Lianhua Mountain Scenic Area

Opening Hours: 7:30 – 17:30 Ticket Price: 50 RMB per person Contact Number: 0634-6080766 Address: South of Liujialin Village, Gaozhuang Sub-district Office, Laiwu City Best Visiting Season: Summer Complaint Hotline: 0634-6221271

The city boasts convenient public transportation with direct buses to the scenic spot. Taxis are also available for trips here.

Lianhua Mountain Scenic Area falls under the jurisdiction of Gaozhuang Town, 15 kilometers south of downtown Laiwu. Standing at an altitude of 994 meters, it covers a scenic area of 17 square kilometers. A lake on the mountain summit marks the geographical boundary: the northern foothills belong to Laiwu, while the southern slopes fall under Xintai. Direct public buses run to the site, offering highly accessible transport.

Also known as Palace Mountain, Lianhua Mountain earned this secondary name because Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty once journeyed here in search of immortals and built the Immortal Welcoming Palace atop the peak. Locals describe the mountain as possessing thirty-six peaks and seventy-two deep valleys. Its major summits include Xinfu Mountain, Ten-Thousand-Zhang Cliff, Rooster Crow Mountain, Tianzhu Peak, Incense Burner Mountain and Lianhua Summit. The range of surrounding peaks converge around the lotus-shaped main peak, hence the name Lianhua (Lotus) Mountain. It ranks as the tallest mountain in Laiwu City.

Sharp, towering peaks pierce the clouds, presenting an overwhelming, magnificent landscape. Jagged precipices and crisscross gullies spread throughout the mountain, dotted with exotic rock formations, secluded caves, lofty waterfalls and deep pools — every step reveals a brand-new view. Lush pines, cypresses and blooming plants adorn the slopes, alongside abundant historical and cultural relics. The renowned scenic sight "Palace Mountain Sunset Glow", a soon-to-be-completed 100-meter giant Guanyin statue, and South China Sea Lake atop the mountain will become one-of-a-kind landmarks of Laiwu and even Shandong Province. Praised as "A Grand Landscape Garden of Laiwu" and "Home to Shandong’s Premier Guanyin Statue", Lianhua Mountain truly shines as a standout destination blending ecological beauty and cultural tourism.

Up to 10 li of 6-meter-wide paved roads and 3,000 meters of stone climbing steps have been constructed across the mountain. The scenic zone is divided into three major sections — Lotus Stalk Valley, Magic Valley and Heavenly Waterfall Valley, plus White Cloud Ridge — featuring more than 120 scenic spots in total.

