A Guide to Qiyun Mountain: Discover a Taoist Wonderland Amidst Crimson Cliffs and a Sea of Clouds

| A Guide to Qiyun Mountain: Discover a Taoist Wonderland Amidst Crimson Cliffs and a Sea of Clouds.✨ A Guide to Qiyun Mountain: Discover a Taoist Wonderland Amidst Crimson Cliffs and a Sea of Clouds✨ 💖 Qiyun Mountain, one of China's four sacred Taoist mountains, boasts crimson cliffs, ethereal seas of clouds, and the Baiyue Immortal Pass, hiding a poetic landscape of "heavenly beauty." --- ### 🚗 **[Transportation Guide]** **Main Transportation** ✈️ **Airplane**: - The nearest airport is **Huangshan Tunxi International Airport**. Transfer to a bus/taxi to Qiyun Mountain (about 1 hour, CNY 70-100). 🚄 **High-speed Rail**: - **Huangshan North Railway Station**: Take the "No. 1 Qiyun Mountain Line" bus (about 50 minutes, CNY 8) or a taxi (30 minutes, CNY 50). - **Wuyuan Railway Station** → Huangshan North Railway Station: 20 minutes by high-speed rail, then transfer to Qiyun Mountain. 🚌 **Bus**: - **Huangshan City Bus Station** → Qiyun Mountain: About 1 hour by bus, CNY 15, one bus per hour. 🚗 **Self-driving**: - Huangshan City → Qiyun Mountain: About 40 km. Navigate to "Qiyun Mountain Scenic Area Parking Lot." Parking fee is CNY 10/day. **Scenic Area Transportation** 🚠 **Cable Car**: - Mountain cable car (round trip CNY 95, one-way CNY 60), 8 minutes direct to Wangxian Tower, overlooking the Hengjiang Tai Chi Diagram. 🚶 **Hiking**: - Nine-li Hiking Trail (Ming Dynasty ancient road, about 2 hours, passing Dengfeng Bridge and Dongtianfudi Cliff Inscriptions). --- ### 📍 **[Itinerary]** **Day 1: Seeking Taoism on the Cloud Peaks and Exploring Crimson Secrets** - Morning: Dengfeng Bridge (starting point) → Wangxian Tower (cable car upper station) → Zhenxian Cave (cliffside coffins + cliff inscriptions) - Afternoon: Yuehua Street (Taoist ancient village) → Taisu Palace (main hall for blessings) → Xiaohutian (view the sea of clouds from the dangerous peak) - Evening: Stay at a guesthouse on Yuehua Street and listen to Taoist music. **Day 2: Sunrise Spectacle and Exploring the Landscape** - Early Morning: Yuxu Palace (watch the sunrise at Ziyun Pass) → Xianglu Peak (isolated crimson stone pillar, shrouded in morning mist) - Morning: Fang La Village (historical site) → Yunyan Lake (take a boat to see the reflection of the crimson cliffs, CNY 50/boat) - Afternoon: Hengjiang Bamboo Raft Drifting (CNY 30/person, enjoy the spring scenery of the "Tai Chi Rapeseed Flower Field") → Return **Day 3 (In-depth): Hiking the Ancient Trails of Qiyun Mountain's Back Hill** - Full Day: Qiyun Mountain → Zuyuan Village (thousand-year-old Chinese yew) → Muliyang (ancient village in the clouds, photography paradise) --- ### 📸 **[Popular Attractions]** 🌟 **Yuehua Street**: A Taoist ancient village on a cliff, where blue tiles and white walls blend with Taoist temples, resembling a celestial street market. 🌟 **Zhenxian Cave**: A crimson cave built in the air, where Zhang Sanfeng and Xu Xiake once practiced and traveled. 🌟 **Xiaohutian**: A narrow, dangerous peak. When the sea of clouds rolls in, it feels like stepping into a fairyland. It is a place of "Taoist ascension." 🌟 **Yunyan Lake**: Green water and crimson mountains reflect each other. The lake's central island, "Dengleng Peak," resembles a giant lantern floating on the water. 🌟 **Hengjiang Tai Chi Diagram**: In spring, the rapeseed flower fields and the S-shaped river form a natural Tai Chi pattern (best viewed from above). --- ### 🏡 **[Accommodation Guide]** 🏮 **Guesthouses on Yuehua Street**: - **Xuantian Guesthouse**: Next to Taisu Palace, with a view of Xianglu Peak from the window, vegetarian breakfast, CNY 200-400/night. - **Wangxian Tower Inn**: Near the cable car upper station, with a terrace for viewing the sunset, CNY 150-300/night. 🏞️ **Comfortable Hotels at the Foot of the Mountain**: - **Qiyunshan Xiangfurui Resort Hotel**: Huizhou-style garden, swimming pool + hot springs, CNY 400-800/night. - **Freejia Treehouse Camp** (10-minute drive): Fairytale treehouses + forest adventures, the first choice for family trips. ⛺ **Nearby Hidden Gems**: - **Muliyang Farmhouses**: Guesthouses in an ancient mountain village with a sea of clouds, requires hiking up the mountain, CNY 100-200/night. --- ### 🍜 **[Food Recommendations]** 🍲 **Qiyun Mountain Vegetarian Cuisine**: Taoist vegetarian banquet at Taisu Palace, featuring dried bamboo shoots with tofu + wild mushroom soup, light and healthy. 🐟 **Stinky Mandarin Fish**: A famous Huizhou dish, with firm and slightly stinky but delicious meat (available at restaurants at the foot of the mountain). 🌮 **Taguo**: Baked cakes filled with dried plum vegetables/bean paste, a perfect snack for hiking. 🍵 **Songluo Tea**: One of the earliest stir-fried green teas in China, available at teahouses on Yuehua Street. 🍯 **Wucheng Tea-flavored Dried Tofu**: Intangible cultural heritage bean product, a perfect accompaniment to tea or as a souvenir (recommend "Longwan Tea-flavored Dried Tofu"). --- ### 💡 **Tips** 1️⃣ **Tickets**: - Peak season (March-November) CNY 68, off-season CNY 55, cable car tickets purchased separately. - Reciting the full text of the *Tao Te Ching* grants free admission (requires advance reservation). 2️⃣ **Taoist Etiquette**: - Do not step on the threshold when entering a Taoist temple, do not point directly at statues of deities, and donations are welcome. - Large-scale Taoist gatherings are held on the third day of the third lunar month and the nineteenth day of the sixth lunar month, creating a rich atmosphere. 3️⃣ **Photography Tips**: - Sunrise spots: The platform in front of Yuxu Palace, the stone pavilion at Ziyun Pass. - Blue hour: When the lights on Yuehua Street first come on (around 7pm in summer). - Aerial photography of the Hengjiang Tai Chi Diagram requires advance registration. 4️⃣ **Best Seasons**: - **April-May**: Rapeseed flower Tai Chi Diagram + peak season for the sea of clouds. - **October-November**: Autumn scenery with crimson cliffs, fewer crowds, and cooler temperatures. - **Sunny days after rain**: Guaranteed sea of clouds! 5️⃣ **Equipment Recommendations**: - Hiking poles (the Nine-li Ancient Road is steep), non-slip shoes (the crimson stone steps can be slippery). - Hanfu/Taoist robe rentals (CNY 30/hour on Yuehua Street) for better photos. --- 🌈 Qiyun Mountain, half earthly fireworks, half celestial palace in the clouds, awaits you to seek Taoism in the painting and listen to the wind on the cliffs!