Nestled in Zhejiang Province, Tiantai Mountain—a UNESCO Global Geopark and the birthplace of Chinese Buddhist and Daoist traditions—has unveiled an innovative cultural tourism campaign. Dubbed "Read to Roam", this initiative invites travelers to explore ancient texts while wandering through landscapes immortalized by poets and explorers for millennia. Here's your guide to experiencing this fusion of words and wonder.
The Read to Roam Campaign: Where Books Unlock Adventures
Running from March 13 to April 20, 2025, the "Read to Roam" program offers a 50% discount on entry to Tiantai's seven core attractions—including the iconic Tiantai Mountain Grand Waterfall and Qiongtai Fairy Valley—to visitors who read one of 15 curated books and submit a 200-word reflection.
Why This Stands Out:
Literary Time Travel: The reading list spans classics like The Complete Tang Poems of Tiantai Mountain, featuring works by Li Bai and Du Fu, and Xu Xiake's Diary of a Tiantai Mountain Journey, the Ming Dynasty explorer's seminal travelogue. These texts reveal Tiantai's role as a muse for over 300 Tang poets, who penned 1,362 verses about its peaks and valleys.
Cultural Immersion: Modern novels like Mao Dun Literature Prize winner The Protagonist sit alongside ancient poetry, bridging China's literary past and present.
Scenic Synergy: The campaign's partner sites—such as Chicheng Mountain and Guoqing Temple—are directly tied to the texts, allowing travelers to "walk through" the pages of history.
Springtime Splendor: Blossoms, Waterfalls, and Timeless Temples
Spring transforms Tiantai into a living painting. Two seasonal highlights dominate the landscape:
- Chicheng Mountain's Violet Sea
Nicknamed "Half of the Tang Dynasty's Poetry," Chicheng Mountain erupts in late March with a purple haze of Chinese redbuds. The 306.5-meter-tall crimson-hued peak, revered in Daoist texts and Tang poetry, becomes a surreal spectacle at sunrise when mist clings to its slopes, blending the mountain's rosy cliffs with dawn's golden light.
Must-See: The "Layered Crimson Mist" phenomenon, where the mountain appears as a "Buddhist paradise floating on clouds," as described in Li Bai's Tiantai Dawn Gaze.
Hidden Gems: Explore the Sixth Daoist Cave of Jade Capital, where ancient monks meditated, and Liangfei Pagoda, a 1,500-year-old structure framed by blossoms.
- Guoqing Temple's Golden Canvas
Below Chicheng lies Guoqing Temple, a 1,400-year-old Buddhist sanctuary and the cradle of the Tiantai Sect. In spring, its grounds are carpeted with rapeseed flowers, their golden hues contrasting with the temple's Sui Dynasty pagoda and the Millennium Sui Plum Tree—a living relic that blooms with delicate white flowers.
Cultural Touchpoint: The plum tree, planted by the temple's founder, symbolizes resilience; it survived centuries of neglect before reviving in the 1950s.
Photography Tip: Capture the "Pagoda in Bloom" vista at sunset, when the flowers glow against the pagoda's weathered stone.
- Tracing Xu Xiake's Footsteps: A Hiker's Literary Odyssey
Tiantai's trails are a pilgrimage for adventurers and book lovers alike. Follow the paths of Xu Xiake, China's most celebrated explorer, whose 1613 journey here marked the start of his 30-year odyssey:
Xu's Route: Begin at Shiliang Waterfall, where Xu marveled at the "jade curtain cascading from heaven," then trek through Qiongtai Fairy Valley, a misty gorge he described as "a staircase to the immortals".
Modern Additions: The new Qiongtai Sky Ladder—a 36-second glass elevator—offers panoramic views of the valley, echoing Xu's awe without the Ming-era exertion.
Pro Tip: Download the Tiantai Poetry Trail App, which overlays Tang poems onto AR trail markers. Recite Li Bai's verses at designated spots to unlock hidden discounts at local teahouses. Savor Tiantai Nian Gao (glutinous rice cakes) at Silk Road Eats, a food court dishing up recipes from Xu Xiake's journals.
The Poetry Road Digital Museum
The campaign's hub, the Tiantai Mountain Poetry Road Digital Museum, reimagines cultural engagement:
Interactive Exhibits: Holographic projections animate Tang poems—watch as Du Fu's words materialize into fluttering cherry blossoms or cascading waterfalls.
Social Media Magic: Join the viral #SuiPlumBloom challenge; snap a photo of the ancient plum tree to generate an AI poem inspired by your visit.
Nighttime Spectacles: Attend "Moonlit Verses", an open-air recital under Chicheng Mountain's starry sky, where actors dressed as Tang poets perform alongside drone light shows.
Whether you're tracing Xu Xiake's ink strokes across a waterfall or decoding Li Bai's verses in a digital haze, this is where China's literary soul breathes through every rock and petal. As the Tang poets wrote: "Why chase distant heavens? Paradise lies here, among Tiantai's peaks."
