Mount Huashan

Mount Huashan

Situated in Huayin City, Mount Huashan is 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Xi'an. It is famous for natural vista of steep and narrow paths, precipitous crags and a high mountain range. Its five peaks are the representative attractions and each has its distinctive charms: East Peak is the best place to enjoy the sunrise; South Peak has the highest altitude; West Peak is the most elegant; North Peak is famous as the Cloud Terrace Peak and Middle Peak is also called Jade Lady Peak.

The Mount Huashan is also home to several influential Taoist temples, where many emperors of past dynasties took part in Taoist activities and sacrificed to the god of mountain, making it a holy land of Taoism. At its foot, are the representatives of its Taoist elements:

Mount Huashan Hiking Trails

Hike on Huashan Mountain is very popular among visitors. For many years most people have taken a traditional but efficient walking-ascending and cable-car-descending route for this mountain climbing. By taking this route, visitors can experience not only its danger, but also the major meaningful scenic spots. At the foot of Mt. Huashan, you can start your trip by visiting the Jade Spring Temple. After that, you can walk to the Memorial Archway in about 15 min, and then in 5 min you will get to Five Dragon Bridge, next to which is the ticket office.
 

Map of Mt. Huashan
Map of Mount Huashan
(Click to enlarge)
Hiking Trail Map of Mt. Huashan
Hiking Trail Map of Huashan
(Click to enlarge)

 More Mount Huashan Maps


Passing through the ticket office of Huashan Mountain, you will see the scenic spots one by one:
walking about 30 min to Fish Stone – 20 min to Five-Mile Pass – 15 min to Stone Gate - 10 min to Shaluo Terrace – 10 min to Maonv Cave – 10 min to Qingke Terrace – 10 min to Mind Changing Stone (Huixin Stone) – 10 min to Thousand-Foot Precipice – 15 min to Hundred-Foot Crevice – 15 min to Taoist Temple of A Group of Immortals – 15 min to Laojun Furrow – 10 min to Ear-Touching Cliff – 5 min to Heavenward Ladder – 5 min to Black Dragon Ridge – 25 min to Golden Lock Pass – 10 min to Five-Cloud Peak – 15 min to Sunshine Welcoming Cave – 5 min to East Peak.  

 

Along the way to East Peak of Mount Huashan you should be very careful when passing the major dangerous passes, such as the above-mentioned Thousand-Foot Precipice, Hundred-Foot Crevice, Black Dragon Ridge and Golden Lock Pass.

Changkong Plank Road on Mt. Huashan Mt. Huashan, China

East Peak (Facing Sun Peak)

Climbing to the top of East Peak of Mt. Huashan takes 4 to 6 hours. It has an altitude of 2,090 meters (6,857 feet), forming a platform for visitors to view the sunrise in fine weather. An astronomical telescope is provided here. The reference time for sunrise is 5:00a.m.-6:00a.m. in spring, 4:30a.m.-5:20a.m. in summer, 5:00a.m.-5:20a.m. in autumn and 5:30a.m.-6:00a.m. in winter.

One well-known scenic spot, the Immortal's Palm Peak, ranked as one of the Eight Scenic Wonders of the Xi'an, is located on the East Peak. It refers to the natural rock veins of the cliff, which look like a giant palm-print.

The legend goes that on March 3rd of the Lunar Calendar a torrential flood destroyed the villages within the Mount Huashan area. This disaster was caused by the Queen Mother of the West, who held her Flat Peach Carnival celebration that year. She carelessly spilled a little jade wine down from paradise, causing a serious flood below. This news was quickly reported by Deity Shaohao to the Jade Emperor in Celestial Paradise. He gave a prompt order to Deity Juling to go down to tame the flood. When Deity Juling, full of vigor and vitality, descended from the clouds, he arrived at the precipitous cliff of East Peak. At the moment that he laid his left hand on one side and his right leg on the other, he ripped Mount Huashan into two halves and immediately a flood rushed out. This tale adds luster to East Peak.

* After enjoying the sunrise at East peak, you can descend according to this route in case you have missed some scenic spots: East Peak – about 35 min to Heavenly South Gate – 5 min to Huashan Plank Road – 25 min to Heaven Watching Pool – 5 min to South Peak – 35 min to West Peak – 15 min to Middle Peak – 20 min back to Black Dragon Ridge – 25 min to Macaque Sorrow – 5 min to North Peak.

 

Plank Road on Mt. Huashan Mount Huashan

South Peak (Landing Wild Geese Peak)

With an altitude of 2,160 meters (7,087 feet), the South Peak is regarded as the monarch of Mount Huashan because it is the highest peak and also the highest peak among the Five Sacred Mountains of China. Visitors who summit South Peak are undoubtedly winners. Looking around when standing at the peak, the surrounding landscapes are luxuriantly green; the Yellow River wanders far below and everything seems small. A legend goes that the wild geese returning from the south often landed at South Peak, giving the area the name Landing Wild Geese Peak.

