Adress:Huayin City Shaanxi
Admission Fee:CNY 100 (Apr. 1st-Nov. 30th), CNY 50 (Dec. 1st-Mar. 31st);
Cable Car :CNY 110 (round-trip), CNY 60 (one-way)
Recommended time for a Visit:April to October
Bus Route: Tourist Buses No.1 (8:00-20:00 except the period from January to March 15th) are available at the east square of Xian Railway Station or you can choose to take the coach to Huayin City at Tangdu Bus Station located at No.17 of Changle Zhonglu east of Xian.
By Train: You can take trains at Xian Railway Station and get to Weinan City. Then you can take the autobus on Weinan Railway Station to reach Mt. Huashan. The autobus fare is about CNY 10. And you have to walk 1.5 kilometer (about 0.9 miles) before you reach Yuquan Temple at the foot of Mt. Huashan.
hotels nearby:Motel 168 Beiguan - Xian,Royal City Plaza Hason Hotel - Xian
scenic spots nearby:bell tower

Mt. Huashan

Description

Mountain Hua is the west mountain of China's 5 Great Mountains. It is is a sacred mountain of the Tao religion and also known for it's precipitousness. It's 7,128 ft. (2,160M) tall.Situated in Huayin City, 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) east from Xian City of Shaanxi Province, Mt. Huashan is known as 'The Number One Precipitous Mountain under Heaven'. It is one of the five sacred mountains in China. The other four mountains are Mt. Taishan in Shandong, Mt. Hengshan in Hunan, Mt. Hengshan in Shanxi, and Mt. Songshan in Henan.
In ancient times, Mt. Huashan was called Mt. Taihuashan. From a distance the five peaks seem to form the shape of a 'flower' (hua in Chinese), hence the name 'Huashan'. It is famous for its natural vistas of steep and narrow paths, precipitous crags, and a high mountain range. It is home to several influential Taoist temples where emperors of past dynasties made pilgrimages, making Mt. Huashan the holy land of Taoism.
There are 2 roads up Hua. The old trail climbs from zero altitude. The new one (on the other side of the main ridge) was built in 1994 along with the cable cars. It starts at about 2,300 ft but it's VERY steep.
There are five peaks in the mountain, among which the most famous three are Sunrise Peak( East Peak), Lotus Flower Peak( West Peak), Falling Goose Peak( South Peak). The Sunrise Peak is a fine place to enjoy the sunrise view in early morning, which is frequented by travelers. Huashan means flower mountain and it got the name from the Lotus Peak, which resemble a beautifully blooming lotus flower. The falling Goose Peak is the highest among the five. The two other less visited are Jade Maiden( Middle Peak, legend goes that a jade maiden once saw riding a white horse among the mountains hence the name) and Cloud Stand Peak( North peak).. The path to the 2158 summit is nearly vertical, which now is equipped with iron chains to protect climbers. The climb to its summit makes it clear how the impenetrable mountain repelled those invaders over centuries.

East Peak (Facing Sun Peak)

Tour guides may promote climbing the mountain at night to see the sunrise. Climbing to the top of East Peak requires 4 to 6 hours. East Peak has an altitude of 2,090 meters (about 6,857 feet) forming a platform for visitors to view the sunrise. An astronomical telescope is provided here. The reference time for sunrise and sunset 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, 5:30a.m.-6:00a.m. in winter.

One well-known scenic spot called the 'Immortal's Palm Peak of Mt. Huashan' which is ranked as one of the 'Eight Scenic Wonders of the Guanzhong Area (the plain area in the middle of Shaanxi Province)' is located on East Peak. It refers to the natural rock veins of the cliff which look like a giant palm-print. Legend has it that on March 3rd of the Lunar Calendar a torrential flood erupted, destroying the villages within the Mt. 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 the mountain into two halves and immediately a flood rushed out. This tale adds luster to East Peak.

