'Puppy mountain' along Chinese river draws in tourists

A mountain resembling the head of a puppy has become a tourist destination along an ancient Chinese river.

The mountain, dubbed "puppy mountain", sits in the city of Yichang in central China's Hubei province - and while it has been there for some time, its popularity has skyrocketed in recent weeks thanks to a social media post.

Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan posted a vacation photo on Valentine's Day, after noticing the mountain resembled a dog's head resting on the ground next to the Yangtze River, with its snout perched in the water.

Mr Qingshan's post received 120,000 likes in 10 days on Chinese social media platform Weibo, and the hashtag #xiaogoushan - Chinese for Puppy Mountain - drew millions of views.

"It was so magical and cute. I was so excited and happy when I discovered it," Mr Qingshan said.

"The puppy's posture is like it's drinking water, or it's looking at some fish. It also looks like it's quietly protecting the Yangtze River," he said.

The mountain in Yichang's Zigui County sits along the longest river in China and the third-longest river in the world, and can be viewed from an observation deck.

Many have since been travelling to the location to take their own photos, many bringing their dogs with them, and some have posted photos of their dogs to show off a resemblance between them and the mountain.

After Mr Qingshan's post, many shared photos they had already taken in the same location, saying they had never noticed the mountain's dog-like features. Others said its form had changed over the years.

One social media user on RedNote shared photos of the mountain, along with the message: "Puppy Mountain here I am! Just stroke the puppy's head and then everything will be OK.

"We all need the eyes to see the beauty in this world."

Yang Yang often makes the hour-and-a-half drive from her home to visit the mountain with her two-year-old grey poodle, named Yang Keyi.

"I was really happy to see the mountain," she said. "I always travel with my dog if possible, so Puppy Mountain and my own little dog really match."

Yichang resident Shi Tong posted a photo he took near the mountain in 2021, writing: "After I saw the Puppy Mountain photo online, I tried to look up where it is. And then I realised that I have been to this place before.

"I thought it looked like a dog at that time too."

(c) Sky News 2025: 'Puppy mountain' along Chinese river draws in tourists