Mount Qingcheng
青城山
One of the birthplaces of Taoism, known as “the most secluded mountain under heaven.” Its temples hidden among ancient trees, cable car, and Moon City Lake form a one-day world heritage route with Dujiangyan.
Mount Qingcheng lies southwest of Dujiangyan city. Its main peak, Laoxiao Peak, rises 1,260 meters. Zhang Daoling founded the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice here during the Eastern Han dynasty, making it one of the birthplaces of Chinese Taoism. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2000. The scenic area is divided into a front mountain and a back mountain. The front mountain is the core of Taoist culture and the main visitor area. Entering through the mountain gate, you will pass Jianfu Palace, Natural Painting, the Heavenly Master Cave (where Zhang Daoling built a hermitage to teach, and where an ancient ginkgo tree is said to be 1,800 years old), the Zushi Hall, Zhaoyang Cave, Shangqing Palace, and the Laojun Pavilion at the summit, which overlooks the Western Sichuan Plain. A suggested route is: mountain gate, then walk or take a boat across Moon City Lake (RMB 5), then ride the cable car up (RMB 35 one way or RMB 60 round trip) to near Ciyun Pavilion. From there, walk to Shangqing Palace and the Laojun Pavilion (about 40 minutes). Return by the same path or walk all the way down, passing the Heavenly Master Cave. The descent takes about 2 hours, and the stone steps can be slippery. A full round trip on foot takes about 4 to 5 hours, and the cable car plus walking takes about 3 hours. Admission to the front mountain is RMB 80, and the back mountain is RMB 20. The back mountain, with its Taian Ancient Town, Five Dragon Gully, and Flying Spring Gully, offers streams and waterfalls that are ideal for hiking and escaping the summer heat, but it requires a separate day. Getting there: take the Chengguan high-speed railway to Qingcheng Mountain Station (the terminus), then transfer to Bus 101 or take a taxi for about 10 minutes to the front mountain. From Dujiangyan Scenic Area, Bus 101 takes about 30 minutes. Temples on the mountain serve vegetarian meals, and Taian Ancient Town has farmhouse restaurants. Some cable car lines close for maintenance in winter, so check before you go.
Opening hours
08:00–17:30 (winter 08:30–17:00)
Nearby sights
- Dujiangyan Irrigation System
- Guanxian Ancient Town & Nanqiao Bridge, Dujiangyan
- Dujiangyan Panda Valley
- Hongkou, Dujiangyan
- Back Mountain of Mount Qingcheng & Tai'an Ancient Town
- China Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center, Dujiangyan Base
- Jiezi Ancient Town
- Shuimo Ancient Town (Wenchuan)