How to visit Huashan Mountain

Overview
Huashan Mountain is one of the top tourist attractions around Xian, and it is one of the most beautiful mountains in China. Huashan Mountain is famous for its natural vista of steep and narrow paths, precipitous crags and a high mountain range. Thounsands of tourists travel to Huashan Mountain every year, Huashan is the pilgrimage destination for many emperors in past Chinese dynasties. It is also an important site for Taoism, as evident by the numerous Taoist temples on it. In more recent times, Huashan is famously known as the mountain with one of the world’s “Most Dangerous Hiking Trail”. There are several ways to explore the charming scenery of Huashan Mountain, the followings are the travel guide to show you how to visit Huashan Mountain.

Top Things to Do in Huashan Mountain
Huashan Mountain is a natural and cultural scenic area in China, and it is often referred to as the “root of Chinese civilization. There are Five Peaks (South Peak, East Peak, West Peak, North Peak & Central Peak) are worth to visit when you travel to Huashan Mountain. Its five peaks are impressive attractions and each one has its own unique scenery. 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 Central Peak is also called Jade Lady Peak. Beside the natural scenery at the five peak, there are some other famous sites in Huashan Mountain as below:

Huashan Mountain Plank Walk Path
One of the highlights in Huashan Mountain is the Plank Path, it is the most dangerous part in Huashan Mountain. The plank walk with a history more than 700 years, you will find a wooden trail on the side off the mountain cliff when you reach at 2155m high. The trail will lead to a teahouse, it was a pilgrims way for nuns and monks to pray in the old times. Nowadays its possible to walk this trail along with many other visitors, and the scariest thing is that traffic goes both ways! It's known for its fatal falls. The total length of this plank walk is arond 50 meters, and it divided into 3 sections, the lower section is the most dangerous. In 2013, the well-known travel website "Smarter Travel" counted the world's most terrifying cliff trails and listed Huashan Long Sky Trail as one of the world's ten most terrifying cliff trails.

Warm Tips for the Huashan Plank Walk
1) Footwear/gloves: Compared to thick hiking boots, sneakers with soft rubber soles are more suited to the stone paths/stairs on Huashan. The softer soles allow you to better feel and grip the trails. It would also be good to bring along a pair of gloves for holding onto the metal railings at certain sections of the trail.
2) The Hua Shan plank walk path is very narrow, so the complete focus is very important. One misstep and there you go!
3) There is an age limitation, which is under 12 & over 50 years old, they are not allowed to walk along the plank walk path.

Huashan Taoism Culture & Temples
Huashan Mountain is one of the birthpalce of Taosim and a holy place. It has been the place for people to pay homage to deities since the ancient times. Many Taoists came here to be cultivated and tempered, and a number of them are reported to have become immortals. It is even said that Laozi, the founder of Taoism, had also once been here. His alchemy oven is still preserved on the mountain now.  In the past, Taoists came here and built a variety of Taoist temples. Taoist force on Huashan Mountain became most powerful especially during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was extremely diffcult to construct here as the landform of Huashan Mountain is very steepy, these Taoist temples appear more spectacular and miraculous. Yuquan Taoist Temple & Zhenyue Palace are the well-preserved Taoist temple in Mt. Huashan.

1) Yuquan Taoist Temple: Sitting at the entrance to the valley of Mount Huashan and it is the main place for Huashan Taoist activities and a must see place for tourists from Huashanyu to visit Huashan. According to the history, it is said to be the place where Chen Tuan cultivated himself as a recluse. With the shade of tall trees, spring, rocks, magnificent buildings and meandering verandas. It is known as the one of the most beautiful temples in Huashan.

2) Zhenyue Palace: It was originally called Upper Palace. The dark shade of old pine trees and the entangled wild vines in the valley give you an impression of tranquility, seclusion and coolness. The Jade Well in front of the palace is about 30 m deep. It is said that a thousand-leave white lotus once grew in the well and that one who ate it could live a long life and even become an immortal. In the main hall of this magnificent palace is enshrined the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the West.

The stone tablet of Hua Shan Lun Jian
Huashan Lun Jian means "Discussion of Swords in Mount Hua", the place where Jinyong's novel Zhongshan discusses sword is also at the top of North Peak. On a stone tablet at the top of the peak, there are four big characters "Hua Shan Lun Jian" inscribed by Jin Yong himself, which has become a popular spot for tourists to take photos and commemorate. Actually, there are three stone tablet in total in Huashan, located in the north peak, west peak and east peak.

