Bank notes change hands everyday, but few people take the time to look at the images on the back of the bills. The People’s Bank of China issued its fifth series of notes in 1999. Each denomination features a famous domestic tourism attraction. Read on for a closer look at each one. Hu Min reports.

Three Pools Mirroring the Moon

Three Pools Mirroring the Moon is one of West Lake’s most popular attractions.

The pools refer to three small pear-shaped stone pagodas arranged in a triangle in the water. The pagodas, which are each 2 meters high, are empty and feature five round holes. Lamps or candles can be placed in the holes of the pagodas.

The most popular time to visit the scenic site is for the Mid-autumn Festival, when the moon appears bigger and brighter than other full moons due to its proximity to Earth.

Poet and politician Su Shi (1037–1101), also known as Su Dongpo, erected the pagodas when he directed the dredging project of West Lake. The pagodas were built to indicate the lake’s silting situation although some say they were built to mark the area where water chestnuts were not allowed to be grown.

The three pagodas were rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). 

It appears on the 1 yuan note.

Taishan Mountain

Taishan Mountain in eastern Shandong Province is often deemed the most important of China’s “Five Sacred Mountains.” It is on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites and is a place where ancient Chinese emperors came to pray.

The mountain has been a place of worship for at least 3,000 years. Emperors from different dynasties have made pilgrimages to Taishan for sacrificial purposes. The Taoist mountain is famous for its sunrises, temples, stone inscriptions and stone tablets. There are more than 150 peaks, as well as many precipices, caves, oddly shaped rocks, streams and valleys, pools and waterfalls and cultural ruins.

Taishan is a symbol of power, loftiness and grandeur characterized by numerous pines and cypresses.

The mountain was also frequently visited by ancient poets and scholars who were seeking inspiration.

Taishan appears on the 5 yuan note.

Three Gorges

Qutang Gorge is the first of the Three Gorges and is inside Chongqing Municipality’s Fengjie area. It the narrowest, shortest and most spectacular of the Three Gorges. It is 8 kilometers long and only 150 meters at its widest point.

Kuimen Gate is the entrance to Qutang Gorge. It is considered a symbol or gateway to the Three Gorges.

Sheer cliffs on either side, narrow canyons and several switchbacks create breathtaking scenery and make it the most beautiful of the Three Gorges.

Du Fu, a distinguished Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) poet, depicted the magnificence and turbulence of the Qutang Gorge in one of his poems.

Some famous scenic spots along the gorge include Baidicheng, an ancient village where Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220) warlord Liu Bei died; the Chalk Wall, a stretch of white cliff featuring numerous characters carved by famous calligraphers.

Visitors can also see many hanging coffins on the sheer cliffs. Some are fixed on stakes, some in natural caves and others in man-made caves about 100 meters above the river.

The funeral practice dates back about 2,000 years. People believed the height of the coffins protected earthly remains, provided tranquillity and heavenly blessings. It also prevented corpses from being taken by wild animals. The hanging coffins were placed in shaded areas and all face the water.

Many say there are countless treasures in the cliff coffins in the Three Gorges area, but they can never be obtained.

The Three Gorges area is in the central section of the Yangtze River, stretching 193 kilometers from Baidicheng Town in Chongqing and concluding in Yichang.

Qutang Gorge appears on the 10 yuan note.

Guilin (Lijiang River)

Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is one of the best known tourist destinations in China due to its breathtaking views of hills and rivers. 

“East or west, the Guilin landscape is the best” is a famous saying. Popular boat cruises on the winding Lijiang River pass many karst mountains and peaks, some with bizarre shapes that resemble things such as an elephant sipping water, a walking camel and an old man lost in thought.

Visitors will notice fishermen floating by on bamboo rafts with their “leashed” cormorants that dive for fish.

Scenic spots in Guilin include Xiangbi Hill (Elephant Trunk Hill), which got its name for resembling the trunk of an elephant dipping into the water; Taohua River (Peach Blossom River), where people can see peach blossoms every spring; and Yinziyan Karst Cave.

Guilin itself is a slow-paced city rich in history and culture.

It appears on the 20 yuan note.

Potala Palace

The iconic and magnificent Potala Palace in the heart of Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region is the crowning achievement of Tibetan architecture, art and culture. It also symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism.

The towering and stately stone-and-wood palace sits on Marpo Ri, or Red Hill, more than 3,750 meters above sea level. The 110-meter-high, 13-story Potala is the tallest ancient palace complex in the world.

It contains several thousand rooms and shrines and is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

It is said to have been built without a blueprint. It is composed of palaces, castles and temples erected in different ages.

The palace was built in the seventh century and expanded during the 17th century.

It was placed on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1994.

The rebuilt palace consisted of two parts, the White Palace and the Red Palace. The former was the home of the Dalai Lama and contained offices of his government, and the latter served as the house of prayer for the Dalai Lama.

The western part of the palace also contains the mummified body of the Fifth Dalai Lama.

Construction of Potala Palace first began under the rule of Songtsan Gampo (AD 617-650), the 33rd ruler of the Tibetan Empire, when he moved the empire’s capital to Lhasa.

However, according to some Chinese historians, Potala Palace was originally dedicated to mark Songtsan Gampo’s marriage with Princess Wencheng from China’s Tang Dynasty, and it was used as a symbol of friendship between the ethnic Han and Tibetan peoples.

The palace boasts a large collection of sculptures, murals, scriptures and other valuable cultural relics. It is also known for its beautiful frescos. 

Potala Palace appears on the 50 yuan note.

The Great Hall of the People

The Great Hall of the People is on the west side of Tian’anmen Square in Beijing. It is the meeting place of the National People’s Congress.

It was built over a period of 10 months in 1959.

The building has a magnificent and solemn look to it. It features a light yellow granite appearance, yellow and green glazed tile roof and more than 100 round pillars.

It appears on the 100 yuan note.