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Mt Huashan is located in Huayin city, 120 kilometers east of ancient Xian, Shaanxi province. With an altitude of 2160 meters, Mt. Hushan is famous for its lofty peaks and is one of China‘s five sacred mountains , As the old Chinese saying goes, "there is only one path leading up Mt. Huashan since ancient times," so you can imagine how steep it is.
This is a brief description of the Mt. Huashan trekking route divided into three sections.
1st section: Foot of Mt. Huashan (Yuquan Yuan)-->Huixin Rock-->North Peak
Road conditions: Winding Road from Yuquan Yuan to Qingke Ping
Stone Stairway from Qingke Ping to Huxin Rock
Precipitous ladders from Huxin Rock to North Peak
2nd section: North Peak-->Jinsuo Guan
Road conditions: Precipitous ladders
3rd section: Jinsuo Guan-->Top of the rest Main Peaks
Road conditions: Flat Road and some ladders.
You have the option of three ways to start out on the first section. The first option is to start trekking from Yuquan Yuan at the west gate of Mt. Huashan where you can view nearly all the important sightseeing spots along the first section. The second option is to take the cable car from the east gate direct to the North Peak. This saves you some of physical effort at the beginning enabling you to view as much as possible of the scenery of the five main peaks. The third option is to start trekking from the east gate on foot. Few of people take this option as the entire route means climbing the stone stairway and there are few of sightseeing spots along the way.
Now let‘s explain the trekking trail in more detail, as tourists usually will adopt one or the other of two ways to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of Mt. Huashan. Should you have a tight schedule, just take one day for your exploration. This will require departure from Xian at 08:00 in the morning to arrive at Mt. Huashan (Yuquan Yuan) at 10.00 am. Take the bus (CNY10) to the east gate of Mt. Huashan where the cable car will take you up to the North Peak in only 7-8 minutes. This ride is more than 1500 meters long and runs from 07:00 until 19:00 (Apr to Oct) but only from 09:00 until 17:00 (Nov to Mar). The charge is CNY80 per person for one way and CNY150 per person for the round trip. From the North Peak, you have a series of paths to reach the remaining four peaks. You will have 3 to 5 hours trekking time but ensure you are in good time for the last cable car down the mountain to avoid being stranded.
Trekkers, who want to reach the East Peak to watch the sunrise, can climb from Yuquan Yuan at night. Having watched the sunrise, you can visit the Middle Peak, South Peak, West Peak and return to Jinsuo Guan to the foot of the mountain. This one way trip needs about 8-10 hours and this is also considered as a relatively safer way for nervous climbers because they will avoid seeing the dangerous cliffs in the dark but they will miss out on some of the sightseeing highlights as consequence.
Month Sunrise Sunset
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Jan&Feb
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Mar&Apr
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May &Jun
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Jul & Aug
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Sep & Oct
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Nov & Dec
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07:42–07:47
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06:35-07:10
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05:31–05:44
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05:31–05:44
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06:16–06:29
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06:03-07:24
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17:45–18: 03
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18:35-18:56
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19:08–19:28
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19:44–19:57
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18: 04–19:10
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17:35 -18:47
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Tips:
There are six decent hotels (North Peak Hotel, Wuyun Peak Hotel, Middle Peak Hotel, East Peak Hotel, Zhenyu Gong, Chaoyang Gong Hotel).
There are also many hostels (￥50 for a bed for a night) on the mountain.
You can choose to stop anywhere during your climb according to your individual physical needs. The prices at the hostels are negotiable.
On the second day, after watching the sunrise at the East Peak in the early morning, continue your way to enjoy the scenery of the rest three peaks. Reaching Nantian Gate from East Peak requires 35 minutes‘ walking and then you will also pass the Changkong Zhandao (an ancient plank road built along the surface of a cliff), one of the most dangerous spots of Mt. Huashan. It is only about 4 meters long and 0.33 meters wide. Refresh yourself before you go for the next stop.
Then you need 25 minutes‘ walking to pass by Yangtian Chi to reach the South Peak (2160 meters high), "Monarch of Mt. Huashan". On reaching there, you can be proud to say that you‘ve conquered Mt. Huashan. The walk to West Peak (2082 meters high) needs another 35 minutes and there are no railings along this way, only an old wooden plank to support you. You can visit the Taoist Temple and Cuiyun Palace for a while.Continue to walk downwards for another 30 minutes to the Middle Peak where you will have a chance to visit the Jade Maiden Temple, a Taoist temple, Rootless Tree and Sacrificing Tree. Middle Peak is actually can be regarded as a branch of the East Peak and the view is not outstanding; so you can miss out this part if you are feeling exhausted. Now, you have come across all the five peaks of Mt. Huashan and it‘s time for you to get down.
From the Middle Peak, you can return North Peak through Jinsuo Guan and Canglong Ling the same way which takes about an hour. Then take the cable car to the foot of the mountain .
You should take gloves, a raincoat, a walking stick, any necessary medicines and a flashlight.
The average temperature on Mt. Huashan is 6.8 degree and you need take enough clothes.
You can rent an overcoat for CNY10 – 20 per person on the mountain.
Leave any large luggage at the foot of the mountain.
Don‘t drink too much during your climb as there are only a few toilets on the mountain.
The best seasons for visiting Mt. Huashan are spring (March to May) and autumn (September to October).
Please do remember to avoid climbing on holidays of China, such as the May Day (May 1st to 3rd) and the National Day (Oct 1st to 7th).
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