Tongtian Gorge

Tongtian Gorge is a dramatic ravine on the western flank of Kongtong Mountain, accessible as part of the main scenic area ticket. The walls of the gorge are steep and close, with the path following the stream along the gorge floor before climbing back up to the main temple area above. The combination of dense vegetation, carved rock faces, and several small waterfalls makes this the most purely scenic section of the Kongtong Mountain complex.

The gorge is quieter than the main pilgrimage routes and attracts fewer visitors, which makes it good for unhurried walking. Several small pavilions and inscribed rock faces appear along the route. Allow about an hour to walk through and back.

things to do sight nature
A story
The gorge cuts through the same sandstone that forms Kongtong Mountain's main ridge, and the exposed rock faces show the layered sedimentary history of the Loess Plateau in vivid cross-section. Geologists have read these layers as a record of climate change going back tens of millions of years; pilgrims, predictably, see the sculpted forms in the rock as the work of immortals. Both perspectives have their merits.