Many people, know about Huashan Mountain from the Jin Yong’s novels. He thought up the Chinese idiom Hua Shan Lun Jian, meaning swords meet on Mount Hua. It refers to the tradition where martial arts practitioners come to Mount Hua to test their martial arts prowess and endeavor to become the first under heaven. Today the idiom is widely used as a metaphor for open competition.

How to reach to the top of Huashan Mountain
There are two ways can lead you to the top of Huashan Mountain, one is hiking and another one is taking cable car. Keep in mian that once you get to the top, there are still 5 peaks to visit, you can get plenty of hiking around the Huashan Mountain if you take the cable car to the top. Below is the detailed information about how to reach to the top of Huashan:

Hiking Routes Around Huashan Mountain
Huashan is known as the most dangerous mountain for those who like hiking. There are many routes are available for visitors hike on Huashan Mountain, you can choose one according to your own physical conditions:

1. 2-Hour Hiking Route: Take the North Peak Cable Car and hike along the Canglong Ridge. This short route is good for people who want a more relaxing experience, or don’t have very much time. The toute for this hiking is from North Peak Cableway Station ? Group of Immortals Taoist Temple ? Laujun Furrow ? Macaque Sorrow ? Return to North Peak Cableway Station along the same route.

2. Recommended Hiking Route: Firstly, you need to take the cable car up to the West Peak, then hike counterclockwise to the south, east, central, then finally north peak. From the north peak, take the cable car down. You get to see most of Huashan, and the entire way you're mostly hiking downhill so it's easy. The duration is 4 to 6 hours.

3. Most Popular Hiking Route: the duration for this hiking is around 9 hours. You will hike up from Yuquanyuan to the north peak, then go clockwise to central, east, south, and finally west peak. Then take the cable car down from the west peak. In the first half of March and mid-September through end of November, you can catch the sunset from the west peak before taking the cable car down from the West Peak Cableway.

4. The Most Comprehensive Hiking Route: You can spend 2 days at Huashan Mountian for Hiking, no need rush in one day. One the first day, take the steep 3-hour hike up to the north peak from the east cable car station, then go clockwise to central, east, south, and west peak. Watch the sunset from west peak, then check into a hotel on any of the peaks except south. Please kindly note you should book your accommodation in advance before you arrive. On the second day, you should wake up early and watch the sunrise from the east peak, then hike back to the north peak and down Huashan through Yuquanyuan.


Cable Cars at Huashan Mountain
1) Northern Peak Cableway (cable car to the North Peak): From the East Gate visitor's center, take a shuttle to the cable car station and ride up in 6-8 minutes. Be warned - the line to enter the North Peak cable car can last over two hours (weekends, public holidays) - so try to arrive early. At 10am on April 2018, the line was 15 minutes. Thankfully, line cutting is surprisingly rare, and most of the line is blocked from the sun and with water misting, so sans boredom, it's still fairly comfortable even in summer.

2) West Peak Cableway or Taihua Cableway (cable car to west peak): From the East Gate visitor's center, take a shuttle to the West cable car station; the cable car ride will take twenty minutes.

Opening hours:
7: 00AM-19: 00PM (peak season); 9: 00AM--17: 00PM(low season)
Price:
North Peak Cableway: single way: CNY80; Round way: CNY150;
West Peak Cableway: single way: CNY140; Round way: CNY280;


Where to stay in Huashan Mountain
Are you looking for the available & best places to stay near Huashan Mountain? There are two types of accommodation in Huashan Area: The foothill and the top of mountain. The accommodation on the foothill is much cheaper than the top, the accommodation on the top of Huashan Mountain is pretty and the price is not cheap. You need to book in advance, because it will often be full. Many backpackers watching the sunrise are wrapped in coats and waiting on the top of the mountain. Every low season the hotel will have discounts, the lowest can be up to 40%. The steep cliffs and tight mountain passes are beautiful, but they aren’t accommodating to building huge structures with lots of amenities. The hotels on Mount Hua tend to have basic accommodations, dormitory rooms, private rooms, showers, and camping gear. The condition of hotels in Huashan Mountain Area is not as good as other scenic areas. If you are planning stay overnight on the top of the mountain, there are 5 options that you can stay on the top, Huashan East Peak Hotel, Huashan Wuyunfeng Hotel, Huashan West Peak Hotel, Huashan North Peak Hotel and camping on your own.

