A quick ride 28km east from Qīngdǎo, an arresting jumble of sun-bleached granite and hidden freshwater springs rises over the sea. It’s easy to understand why Láo Shān has attracted spiritual pilgrims throughout the centuries. It's a great place to recharge over a weekend today.
In his quest for immortality, Emperor Qin Shi Huang ascended these slopes (with the help of a litter party of course), and in the 5th century, Buddhist pilgrim Faxian landed here returning from India with a complete set of Buddhist scriptures. Láo Shān has its share of religious sites, but it is most steeped in Taoist tradition. Adepts of the Quanzhen sect, founded near Yāntái in the 12th century, cultivated themselves in hermitages scattered all over the mountain.
Paths wind past ancient temples (and ruins), bubbling springs trickling into azure pools, and inscriptions left by Chinese poets and German alpinists. For the most part, routes are paved but there are plenty of opportunities to off-road as well (look for red flags tied to branches marking trails).
There are a number of ways to enter the park. Dàhédòng gate to the south is the main one and the start of the picturesque hike to Jùfēng , the highest point at 1133m above sea level. If you take the cable car part way up the mountain, it's another four hours up steps past temples and a spring to the stone terrace at the peak and awe-inspiring views of mountains, sky and sea.
An easier route is the loop through Běijiǔshuǐ Scenic Area , a canyon area at the north end of the park, which is mostly flat and takes a couple of hours to traverse. The path winds beside and across clear, blue streams before reaching Cháoyīn Waterfall (潮音瀑), which in the wet season roars like the ocean tide. (In drier months, the water falls in pieces, hence its ancient name, Fish Scales Waterfall.)
On the east side, Yǎngkǒu Scenic Area offers an opportunity to ascend by foot or cable car past wind- and water-carved granite. There’s a 30m scramble in total darkness up a crevice to the top of Looking for Heaven Cave (觅天洞) and then upward still for views of the sea. The hike takes about three hours.
About halfway between Dàhédòng and Yǎngkǒu is Láo Shān’s oldest and grandest temple, Tàiqīng Palace , established by the first Song emperor around AD 960 to perform Taoist rites to protect the souls of the dead. Devotees in blue and white still live here, and many credit their good health to drinking from the Spring of the Immortals (神水泉), which feeds into the grounds. The massive ancient gingko, cedar and cypress trees also apparently benefit your health.
