Mount Qingcheng 青城山Qīngchéng Shān

Why go to Mount Qingcheng

Mount Qingcheng, one of China's four famous Taoist mountains, rises from the western edge of the Chengdu Plain in a ring of deep-green peaks. On the Front Mountain, shaded stone stairways climb past temples, cave shrines and pavilions to Laojun Pavilion on the summit, with a lake ferry and cable car to save your legs. The separately ticketed Back Mountain is wilder and quieter, with gorges, waterfalls and cliff-side plank walkways.

The story

Zhang Daoling, founder of the Way of the Celestial Masters, is said to have taught here in the 2nd century AD and to have ended his days on the mountain; Tianshi Cave, the Celestial Master's Cave, keeps a Sui-dynasty stone statue of him. The mountain's old epithet, 'the most secluded under heaven', still fits its mossy temples on a misty morning.

What to see at Mount Qingcheng

• Jianfu Palace 建福宫: The first major Taoist temple on the Front Mountain route, first built in the Tang dynasty and listed by UNESCO among the mountain's eleven key temples. The halls you see are Qing-dynasty.
• Tianshi Cave 天师洞: The mountain's main temple complex, known as Changdao Temple in the Tang dynasty and said to be where Zhang Daoling taught. Its main hall honours the Three Sovereigns with Tang-dynasty statues, and an imperial Tang stele stands in the grounds.
• Shangqing Palace 上清宫: The temple at the top of the Front Mountain route, above 1,500 metres, where the stair path and the lake-and-cable-car route meet. Laojun Hall and the Sanqing Hall stand here; Laojun Pavilion is reached by paths on either side.
• Tai'an Ancient Town 泰安古镇: The base for the Back Mountain, a small town around Tai'an Temple with restaurants and inns. Come here to start or end a Back Mountain day.
• Wulong Gorge 五龙沟: A gorge of about 8 km on the Back Mountain, named for five dragons said to lie hidden in it. Plank walkways follow its cliffs through Longyin Gorge and past rock spires and an echo wall.

How to visit Mount Qingcheng

For the Front Mountain, the usual choice is between two ways up: the stone stairs via Tianshi Cave, or the Yuecheng Lake ferry and cable car, with both ending at Shangqing Palace. You can go up one way and come down the other. Choose the Back Mountain instead for streams and gorges, starting from Tai'an Ancient Town; it is a separate trip, and cable cars there shorten the climbs.

How to get to Mount Qingcheng

Intercity trains from Xipu station (Chengdu Metro Line 2) reach Qingchengshan station in about 30 minutes; shuttle buses run from there to the Front Mountain gate and, separately, to Tai'an Ancient Town for the Back Mountain. The Dujiangyan waterworks are a short taxi ride away.

Where to stay

Dujiangyan city is the practical base, with more choice and the irrigation works nearby. For an early start on the Back Mountain, stay in Tai'an Ancient Town, which has restaurants and inns.

What to eat

• Ginkgo-nut chicken stew 白果炖鸡: Free-range mountain chicken slow-simmered with ginkgo nuts into a clear soup, counted among Qingcheng's signature dishes.
• Qingcheng cured pork 青城老腊肉: Smoked and cured pork, a Qingcheng staple that you can smell smoking outside the shops of Tai'an Ancient Town.

Tips for visiting Mount Qingcheng

• Book a real-name ticket online with your passport, especially for weekends and holidays, or buy one at the ticket window with it.
• Front and Back Mountain are far apart, so pick one per day; the Back Mountain loop takes most of a day and stops admitting walkers in the early afternoon.
• Wear shoes with good grip, as the stone steps get slippery after rain, and use the Yuecheng Lake ferry and cable car if you'd rather not climb both ways.

Nearby

• Dujiangyan Irrigation System 都江堰 10 km
  A 2,200-year-old waterworks that tamed the Min River without a dam and still runs today
• Du Fu Thatched Cottage 杜甫草堂 50 km
  Bamboo groves and plum blossom where Du Fu, China's 'Poet-Sage', once lived
• Kuanzhai Alley 宽窄巷子 50 km
  Three restored Qing-era lanes of courtyard gateways, teahouses and Sichuan snacks
• Wuhou Shrine & Jinli Street 武侯祠与锦里 50 km
  Cypress-shaded halls honouring Three Kingdoms heroes, with a bustling snack lane next door
• People's Park & Heming Teahouse 人民公园与鹤鸣茶社 50 km
  Bamboo chairs, jasmine tea and roving ear cleaners in Chengdu's favourite park
• Wenshu Monastery 文殊院 50 km
  An active Buddhist monastery of incense-filled courtyards, a teahouse and vegetarian food

Also within 30 km: Jiezi Ancient Town 街子古镇 (under 10 km), Kuiguang Pagoda 奎光塔 (10 km), Guanxian Old Town, Dujiangyan 灌县古城 (10 km), Lingyan Temple and Thousand Buddha Pagoda 灵岩寺 (10 km), Yuantong Ancient Town 元通古镇 (20 km), Wenchuan Earthquake Memorial Area, Yingxiu 汶川特别旅游区 (20 km).

Trips with Mount Qingcheng

• Sichuan in a week: Chengdu, Leshan, Mount Emei and Dujiangyan 7 days · Chengdu, Leshan, Emeishan and Dujiangyan

On the map

Open Mount Qingcheng 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)