Qixia Mountain also called Sheshan Mountain, locates in Qixia District in the northeast of Nanjing. It is one of the most famous scenic spots to appreciate red maples in autumn. There was a saying as “Autumn Qixia” from the Ming Dynasty. The whole scenic area around Qixia Mountain occupies about 860 hectares. With the numerous places of interest and beautiful natural scenery, Qixia Mountain was selected as the National 4A Scenic Spot in 2009.
Impressive Qixia
Qixia Mountain has three peaks, including Dragon Peak, Tiger Peak and the main peak, namely Flying Phoenix Peak with an altitude of 286 meters. The enthralling natural landscapes include flame-colored maple trees, forests, strange stones and springs. Also, the mountain has many cultural relics, especially the Qixia Temple, Sarira Pagoda and Thousand Buddha Cliff.
The first sight of Qixia Mountain is the Mirror Lake, which was dug during the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912). There is a pavilion called Huxin Pavilion linking to the bank by the Nine Bend Bridge.
Qixia Temple is located at the foot of the main peak, which was originally built in 489 during the Southern Dynasties (420-589) and extended during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Originally, Qixia Temple was owned by a monk as his private house, and later he donated the house as a temple named Qixia Jingshe. Then, it became the place for monks to live and practice austerities. It is the one of the most important Buddhist temples in Nanjing, which was once recognized as one of the four largest temples in history.
The Thousand Buddha Cliff locates at the southeast foot of the main peak. It is one of the most famous cultural relics in Qixia Mountain, comprising 294 shrines and 515 statues of Buddha. Hence, the scenic spot got the name. Among all the Buddha, the statue of Amitabha is the biggest, with the height of 11 meters.
In addition, the red maples in Qixia Mountain are really charming, which attract millions of visitors every year. In autumn, the whole Qixia Mountain will be dressed up in red by various maples, just like the spots of flames decorating the landscape.