Cangshan Mountain

苍山

Nineteen peaks and eighteen streams stretch along Dali's western side. Ride the Xima Pond cable car up to 3,900 metres to see alpine lakes and rhododendrons, or walk the Yudai Cloud Road for panoramic views of Erhai at eye level

Cang Mountain is a spur of the Yunling range of the Hengduan Mountains. It stretches about 50 km north to south, and all 19 of its peaks rise above 3,500 metres. The highest, Malong Peak, reaches 4,122 metres. Eighteen streams flow east from between the peaks into Erhai.

The scenic area is mainly accessed by cable car and hiking. There are three cable cars. The Xima Pond Great Cable Car departs from beside the Tianlong Babu Film and Television City and rises to Xima Pond at about 3,920 metres. It is about 5.5 km long, costs about CNY 240 round trip including admission, and is the highest point for seeing alpine lakes, rhododendrons and panoramic views of Erhai. The Gantong cable car goes to Qingbi Stream (about CNY 110), and the Zhonghe cable car, an old-style chairlift, goes to Zhonghe Temple (about CNY 100).

The Yudai Cloud Road is a trail at about 2,600 metres above sea level, built along the contour of the mountainside. It is about 18 km long, and the section from Zhonghe Temple to Gantong Temple is the most classic (about 11 km, taking 3–4 hours). It offers views of Erhai and the old town at eye level, with almost no climbing, making it the best easy hike in Dali. The Cang Mountain Geopark admission is about CNY 40, although some cable car combination tickets already include it.

Suggestions: if you are not very fit, take the Xima Pond cable car up and down (a walk around the summit trail takes about 1.5 hours). If you enjoy hiking, take the Zhonghe cable car up, walk the Yudai Road, continue to Qingbi Stream, and come down by the Gantong cable car.

Getting there: from the old town to the lower stations of each cable car takes about 10–20 minutes by taxi.

Note: Xima Pond is at nearly 4,000 metres, so walk slowly and bring a jacket, as it is about 10°C colder than the old town. Cable cars stop in strong winds. In the rainy season, the mountain is often foggy and visibility is low. Black bears live on Cang Mountain, so do not leave the trail. Some sections of the Yudai Road have falling rocks, so check the notices before you go.

Cangshan Mountain

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