TOURISTS have gone barking mad for a giant cliff side that resembles a puppy face alongside the longest river in China.

The picturesque ridge, dubbed “puppy mountain”, rests in the city of Yichang in central China’s Hubei province, facing the ancient Yangtze River.

Mystified sightseers flocked to the natural phenomenon after a designer named Guo Qingshan noticed the mountain whilst on vacation.

Realising that the giant rock actually resembled a puppy head resting its nose on the river bank, he posted a picture of the wonder on social media. 

His post received 120,000 likes in 10 days on the Chinese platform Weibo, with the hashtag #xiaogoushan (Chinese for “puppy mountain”) also gaining millions of views.

Guo said: “It was so magical and cute. I was so excited and happy when I discovered it.”

“The puppy’s posture is like it’s drinking water, or it’s looking at some fish. It also looks like it’s quietly protecting the Yangtze River,” he added.

The scenic mountain sits along the Yangtze River – the longest in China and the third-longest in the world.

The natural beauty can also be viewed from an observation deck where tourists can experience the mountain’s striking resemblance to a puppy.

Many online users have also visited the mountain with their dog and posted pictures comparing their own pet to the face of the hill.

One user on Chinese social media site RedNote visited the mountain and said: “Puppy Mountain here I am! Just stroke the puppy’s head and then everything will be OK.

“We all need the eyes to see the beauty in this world.”

The attraction has of course existed before Guo pointed out the astonishing resemblance, and one user said that they had noticed the face before.

Yichang resident, Shi Tong, said: “After I saw the Puppy Mountain photo online, I tried to look up where it is. And then I realised that I have been to this place before. I thought it looked like a dog at that time too.”