At the top of South Peak, the Black Dragon Pool at the summit and the Greeting Pines on the southwestern cliff are two attractive resorts. At each side of the Landing Wild Goose Peak there are two peaks, Songhui Peak (Pine and Juniper Peak) in the east and Xiaozi Peak (Filial Son Peak) in the west. The three peaks form a picture of a Titan sitting in a chair. The most dangerous place is Plank Road, a plank path built along the side of a vertical cliff, about 0.3 meters (1 foot) wide. Below is a bottomless gulf which makes visitors shake with fear. In addition, there is a Taoist temple called Baidi Temple or Jintian Palace, considered to be the host temple of Deity Shaohao.
 

West Peak (Lotus Flower Peak)

West Peak has very high cliffs standing erect with an altitude of 2,086.6 meters (6,845 feet). There is a Taoist temple called Cuiyun Palace, before which a huge rock looking like a lotus flower comes into view, hence the name Lotus Flower Peak. There are another seven rocks beside Cuiyun Palace, which is said to be the place where Chenxiang, a main character in the movie Lotus Lantern, ripped Mount Huashan to save his mother, The Heavenly Goddess San Sheng Mu.

Huashan Mountain, Shaanxi The Shoushen Cliff on Mt. Huashan

Middle Peak (Jade Maiden Peak)

Middle Peak clings to East Peak and is in the center of East, South and West Peaks. There is a Taoist temple on the peak named Jade Maiden Temple. Legend has it that the daughter of Qin Mugong (569 - 621 BC) loved a man who was good at playing Chinese tung-hsiao (vertical flute) and she gave up the royal life to become a hermit who cultivated her spirituality here, hence the name Jade Maiden Peak. Today Jade Maiden Temple and Jade Maiden Basin for Shampooing can be found on the peak. Other scenic spots in Middle Peak include Rootless Tree and Sacrificing Tree, which have beautiful stories and add to the supernatural atmosphere of Middle Peak.
 

North Peak (Cloud Terrace Peak)

There are precipitous cliffs on all sides of North Peak, making it look like a flat terrace in the clouds, hence the name Cloud Terrace Peak. It is 1,614 meters (5,295 feet) high. Three sides are cliffs and one side is to the Ear-Touching Cliff, which is the fourth precipitous path where visitors can climb up only by pressing an ear close to the cliff. Almost halfway up the North Peak trees are luxuriantly green, creating a good rest spot.

Upon arrival at the North Peak, you can walk to the Cableway Station in 3-5 min and take the cable car to descend.

 Tip on Easy Climbing by Cable Car

Visiting Huashan Mountain by cable car is another good choice for visitors. On the east side of Yuquan Temple, there is an about 8 kilometer (5 miles) long concrete road leading up to Wamiaogou where you can take a cable car directly to the North Peak of Mt. Huashan. The top station is located on the east cliff of North Peak. The whole ride is more than 1,500 meters (0.9 mile) long and takes seven or eight minutes. The other cable car line starts from Donggoukou to West Peak with a stop at White Sparrow Temple. The whole ride is about 4,211 meters (2.6 miles) long and takes about 20 minutes. It is easier to get to the South and East Peak from West Peak compared with the North Peak. 

Mt. Hua Cable Car on Mt. Huashan

 See more practical Travel Tips on weather, food, water, clothing, safety, sunrise watching and accommodation and so on.
 

How to get to Mount Huashan

How to go from Xi'an to Huashan
1. There are high speed trains running from Xi'an North Railway Station to Huashan North Station, taking 30 - 40 minutes. After arrival, take the free Minibus Huayin 1/ Huayin 2 in green outside the station to Shengtai Guangchang, which is also the tourist center.

See detailed Xi'an - Huashan Train

See also major rail lines from Huashan to:


2. Take metro line 1 to Fangzhicheng. After you leave from the station, you will see Fangzhicheng Bus Station. Take a bus to Huashan. The bus runs between 08:40 and 19:30. It costs CNY 39.5 and a single trip takes about 2 hours.
Xi'an Bus / Metro Search 

How to get back to Xi'an
Take Huayin Line 1 or 2 to Huashan North Railway Station, and then take a Huashan - Xi'an Train for return-ride.

