Xianshuiyan Scenic Area
Without exaggeration, Xianshuiyan Scenic Area brings together the best of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Green hills, bamboo groves and a jumble of peaks and rocks that look like whatever your imagination su…
Xianshuiyan Scenic Area, Longhu Mountain
Key facts
- Opening hours
- 8：00—17：00
- Guidebook rating
- 4 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 1466. Open in Google Maps
About Xianshuiyan Scenic Area
Without exaggeration, Xianshuiyan Scenic Area brings together the best of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Green hills, bamboo groves and a jumble of peaks and rocks that look like whatever your imagination suggests are all here. The clear water of the Luxi River and the bamboo rafts gliding across it give the area a calm that city dwellers rarely find. If you have the chance, climb to Xianren City for a view over Xianshuiyan.
Tips from the guidebook
- 1. Cliff tombs: The cliffs of Xianshuiyan are dotted with hundreds of cliff tombs dating back more than 2,600 years. The caves vary in size and hold ancient coffins, arranged as single-cave single burials, single-cave group burials, or linked-cave group burials. So far, 39 coffins, 16 complete skeletons and more than 200 items, including pottery, celadon, silk and hemp textiles, musical instruments, and wooden and bamboo objects, have been excavated. Experts have dated the tombs to the early Warring States period. To help solve the mysteries surrounding them, the Yingtan Tourism Bureau offered a cash reward of ¥300,000.
- 2. Hanging coffin show: If you want to see the thrilling "Hanging Coffin" performance, plan your time in advance (it starts daily at 14:00). The show looks quite different from a bamboo raft than it does from the shore.
- 3. Heavenly Master chestnuts: The chestnut trees on Dragon Tiger Mountain are said to have been planted by the Heavenly Master himself, which is how "Heavenly Master chestnuts" got their name. The Heavenly Master was said to know a great deal about healthy living, so if you are interested, try some yourself and bring a few back as gifts for friends and family, so they can share a little of the "immortal essence" too.
- 1. Dashangqing Palace is a reconstruction: Dashangqing Palace has fine architecture, but most of it is modern reconstruction, and it is less renowned than the Heavenly Master Palace. If you are planning a one-day trip, you can skip it. Instead, take a bus from Yingtan straight to the Heavenly Master Palace in Shangqing Town.
- 2. Visiting time: If you simply want a taste of the Taoist atmosphere, one day is enough.
- 3. Zhengyi Temple: Zhengyi Temple is the birthplace of Taoism. Its grey tiles and white walls, set against the surrounding Danxia landforms, give it a striking, otherworldly presence.
- Within Xiangbi Mountain Scenic Area, a high-altitude plank walkway is built along the cliffs of red sandstone (Danxia). It winds across the sheer rock like a dragon, linking one peak to the next. Walking it gives you the best angle for admiring Xiangbi Mountain, known as the "First Divine Elephant Under Heaven," with the beauty of the Danxia landscape spread out before you.
Frequently asked questions
What are the opening hours of Xianshuiyan Scenic Area?
Xianshuiyan Scenic Area is open 8：00—17：00.
Where is Xianshuiyan Scenic Area?
Xianshuiyan Scenic Area is in Longhu Mountain, Jiangxi Province, in the East China of China. Xujia Village, Xianshuiyan Scenic Area, East Bank of the Luxi River, Yingtan
More places in Longhu Mountain
Longhu Mountain Scenic Area
The long-standing Taoist culture, the distinctive emerald waters and red sandstone cliffs, the mysterious cliff tombs that remain unsolved, and the unrivaled phenomenon of reproductive worship together form the “Four Wonders” of Longhu Mountain Scenic Area, combining its natural and cultural landscapes. Every visitor feels the peculiar and mysterious power of Taoism.
¥230 (ticket + sightseeing shuttle + bamboo raft ticket) · 1–2 days
Wuwen Village
Don't miss the famous Wuwen (Mosquito-Free) Village. Camphor trees are everywhere in the village, and the air is filled with their fragrant camphor scent. The many tree species here are said to produce a combined aroma that keeps mosquitoes away. The camphor smell isn't especially pleasant, though, and while it drives off insects, it can also be overpowering.
Shangqing Ancient Town
Shangqing nurtured Taoist culture. Without this treasured land, Dragon Tiger Mountain could hardly have become the foremost Taoist mountain in China and the birthplace of Chinese Taoism. In this town with a history of a thousand years, the Heavenly Master Palace, stilted houses and old residences are places you must visit.
Xiangbi Mountain Scenic Area
Bamboo groves are the biggest highlight of Xiangbi Mountain. Strolling through the hills where the breeze drifts through, the freshness of the bamboo mingles with that of the earth, making it a peaceful place to rest your body and mind. The mountain trails are steep, however, and you will need both stamina and determination to hike them.
Luxi River Rafting
The most important "viewing platform" on Dragon Tiger Mountain is the bamboo raft. The rafting trip takes nearly 30 minutes, from the dock all the way to the hanging coffin performance site, and the rock formations along the way are so varied that "thrilling" hardly does it justice!