2018 Sep: HuaShan, Shaanxi Province, China
Day trip
HuaShan
HuaShan 华山 is located 120km east of Xi'an city 西安 in Shaanxi Province 陕西省, central China. It is a remarkably steep and scenic mountain. And in China, it has the reputation of being "The Number One Precipitous Mountain under Heaven" :-)
HuaShan has 5 distinct peaks:
- South Peak : 2154.9m Highest peak
- East Peak : 2096.2m Best place to see sunrise
- West Peak : 2082.6m Most scenic
- Central Peak: 2037.8m
- North Peak : 1614.7m Very nice view to the other 4 peaks
Today, I'll climb them all :-)
HuaShan is also one of the 5 sacred mountains known in China for having a long history of religious significance. The 5 are:
HuaShan in Shaanxi
West Great Mountain: Huà Shān 华山 / 華山, "Splendid Mountain", Shaanxi Province, 2155m ... this trip
TaiShan in Shandong
East Great Mountain: Tài Shān 泰山, "Tranquil Mountain", Shandong Province, 1545m
HengShan in Hunan
South Great Mountain: Héng Shān 衡山, "Balancing Mountain", Hunan Province, 1290m
HengShan in Shanxi
North Great Mountain: Héng Shān 恒山 / 恆山, "Permanent Mountain", Shanxi Province, 2017m
Songshan in Henan
Center Great Mountain: Sōng Shān 嵩山, "Lofty Mountain", Henan Province, 1494m
Prolog
I am in a group tour to China, spending a few days in Xi'an, a city in Shaanxi Province ... Xi'an is where the Terracotta Army are located.
It so happened today is a free day for us in Xi'an, and so I am going to climb HuaShan :-)
Unfortunately, today is not a good day for outdoors. It is going to rain :-(
Even though Xi'an is quite nice, nonetheless, a rainy day in the mountains always beats a good day in the cities. And so I'm glad to be out of Xi'an !
Maps
Overview ... South is at top of the map.
(Hhmmm ... This maybe an old map as the West Peak Cable Car is not shown.)
OpenStreetMap ... North is at top of the map.
Scroll forward for comments on the map.
- Red arrow at top edge: HuaShan North Peak
- 5 red arrows at lower half of the map, anti-clockwise from left edge:
1 West Peak
2 South Peak
3 East Peak
4 OpenStreetMap labels this as East Peak. Actually it is only a viewing area ... refer to photo #43.
5 Central Peak (near the centre of the other 4 red arrows)
- 2 black arrows, from top to bottom:
1 North Peak Cable Car Top Station
2 West Peak Cable Car Top Station
- 5 White arrows, from top to bottom:
1 Sun Moon Crag 日月岩
2 Three Sky Cave 三天洞
3 A cave called 无山洞 / 無山洞 (Just below Gold Lock Pass 金锁关 / 金鎖關)
4 World No 1 Bridal Chamber 天下第一洞房
5 Bizhao Cliff 避诏崖
- Blue arrow near top edge: Memorial Pavilion 纪念亭
- 7 blue arrows at lower half of the map, anti-clockwise from left edge:
1 Cuiyun Palace 翠云宫 / 翠雲宮 (just below West Peak)
2 Jintian Palace 金天宫
3 (bottom edge) Entrance to Plank Road In The Sky 长空栈道 ... Unfortunately, 长空栈道 itself is closed.
4 South Heavenly Gate 南天门 / 南天門
5 (near bottom right corner) Chess Pavilion ... I was not allowed to go there, being over 50-years-old. How ridiculous!
6 Entrance to Chess Pavilion
7 Gold Lock Pass 金锁关 / 金鎖關
GPS tracklog file & Route
The GPX tracklog file of my route can be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H3Ge-vg0IinqCU9PMLwI7b4LMM9ER0rd/view?usp=sharing
The same tracklog, brown colour, superimposed on OpenStreetMap.
Scroll back for comments on the map.
A summary of my route:
- Start from North Peak Cable Car Top Station
- To North Peak
- To East Peak
- Attempt to go on the path to Chess Pavilion
- Attempt to go on Plank Road In The Sky 长空栈道
- To South Peak
- To West Peak
- To World No 1 Bridal Chamber 天下第一洞房
- To Central Peak
- Back at North Peak Cable Car Top Station
Timeline & Distance
09:24 0.0 km Start walking from North Peak Cable Car Top Station
09:32 0.25km At North Peak summit, 1614.7m
09:34 0.25km Leave North Peak
10:01 0.9 km Stop for morning tea
Morning tea
10:05 0.9 km Resume walking
10:43 1.55km At Gold Lock Pass 金锁关 / 金鎖關
10:58 1.95km At East Peak as marked on OpenStreetMap ... It is just a viewing area, not the summit.
11:03 2.1 km At East Peak summit, 2096.2 meters
11:05 2.1 km Resume walking
11:10 2.35km At entrance of the path to Chess Pavilion
Told by the guy manning the entrance that only under-50-years-olds are allowed in.
Geez ! How ridiculous ! This is age discrimination !
