Mount Li: A Fault-Block Ridge West of the Wei River

World Travel 编辑部 · 2026-09-16 · 5 min read

Looking south from Lintong, the ridge across the horizon is Mount Li — a spur of the Qinling running some 25 km east to west, made up of the Eastern and Western Xiuling. From a distance it resembles a dark-maned horse, which is where the name comes from.

What kind of mountain it is

Mount Li stands south of Lintong District in Xi'an. It is an isolated fault-block mountain of the late Qinling uplift, thrust up within the Wei River rift belt. Geologically it is a low, fluvially eroded mountain of moderate relief, between 1,000 and 1,200 m, topping out at 1,302 m at Renzong Temple. Its rock is fractured, spanning formations from the very ancient to the recent; the upper slopes are largely bare bedrock while the lower parts carry weathered debris and soil, with water-conservation and scenic forest through the middle.

Because its scenery is lush and brocade-like, it is also called Xiuling, the Brocade Ridge.

The evening glow

Among the Eight Sights of Guanzhong is the Evening Glow on Mount Li: at sunset the ridge catches the golden afterlight and turns unusually lovely. It is the mountain's most memorable face — neither high nor severe, but well shaped and well lit.

What is on the mountain

Mount Li forms part of the Huaqing Palace scenic area, and its slopes carry many historical remains: beacon towers, the Old Mother Hall, the Laojun Hall, the Evening Glow Pavilion, the Bingjian Pavilion, Shangshan Lake, the Qixi Bridge, Shangde Court, the Yuxian Bridge and Sanyuan Cave. From Zhou and Qin through Han and Tang it served as imperial parkland, dotted with secondary palaces and villas.

A caution: the mountain has many stories attached to it, but what actually rewards attention is the landform, the trees and the handful of sites with a clear provenance.

Practical Notes

It shares a scenic area with Huaqing Palace; take the cable car or walk, as your legs allow.
For the evening glow, stay until dusk — but watch the descent time and the last transport.
The mountain is cooler than the city in summer, though sun protection is still essential.