牛首山文化旅游区 · No. 18 Ningdan Avenue, Nanjing
Twin peaks shaped like an ox's horns, a palace built to enshrine the skull relic of the Buddha, and fifteen centuries of Zen history — the "Spring Niushou" of ancient Jinling is now one of Jiangsu's essential sights.
Welcome to Spring Niushou
Niushou Mountain (牛首山), also known as Tianque Mountain, takes its name from the twin peaks on its crest that resemble the double horns of an ox's head. Just south of downtown Nanjing in Jiangning District, it has been a place of worship, hermitage and imperial attention for more than 1,500 years — beautiful enough to earn the ancient saying "Spring Niushou", and famous enough that two of Jinling's classic scenes, Niu Shou Yanlan (the misty peaks) and Zutang Zhenxi, were painted here.
Today the mountain pairs that heritage with one of the most ambitious religious buildings in Asia: the Usnisa Palace, an underground palace built into a former mine pit to enshrine the skull relic of Sakyamuni. Add the Usnisa Pagoda, the birthplace of the Niutou Zen Sect, Peach Blossom Creek with its 26 varieties of spring blooms, and the tomb of the great navigator Zheng He, and you have a full day of scenery and story in one park.
The essentials
From a relic enshrined underground to a creek of spring blossoms — these are the sights travelers climb the mountain for.
01Themed on the worship of the skull relic of Sakyamuni, the palace joins a large dome and a small dome — external and internal worship — and uses the original mine pit to build an underground palace of six floors below ground and three above. Solemn, majestic, and unlike anything else in China.
02The mountain's ancient heart. A cave temple was founded here in 503; the last emperor of the Southern Tang renamed it Hongjue Temple, and the brick Pratyekabuddha Pagoda has watched over the twin peaks for more than a thousand years.
03At the eastern entrance, 14.87 hectares (about 220 mu) of new landscape: a stream meanders down from Yinlong Lake between banks planted with 26 varieties of peach blossoms. In spring the flower buds open into an intoxicating sea of pink.
04The great Ming navigator Zheng He rests on the southern slope. His tomb and memorial park turn the mountain into a place where the history of China's greatest voyages meets its Buddhist heritage.
05Remnants of the ramparts where the Song-dynasty general Yue Fei fortified the pass against the Jin cavalry — a rare surviving chapter of medieval military history with a sweeping view over the plain.
A holy mountain
From the first cave temple of 503 to the relic enshrined today — the stories behind the scenery.
The parietal skull relic of Sakyamuni is enshrined at Niushou Mountain and worshiped here on special Buddhist festivals.
The Usnisa Palace's underground palace spreads six floors below ground and three above, built inside the original mine pit.
The palace's two domes represent external and internal worship — architecture as a teaching in itself.
In the Tang Dynasty Master Fa Rong, the "Dharma of Dongxia", founded the Niutou Zen Sect — "Niutou of Jiangbiao".
The Buddhist cave temple built by Sikong Xu Du in the second year of Tianjian (Liang Dynasty) was the first temple on the mountain.
Li Yu, the last emperor of the Southern Tang, gave the mountain's temple the name it still carries today.
Tang Emperor Daizong "once dreamed of the Pratyekabuddha from Niushou Mountain coming to see him" — so the pagoda rose.
The ancient Jinling scenery of Niu Shou Yanlan and Zutang Zhenxi made the mountain the poetic face of Nanjing's spring.
…and beyond Buddhism: the fortress of general Yue Fei and the tomb of navigator Zheng He add two more centuries-spanning chapters to the mountain.
Plan like a local
Straight from recent travelers — the practical details that make the day smooth.
The sights spread over a big hill. The shuttle bus ticket is around 20 RMB per person for two-way use all day — travelers recommend buying the multi-trip option, and even then expect some walking.
Arriving by Didi or taxi? Cars stop at the car park, and a free shuttle runs from the drop-off point to the west entrance, where tickets are sold — factor in the extra time.
Gates open 08:30 and admission ends 16:30. Holiday weekends get famously packed ("人山人海"), so a weekday morning is the calmest way to see the palace halls.
