Sun and Moon Mountain 日月山

About Sun and Moon Mountain

The pass is associated with the historical Tang–Tibet route and with legends of Princess Wencheng’s journey. The Sun and Moon Pavilions are later commemorative buildings on separate rises, providing a way to read both the landscape and its remembered stories. The mirror story belongs to local legend, not a geological explanation of the river.

Before the Tang dynasty the pass was called Chi Ling (赤岭, 'Red Ridge'), a name given because its bare red soil and rock appeared to blaze from a distance and looked blood-red close up. Envoys travelling between the Central Plains and the Tibetan kingdoms had to exchange mounts at the pass before entering the other's territory, and it became known as 'Horse-Exchange Chi Ling.' In 822 (the second year of the Tang Changqing era, the eighth year of the Tibetan Yitai era), a Tang-Tibet peace treaty demarcated the border here, and a stele recording the treaty, the Tang-Tibet Alliance Stele (唐蕃会盟碑), was erected at the site and in the capitals Chang'an and Lhasa.

The pass forms part of the Qilian Mountains (祁连山) and lies on the boundary between Huangyuan and Gonghe counties. It also marks the line between China's monsoon and non-monsoon regions. The Tongkor Monastery, now mostly in ruins, stands about 8 kilometres northeast of the pass. China National Highway 214 currently crosses the pass, following the ancient trade route into Tibet.

What to look for

• The pass reveals a transition between agricultural and pastoral landscapes.
• The Sun and Moon Pavilions provide paired viewpoints.
• Princess Wencheng traditions add cultural context to the route west.

Location & getting there

Getting to Sun and Moon Mountain

Choose the Riyue Mountain scenic entrance west of Huangyuan, on the road journey towards Qinghai Lake. The nearby motorway service area is a different stop and does not itself provide access to the pavilions.