The West Peak (Lotus Flower Peak)

West Peak has very high cliffs standing erect with an altitude of 2,086.6 meters (about 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 the mountain to save his mother (The Heavenly Goddess San Sheng Mu). After visiting the five peaks, tourists can go down the mountain from the path on the east side of West Peak.

A must-see scenic spot - Xi Yue Temple - is available to those interested in Taoist culture. The Xi Yue Temple is 5 kilometers (about 3.1 miles) north of the foot of Mt. Huashan and it is one of the earliest temples in ancient China. Palaces and gardens are its main features, resembling the style of the Forbidden City in Beijing; thus the Xi Yue Temple gained fame as the 'Forbidden City of Shaanxi Province'. Admission to Xi Yue Temple is CNY 20.

South Peak (Landing Wild Geese Peak)

Ancient people called South Peak with an altitude of 2,160 meters (about 7,087 feet) 'Monarch of Mt. Huashan' because it is the highest peak of Mt. Huashan and also the highest peak among the Five Sacred Mountains of China. Tourists who summit South Peak are undoubtedly winners. Looking around when standing at the peak, surrounding mountains are luxuriantly green; the Yellow River wanders far below and everything seems small. Legend has it 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 respectively called 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 called 'Changkong Zhandao' (a plank path built along the surface of a vertical cliff) which is about 4 meters (about 13 feet) long and about 0.33 meters (about 1.1 feet) wide. Below is the bottomless gulf which makes tourists shake with fear. In addition, there is a Taoist temple called Baidi Temple or Jintian Palace to be considered the host temple of Deity Shaohao.

Yuquan Yuan (Jade Spring Temple)

Usually tourists climb up the mountain assisted by the iron chains along the way and start their tour from Yuquan Yuan (Jade Spring Temple), one of the main Taoist temples in China located at the foot of Mt. Huashan. It has the architectural style of the classical gardens in south China. There is a pond in the center and several pavilions around it. Walking through the Wuyou Pavilion, the Long Corridor of Seventy-two Windows comes into view, and afterwards Qingke Ping where a big rock called 'Huixin Rock' can be seen. It is said that 'Huixin Rock' is a reminder for those who wish to stop their tour at this point. Beside the rock are the precipitous 370 rock steps called 'Qianchi Zhuang' considered to be the primary breath-taking path of Mt. Huashan. When climbing, only a gleam of sky above can be seen, making climbers feel as if they were at the bottom of a well.

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 in the peak named 'Jade Maiden Temple'. Legend has it that the daughter of Qin Mugong (569 B.C.-621 B.C.) 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.

Jinsuo Guan (Gold Lock Pass)

When climbing over the 'Blue Dragon Range', regarded as the must-pass way to the other four peaks from North Peak, travelers arrive at Gold Lock Pass. Mt. Huashan visitors know that it is customary to buy a golden lock, and then lock it in the iron chains on both sides of the Gold Lock Pass for families and friends to pray for their safety and health. It is a marvelous spectacle to see thousands of golden locks in the iron chains. Within the mountain gate of Gold Lock Pass, a huge golden lock of about 4 meters (about 4.37 yards) long and 1 .5 meters (about 1.64 yards) high stands in a big rock. It is made of pure copper and forged by 9,999 locks left by visitors. It is a popular photo site. This huge lock can only be opened by throwing coins - one coin represent the status of an ordinary person; three coins, a blessed person and nine coins a most blessed one. Gold Lock Pass is the throat to Middle Peak, East Peak, South Peak and West Peak.

Renewed as a sacred mountain, Huashan boast a lot of religious heritages. Buddhism and Daoism temples, pavilions, buildings and scriptures scatter around everywhere. The most famous historical sites include Yuquan Courtyard, Zhenwu Palace, Jintian Palace and much more.

Cable cars are available and take tourists to the northern summit of the mountain. If you want to challenge your endurance and physical strength then choose to climb the mountain. However, you are kindly advised to begin your arduous journey early in the morning, even before the sunrises, this way during your trek you can be lucky enough to nourish your aching body with the breath-taking sunrise which dances over the horizon when you reach the summit at morning.