Entrance Fee Mar. - Nov.: CNY 160;
Dec. - Feb.: CNY 100
Notes:
1. It includes the main peaks scenic area, Jade Spring Temple, Xianyu Scenic Area and Xiyue Temple.
2. The ticket is valid for two days.
3. The ticket is not available on the spot. All visitors need to book it from the official website or WeChat account.
Opening Hours The mountain is open all day.
Xiyue Temple: 08:00 - 17:30 (stop entering at 17:00)
Jade Spring Temple:
Peak season (usually Mar. - Nov.): 08:00 - 19:00
Off Season (usually Dec. - Feb.): 08:00 - 17:00
Best Time to Visit April to October
 
Service Hours Upgoing: 7:00 - 16:00
Descending: 7:00 - 20:00
Donggoukou - White Sparrow Temple - West Peak Mar. - Nov.: CNY 280 for a round trip; CNY 140 for a one-way trip
Dec. - Feb.: CNY 240 for a round trip; CNY 120 for a one-way trip
Notice: 
1) Wengyu Tourism Bus runs between Tourist Service Center and Donggoukou, the lower station of West Peak cable car.  It costs CNY 40 for a one-way trip and CNY 80 for a round trip.
2) Visitors can get off at White Sparrow Temple. After visiting the temple, continue to take the cable car to the West Peak.
Wamiaogou - North Peak Mar. - Nov.: CNY 150 for a round trip; CNY 80 for a one-way trip
Dec. - Feb.: CNY 80 for a round trip; CNY 45 for a one-way trip
Notice: Huangfuyu Tourism Bus runs between Tourist Service Center and Wamiaogou, the lower station of North Peak cable car. It  costs CNY 20 for a one-way trip and CNY 40 for a round trip.


 Recommended Tours:
Tang Imperial Temple & Mount Huashan: 4 days of the mountain & ancient Xi'an travel
One-day Mount Huashan Tour from Xi'an: with practical travel tips
More Xi'an Tours

 Extension Reading:
Known as “the Number One Precipitous Mountain under Heaven”, Mt. Huashan is one of the five sacred mountains in China. The other four are Mt. Taishan in Shandong, Mt. Hengshan in Hunan, Mt. Hengshan in Shanxi, and Mt. Songshan in Henan.

 You may like: 
 Top 10 Things to Do in Xi'an

10 Famous Places in China with Rising Popularity over the Web

15 Spectacular Natural Wonders of China

- Last updated on Mar. 14, 2024 by Brenda Lian -
Questions & Answers on Mount Huashan
Asked by Kelvin from AUSTRALIA | Feb. 04, 2024 17:03Reply
Need permit to hike up Huashan
We are visiting Xi'an next month March. Do we need to pre-book Hiking permit and cable way tickets to Huashan as a foreigner? Can we just buy at Huashan Tourist Service Centre on arrival day?
Answers (1)
Answered by Helen | Feb. 04, 2024 21:58
00Reply


Pre-booking is not must and you can buy it at the service center. However, you may queue for some time.
Asked by SL from SINGAPORE | Dec. 12, 2023 01:48Reply
How long to complete all 5 peaks within 1 day of hiking using both West and North cable car?
Hi,
1) is the West Cable car opened by 18th Dec 2023?
2) Taking the route; shuttle bus from entrance ->Ascend via West cable car -> West Peak-> South Peak-> East Peak-> North Peak-> descend via North cable car -> shuttle bus to entrance
May i ask how long will this route take including the shuttle bus rides (return)?
Answers (1)
Answered by Harry | Dec. 12, 2023 17:12
00Reply


1. Yes, it stops service from Nov. 6 to Dec. 15 and will reopen on Dec 18th .

2. I'm afraid it needs at least 8 hours.
Asked by Fon from THAILAND | Dec. 01, 2023 08:48Reply
Cable operating hours for both east and west peak during December 23
What is Cable operating hours for both east and west peak during December 2023?
Answers (1)
Answered by Jenny | Dec. 04, 2023 01:06
00Reply


The cable car now operates between 8:00-18:00.
Asked by Kimmy from AUSTRALIA | May. 30, 2023 03:09Reply
How can I book for the mountains hotels in Mountain Huashan
Answers (1)
Answered by Kina | May. 30, 2023 23:19
00Reply


It is hard to pre-book on line in English website and it is only available to check-in when you arrive there.
Asked by Swee from SINGAPORE | May. 11, 2023 15:49Reply
Mt Huashan climbing direction.
Hi, I’m hiking Mt Huashan in Sept.
is the hiking only one direction from East Peak to South Peak, West Peak & North Peak?
Is it necessary to hike Plank Road near Heavenly South Gate in order to walk from East Gate to South Gate? Is there another way to around so as not to walk Plank Road?
For the other areas, can one walk in any direction or is it just one direction becuase of the narrow paths?
Thanks. Swee
Answers (1)
Answered by Lily | May. 11, 2023 23:00
00Reply


Generally, if you plan to hike from the bottom to the top, you can choose to to climb from the North Peak or West Peak and then hike to other peaks. Hiking from West Peak is easier.

The Plank Road can be avoided, and you don't have to pass it.

The paths are narrow and there is only one direction when climbing. On the peaks, you can choose to walk in other directions but it is not suggested.
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