AdvertisementAdvertisementEast AsiaIn this photo taken on Jan 20, 2025 and released by Guo Qingshan, a view of the "puppy mountain" which went viral over the internet in China seen in Yichang, a city in central China's Hubei Province. (Photo: AP/Guo Qingshan)27 Feb 2025 10:08AM (Updated: 27 Feb 2025 10:27AM) Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInRead a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST When Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan posted a vacation photo on Valentine’s Day and captioned it “Puppy Mountain,” it became a sensation in China and even created a tourist destination.Guo had gone on a hike while visiting his hometown of Yichang in central China’s Hubei province in late January. When reviewing the photos, he saw something he hadn’t noticed before: A mountain shaped like a dog’s head rested on the ground next to the Yangtze River, its snout perched at the water’s edge.“It was so magical and cute. I was so excited and happy when I discovered it,” Guo 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.Guo's post on Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, received 120,000 likes within 10 days. On the media platform Weibo, the hashtag #xiaogoushan – Chinese for “Puppy Mountain” – drew millions of views.Dog owners started to post pictures of their dogs to see which one had the closest resemblance. Many people travelled directly to the location in Yichang to see the mountain for themselves and some even brought their dogs to take photos.“Puppy Mountain here I am!” one social media user wrote on RedNote along with photos of the mountain. "Just stroke the puppy's head and then everything will be OK.”Another social media user commented: “We all need the eyes to see the beauty in this world.”A view of the "puppy mountain" which went viral in 2025 over the internet in China seen from an observation spot in Yichang, a city in central China's Hubei Province on Nov 18, 2021. (File photo: AP/Shi Tong)Zhang Yali poses for photos on Dec 8, 2023, with her dog "Little Cotton" near a mountain pass that went viral in China in 2025 as "puppy mountain" in Yichang, a city in central China's Hubei Province. (File photo: AP/Tan Yuanyi)Yang Yang, who lives about an hour and half from the location, drove there with her friends and her 2-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."The mountain is in Yichang's Zigui County, where it can be seen from an observation deck. The Yangtze River, the longest river in China and the third-longest river in the world, flows through the mountainous area.An observation spot of the "puppy mountain" which went viral in 2025 over the internet in China, seen in Yichang, a city in central China's Hubei Province on Nov 18, 2021. (File photo: AP/Shi Tong)After Guo's photo went viral, many people shared photos of the view they previously had taken from the same deck, many saying they hadn't realised it looked like a dog. Some discussed how the dog's appearance has changed over the years.Yichang resident Shi Tong said he knew he had seen the mountain before, and posted a photo he took of the location in 2021."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!”'Ne Zha town' in Tianjin draws crowds as film fuels cultural tourismCommentary: Chinese tourists are travelling again, but mostly in their own countrySource: AP/lhNewsletterWeek in ReviewSubscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in ReviewOur chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.Sign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST