasty.
Shangqing Palace
上清宫
A temple high on the front mountain, with views over the plain on clear days.
Laojun Pavilion
老君阁
The tower on the summit ridge dedicated to Laozi, the highest point of the front mountain path.
Yuecheng Lake
月城湖
A small lake crossed by ferry on the way up the front mountain.
Tai'an old town
泰安古镇
The gateway to the rear mountain, with gorges and waterfalls above it.
Plants and wildlife
The mountain is covered in subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest with bamboo, ferns and mosses. Long protection by the temples preserved ancient trees around the courtyards, and the humid climate makes it one of the greenest places near Chengdu.
Plants
Ginkgo
银杏
A giant ginkgo at the Cave of the Celestial Master is traditionally said to have been planted by Zhang Daoling.
Phoebe
楠木
Tall evergreen trees prized for timber, preserved around the temples.
Bamboo groves
竹林
Line the stone paths of the front and rear mountains.
Wildlife
Silver pheasant
白鹇
A forest pheasant of the southern Chinese mountains.
Squirrels
松鼠
Common in the forest around the temples.
Culture and legend
According to tradition, Zhang Daoling came to Qingcheng in the Eastern Han dynasty and founded the Way of the Celestial Masters (天师道), the first organised Daoist movement, also called the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice. Temples multiplied from the Jin and Tang dynasties onward, and Qingcheng was counted among the Daoist “grotto-heavens”. The mountain is today a centre of the Quanzhen school, and its monks are known for a cuisine of local vegetables, pickles and a Daoist wine made from kiwi fruit. Qingcheng also lends its name to a style of martial arts and a local tea.
自为青城客，不唾青城地。为爱丈人山，丹梯近幽意。Zì wéi Qīngchéng kè, bù tuò Qīngchéng dì. Wèi ài Zhàngrén Shān, dān tī jìn yōu yì.
“Since I became a guest of Qingcheng, I do not spit upon its ground. For I love the Mountain of the Elder, whose red stairs lead close to its secluded spirit.”
— Du Fu, “Zhangren Mountain” (丈人山), c. 760
Zhang Daoling
张道陵
Founder of the Celestial Masters movement in the second century, venerated as the first Celestial Master.
Grotto-heaven
洞天
In Daoist cosmology, a sacred mountain cavern that opens into a hidden world of the immortals; Qingcheng is listed among them.
Dujiangyan
都江堰
The irrigation system built in the third century BCE nearby, inscribed with Qingcheng as one World Heritage site.
History
2nd century CE
Zhang Daoling teaches on Qingcheng
The founding tradition of the Celestial Masters, the first organised Daoist church.
Tang dynasty (618–907)
Temple building
Jianfu Palace and other temples were founded; the court sided with the Daoists in a dispute with Buddhist monks over the mountain.
1982
National scenic area
Qingcheng and Dujiangyan were listed in the first group of national key scenic areas.
2000
UNESCO World Heritage
Inscribed with the Dujiangyan irrigation system as a cultural site.
12 May 2008
Wenchuan earthquake
Several temple halls were damaged; they were restored in the following years.
Through the seasons
Spring
Mild and misty, with fresh green growth; a popular escape from Chengdu at weekends.
Summer
Hot and humid on the plain but cool in the forest; the rear mountain's streams and gorges are at their best.
Autumn
Mild and often clear, the most comfortable season for walking.
Winter
Cool and damp with occasional snow on the upper paths; quiet temples and few visitors.
Routes and ways in
Front mountain circuit
Stone steps lead from the gate past Jianfu Palace and the Cave of the Celestial Master to Shangqing Palace and Laojun Pavilion; a half-day walk, shortened by the ferry across Yuecheng Lake and a cable car.
Rear mountain
From Tai'an old town, trails and plank walks follow gorges and waterfalls into the forest; a longer day with village guesthouses for an overnight stay.
With Dujiangyan
The irrigation works in Dujiangyan city are commonly combined with the front mountain on a single visit.
Practical notes
- The paths are stone steps, often wet and mossy; wear shoes with good grip.
- Temples are active places of worship: dress modestly, keep voices low and ask before photographing monks or rituals.
- Qingchengshan station on the Chengdu–Dujiangyan railway lies close to the front mountain gate.
- Summer weekends bring large crowds from Chengdu; weekdays are quieter.
Cities to start from
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System — UNESCO World Heritage Centre (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Chengdu Municipal People's Government — Chengdu Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Du Fu, 丈人山, in Complete Tang Poems (全唐诗) — Chinese Text Project (retrieved 27 September 2026)
More mountains and nature in Sichuan
- Nature reserve · 6,032 mDaocheng Yading稻城亚丁Three sacred snow peaks of the Tibetan borderlands
- National parkGiant Panda National Park大熊猫国家公园One park for the panda's mountains across three provinces
- GlacierHailuogou Glacier海螺沟A glacier on Gongga's eastern flank that ends in forest
- Nature reserve · 5,588 mHuanglong黄龙Terraced travertine pools below the snows of Xuebaoding
- Nature reserve · 4,752 mJiuzhaigou九寨沟Turquoise lakes and travertine falls in the Minshan mountains
- Sacred mountain · 3,099 mMount Emei峨眉山Samantabhadra's mountain above the sea of clouds
- Mountain · 7,556 mMount Gongga (Minya Konka)贡嘎山The highest peak of Sichuan and the eastern Tibetan Plateau's rim
- Mountain · 6,250 mMount Siguniang四姑娘山Four snow peaks above the valleys of the Qionglai range
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