Baoding | Tang County Qingdu Mountain

Qingdu Mountain is located 5 kilometers northeast of Tang County, Baoding City, Hebei Province. It is named after Yao's mother, 'Qingdu,' who lived in this area during ancient times. Here is a detailed introduction: • Historical Evolution: Qingdu Mountain has a long history. It was formerly known as Lingyuan Mountain and commonly referred to as Heilong Mountain (Head). Ancient Chinese geographical records such as 'Dushi Fangyu Jiyao' mention 'Yao Mountain in the north, Yao's mother Qingdu Mountain in the south, climbing Yao Mountain to see Qingdu Mountain,' and 'Qingdu Mountain, where Yao's mother Qingdu lived,' indicating that Tang Yao grew up with his mother on Qingdu Mountain. Today, Qingdu Mountain in Tang County is the former residence of Tang Yao. • Geographical Environment: Qingdu Mountain is about eight li long, with an altitude of over 200 meters. The mountain is steep and not connected to other mountains. The east side of the mountain is higher, resembling a dragon's head, while the west side is lower, with undulating terrain. The south, west, and north sides are surrounded by other high mountains. The top of the mountain is concave and flat, with a cool summer and warm winter climate. The area below the mountain is flat and open, with a river flowing eastward and connected lakes. • Park Layout: Qingdu Mountain Tourist Resort covers an area of 16 square kilometers, approximately 24,200 mu, with a total investment of 5.4 billion yuan. It is one of the largest tourist destinations in Baoding and North China. The resort is strategically positioned as the 'spiritual home of the Chinese nation and the birthplace of Tang Yao culture.' Through resource integration, functional improvement, spatial reshaping, and cultural excavation, it has developed a tourism product system centered on 'a wise king, a famous mountain, a bay of clear lake, and a piece of forest,' forming a spatial pattern of 'one ring and five zones.' It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction integrating cultural experience, rural leisure, sports entertainment, health and wellness, and educational research. • Important Tourist Attractions: • Qingdu Mountain: Ancient Chinese geographical records such as 'Dushi Fangyu Jiyao' mention 'Yao Mountain in the north, Yao's mother Qingdu Mountain in the south, climbing Yao Mountain to see Qingdu Mountain,' and 'Qingdu Mountain, where Yao's mother Qingdu lived,' indicating that Tang Yao grew up with his mother on Qingdu Mountain. Today, Qingdu Mountain in Tang County is the former residence of Tang Yao. • Lingyuan Temple: The western half of Qingdu Mountain has the ruins of the ancient Lingyuan Temple, built during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian. It was a royal temple, with existing foundations of the hall dedicated to 'the spirit of Empress Qingdu, mother of Emperor Ku,' and five blue marble Buddhist scripture steles inscribed with 'offered by Empress Wu of the Great Tang.' The temple is surrounded by towering cypress trees, and there is an ancient stone well where the moon can be reflected in the well from evening to morning, known as 'Lingyuan Xiaoyue,' one of the eight ancient scenic spots of Tang County. • Tang Yao Museum: Tang Yao Museum is located at the entrance of Qingdu Mountain Health and Tourism Resort. It is the most distinctive building in the Tang Yao cultural exhibition area and the first large-scale pure wooden building with Tang-style mortise and tenon structure in North China. It showcases the grand image of a Tang-style imperial hall, with a double-eaved hip roof and wooden pillars and beams as the main structure. The hall is 26 meters high with a total construction area of 4,576 square meters. The large lower base has a construction area of 3,317 square meters, and the wooden hall has a construction area of 1,258 square meters. The most notable feature of the Tang Yao Museum is that no nails were used in its construction, all made of imported solid wood. The wooden structure is purple-brown, and the roof tiles are blue-gray. In front of the hall is a 500-square-meter moon platform with a brick-concrete structure decorated with granite stone paving, surrounded by granite stone railings. Inside the museum are statues of Yao, Shun, and Yu, with murals and reliefs depicting the legendary life of Tang Yao, showcasing his birth, growth, achievements, and the creation of the Yao Tian Shun Ri era. • Tang Yao Ancient Town: Tang Yao Ancient Town is located in the gentle valley between Qingdu Mountain and Yu Mountain, adjacent to Yao Mother Lake, covering an area of 182 mu. It is a charming ancient town featuring an ancient commercial street and northern residential buildings. The ancient town is a place for displaying the folk customs and cultural heritage of Tang Yao, with a collection and distribution center and a food quick inspection center to ensure all food is green and safe. • Yao Mother Lake: Yao Mother Lake is located at the foot of Qingdu Mountain, with a total water area of about 200 mu and a storage capacity of over 2 million cubic meters. Yao Mother Lake offers a variety of water activities. Boating on the lake or taking a speedboat allows visitors to enjoy the charm of the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River during their holiday. • Mountain Top Plaza: The flat top of Qingdu Mountain has a mountain top plaza for worshiping Emperor Yao, with a statue of Emperor Yao. The ground is inlaid with metal strips forming a nine-square grid with the names of the nine provinces: Jizhou, Yanzhou, Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Yangzhou, Jingzhou, Yuzhou, Youzhou, and Yongzhou, representing the entire land of China.