11:15 2.35km Resume walking
11:41 2.95km At the start of Plank Road In The Sky 长空栈道
It is closed. I don't know why. Is it due to rain?
11:42 2.95km Resume walking
11:46 3.0 km Stop for Lunch
Lunch
11:58 3.0 km Resume walking
12:03 3.1 km Enter Bizhao Cliff 避诏崖
12:07 3.15km Leave Bizhao Cliff 避诏崖
12:23 3.4 km At South Peak summit, 2154.9m (highest peak of HuaShan)
Raining now for the rest of the day
12:24 3.4 km Resume walking
12:43 3.9 km At West Peak Cable Car Top Station ... then retrace steps and head for West Peak
13:04 4.25km At West Peak summit, 2082.6m
13:12 4.5 km At a junction to World No 1 Bridal Chamber 天下第一洞房
Here I miss the junction and keep going for a while before I realize the mistake and turn around.
13:20 4.75km Back at the junction to World No 1 Bridal Chamber 天下第一洞房
13:21 4.8 km At World No 1 Bridal Chamber 天下第一洞房
Raining relatively heavily from now on
13:23 4.85km Resume walking
13:46 5.55km At Central Peak, 2037.8m
13:50 5.6 km Resume walking
14:00 5.9 km At Gold Lock Pass 金锁关 / 金鎖關
14:37 6.9 km Stop in front of Three Sky Cave 三天洞 ... photo #21
Take a rest and put in a new battery for the camera
14:40 6.9 km Resume walking
14:54 7.3 km End at North Peak Cable Car Top Station
==============================================
Total: 5 hrs 30 mins
7.3 km Distance is from Google Earth based on an idealized plot of my route on OpenStreetMap.
Actual distance would be much longer.
Pictures - North Peak Cable Car
My walk is to start (and finish) at North Peak Cable Car Top Station.
First, arrive at East Gate tourist center and ticket office. From there, catch a shuttle bus to North Peak Cable Car Bottom Station. (Normal cars and buses are not allowed on that road.)
Then ...
1) ... Then ride the cable car to to the Top Station ~~~
It is a misty/cloudy now. The weather will be worse later on :-(
- Upper pic: Looking down at the Bottom Station
- Lower pic: Looking up at the Top Station ... The cliffs are fascinating. No wonder in China, HuaShan has the reputation of being "The Number One Precipitous Mountain under Heaven" :-)
2) North Peak Cable Car Top Station ... the start of my HuaShan hike ~~~
One could have walked up to here from the Bottom Station ... Takes about 2 hours.
But today is not the day to do it. It will rain in the afternoon. It is better to take the cable car up and get as much walking done as possible in the morning.
To North Peak
3) (Not far from where the previous pic was taken)
- Red arrow: East Peak of HuaShan ... due south
- Upper red oval: Narrow steep stairway along a ridge called Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge)
I'll walk along Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 to top of the ridge you can see in the main pic; then to East Peak.
- Lower red oval: I won't be walking on the path there. Instead, I'll walk along a ridge to the right of it.
(At the tip of the oval, the path turns right to meet up with the Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 stairway.)
- Main building on the right side pic: A viewing platform called 望河楼
- Cyan circle: White characters on blue signboard: 望河樓
North Peak summit, 1614.7 meters
From the cable car top station, it is just a short walk to reach the summit of HuaShan North Peak.
4) At the summit of North Peak, 1614.7 meters ~~~~
I would have liked to have me in the picture instead. But too many people are queueing up for the photos. And so, the two pics below will have to do as memories of the summit.
- Left pic:
• 4 red arrows from left to right:
1 East Peak ... due south
2 Central Peak (From the photo, it is difficult to discern it as a separate peak.)
3 South Peak
4 West Peak
• White arrow: The characters on the plaque are:
HuaShan North Peak
1614.7 meters above sea level
- Right pic: It is very close to the left pic, and just as many people queuing to have their photos taken there.
• The carved characters are: 華山論劍, 金庸題 ... more comments after this pic
Interestingly, Jin Yong didn't visit HuaShan before he wrote about 华山论剑 / 華山論劍 in his novels. It was only in 2003 that he ascended Huashan. Even then, he only reached the North Peak whereas the competition of 华山论剑 / 華山論劍 was supposed to be held on the South Peak.
Anyway, Jin Yong calligraphed the words 華山論劍 on the North Peak. His calligraphy was subsequently engraved onto the stone seen here today, as well as at a few other places in HuaShan.
5) Scenery from North Peak ~~~
The impressive looking mountain on the left half of the pic is White Cloud Peak 白云峰 ... towards north.
6) I am at one of the lookouts near the summit of North Peak.
- Left pic: Zooming into the red rectangle of the right pic
• Red oval & yellow arrow: Narrow steep stairway along a ridge called Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge)
I'll walk along Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 to top of the ridge you can see in the right pic, and then onto East Peak.
• I won't be walking on the path below the red oval.
Instead, I'll walk along Ca'Er Cliff 擦耳崖 (yellow oval) and along the ridge there ... see the right pic.
