Published : 2025-03-13
As Ne Zha 2 has been released in Hong Kong, the Chinese mythology associated with Ne Zha and has sparked intense interest and discussion among the audience.
As one of the birthplaces of Ne Zha culture, Yibin in Sichuan Province, known as the "Hometown of Ne Zha," has many related attractions, such as Ne Zha's "birthplace" and the cave of Taiyi Zhenren (太乙真人).
Without further ado, let's follow the footsteps of Ne Zha and explore Yibin together!
Ne Zha Palace on Cuiping Mountain
Located at the western edge of Yibin City (宜賓市), Cuiping Mountain (翠屏山) is a famous urban forest park. Nestled in this picturesque and lushly wooded area is the only Ne Zha Palace (哪吒行宮) in the country.
Ne Zha Palace is located halfway up Cuiping Mountain, covering an area of approximately 2,000 square metres.
It was built according to the mountain's terrain and consists of three parts: the mountain gate, Prince Hall, and Ne Zha Cave.
According to the Chinese mythology, it is said that after Ne Zha committed suicide, he appeared in a dream to his mother, Lady Yin, who then reshaped his golden body on Cuiping Mountain and built the palace.
The layout of the Ne Zha Palace is imbued with an antique charm, where visitors can see intricately carved beams and dougong (a system of interlocking wooden brackets), upturned eaves, and soaring pinnacles at every turn.
The statue of Ne Zha inside the palace is vividly crafted, and on the mountain top, there is a statue of the immortal Taiyi Zhenren, Ne Zha's master. Seeing all these familiar faces from the movie would undoubtedly make you feel quite magical!
Read more: What is the secret behind the 10 billion box office of Ne Zha 2?
Ne Zha 2｜The dragon spine stones in Nanguang Town
Although Ne Zha and the dragon prince Ao Bing (敖丙) are good friends fighting side by side in Ne Zha 2, in the ancient Chinese mythology novel Creation of the Gods (《封神演義》), they are actually adversaries.
In the story, Ne Zha defeated Ao Bing and dumped his dragon bones in the East China Sea. The "sea" mentioned in the story is the Yangtze River in Yibin, and Ao Bing's dragon bones are the Dragon spine stones at the confluence of the Nangang River and the Yangtze River.
It is worth mentioning that Chentangguan Pass (陳塘關), the birthplace of Ne Zha in the movie, is also nearby.
Nowadays, it is known as Nangguang Town. Historically, it was a necessary route for ethnic minorities in the southwestern frontier to reach Bashu region (today's Sichuan area).
Although there are more than 10 places in China called Chentangguan Pass or with similar names, it is generally believed that the true "hometown of Ne Zha" is Nangguang Town.
Read more: Ne Zha 2｜Does Ne Zha's "Havoc in the Sea" have a prototype location?
Ne Zha 2｜Tianchi Park
About 14 kilometres from Nangguang Town lies a scenic urban park called Tianchi Park (天池公園), covering an area of approximately 2,500 metres.
It is planted with various flowers and trees, offering different floral displays throughout the year, particularly known for its large lotus flowers.
It turns out that the lotus flowers in Tianchi Park are closely related to Ne Zha!
In Ne Zha 2 and Creation of the Gods, Ne Zha's master Taiyi Zhenren used lotus roots and lotus leaves to reshape Ne Zha's body. The lotuses used in this process came from Tianchi Park.
Ne Zha also practiced his three-headed and six-armed skills here, so the "Ne Zha Huanshenge Pavilion" (哪吒還身閣) in the park continues to carry on Ne Zha culture.
Ne Zha 2｜Golden Light Cave on Qixing Mountain
In Yibin, there is a great place from which you can see the entire city's landscape, and that is Qixing Mountain (七星山).
Qixing Mountain is located about 4 kilometres south of Yibin city and is connected to Tianchi Park.
It covers a total area of about 28.5 square kilometres, with dense forests and over 79 families of 154 species of plants. The mountain has many peaks and naturally formed narrow mountain passes, creating a unique terrain.
In addition to forest landscapes, Qixing Mountain is also home to many fascinating cultural landmarks, such as the Black Tower built in the Ming Dynasty.
However, the most well-known is definitely the Golden Light Cave (金光洞), where Taiyi Zhenren practiced immortality. This is also the place where Ne Zha learned the Dao from Taiyi Zhenren.
Besides Yibin, Jiangyou City (江油市) in Sichuan, believed to be the hometown of Taiyi Zhenren, also has a Golden Light Cave located on Qianyuan Mountain (乾元山).
You don't have to worry too much about which Golden Light Cave is the real one. After all, it is just a myth. You can visit whichever you prefer!
Read more: Ne Zha 2｜How difficult is it to produce a Ne Zha film?
