Mount Huais one of thefive sacred Taoist mountainsin China. It is located 120 kilometers east ofXi'an, about 1½ hours from the city center.
Things to See
Huashan Mountain华山有很多religious sites: Taoist temples, pavilions, and engraved scriptures are scattered all over the mountain.
Hua Mountain is well-known for itssheer cliffsandplunging ravines. It is known as "the most precipitous mountain under heaven" and is probably themost dangerous mountain in the worldfrequented by hikers.
There are five peaks that make up the mountain:Cloud Terrace Peak (North Peak, 1614m), Jade Maiden Peak (Middle Peak, 2042m), Sunrise Peak (East Peak, 2100m), Lotus Peak (West Peak, 2083m), and Landing Wild Goose Peak (South Peak, 2155m).
- 1-DayXi'an Highlights Tour
- 4-Day Xi'an and Huashan Mountain Tour
- 12-Day When Your Summer Vacation Meets Chinese Culture
Hua Shan Tours
- Our15-day China Ancient Cities and Celebrated Mountains Tourtakes in Hua Shan. You could also customize any of ourXi'an toursto include Hua Mountain.
- 3-Day Essence of Xi'an Tour
- 3-Day Beijing to Xi'an by High-Speed Rail
- 14-Day China Natural Wonders Discovery
The Route to Climb
Jade Maiden Peak.North Peak, the lowest of the five, is the starting point. There are three ways to ascend: the six kilometer winding track from Huashan village, the cable car, or the path beneath it.
Next on the route isJade Maiden Peak. Legend has it that a jade maiden was once seen riding a white horse among the mountains, hence the name. Then hikers can choose to take a left toSunrise Peak, a fine place to enjoy the sunrise (which would involve climbing the mountain in the dark as there is nowhere to stay on the mountain).
Alternatively visitors can take a right toLotus Peak.
The Highest, Most-Dangerous South Summit
Finally there is a gondola which takes visitors across a steep valley toLanding Wild Goose Peak, the highest among the five summits. The path to the summit includesa foot-wide plank walkwayfixed to a sheer rock face with only a chain along the rock for support.
The route continues withfootholds in the rockand a chain for holding. This is followed bya vertical ladderin a cleft in the rock. Finally there aresteep stone steps.
The South Peak isnot for the faint-heartedand is particularly dangerous in winter. However, the views are breathtaking. The climb to its summit makes it clear how "the impenetrable mountain" kept away attackers over the centuries.
