What Are the Must-see Attractions in Maanshan?

As an ancient line goes: A mountain need not tower high; immortals dwelling within lend it spiritual charm. Maanshan’s landscapes brim with vitality, nourished by profound cultural heritage—and this culture, in turn, was nurtured by its rivers and hills.

Bordered by the Yangtze River to the west and home to a lake at its heart, Maanshan is ringed by clusters of exquisite green hills. The celebrated classical garden expert Chen Congzhou praised it with the verse: Nine hills encircle one lake; Emerald Snail Hill rises from the great river. Blending mountains, water and urban scenery as an integrated whole, Maanshan is a classic riverside garden city embodying the unique grace of regions south of the Yangtze.

Nestled against Daqing Mountain, the site is also known as Li Family Mountain because the great poet Li Bai visited and stayed here many times. The mountain rises 372 metres above sea level and stretches more than 20 kilometres across. Winding mountain trails thread through lush forests, and the slopes overlook the Yangtze River, a location of great strategic importance that has long been contested by military forces throughout history.

Daqing Mountain abounds in cultural relics. Its northern foothills hold well-known groups of Jin Dynasty tombs and the ruins of a Ming glazed tile kiln, whose tiles were used when Zhu Yuanzhang founded his capital in Nanjing. Xie Gong Spring yields sweet, endless spring water all year round. Beside the spring ruins stand a stone Buddha nunnery, Mahavira Hall and other temple buildings that draw endless pilgrims annually. Cloudy Zen Forest Temple, first built in the Song Dynasty, crowns the main peak. Climbing to the summit affords sweeping views: the Yangtze River stretches far in the distance, while layers of dense forest unfold close at hand, making it an ideal destination for hiking and sightseeing.

Located in Yushan Township in the southern urban area of Maanshan, Anhui Province, this museum marks the tomb of Zhu Ran, a renowned general of the Eastern Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms Period. Excavated in June 1984, the tomb yielded numerous precious cultural relics. Some unearthed lacquerwares fill gaps in the art history of the Three Kingdoms era. It ranks as the largest, earliest and highest-status Eastern Wu tomb discovered to date, and was named one of China’s Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries of the 1980s. Officially titled the Three Kingdoms Zhu Ran Family Cemetery Museum, it is designated a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level and sits within southern Yushan District, Maanshan.

Situated in the eastern suburbs of Maanshan, Putang Scenic Area covers roughly 20 square kilometres. Though close to the city centre, it remains quiet and secluded like a hidden paradise. Its Four Wonders are bamboo seas, ancient trees, clear springs and temple bell chimes. The newly discovered Gravity Hill is an extremely rare natural oddity, and the whole zone is listed as a Provincial-level Scenic Area of Anhui.

Lying 5 kilometres southwest of downtown Maanshan on the eastern bank of the Yangtze River, Caishiji is a National Key Scenic Spot and a National AAAA-level Tourist Zone. Combining grandeur, wonder, peril and elegance in one landscape, it tops the Three Famous Rocky Promontories along the Yangtze River (the other two are Yanziji and Chenglingji) and bears the time-honoured reputation of The Unmatched Beauty Through the Ages. Its distinctive natural vistas and profound cultural heritage have earned it fame as a landmark south of the Yangtze. Key sites here include Taibai Tower, Santai Pavilion, Sanyuan Cave, Lin Sanzhi Art Museum and Guangji Temple.

Also called Zhenshan Zen Forest or Zhenshan Nunnery (alternatively Jinshan Nunnery), the temple stands at the southern foot of Zhenshan Mountain, 7.5 kilometres east of Dangtu County seat, and takes its name from the mountain.

First erected in the Tang Dynasty over a thousand years ago, it ranks among the ten most renowned ancient temples in the region. It reached its golden age in the late Qing and early Republican eras, housing a total of 99 and a half rooms. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Dangtu fell to Japanese occupation, and most temple buildings were destroyed. Further damage followed in the Cultural Revolution, leaving only a handful of dilapidated halls intact.

Today the courtyards are shaded by dense green trees and blooming flowers, offering visitors a soothing, refreshing retreat. It now serves as a beloved destination for devout men and women who come to pray for blessings and disaster relief, as well as families enjoying weekend outings.

Also named Hengwang Mountain for its horizontal ridgelines visible from all directions, Hengshan lies 30 kilometres east of the county seat, with its main peak Sun Arch reaching an altitude of 459 metres. The mountain massif appears majestic with layered verdant peaks stretching to the horizon, its quiet, beautiful valleys forming a natural horizontal barrier spanning 40 square kilometres. Its northeastern boundary adjoins Jiangning and Lishui Counties of Jiangsu Province, while its southern slopes connect Shijiu Lake and Danyang Lake. In ancient records, Hengshan was once written as Hengshan Mountain. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Zizhong, a minister of the State of Chu, launched an invasion against Wu and captured Jiuzi, reaching this very mountain.

Fifteen kilometres east of Dangtu County seat, Lingxu Mountain stands 133 metres high with gentle foothills covered in luxuriant bamboo and trees. It borders Longquan Mountain to the north and Weiping Mountain to the west. Legend tells that a Taoist sage named Ding Lingwei travelled here from Liaodong to cultivate immortality and refine elixirs, finally ascending to heaven transformed into a white crane—hence the mountain’s name Lingxu (Spirit Void).

Remnants of an elixir well and alchemist’s grotto survive on the mountain, alongside ruins of the Cultivation Taoist Temple and Lake-view Pavilion. The summit forms a flat expanse, where an alchemist’s altar once stood before the Taoist temple; these structures are long lost today. A devout follower of Taoism, Li Bai resided in Dangtu and composed the poem Lingxu Mountain, one of his ten celebrated verses collectively titled Odes to Gushu.