Sun Moon Mountain

Sun and Moon Mountain (Chinese name: 日月山) is located in the 40 miles away from the Huangyuan County in Qinghai Province. The average sea level of this mountain is about 4,000 meters. Sun and Moon Mountain is a natural boundary in China. It is the boundary of the Loess Plateau and Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the agricultural area and the grassland farming area, monsoon area and non-monsoon area.

 

On the east side of Sun and Moon Mountain, farmlands form a poetic picture in frontier place. And on the west side, the vast grassland and groups of sheep and caw form a nomadic picture. It is rarely to see the great difference between the two sides of this mountain.
 

 

Why Visit Sun Moon Mountain

Sun Moon Mountain is located 40 kilometers southwest of Huangyuan County, Xining City, Qinghai Province. It belongs to the Qilian Mountains and is 90 kilometers long. It is a natural dam in the east of Qinghai Lake. The average elevation is about 4,000 meters, with the highest elevation of 4,877 meters. The Sun Moon Pass through the Qinghai-Tibet Highway is 3,520 meters above sea level.

Sun Moon Mountain is not only of great historical significance, but also of great geographical significance. It is located on the boundary between monsoon region and non-monsoon region in China, in the coincidence area of Loess Plateau and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and it is the natural boundary between the internal and external basins of Qinghai Province, which divides farming civilization and nomadic civilization. Sun Moon Mountain’s name in Tibetan and Mongolian both mean the sun and the moon.

Sun & Moon Mountain in the History

In the past, it was a vital communications centre between Central China and the southwest frontiers as well as the west regions. In 420, the first year of the Shengui reign under Emperor Mingdi in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), the monk Song Yun left Luoyang City for India to learn about Buddhism via Sun and Moon Mountain. Later on, Princess Wencheng passed Sun and Moon Mountain when she was going to marry Songtsen Gampo, King of the Tubo tribe.
 

What to See at Sun Moon Mountain

Sun and Moon Pavilions

There are two pavilions at the Sun Moon Mountain, Sun Pavilion and Moon Pavilion. There are wall paintings at Sun pavilion and Moon Pavilion, which describes the story of Princess Wencheng and Songzan Ganbu. Tourists can watch the wall paintings carefully to know about the stories and know about the history of Princess Wencheng.
 

Statue of Princess Wencheng

There is a statue of Princess Wencheng at the Sun Moon Mountain. It is a 9-meter statue of Princess Wencheng, she wears a cloak, stands and look forward with holding a mirror. Behind her statue, it is relief carvings telling the story of her. The relief carving is 20 meters long and 6 meters wide. On the relief carvings, you can know about the stories of Farewell at Ancient Capital, Breaking the Mirror at Chiling(Sun Moon Mountain) and the Tibetan King Welcomes the Bride.
 

Temple of Princess Wencheng

There is a Temple of the Princess Wencheng at the Sun Moon Mountain. At the temple, you can see the statues of the Four Heavenly Kings, halls, cenotaph of Princess Wencheng, statue of Princess Wencheng and Songzan Ganbu. At this temple, you can admire the architectural design of the buildings, know about the stories of Princess Wencheng and learn about the history of China at that time.
 

Things to Do at Sun Moon Mountain

Know About the Story of Princess Wencheng

Sun Moon Mountain has been the only pass of the Silk Road Qinghai Road, the Tangbo Ancient Road and the Tea-Horse Ancient Road. The earliest Qinghai-Tibet Highway passed through the dumb mouth of Sun-Moon Mountain and served as the gateway for Qinghai to enter Xizang.

It is said that Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty went west to Tubo to marry with Songzan Ganbu, passing through Sun Moon Mountain, and resolutely left the mirror of the Sun Moon to break the homesickness, and the Sun Moon mirror broke into two pavilions: Sun Pavilion and Moon Pavilion. There is also a statue of the Princess Wencheng and wall with relief carvings in this mountain pass, which reposes the memory and respect of the Han and Tibetan people for the princess.
 

Enjoy the Natural Scenery of Sun Moon Mountain

At the Sun Moon Mountain, you can see the fields on the on side and the pastures and grasslands at the another side. It is because the Sun Moon Mountain is the boundary of farming land and pastoral land.
 

Legend of Sun & Moon Mountain

Sun and Moon Mountain was called Chiling Range (Russet Ridge) during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) because of its grassless russet mountaintop.

 

Legend has it that on reaching the mountains near Xining, she took out the Sun & Moon Treasure Mirror given to her by her mother and saw within it her homeland Chang-an (today's Xi-an City). She was overwhelmed, but knew she had a duty to the two nations, and threw the mirror down onto the mountain. The mirror turned into Qinghai Lake and her tears into Daotang River (back flowing river). Its flow westward symbolizes the princess's resolution to never return. The mountain was renamed the Sun-and-Moon Mountain, and on either side of the pass, the Ri (Sun) and Yue (Moon) Pavilions were built to commemorate Princess Wencheng's sacrifice.
 

Best Time to Visit Sun Moon Mountain