Mount Mengding 蒙顶山Méngdǐng Shān

Why go to Mount Mengding

Mount Mengding rises to 1,456 metres on the rainy western rim of the Sichuan Basin, about 15 km from Ya'an, its slopes striped with tea terraces. Stone paths climb past temples and ancient ginkgos to the Imperial Tea Garden, a small walled plot near the summit, while a tea museum at the foot and teahouses along the way introduce local teas such as Mengding Ganlu, a delicate green tea.

The story

Tradition holds that around 53 BC a local man, Wu Lizhen, planted seven tea bushes here, often cited as the earliest record of cultivated tea, though the written sources date from many centuries later. Mengding tea was sent to the imperial court as tribute from the Tang dynasty to the Qing, and in 1186 the plot was formally named the Imperial Tea Garden.

What to see at Mount Mengding

• Tea History Museum 茶史博物馆: A museum at the foot of the mountain on Mengding's tea, from the Tang-dynasty tribute trade to the Tea-Horse Road. A good first stop, before you see the terraces.
• Tiangai Temple 天盖寺: A temple at about 1,400 metres, reached by cable car or the stone steps, ringed by twelve ancient ginkgo trees. Visitors can watch the first heating of fresh leaves and try rolling them by hand.
• Ganlu Well 甘露井: A stone well said to be where Wu Lizhen drew the water to nurture the first seven bushes.
• Imperial Tea Garden 皇茶园: A small walled plot high on the mountain, where seven bushes are said to descend from those planted by Wu Lizhen. Its leaves were once picked for the court's sacrificial rites.

How to visit Mount Mengding

Start at the tea museum at the foot, then go up by the cable car to Tiangai Temple at around 1,400 metres, or walk the stone steps through the tea terraces, which takes much longer. The Imperial Tea Garden and the old well lie higher up on the stone paths. Half a day covers the cable car and the temple; the steps, the garden and a tea tasting fill a full day.

How to get to Mount Mengding

Trains from Chengdu reach Mingshan station in about an hour, and Ya'an in 1–1.5 hours; the scenic area is about 15 km from Mingshan station by taxi.

Where to stay

Stay in Mingshan town at the foot of the mountain, near the tea markets, or in Ya'an city for more choice.

What to eat

• Ya'an fish stew 雅鱼: Ya'an's river fish, served in soups and braises and counted among the city's 'three treasures'.
• Mingshan mutton soup 名山羊肉汤: Mutton simmered into a broth, a signature dish of Mingshan town.

Tips for visiting Mount Mengding

• Come in March or April to see tea being picked; the earliest 'pre-Qingming' leaves, picked before early April, are the most prized.
• The mountain gets more than 2,000 mm of rain a year and is often misty, so bring rain gear and good shoes for the stone steps.
• At Tiangai Temple, which honours Wu Lizhen, look out for tea servers performing acrobatic pours from long-spouted copper kettles.

Nearby

• Mount Emei 峨眉山 70 km
  A sacred Buddhist mountain of mist, monasteries and a golden summit above the clouds
• Leshan Giant Buddha 乐山大佛 90 km
  A 71-metre Buddha carved from a riverside cliff where three rivers meet
• Mount Siguniang 四姑娘山 100 km
  Four 'sister' snow peaks above three alpine valleys of forest, meadow and lakes
• Mount Qingcheng 青城山 100 km
  A cradle of Taoism, where forest stairways climb past temples and cave shrines
• Kangding 康定 100 km
  An old tea-trading town where Tibetan and Han cultures meet, made famous by a love song
• Du Fu Thatched Cottage 杜甫草堂 110 km
  Bamboo groves and plum blossom where Du Fu, China's 'Poet-Sage', once lived

Also within 30 km: Bifengxia Gorge & Panda Base 碧峰峡 (under 10 km), Mingshan Confucian Temple 名山文庙 (under 10 km), Gao Yi Que 高颐阙 (under 10 km), Jinfeng Mountain & Jinfeng Temple 金凤山 (under 10 km), Shangli Ancient Town 上里古镇 (10 km), Fan Min Que 樊敏阙 (10 km).

On the map

Open Mount Mengding 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: Ya'an