Huaguo Mountain
花果山
The prototype of the Monkey King's home in Journey to the West. Water Curtain Cave, Sanyuan Taoist Temple and Jade Maiden Peak, Jiangsu's highest summit, make it Lianyungang's top landmark.
Huaguo Mountain lies within Yuntai Mountain, southeast of Lianyungang's urban area. It is a national 5A-rated scenic area. Its main peak, Jade Maiden Peak, rises to 624.4 metres and is the highest point in Jiangsu. Wu Cheng'en of the Ming dynasty visited the area, and its Water Curtain Cave, Seventy-Two Caves, Monkey Rock, Bajie Rock, Tang Monk Cliff and other features closely match descriptions in Journey to the West, so it is regarded as the prototype of Huaguo Mountain. Highlights include Water Curtain Cave (a waterfall at the cave mouth, with carved inscriptions such as 'High Mountains and Flowing Water'), Sanyuan Taoist Temple (first built in the Tang dynasty, with very busy incense during the Ming and Qing periods), Nine Dragon Bridge, the Jade Maiden Peak lookout (with views of the Yellow Sea), and the many monkeys that roam the area. Suggested route: take the scenic shuttle bus from the main gate to the Sanyuan Temple car park, walk through Sanyuan Temple and Water Curtain Cave, then take the cable car or climb up to Jade Maiden Peak. Allow about 4–5 hours. Admission is about 100 yuan, the shuttle bus is about 40 yuan round trip, and the cable car is about 25 yuan one way. Opening hours are roughly 07:00–17:00 from March to November and 08:00–16:00 from December to February. Note: monkeys will snatch food and plastic bags, so do not feed them, and wear comfortable shoes for the many steps. Getting there: take a city bus or BRT to Huaguo Mountain station, or a taxi takes about 30 minutes.
Opening hours
March–November 07:00–17:00; December–February 08:00–16:00