Published : 23/07/2026
The world is vast and truly full of wonders; across China's vast land are scattered many unique triangular landscapes, which are both natural landforms carved by nature over millions of years, and man-made structures ingeniously built by the ancients.
These distinctively shaped triangular scenes create a unique geometric beauty and also hold the unique regional stories and cultural heritage of various parts of China.
The triangular ancient mausoleums of Xixia
The Xixia Mausoleums are located in the western suburbs of Yinchuan City, Ningxia, at the eastern foot of the Helan Mountains, a few kilometres from the city centre, and are the royal burial grounds of the Xixia dynasty.
The most distinctive feature of this mausoleum site in the Gobi desert is the series of burial mounds with triangular silhouettes.
The burial mounds are built of rammed earth with wide, flat bases, tapering layer by layer from the bottom up to a gentle point, forming a stable and solid triangular shape that looks like giant natural pyramids on the Gobi desert from a distance.
After a thousand years of erosion by wind and sand, although the surfaces of the mounds are weathered and mottled, their overall triangular form remains intact.
The Xixia Mausoleums are the largest surviving cultural heritage of the Xixia; their unique triangular architectural form not only reflects the construction philosophy of the Tangut people (an ancient ethnic group of western China), but also bears witness to the rise and fall of dynasties on the northern frontier of the Silk Road.
The triangular pagoda cluster of the 108 Pagodas
Another triangular wonder also located in Ningxia is the 108 Pagodas, situated on a cliff on the west bank of the Yellow River in Qingtongxia City, Wuzhong City, adjacent to the Yellow River Grand Canyon; it is the largest extant group of lamaist pagodas in China.
The 108 Pagodas are built following the contours of the mountain, arranged in orderly tiers of odd numbers from top to bottom, with one pagoda on the first tier, three on the second, and increasing with each subsequent tier, spreading out to form a regular isosceles triangle that is clearly layered and neatly symmetrical.
The 108 Buddhist pagodas correspond to the 108 worldly afflictions in Buddhism and are a local cultural symbol for praying for blessings and dispelling calamities.
The layout, which harmonises the mountains and water, allows the man-made pagoda cluster to blend seamlessly with the natural mountainscape, making the neat triangular formation one of the most iconic cultural landscapes along the banks of the Yellow River.
The triangular natural peaks of Anlong
The triangular peak forest in the area from Anshun to Anlong in Guizhou is scattered in the adjacent mountainous areas of Anlong County, Qianxinan Prefecture and Anshun City in the southwest of Guizhou Province and is a typical karst landform.
The peaks here bear no trace of man-made construction; after millions of years of dissolution by water and weathering, they have naturally formed into triangular mountains with sharp angles, their bodies compact and their peaks pointed, strongly resembling natural pyramids scattered in the wild, which is why this place also has the name "Anlong Pyramids".
Layers of mountains stretch one after another, and unique triangular peaks are interspersed amongst the pastoral fields and villages, possessing both graceful beauty and imposing grandeur. The unique geological formations, coupled with the pristine charm of the southwestern mountains, have created this distinctive natural hidden paradise.
The triangular holy peak of Pula Xiqiong
Pula Xiqiong is located within Biru County, Nagqu City, Xizang Autonomous Region, situated deep in the Northern Xizang Plateau, and is a highly renowned sacred mountain in the local area.
Unlike the soft contours of ordinary snow-capped mountains, the main peak of Pula Xiqiong has clean, bold lines, its body pointed at the top and wide at the base, presenting a standard three-dimensional triangle; the mountain is steep and imposing, with a pure white snow-capped summit, standing erect upon the vast highland meadows.
This triangular holy peak holds a lofty status in the hearts of the Tibetan people, carrying profound Tibetan beliefs and folk culture.
Throughout the year, as clouds and mist drift by and light and shadow shift, its clean triangular shape is set against the azure sky and vast grasslands, fully displaying the grandeur and sanctity of the mountains and rivers of Northern Xizang.
Triangular sea-erosion landforms like a scene from "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains"
Tung Ping Chau is located in the open sea beyond Tolo Harbour, to the northeast of Tai Po District in Hong Kong. It is the most north-eastern island of Hong Kong and is also a famous geopark in Hong Kong.
The rocks of Tung Ping Chau are predominantly sedimentary. Battered by sea waves and eroded by wind over many years, the coastal reefs and cliffs have formed numerous natural, triangular sea-erosion landscapes.
The layered rock is fractured and stacked with sharp, distinct edges and corners. Countless triangular rock bodies of various sizes stand by the sea.
Against a backdrop of the azure sea surface and the vast expanse of sea and sky, it looks like a real-life version of "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains" when viewed from high above and is particularly spectacular.
These unique triangular rocks by the sea are not only precious geological relics but also add a certain geometric aesthetic to Hong Kong's coastal scenery.
From the cultural monuments in the Gobi Desert of the northwest to the sacred snowy peaks of the Northern Xizang Plateau, from the natural peculiar peaks in the mountains of the southwest to the unique coastal rocks on the islands of South China, various triangular landscapes are scattered across the land of China.
Within these simple geometric contours lies the divine craftsmanship of nature and the accumulation of a thousand years of human culture, giving each scenery a unique colour of its own.
Read more:
Ancient secrets of China's Xixia Imperial Tombs
4 of China's most mystical cliffside villages
Exploring 4 magical ancient twin pagodas in China
Turtle-shaped? Octagonal? Have you ever seen these mysterious "Eastern Castles"?