When Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan shared a picture of his recent vacation on Valentine’s Day with the description “Puppy Mountain,” it unexpectedly captured widespread attention throughout China, transforming the site into a new tourist hotspot.
Guo, while visiting his hometown of Yichang in Hubei province, embarked on a hiking adventure in late January. Upon reviewing the images from his trip, he discovered something quite extraordinary he hadn’t noticed initially: a mountain resembling a dog’s head lying beside the Yangtze River, with its snout extending towards the water.
“I found it enchanting and adorable. It was exhilarating and joyful to uncover this,” expressed Guo.
He described, “The mountain looked as if the dog was drinking water or watching the fish swim by. Moreover, it seemed as if it was silently guarding the Yangtze River.”
Guo’s post on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, garnered 120,000 likes in just ten days. Meanwhile, on Weibo, the hashtag #xiaogoushan, meaning “Puppy Mountain” in Chinese, attracted millions of views.
Inspired by the post, dog owners began sharing pictures of their pets, attempting to find the closest resemblance to the mountain. Numerous people journeyed to Yichang to witness the phenomenon in person, often bringing along their dogs for photographs.
A social media user enthused on RedNote, “Puppy Mountain here I am!” alongside photos of the unique formation. “Just pet the puppy’s head and everything will be alright,” while another added, “We all need the eyes to appreciate the world’s beauty.”
Yang Yang, living around ninety minutes from the site, journeyed there with her friends and her 2-year-old grey poodle, Yang Keyi. “Seeing the mountain filled me with happiness,” she stated. “I love traveling with my dog whenever possible, so Puppy Mountain and my own pup made a perfect pair.”
This natural wonder is located in Yichang’s Zigui County, visible from an observation deck nearby. The Yangtze River, which is China’s longest and the third longest globally, winds through the picturesque mountainous landscape.
Following the viral spread of Guo’s photo, numerous people began sharing photographs they had taken from the same vantage point but had not recognized the resemblance before. Others discussed how the mountain’s dog-like appearance had evolved over the years.
Shi Tong, a resident of Yichang, remembered seeing the mountain and shared a picture he captured in 2021. “After coming across the Puppy Mountain image online, I tried pinpointing the place and realized I’d already been there. I thought it looked like a dog even back then!”