About an hour out of Shenyang, the provincial capital, on the highway to Dalian, Anshan is a city of 1.5 million.  The cradle of the Chinese iron and steel industry, this city also boasts the largest jade Buddha in the world.  It is located at the foot of Mt. Qian, an area including one of the country's first national parks and both Buddhist and Daoist temples. 

Transportation
Train:  direct connections to Beijing and connections to cities further north through Shenyang.
Road:  expressway links Anshan to Shenyang and Dalian; highway to Harbin in the north of China
Air: flights to Beijing
Sea:  access to ocean shipping/travel through ports in Yingkou and Dalian

Natural Resources
There are more than 30 varieties of mineral reserves in this area.  25% of China¡¯s workable iron ore is here, as well as the largest amounts of jade and magnesite in the country.  Anshan is one of the top 3 producers of talc nationally and also has deposits of  copper, uranium, aluminum, marble, fluorite and  graphite.  Nanguo pears are the most famous specialty agriculturally. Over 20 hot springs have made Tanggangzi Therapeutic Resort one of the four major physical therapy centers nationwide.

Key Industries
Anshan Iron and Steel Group Corporation is the largest in China, producing iron ore, iron, steel and rolled steel products in the millions of tons each year.  These products are used domestically and exported to over 20 countries.

Anshan Sportsman Group Co., Ltd. is one of  the 500 largest companies in China with 25 production lines for over 200 varieties of bicycles.

Anshan Cooperation Group Co., Ltd. uses imported production lines to produce polyester filament and polyfiber silk, ranking in the top 100 chemical-fiber enterprises nationwide.

Tang Gangzi Hot Spring

Tang Gangzi hot springs date back to ancient times.  According to historical records, the Emperor Tang Tai-zong of the Tang Dynasty brought his wounded soldiers here to bathe in the hot springs.  During the Liao and Jin dynasties, ¡°Tangchi County¡± was established  here, named after the hot springs. The hot springs were also a leisure and health resort for the imperial family in old China. The last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Puyi , visited Tang Gangzi many times and built an imperial underground bath pool.

Tang Gangzi has gained a reputation in China as one of the premier spots for traditional treatments of chronic illnesses.  The therapists and staff at Tang Gangzi utilize a variety of traditional homeopathic techniques to treat problems from arthritis to cancer.  The grounds of the spa are spacious and well-equipped with plenty of space and a lot of natural beauty.  The hotel has a gift shop and nice dining facilities.  Hotel rooms are also supplied with water from the hot springs in the tubs and showers.  Mud baths, massages, saunas and other treatments are also available for guests' use.  There are several miles of walking paths and trails throughout the compound as well as some wildlife such as ostriches and deer.  The grounds also contain some playground equipment for children.

Mt. Qianshan

Mt.Qian is one of the famous mountains in northeast China. It is 20 kilometers away from Anshan, Liaoning province. Mt.Qian is one of the first national parks set up by the government, both for its natural scenery and historic religious sites.  During the May 1st holiday each year there is a run up the steps of one of the mountains.  There is even a special category for foreigners who want to compete!

Daoism spread to Mt. Qian during the early Qing. From 1662-1723, Guo Shouzhen, the eighth patriarch of the Dragon Gate Sect at Tiesha Mountain, Benxi county in Liaoning province sent his disciple Liu Tailin, Wang Taixiang to Mt. Qian. They cultivated themselves in Arhat Cave. In 1667, Liu Tailin built Wuliang Temple at northeast Qianshan. Daoism began to flourish there. There were nine temples and twelve monasteries. The Wuliang Temple and Five Dragon Temple remain today.

The Wuliang Temple: originally called girderless temple. It is in the Northern Valley at Mt. Qian. The Western Pavilion, Jade Emperor Pavilion, Old Sovereign Hall, Three Officials Hall and Merciful Cloud Hall are its main buildings. The Western Pavilion is the most beautiful building. The Cihang Hall in it enshrines Cihang Daoist Perfected, Eye Mother and Child-giving Mother. All the priests gather at the main hall to chant scriptures. The Jade Pavilion is the highest and oldest building. It doesn't have even a piece of wood besides bricks. So people call it girderless temple. Its name changed to Wuliang Temple after some time had elapsed. The statue of the Jade Emperor is enshrined inside. The Old Sovereign Hall was built beside a big rock closing the Jade Emperor Hall. It enshrines the Three Purities. The Three Officials Hall--the largest hall in Wuliang Temple is below the Old Sovereign Hall. It enshrines deities of Heaven, Earth and Water. Other Daoist scenic spots include One Platform and Three Pagodas. One Platform is the Immortal Gathering Platform; Three Pagodas are Eight Immortal Pagoda, Founder Pagoda and Master Ge Pagoda.

Five Dragon Temple: located at the central part of Mt. Qian. It was built in 1738 and rebuilt several times later. There are Old Sovereign Hall, Three Officials Hall, Perfect Warrior Hall, Cihang Hall and Lingguan Hall. Beside it, there are Sleeping Cattle Stone and Crescent Well.

Ancient people signed with feeling that: One stone and one brook are all transformations, thousand splendor and thousand peaks carved by whom?  Mt. Qian is a truly miraculous mountain.

Anshan Jade Buddha Garden

Located in Dongshan Scenic Area, Liaoning Province, the Anshan Jade Buddha Garden is home to the world's largest jade Buddha statue. Mountains surround the garden on three sides, with water on its fourth.

An ancient-style architectural complex, the garden contains several buildings, including Yufo Pavilion, Yudai Bridge and the gate. A large jade Buddha statue, 33 meters tall, 66 meters wide and 58 meters deep, sits in Yufo Pavilion. The front of the statue is carved into a 5.2-meter-tall Sakyamuni and on the rear is a dynamic statue of Avalokitesvara. In November 1997, it was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest jade Buddha statue in the world.

The World's Largest Jade Buddha is a statue sculpted from a piece of jade 7.95 meters high, 6.88 meters wide 4.10 meters thick and weighing 260.76 tons.  It was found in nearby Xiuyan County known for its abundant Jade.