In the city of Yichang, located in central China’s Hubei province along the ancient Chinese river, a unique mountain has become a tourist hotspot due to its striking resemblance to a puppy’s head.

The so-called “puppy mountain” has captured the hearts of social media users, significantly increasing its popularity thanks to an inspiring post by Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan on Valentine’s Day.

Guo Qingshan shared a holiday snap showing the mountain’s head-like form, resting on the ground next to the Yangtze River with its ‘snout’ touching the water, on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The post, which garnered over 120,000 likes in just 10 days, also sparked a trend under the hashtag #xiaogoushan, Chinese for Puppy Mountain, gaining millions of views.

Guo Qingshan expressed his amazment, stating, “It was so magical and cute. I felt excited and happy when I discovered it.”

“The puppy’s pose seems as if drinking from the river or observing fish. It also appears to be quietly guarding the Yangtze River,” he remarked.

Zigui County, where the mountain is located, is part of Yichang and lies along China’s and the world’s third-longest river, offering a view from an observation deck.

Following the viral social media post, many tourists have been flocking to the location to capture their own photos. Some bring their dogs, and others have even shared photos of their own pets showcasing striking similarities to the mountain.

After Guo Qingshan’s post, numerous social media users discovered they had previously visited the location without noticing the mountain’s dog-like features. Some even observed that the mountain’s shape had shifted over time.

One social media user on RedNote shared photos of their visit to Puppy Mountain with the message, “Here I am at Puppy Mountain! Stroke the puppy’s head and everything will be okay. We all need the eyes to see the beauty in this world.”

Resident Yang Yang frequently travels an hour and a half to visit the mountain, accompanied by her two-year-old grey poodle, Yang Keyi.

“I was delighted to see the mountain,” she said. “Whenever possible, I travel with my dog, so Puppy Mountain suits my little puppy perfectly.”

Resident Shi Tong posted a photo he took near the mountain in 2021, stating after seeing the Puppy Mountain photo online, he tried to locate where it was. He realized he had been there before, also noticing the mountain’s dog-like shapes at the time. Furthermore, he mentioned that its shape had appeared to change over the years.