Giant Python Emerging from the Mountain
巨蟒出山
A 128-metre granite pillar stands among the peaks, shaped like a giant python raising its head. It is the symbol of Sanqingshan and a core landscape of the World Heritage site.
Giant Python Emerging from the Mountain sits in the Nanqing Garden scenic area. It is a granite pillar about 128 metres tall and only about 7 metres across at its narrowest point, formed by jointing and weathering. Its slightly thicker top resembles a snake's head, and the whole formation looks like a python raising its head out of the mountain. Geologists call it “the finest granite landform in the world,” and it is one of Sanqingshan's two icons, alongside the Goddess of the East. The main viewing points are the Giant Python lookout in Nanqing Garden and the plank road that runs toward the Sunshine Coast. Its silhouette changes dramatically from different angles, and the classic view includes the distant peaks. When clouds roll up and the pillar emerges from the sea of cloud, it becomes a scene photographers chase. It is about a 30-minute walk from the upper station of the Jinsha Cable Car and about 10 minutes from the Goddess of the East, so the two are often visited together. Included in the scenic area ticket. Note: the lookout is crowded in peak season, so the first cable car of the morning is the quietest way up. Do not climb the pillar or cross the railings around it. On foggy days when visibility is poor, visit other sights first and return once the fog lifts.
Opening hours
Scenic area 07:00–17:00 (cable car times apply)