Photo Credit - Guo Qingshan / WeiboThis mountain has been around for a while, but it's become a paw-some tourist attraction after a post on social media.
The story began on Valentine's Day 2025 when designer Guo Qingshan shared a photo of the mountain on Weibo, China's version of X/Twitter. He noticed that the mountain's shape looked like a dog resting it's chin next to the Yangtze River.
The post seemed to capture the imagination of others and it got 120,000 likes in just 10 days. Soon, the hashtag #xiaogoushan, which means "Puppy Mountain," was everywhere, attracting millions of views.
Now people are ruff-ing it in the best way possible, hiking to the mountain to take their own photos.
Pareidolia: Seeing shapes and faces in everyday objects
BBC photographer Jeff Overs captured this amazing image of the "face" of the God of the Sea, Neptune, as waves crashed over Newhaven harbour wall in 2021. These wave sightings seem to be an example of pareidolia - when an image is seen in an otherwise random visual pattern.
You say it like this: 'pa-ray-doy-lee-ah'.
That's when our brains see patterns or shapes in things that aren't actually there.
It's like when you look at clouds and think one looks like a dragon or spaceship.
can you see a face in this cheese grater?
Psychologist Rob Jenkins from the University of York says that your brain is just trying to make sense of the world by finding familiar shapes, even if they're not really there.
And it happens with faces too - sometimes we see faces in things like rocks, trees, or even the moon.
In an interview with the BBC, Rob explained that it starts early: "Babies who are nine minutes old seem to show a preference for face-like patterns."
Experimental tests show that new-born babies spend longer looking at patterns of dots and dashes which resemble two eyes and a mouth than at similar, non-face-like patterns.
It's all about how our minds love to recognise things we know, like faces or animals, in the world around us.
Words and images from article seen here
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Speaking personally, I do often see different shapes/images in clouds and sometimes in everyday objects ... what about you?
Do please share your thoughts in the comments.
All the best Jan
47 comments:
Beauty photo! Happy New Year!
I see all the faces! Fun stuff.
...the "face" of the God of the Sea, Neptune jumps right out at you.
Yes I see words in the texture of bath towels, just as plain as day. I see faces in the patterns of flooring, like marble and tiles. It's something I don't speak of much because I don't quite understand it myself.
Interesting post.
Very interesting and makes sense.
That puppy mountain looks pretty impressive.
Happy New Year!
The mountain looks like a disgruntled old dig to me. The cheese grater has attitude. 🤣
Happy New Year, Jan.
Strange how that happens, faces and so on we see in objects.
The rock is amazing and certainly looks like a dog.
The sea is also a good one...interesting topic.
very cool!! now as i see magnificent things like you shared, i always ask if it is AI. Chuck can tell, I cannot!! happy 2026.
Mamma mia, il nostro cervello è un ingannatore nato.
Comunque hai scelto delle foto fantastiche
I often see people or faces or animals in trees and clouds, I would Love to see Neptune for real.
Hehe, if I was huge I´d pet that mountain! Hihi, "a paw-some tourist attraction"! you made me giggle through my coughing, LOL:
And Neptun is wonderful, too (I learned you do not use the word "amazing" - can you confirm this?).
I have that grater right here and get the smile each time.
Other I´m a bad spotter, sadly!
Oh yes, it's so much fun to recognize faces and figures in things. In nature, especially in the mountains and rocks, as well as when relaxing on a deck chair and gazing at the sky... the clouds are a true treasure trove for that... Jan, you've shown some excellent examples, truly wonderful photos. It brings Joy.
Thank you.
Warm regards, Viola
I love the puppy mountain and the wave face is amazing.
Take care, enjoy your day and happy weekend.
Guo Qingshan's photo is really great. Actually, it shows the right side of a dog's head.
I do sometimes see things in other things, but Bill does this more than me. Sometimes I don't see it until he points it out to me but then I can't unsee it :-)
It is true! There are faces in everything!
I see faces and shapes too, but I didn't know what it was called. Thanks for teaching me a new word. Have a super rest of your Friday and start to your weekend Jan.
There's a church that looks like a chicken (The Church By The Sea in Madeira Beach, Florida).
Yes, I did see all the faces quite easily. They were fun to look at. I often see shapes and faces in clouda and other objects.
Every blessing wished for you in 2026 xx
Oh, I've definitely seen faces in inanimate objects before. In fact, a photo I took of a house that looked like a face wound up getting published in a book called "Found Faces"! (I got no money for it, sadly.)
These are great and exciting photos, and I really see a puppy and a face. Oh yes, I see things like that too, some objects or things in the sky or in the sand and mudflats.
Good weekend, hugs Elke
Wow that is so cool!! I'm always finding shapes and faces in things.
What an interesting post. Thank you so much.
God bless always, Jan.
Great post, Jan. It's the clouds for me too.
if you ever visit Iceland, pareidolia is like a pandemic! You see things everywhere, in everything, so no wonder it is a fertile ground for stories of trolls and elves! We have a few places here, on Ramsey Island for example, where an elephant drinks, or a giant man looms in a dark cave!
I should have know there is a name for this. I see "thing" in other things all the time. Thanks for this great post. Have a nice day.
Face in the grater that looks happy and a puppy for sure! I also see the face of an old guy in the wave too. I think it's great we all see different things :-D
Well I saw those ones easily, but I don't do that very often.
How fun. Happy New Year.
THANK YOU EVERYONE for sharing your thoughts and other sightings ...
@Iris, I think it's okay to use the word amazing ... my grand-daughter likes to use the word awesome :)
Enjoy the remainder of Friday everyone, and good wishes for the coming weekend.
All the best Jan
I do see that puppy in Puppy Mountain
Love this!
Jan, thank you so much for sharing this because this happens to me quite frequently, but I didn't realize there was a specific name for it. I saw each thing in the pictures you showed before ever reading your words.
Very interesting post, it resonates with me. I do often see different shapes and images in clouds and sometimes in other everyday objects. Happy New Year, Jan! Wishing you joy, peace, success, and good health in 2026!
I love the puppy 🐶 mountain. Happy New Year to you, Jan.
It really looks like a puppy!
Linda foto. Te mando un beso.
Oh I love the Puppy mountain ~ thanks for sharing this ~ I have a photography of a rock that looks like a dog that I had printed and it sold at an art show ~ Hugs,
an artist reflects
Faces are fun to see. Both of these photos are awesome.
How very interesting! I have heard of other rock formations in different shapes. Haven’t seen them except in pictures but I look at clouds and see different shapes. All the best Jan, Denise.
that is jun to make out different objects from clouds and such, those pictures are so neat.
I see faces in so many places! Clouds, floor tile, trees, shadows, water, etc. I never knew there was a name for it. It makes sense learning about why we do it. Great post!
The photo of the puppy mountain is great, an interesting post Jan.
Avril xx
If the puppy had ears it would look like a bear to me
También veo al cachorro en la montaña, me encanta. Me gusta buscar de todo en las nubes, árboles, etc. Gracias por este reportaje. Besos.
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