Tiantai Mountain & Shiliang Waterfall

天台山

Tiantai Mountain, the sacred mountain of Buddhism and the source of Taoism, is home to Shiliang Waterfall, where a natural stone bridge spans the falls, as well as Huading's azaleas and Qiongtai Immortal Valley. These natural highlights lie beyond Guoqing Temple.

Tiantai Mountain spans the north of Tiantai County. Its highest peak, Huading, rises 1,098 meters. The scenic spots are spread across the mountain, and Shiliang Waterfall is the most representative. A natural stone beam about 7 meters long spans the falling water, and the stream drops more than 30 meters beneath it. This is where Xu Xiake's Travel Diaries begin. A stream-side trail loops around for about 1.5 hours. Nearby, Fangguang Temple (home of the Five Hundred Arhats) and the Copper Pot Dripping Clock are also within the same scenic area. Other sights include Huading National Forest Park (in May, tens of thousands of cloud-brocade azaleas bloom, and you can watch the sunrise over the sea of clouds), Qiongtai Immortal Valley (a canyon boardwalk and reservoir, and a Taoist holy site), and Chicheng Mountain (red sandstone formations and the Liang Consort Pagoda). Tickets: Shiliang about 60 yuan, Huading about 50 yuan, Qiongtai Immortal Valley about 65 yuan. There are also combined multi-site tickets. Getting there: from the county town or Guoqing Temple, it is about 40 minutes by car on mountain roads to Shiliang. In peak season there are special tourist shuttles. The sights are far apart, so a chartered car or self-drive is most convenient. Suggested plan: half a day at Guoqing Temple and half a day at Shiliang Waterfall, adding Huading during azalea season. Notes: mountain roads have many bends, so bring motion-sickness medicine; temperatures vary widely in the mountains, so bring a jacket; the waterfall is spectacular in the rain, but the paths are slippery.

Tiantai Mountain & Shiliang Waterfall

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