Mountain that looks like dog becomes overnight tourist sensation

The cliff face, now affectionately known as ‘Puppy Mountain’, overlooks the Yangtze River in Yichang, in central China’s Hubei province.

When viewed from a distance, the rocky formation looks like a dog’s head resting on the ground, with its snout gently perched above the water.

Although the mountain has been around for some time, its popularity has surged recently due to a viral social media post.

Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan shared a photo of the mountain on Valentine’s Day via the Chinese social media platform Rednote (Xiaohongshu), which gained 120,000 likes in just 10 days.

Guo described the sight as ‘magical and cute’, adding that he was ‘so excited and happy’ to have discovered it.

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

The mountain, located in Yichang’s Zigui County along the Yangtze River -the longest in China and the third-longest in the world – can be viewed from an observation deck.

People have long visited the lookout point, but since the photo went viral, it has seen a huge influx of visitors, with many now bringing their dogs along to pose for photos.

One Rednote user posted pictures of the mountain with the caption: ‘Puppy Mountain, here I am! Just stroke the puppy’s head, and then everything will be OK.’

Others had previously shared photos of themselves at the mountain, not spotting its resemblance to a dog until later, including one who wrote: ‘Our little dog has been to Puppy Mountain. I didn’t realise it looked like a puppy at the time.’

Yang Yang, a local from about an hour and a half away, visited the mountain with her two-year-old grey poodle, Keyi.

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

Yichang is best known for the Yangtze River, and many cruise operators offer scenic boat tours, allowing travellers to admire its breathtaking views and surrounding cliffs.

Nearby is the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric power station, where tourists can take guided tours explaining its role in flood control and energy production.

The Three Gorges region is also home to various hiking trails, caves, and waterfalls. The Sanyou Cave, known as the ‘Cave of Three Travellers,’ is an especially popular stop along the river, decorated with poems and calligraphy which has inspired writers for centuries.

The Yichang mountain isn’t the only destination that resembles a living creature though.

People have long spotted faces in all sorts of things, such as oddly-shaped vegetables, the moon, and even burnt toast. Last year, people even claimed they saw a human face buried in the dusty surface of Mars.

The phenomenon, known psychologically as pareidolia, refers to the tendency of the human brain to perceive familiar patterns, such as faces or animals, in random objects or natural formations.

It’s thought that the brain processes this visual information and jumps to conclusions to see something familiar.

Travellers can find examples of this all over the world. In Norway, the Trolltunga rock or ‘the troll tongue’ juts out like an enormous tongue, resembling the face of the mythical creature.

Thailand’s Monkey Rock in Phang Nga Bay, when viewed from certain angles, looks like the head of a monkey gazing out over the water, while the Elephant Rock, a grey rock formation in Heimaey, Iceland, looks like an elephant dipping its trunk for a drink in the water.