Mt. Qingcheng and Dujiang Weir

Natural Features

Mt. Qingcheng is 15km from Dujiangyan City proper and 68km from Chengdu City.It is the eastern ridge of southern Qionglai Mountains.The summit of Mt. Qingcheng is Bamian Mountain ( also called Zhaogong Mountain).Mt. Qingcheng comprises rolls of verdant mountains with 36 peaks，8 primary caves，72 minor caves，and 108 scenic attractions. It is admired nation wide for its“peerless tranquility" and its historical sites of Taoist culture. In 1982，it was recognized as one of the first group of national key sites of historical and scenic interest.

As for the origin of its name Glingcheng，or"green city" as the Chinese means，the folks are divided in two beliefs. One is that the layout of Mt. Qingcheng is in line with the 36 arrangements of Yin and Yang，surrounded in the pure verdure outlining the area as a green city. The other explanation says that“Mt. Green City" was actually named as“Mt.Pure City"，pronounced exactly the same and written almost the same in Chinese except that the latter has three additional dots at the left for the character“pure".It was called “pure" because Chinese mythology says that one has to be"pure and lofty for concentration" and Heaven God stays at“Pure Capital or Purple Profundity".Indeed，it was called "Mt. Pure City" since Han Dynasty，but when Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty decided to return it to Taoists，in his decree he forgot the three dots and wrote“green" for“pure" by mistake，thereafter the mountain became“Mt. Green City".A stone stele inscribed with the imperial decree is still kept in Hall of Three Emperors.

Dujiang Weir，or Dujiangyan Irrigation System，is located west of Dujiangyan City，Sichuan Province. Originally it was called Du'an Weir after the name of the ancient Du'an County，where the weir was situated. Since Song and Yuan Dynasties it was given the present name Dujiang Weir，honored as the“Guarding Treasure of Sichuan Province" that is“ingenious of all times".