Daheishan in November 2018, Dalian area, Liaoning Province, PRC

Parking and Lower Gate

In early afternoon the parking lot was almost full and there was a small parking fee. There are public washroom facilities at the exit from the parking lot. There is no entrance fee for the trails. Drink and snack vendors operate around the entrance gate, and at intervals along the trail.

Taoism Temple Complex

It is a short walk on a very gentle incline from the gate to the Taoism temple. No admission fee. There is a Taoism store inside the gate, and access to the central courtyard. Taoism and Buddhism coexist in harmony on this mountain.

Guanmen Village Canyon

"Guan men" means to close a door or gate. There is a closing in of the steep canyon walls in this area, where the valley is deeper that its width. There is at stone wall with an arched gateway across the valley bottom. The country rock is 800 million year old quartzite (re-crystallised sandstone).

Springs and seepages

Water seeps out from the canyon walls and pools in the stream bed (these seepages are said to create ice-falls in the winter). From descriptive signboard: 'Water Dropping Pot (Down Spring). Water stored in the hill body seeps down along the joints and fissures, it flows out of the surface of the hill body when it comes to an obstruct, and then forms the down spring. The shape of the hill body here is like a teapot and people will hear the water dropping down, so comes the name of Water Dropping pot".

long staircase

This is the steepest part of the climb, with sturdy supporting iron guardrails. There are great views from the top.

Lower gate to Buddhism Temple complex

There are small landings with decorative iron railings just below the main Buddhism temple complex. The view opens up towards the west.

Temple grounds - north

There are active monks and increasing numbers of lay practitioners. All the temples are accessible. There are protocols for giving reverence. No fees.

Temple grounds - south

Houshanmen

Upper temples. A path leads to the "Hou shan men" (back mountain gate), which joins a road to the upper ridge line.

upper landing

From the Houshanmen, a roadway leads uphill to a large paved landing with food and refreshments.

Nine Dragon Screen

At the stairway leading up to the last and highest temple. From information board in area of Nine Dragon Screen: "Two seas can be seen from the top of Dahei Hill. Dahei Hill is located in the narrowest area of Liaotung Peninsula, from the top of which you can see the sunrise on the Yellow Sea at dawn and the sunset on the Bohai sea at dusk."

Uppermost Temple and panoramic view

A walkway encircles the uppermost temple. It is best to plan this hike on a low air quality index (AQI) forecast day to enjoy these views. Geological Information from the descriptive signboard: "The quartzite composing the Dahei Hill was formed 800 million years ago as a consequence of the early Indonesian-Yanshan movement 200 million years ago, the structural fissures developed quite well in the strata. the weathering throughout such a long age created the lofty and grand cliff. it recorded the large events that ever happened throughout these 800 million years, just like a geology history book engraved in the rock"