The valley takes its name from its winding shape, resembling a stalk holding aloft the lotus-shaped summit. Inside the valley, cascading waterfalls, sprawling wildflowers and flocks of birds create an otherworldly retreat. Heart-Cleansing Pool, the first landmark upon entering the mountain, symbolizes purifying the mortal heart to step into pure Buddhist land. The Lotus Gate bears carved lotus patterns above and the Chinese character for "Gate" below, carrying profound symbolic meaning. Vivid natural rock formations include Lions Descending the Mountain, Turtle Poking Its Head, Rock with Natural Path Script, and Dharma Protector Gate Guardians. Silver Flow Ridge glints like surging silver metal, forming a grand spectacle. Jade Maiden Pool derives its legend from Emperor Wu’s daughter Xiaoyu, who loved the pool’s tranquility and bathed here; a natural stone carving of a nude maiden bathing can be seen on the cliff wall beside the water. The Jade Maiden Waterfall stands roughly 20 meters tall, blending powerful momentum with gentle grace as water sprays into countless jade-like droplets. Further along the path stand two gates: the Gate of Love and the Gate of Wealth and Blessings. Visitors may only choose one to pass through, illustrating the ancient philosophy that "one cannot have both fish and bear’s palm", a thought-provoking metaphor for life’s trade-offs. The imposing Heavenly Gate rises grandly, opening onto lush, dreamlike scenery that stirs visitors’ curiosity to step inside. The Heavenly Gate Waterfall hangs midway up the mountain, with torrential water plunging down in a shower of glistening pearls. Beneath the waterfall rests a massive stone called the Waterfall Mainstay, polished smooth and white by thousands of years of rushing water, inspiring quiet reflection. Climbing the stone steps upward leads to the Dragon King Temple, home to three linked pools and three cascading waterfalls strung like pearls. The sight instantly eases weariness and lifts visitors’ spirits. Red Stone Bay and Red Stone Waterfall carry a touching folk tale. Legend says Emperor Wu set up a temporary palace on Lianhua Mountain, and his daughter Xiaoyu wandered the mountains enchanted by the scenery. One day she swung on an ancient thousand-year elm tree, and a strong mountain gust swept away one of her red embroidered shoes, which landed here. Afterwards, all the stones in this area turned red, giving the bay its name. Folklore holds that virtuous people standing beneath the waterfall on auspicious days can catch a glimpse of Xiaoyu’s graceful silhouette in the water’s mist. Ancient Stele Valley houses a weathered cliffside stone tablet with faded, unreadable inscriptions awaiting scholars to decipher its history. This spot is believed to be the ruins of the Hanging Temple, whose origin story is steeped in legend. Tales tell of an elderly Taoist monk living in the temple with two young acolytes. One day, the monk left to play chess with a fellow Taoist and returned to find a fair-skinned child playing with his disciples. When asked, the boys claimed they did not know the child’s identity. The master instructed them to secretly tie a red thread to the child the next time he appeared. The following day, the monk followed the thread and discovered the child was a thousand-year-old ginseng root that had gained the power to transform into human form. He dug up the ginseng, returned to the temple to stew it, and left to invite his friend to share the dish. Overcome by the intoxicating aroma of the ginseng broth, the two acolytes could not stop tasting it. Fearing punishment when they heard their master returning, they spilled the remaining ginseng and soup. In an instant, the entire temple lifted off the ground and floated away — the origin of the Hanging Temple’s legend. Only an ancient stone rice mortar still sits silently on the stone beam of the ruins to this day.

After ascending the Heavenly Stairway and passing the Lotus Waterfall, visitors reach South China Sea Lake atop Lianhua Mountain. Recognized as the largest alpine lake in Shandong, it earned the name "South China Sea" for its proximity to the giant summit Guanyin statue. Covering 16,400 square meters with a total water storage capacity of 180,000 cubic meters, the lake mirrors the summit’s blue sky, white clouds, green trees, Guanyin statue and temple buildings, forming an exclusive lakeside landscape unique to Lianhua Mountain. Activities such as boating, fishing and swimming are available on the water. Visitors can admire both the "Palace Mountain Sunset Glow" and the imposing radar station in one trip, and unwind with leisure and vacation amenities in Lianhua Village — a perfect place for peaceful relaxation. Standing atop Lianhua Summit, panoramic views of Laiwu and Xintai unfold. Walking along the Cloud Soaring Path, tourists may visit the high-altitude radar station of central Shandong and watch aircraft take off and land at the airfield in front of the mountain. Here, visitors truly grasp the profound meaning of the line "Boundless magnificent scenery awaits atop the peak".

White Cloud Ridge takes its name from stretches of white rock resembling drifting clouds. The terrain here is gentle and expansive, dotted with distinctive stone formations. The famed Stone Grandma draws local villagers who worship the rock as a spiritual foster mother, believing it can ward off misfortune and illness, imbued as it is with the essence of heaven, earth, sun and moon. Other lifelike formations include Seal Asking the Sky and Ancient Ape Gazing Heaven — a massive boulder atop the ridge shaped like an ape staring upward in quiet contemplation, vividly rendered by nature.

Its landmark attraction is the Dongdongtai Waterfall, stretching over 300 meters in length. During summer flash floods, the waterfall resembles the Milky Way spilling from the sky, or a colossal dragon surging out of the mountains, writhing its head and tail, exhaling mist and roaring forward with earth-shaking momentum, a breathtaking sight. In winter, the flowing water solidifies into dazzling translucent ice formations, glowing silvery white across the valley like a celestial mirror embedded in Lianhua Mountain — a spectacular, otherworldly scene.

Lianhua Mountain is ancient, secluded and full of wonder; its landscapes graceful, gentle and endlessly charming.