Covered in lush, dripping forests, the sacred mountain of Qīngchéng Shān has been a Taoist spiritual centre for more than 2000 years. Its beautiful trails are lined with ginkgo, plum and palm, and there are caves, pavilions and centuries-old wooden temples to explore.
Visitors can experience two sides of the mountain. The main entrance is on the mountain's front side (前山, Qián Shān ), and leads to paths that wind past 11 important Taoist sites. Those interested in hiking will prefer the back entrance (后山; Hòu Shān ), accessed 15km northwest. In either case, to actually enjoy the views, avoid major holidays when hordes of tourists arrive to pay tribute to their ancestors.
Qián Shān
The trails here lead to a summit of only 1600m, a relatively easy climb — four hours up and down, even easier via the cable car (one way/return ¥35/60). Snack stands are scattered along the mountain trails.
If you want to stay the night, a few temples on Qián Shān welcome guests, including the fabulous Shàngqīng Temple , a Qing-dynasty rebuild of the original Jin-dynasty temple set in the forest near the top of the mountain; it has a restaurant (dishes ¥18 to ¥45) and teahouse (tea from ¥5). The cheapest rooms are reserved for pilgrims, but you may be able to land one if business is slow.
Hòu Shān
The back of the mountain has 20km of rugged pathways – expect a six-hour hike to the summit, where you’ll find Báiyún Temple (白云寺; Báiyún Sì ); the cable car (¥30) will shave a couple hours off the hike. You can find basic guesthouses (客栈; kèzhàn ) at both Yòuyī Village (又一村; Yòuyī Cūn ), less than half way up the mountain, and near the top at Báiyún Ancient Village (白云古寨; Báiyún Gǔzhài ).
