Introducing Qíyún Shān
A 40-minute bus trip west of Túnxī brings you to the lush mountain panoramas of Qíyún Shān (admission Y60). Long venerated by Taoists, the reddish sandstone rock provides a mountain home to the temples and the monks who tend to them, while mountain trails lead hikers through some stupendous scenery.
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From the bus drop-off, it’s a 10-minute walk along the river to the Deng Feng Bridge (; Dēngfēng Qiáo). Cross the bridge – dwelling on the luxuriant river views – and turn right through the village at the foot of the mountain for a 40-minute clamber up stone steps to the ticket office. Or you can take a cable car (up Y26, down Y14) from the far side of the river up the mountain.
Beyond the ticket office, the Zhenxian Cave (; Zhēnxiān Dòngfǔ) houses a complex of Taoist shrines in grottoes and niches gouged from the sandstone cliffs. Seated within the smoky interior of the vast Tàisù Gōng () further on is an effigy of Zhengwu Dadi, a Taoist deity. A further temple hall, the Yùxū Gōng () is erected beneath the huge brow of a 200m-long sandstone cliff, enclosed around effigies of Zhengwu Dadi and Laotze.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
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