Luggage storage near the entrance, food outlets across the park, English maps at hand and tour guides available — the setup handles big visitor numbers well.
Ramps and shuttle buses make the mountain reachable for strollers and wheelchairs — though "walking the whole park is not possible", as one reviewer put it. Ride between zones.
Pets are not allowed inside the zone. Individual structures occasionally close for maintenance — the pagoda has done so — so check on-site notices for the day's access.
Photo stops
Architecture that reviewers compare to Gaudí, halls of blue light and a creek of pink blossoms: the mountain is a photographer's playground.
The entrance hall of the Usnisa Palace stuns before you even reach the relic chamber — one of the most photographed interiors in Nanjing.
Deeper inside, the relic hall's dome of light leaves visitors "absolutely speechless" — the interior is grander than the exterior promises.
The ancient brick pagoda against the twin peaks is the classic Niushou postcard — best in soft morning light.
In March and April the stream below Yinlong Lake runs between banks of pink — the "Spring Niushou" that poets came for.
The palace's monumental exterior, carved into the former mine pit, looks like a lost civilization — Greece or Egypt, said one traveler.
Where the creek begins, the lake mirrors the sky and pagodas — a quiet spot most day-trippers miss.
Mountain gallery
A first look at the halls, pagodas and blossoms waiting for you — see every photo on the Gallery page.
Traveler reviews
Rated 4.7/5 from 35,221 reviews on Trip.com and 4.5/5 from 56 reviews on TripAdvisor — here is what real travelers highlight.
Factor in some time if you are going in from the west entrance by Didi. It stops at the car park area (we are not allowed to go in directly to the west entrance as there is some road restriction — but there is a free bus that brings us from the Didi designated drop-off point to the west entrance) and from the west entrance, we can then buy tickets and take the shuttle bus that brings us to the Foding Palace. Best to buy the multi-trip shuttle bus ticket. And even so, there will still be some walking as the premises is simply too big. But definitely worth the time. It is breathtakingly beautiful.
The Disneyland of Buddhist attractions. I visited during a holiday weekend, which was not the best idea — 人山人海 (crowds everywhere). Because of traffic before a train ride home and the amount of people, I only saw a few attractions; my fault. That said, what I did see was beautiful. The facilities were clean, food everywhere, and accessible for all via ramps and buses. Walking the whole park is not possible. Luggage storage was helpful. English maps. Tour guides available. Taxis/buses ready.
You need to use shuttle buses to move around — it is located on the hill. There is the place to buy the ticket on the right side; I recommend the 2-way 20 RMB per person ticket you can use all day. Overall good atmosphere and fresh air, and the architecture looks like Greece or Egypt.
Absolutely speechless. I had never seen a place like this before. This temple leaves you in awe. I completely fell in love with it, even though the weather was not great and it was raining. The pagoda is currently closed to visitors due to maintenance. You can reach the temple on foot or by bus — I chose to walk, and it took around 15 minutes. Architecturally, it is a true masterpiece. When you enter, you cannot imagine that the interior will be even more impressive than the exterior. Both the blue hall at the entrance and the relic hall are breathtaking. I only wish I could come back on a sunny day to experience it all over again!
Just WOW!!! The design of the buildings and interiors is mesmerizing! There is detail work everywhere and it is a visual feast. The new building is on par with Gaudi's Sagrada Familia in Barcelona — different times, but visionary in terms of scale and symbolism. The overall site has several other buildings which I did not get to explore, unfortunately. I highly recommend spending time here!!
Brought my mum and she was totally amazed! Such beautiful architecture and the details are absolutely beautiful. Apart from the Usnisa Palace and Foding Pagoda, we visited the tomb of Zheng He too. The entire mountain area is big — we spent the entire day here.
Reviews are sourced from Trip.com travelers. Individual experiences may vary.
From the blog
Planning advice, ticket facts, transport and history — written for visitors.
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Read moreTickets from $21.75 — book online with Trip.com, ride the shuttle up the hill, and stand beneath the dome that guards the relic of the Buddha.
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