New Mountain Gate

Comprising three tiers of platforms, the complex covers an area of 13,200 square meters and can accommodate up to 10,000 people simultaneously for large-scale performances and events. For this reason, it is also known as the Cultural Performance Plaza. Whenever Pan Shan hosts major gatherings, grand celebrations, or other significant occasions, these events are invariably held here—such as the large-scale festivities marking the 30th anniversary of Pan Shan’s opening in 2012, the annual Pan Shan Temple Fair, the opening ceremony of the Pan Shan Mountain Climbing Competition, and the opening of the Yuyang Golden Autumn Tourism Festival. Moreover, the Pan Shan Administration has traditionally staged its grand “Qianlong Ascends Pan Shan” reenactment here as well.

Three plates of evening rain

“Three Plateaus in the Evening Rain” was inscribed at the behest of Mao Changwu, former advisor to the Tianjin Municipal Government. “Three Plateaus in the Evening Rain” is a distinctive scenic feature of Panshan Mountain and ranks among the “Ten Scenic Spots of Jinmen.” It evolved from the earlier “Evening Rain over Panshan,” one of the “Eight Views of Jizhou.” The term “Three Plateaus” refers to Panshan’s three celebrated vistas, while “evening rain” denotes the misty clouds that gather at dusk. In the vibrant spring of March, peach, apricot, and pear blossoms blanket the mountainside; as the east wind sweeps over the ridges, the ground seems covered with a flurry of bright snow. With each gentle breeze, petals drift down like a shower of myriad blossoms. In midsummer, at twilight, after a brief rain clears the skies, clouds, mist, and haze enshroud the entire mountain—neither fully clear nor truly rainy—hence the name “Three Plateaus in the Evening…”

Archway

It serves both as the name of the paifang and as the name of the scenic spot—a quintessential example of naming a site after an object while honoring that object through the landscape. On the front face, the golden plaque bears the four characters “Genggu Mingshan,” written with vigorous strength yet graceful elegance and rounded finesse, creating an artistic harmony between calligraphy and architecture. These characters were adapted from the cliff‑side inscription “Genggu Mingshan” personally composed by the Qing emperor Kangxi during his first imperial tour of Panshan, intended to underscore the paifang’s distinguished status within the mountain complex and, at the same time, to highlight Panshan’s eminent place in the world. Throughout his reign, Emperor Kangxi visited Panshan on four occasions, leaving behind twelve poems and essays, as well as inscribed plaques and couplets for such sites as Wansong Temple, Yunfeng Fajie, Letianzhen, Panshan Xiufeng, Menwai Yifeng, Yunjing Temple, Panggu Temple, Qingfeng Temple, and Genggu Mingshan, among others.

The main attractions of Panshan Mountain

Wufeng Bashi: The scenic beauty of Panshan is renowned for its “Five Peaks and Eight Rocks” and the “Three Terraces’ Splendor,” which together create an exceptionally unique landscape. The main peak, Guayue Peak, rises to an elevation of 864.4 meters; it is embraced by Zigai Peak in front, backed by Zilai Peak, connected to Jiuhua Peak on the east, and flanked by Wujian Peak on the west, with these five peaks clustered closely and their jagged rocks standing in striking profusion. The Three Terraces’ Splendor: Nature has naturally fashioned the “Three Terraces’ Splendor”—the upper terrace excels in pines, whose gnarled trunks twist skyward; the middle terrace shines with peculiar, wondrous rock formations; and the lower terrace captivates with cascading waters that sparkle like jade and spurt pearls. The Evening Rain over the Three Terraces: The Evening Rain over the Three Terraces is one of the Ten Scenic Spots of Tianjin. At dusk, when the lingering haze and mist veil the hills, all three terraces—the upper terrace famed for its pines, the middle terrace celebrated for its rocks, and the lower terrace admired for its water—are shrouded in clouds.