One Incense Pillar

The One Incense Pillar in Enshi, Hubei Province—also known as Yizhuxiang—is a striking natural stone column that rises roughly 150 meters from the forested floor of the Enshi Grand Canyon, appearing like a single stick of incense placed upright against the sky.

Geologically, the pillar is composed primarily of Devonian limestone, sculpted over millions of years by karst processes including chemical dissolution, differential erosion, and collapse of surrounding rock layers, which left the harder, vertically jointed core standing isolated.

Mineralogically, its durability comes from dense carbonate rock with relatively low fracture porosity compared to the eroded surroundings.

Culturally, the pillar holds symbolic meaning in local Tujia and Miao traditions, where it is associated with spiritual protection and balance between heaven and earth, and its name reflects traditional Chinese incense offerings used in ritual and prayer.

Today it is both a geological landmark and a cultural icon, carefully protected within the Enshi National Geological Park due to its fragility and rarity.