Mount Hua 华山Huà Shān

Why go to Mount Hua

The western of China's Five Great Mountains, Mount Hua is a cluster of granite peaks joined by stairways hewn into the rock. Cable cars do most of the climbing; the real thrill is walking the ridges between the summits and, for the brave, clipping into a harness for the Plank Walk in the Sky on the South Peak.

The story

Hua Shan has been a Taoist stronghold for centuries, and hermits once lived in caves cut into these cliffs; the plank walk is said to have been built to reach one such remote meditation spot. Many visitors still climb through the night to watch sunrise from the East Peak.

What to see at Mount Hua

• Jade Spring Cloister 玉泉院: A quiet Taoist courtyard at the foot of the mountain, dedicated to the hermit Chen Tuan (920–989), who spent his last years on the West Peak. It makes a calm start before the climb.
• North Peak 北峰: The lowest of the five peaks, at about 1,615 metres, and the first stop for anyone riding the North Peak cable car. Paths from here lead on to the higher summits.
• Canglong Ridge 苍龙岭: The narrow ridge, a climb of more than 300 metres, that for centuries was the only way from the North Peak to the other four summits. A path built around its east side in the late 20th century now offers an alternative.
• East Peak and Chaoyang Terrace 东峰朝阳台: The classic place to watch sunrise, with a guesthouse on the peak for those who stay the night. Below the summit, steep cliff stairways lead to the Hawk's Turn (鹞子翻身) and the Chess Pavilion (下棋亭).
• South Peak 南峰: The highest of the five, at 2,154.9 metres, with an old Taoist temple on the summit that has been turned into a tea house.
• Plank Walk in the Sky 长空栈道: A narrow path of planks bolted to the cliff face below the South Peak, reached through the Southern Heaven Gate (南天门). Walkers clip a harness to chains, so check on the day whether it is open and how long the queue is.

How to visit Mount Hua

Most visitors ride a cable car up to a peak and walk the ridges between the summits. A common easy route rides up to the North Peak, then visits the East, South, West and Central peaks before heading down, which guides put at about five to six hours; the traditional climb on foot from the gorge, past Qingke Plain and Golden Lock Pass, takes far longer and is often done overnight to reach the East Peak for dawn. With less time, ride one cable car up and down and stay on the nearest peaks. Back at the foot, the Xiyue Temple in Huayin, about 5 km north of the mountain, is a worthwhile add-on.

How to get to Mount Hua

Huashan North station is about 30–40 minutes from Xi'an North by high-speed train; shuttle buses run from there to the visitor centre and the cable car stations.

Where to stay

Huayin, the county town at the foot of the mountain, is the practical base for an early start, with food and rooms that are cheaper than on the mountain. For dawn on the summit, a guesthouse on the East Peak is the alternative; otherwise Xi'an works for a day trip by high-speed train.

What to eat

• Huayin youlun 华阴油轮: A crisp, lightly sweet pastry from Huayin town at the mountain's foot, listed as intangible cultural heritage.
• Yangrou paomo 羊肉泡馍: Mutton broth poured over torn flatbread, the Shaanxi staple, served in Huayin's noodle and paomo restaurants as it is across the province.

Tips for visiting Mount Hua

• Ride the North Peak cable car one way and the West Peak cable car the other to see the most in a day.
• Wear shoes with good grip and consider gloves for the chain handholds on steep stretches.
• Avoid weekends and holidays, when the narrowest paths turn into queues.

Nearby

• Yongle Palace 永乐宫 60 km
  Yuan-dynasty Taoist murals in a temple moved piece by piece to make way for a reservoir
• Terracotta Army 兵马俑 80 km
  Thousands of life-size clay soldiers standing guard for China's first emperor
• Huaqing Palace 华清宫 80 km
  Hot springs at the foot of Mount Li where a Tang emperor wintered with Yang Guifei
• Xiezhou Guandi Temple 解州关帝庙 80 km
  Gateways, halls and towers honouring the deified general Guan Yu in his home district
• Yuncheng Salt Lake 运城盐湖 100 km
  Brine ponds that turn red, pink and green in summer, below the Zhongtiao Mountains
• Han Yangling Mausoleum 汉阳陵 100 km
  Walk on glass above burial pits full of armless clay figures at a Han emperor's tomb

Also within 30 km: Great Wall of Wei (Huayin section) 魏长城 (under 10 km), Xiyue Temple 西岳庙 (10 km), Shaohua Mountain National Forest Park 少华山国家森林公园 (20 km), Tong Pass 潼关古城 (20 km).

On the map

Open Mount Hua on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)