When Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan posted a vacation photo on Valentine's Day and titled it “Puppy Mountain”, it caused a sensation in China and even created a tourist destination.
In late January, Guo took a hike while visiting his hometown of Yichang in central Hubei. While viewing the photos, he saw something he had never noticed before: a mountain shaped like a dog's head resting on the ground next to the Yangtze River, and its nose perched by the water.
“It's so magical and cute. I was so excited and happy when I discovered it,” Guo said.
“The puppy is pose like drinking water, or looking at some fish. It seems it is quietly protecting the Yangtze River,” he said.
Guo's post on the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu (Rednote) received 120,000 likes in 10 days. On the media platform Weibo, the #xiaogoushan hashtag is Chinese with “puppy” – which has attracted millions of views.
Dog owners start posting photos of their dogs to see which one is closest to the similarities. Many people went directly to Yichang's location to see the mountains for themselves, and some even took photos with their dogs.
Yang Yang lived at the location for about an hour and a half and drove there with her friend and her 2-year-old gray poodle Yang Keyi.
“I'm really happy to see this mountain,” she said. “I always travel with my dog if possible, so the puppy really matches my own puppy.”
This mountain is located in Zigui County, Yichang, and can be seen from the observation deck. The long river is the longest river in China and the third longest river in the world, flowing through the mountainous areas.
After Guo's photos spread, many shared photos of the views they had taken from the same deck before, and many said they didn't realize it looked like a dog. Some have discussed how the appearance of a dog has changed over the years.
Yichang resident Shi Tong said he knew he had seen the mountain before and posted photos of him taking at the site in 2021.
“After I saw photos of Puppy Mountain online, I tried to find its location. Then I realized I've been to this place before. I thought it looked like a dog at the time!”
For more CNN news and newsletters, create an account on CNN.com
