Explore Qingcheng Mountain and Dujiangyan
Explore Qingcheng
Mountain and Dujiangyan
Reconnect with nature and absorb the breath-taking beauty of Mount Qingcheng,
the birthplace of Taoism. Marvel at the magnitude of the Dujiangyan
Irrigation System, an incredible feat of ancient engineering.
WHY THIS TOUR?
Mount Qingcheng is considered to be the birthplace of Taoism and is one of the most important Taoist mountains in China. This ancient cradle of faith is dotted with picturesque and ancient temples, all enhanced by a spectacular view.
The whole mountain is covered with evergreen forest, from which it gets its name ‘Qingcheng’, which translates as ‘mountain of green’. The Dujiangyan Irrigation System dates back 2,200 years to a time when the city of Chengdu was subjected to frequent floods caused by the flooding of the Minjiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River. This irrigation system still controls the waters of the river and distributes it to the fertile farmland of the Chengdu plains.
TRAIL ITINERARY
08:00 - 18:00
Our exciting exploration today reveals the birthplace of Taoism and two exciting UNESCO-listed sites. The driver and guide will collect you from the hotel and take you on a two-hour drive to Mount Qingcheng. On the way to the 2,400-metre-high peak, you can enjoy sublime views of slopes dotted with ancient Taoist temples and palaces. The knowledgeable guide will relate the history of the sites and will explain the religion and philosophy of Taoism. Prominent sites include the Yuanming Palace and Tianshi Cave. Dating back to the Sui Dynasty (518-619), Tianshi Cave is surrounded by mountains in three directions. Inside the temple is a 1,000-year-old ginkgo tree which, according to legend, was planted by Zhang Daoling, the founder of Taoism.
After lunch in a local restaurant, you will continue to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, an ancient water conservation project that dates back to 256 BC. Since this time, the Chengdu Plain has been free of flooding and the people have been living peacefully and affluently off the riches of the fertile land. This incredible feat of engineering still works perfectly and currently benefits over 50 cities. Dujiangyan is now the oldest and only surviving no-dam irrigation system in the world and a landmark feat in the development of Chinese engineering. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. This tour reveals this amazing site in all its glory.
At the end of the tour, the driver will take you back to the hotel.