As for the hotel on the top, Huashan Wuyunfeng Hotel is a good option, the hotel with a good location and above the Canglong Ridge. For those who are not very physically fit, if they cannot climb from the mountain to Dongfeng, staying at the Wuyunfeng Hotel is the best choice. Because after a night of rest, if you watch the sunrise the next day, from here, you can reach Dongfeng in 40 minutes, and the road is easy to walk, which is very convenient. The hygiene and facilities inside the hotel will not be evaluated specifically.

East Peak Hotel: It is only about 1 kilometer from the West Peak Cableway. Forests and dramatic cliffs make this area generally regarded as the best place to see the sunrise at Mount Hua. If you want to get a more authentic experience, sleep by the edge of the cliff at East Peak. The ground slopes upwards towards the edge, thus it is relatively safe to sleep near the edge even though there are no railings.

West Peak Hotel or Jintian Villa: It is good for travelers arriving late at West Peak where you can catch a good scenery of Sunset at Huashan and is within walking distance of Huashan’s various peaks.

North Peak Hotel: It is about 10 mins walking from the North Cable car station, but the hotel is not that popular than the hotels on other peaks since the it's further from the various peaks. The conditions and service can't compare to other hotels on the top of the Huashan Mountain. The hotel is good for those travellers arriving late in the day via the North Cableway.

Camping: It is possible to campe or put a rent on the top of Huashan Mountain. You can choose a good location to do that. Please bring suitable clothes since it will be cold at night. And flashlight also need if you stay overnight at Huashan.


When is the Best Time to Visit Huashan Mountain
The Huashan Mountain is available all year around. The best time to visit Huashan Mountain is from April to November, it is also the peak season for tourism industry in Huashan. The weather is very dry and temperature is around 20? during summer time, you can see the sea of clounds. In summer, it's a rain season in Huashan Mountain but with a clear scenery, the temperature is high in the daytime and cool at night. The weather is sunny and rainy with a comfortable temperature during the autumn. If you travel during the winter, you may face the fog and snow on the mountain area and it is not easy to go around Huashan mountain. The average annual temperature is around 6.8 ?. Traveling to Huashan in different seasons and you can see the different scenery.


What to buy in Huashan Mountain
1) Huashan Paper Cutting: Paper cutting is an art form in which working people express their emotions and express their minds in their lives. They are more commonly found in private houses such as window lattices, curtains, ceilings, and kangwei. They are also used in ceramics, embroidery, printing and dyeing, etc. Huashan Paper cutting has different styles due to different regions, some are beautiful and clear, some are generalized and refined, some are soft and healthy, and some are crude and clumsy, showing a rich artistic image.

2) Huashan Shadow Puppet: Huashan shadow puppetry is a traditional & ancient opera plastic art form. It uses superior cowhide as raw material, through the process of leather making, drawing, carving, painting, ironing, synthesis, etc. The colorful artistic images are mostly based on traditional opera characters and Huashan myths and legends.

3) Huashan Embroidery: Embroidery is an art form that integrates practicality and aesthetics. Through the combination of lines and colors, it creates life-like flowers, birds, insects, fish and drama characters on curtains, curtains, insoles, saddles and other daily necessities. With anger, sorrow and longing for a better life, the style of the work is distinguished by its ruggedness and colorful colors.


Travel Tips For Visiting Huashan Mountain 
1) Time for sunrise in Huashan: Spring(Mar. to May): 05:00 – 06:00; Summer(June to Aug.): 04:30 – 05:20; Autumn(Sept. to Nov.): 05:00 – 05:20; Winter(Dec. to Feb.): 05:30 – 06:00;
2) Prepare the light and soft-soled shoes, be sure to wear gloves for climbing. Travel with a light lagguage since there are long distance to walk from cable car station to hotels; If you travel with the elderly people, you should prepare crutches;
3) Prepare some high-calorie foods and water before climbing
4) Buy the newest Map of Huashan Mountain if you travel alone.
5) No littering when you walk and climb along the way