- Right pic:
• 4 red arrows along the top edge, from left to right:
1 East Peak ... due south
2 Central Peak (From the photo, it is difficult to discern it as a separate peak.)
3 South Peak
4 West Peak
• Red rectangle: Left pic zooms into it.
• Yellow oval: Ca'Er Cliff 擦耳崖 ... I'll walk along there ... See the lower pic of photo #11.
• Yellow arrows: The route I'll take to East Peak.
To Memorial Pavilion 纪念亭 (still in the North Peak area)
Still in the North Peak area ... walking towards Memorial Pavilion 纪念亭 and Ca'Er Cliff 擦耳崖
7) Fish Mouth Rock
8) Passing a temple ... HuaShan is dotted with temples, this is one of them.
- White arrow: The characters on the signboard: 真武殿 (殿 is Chinese for temple.)
9) Yuntai Mountain Villa 云台山庄 / 雲臺山莊 (a hotel close to 真武殿, the temple in the previous pic)
10) A good view of HuaShan and the route to its East Peak ~~~
In the 3 pics below:
- Left pic: Zooming into the red rectangle of the upper pic
• Red oval & yellow arrow: Narrow steep stairway along a ridge called Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge)
Walking along it is like walking on the edge of a razor blade, steep slopes dropping off both sides !
I'll walk along Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 to top of the ridge you can see in the upper pic, and then onto East Peak.
• I won't be walking on the path below the red oval. Instead, I'll walk along the yellow arrows in the upper pic.
- Upper pic:
• 4 red arrows along the top edge, from left to right:
1 East Peak ... due south
2 Central Peak (From the photo, it is difficult to discern it as a separate peak.)
3 South Peak ... somewhere behind the trees there
4 West Peak
• Red rectangle: Left pic zooms into it.
• Red circle: 望河楼 building ... Refer to photo #3.
• Yellow circle: Somewhere under the trees is Memorial Pavilion 纪念亭 ... Refer to photo #13.
• Yellow arrows: The route I'll take to East Peak
- Lower pic: Zooming into the middle part of the upper pic
• The path there is along the side of Ca'Er Cliff 擦耳崖 ... Refer to photo #15.
11) (Continuation to the right of photo #10's upper pic)
Scenery towards west-ish ~~~
- Red arrow: This mountain inspires one to climb it. If you know its name, please let me know.
12) I am almost at the start of the walk along the side of Ca'Er Cliff 擦耳崖.
- 2 red arrows from left to right: East Peak, West Peak
- 2 Yellow arrows from left to right:
1 Memorial Pavilion 纪念亭 ... to commemorate the liberation of HuaShan from a group of rebels ... See photo #13.
2 Start of the path that takes you along the side of Ca'Er Cliff 擦耳崖.
- Red oval: The characters are 北峰顶 / 北峯頂. My limited knowledge of Chinese tells me it means North Peak summit. But I don't understand ... the summit is 175 meters back where I came from. Why wrote "North Peak Summit" here ???
Memorial Pavilion 纪念亭
13) If you don't wish to do much walking, this place is probably as far as you'll go after leaving the cable car and after visiting the North Peak area. As from now on, it will be climbing most of the way to the other peaks of HuaShan.
- Upper pic: Memorial Pavilion 纪念亭, constructed to commemorate the liberation of HuaShan from a group of rebels.
• Red arrow: West Peak
• Yellow arrow: Start of the path that takes you along the side of Ca'Er Cliff 擦耳崖.
- Lower pic: Facing the opposite direction is a fast-food kiosk.
Ca'Er Cliff 擦耳崖
14) Start of the path along the side of Ca'Er Cliff 擦耳崖 to the other peaks of HuaShan
15) Along Ca'Er Cliff 擦耳崖 ... Literal translation of 擦耳崖 is "ear-rubbing cliff".
In the old days, the path was much narrower and without railing. A person walking along it would be rubbing his ear against the rock face, hence the name 擦耳崖 ear-rubbing cliff :-)
Sky Ladder 天梯
16) The upper end of Ca'Er Cliff 擦耳崖 are these steps called Sky Ladder 天梯. It is steep enough to warrant holding on the chains when climbing it. I am not using it now as a gentler staircase had been built to its left ... See photo #17. However, on the way back to North Peak, I'll be climbing down these steps.
17) As already mentioned, this staircase is an alternative to the steep Sky Ladder 天梯 of the previous pic. It is to the left of the Sky Ladder. Both routes join up at the top of the staircase.
To Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge)
18) View from top of the stairs of the previous pic, from north to south-east-ish (To enlarge the image, click on it.) ~~~
- 3 red arrows from left to right:
1 North Peak (on the left edge) ... towards north
2 White Cloud Peak 白云峰
3 Towards east-ish ... If you know the name of this peak, please let me know.
- Bottom-left corner: Handrail of the staircase of previous pic
19) Passing Sun Moon Crag 日月岩 ~~~
Is there a temple inside the rock? Please let me know.
20) Another angle of Sun Moon Crag 日月岩 ~~~
There are steps for you to climb up this rock.
21) At Three Sky Cave 三天洞 (Straight after Sun Moon Crag 日月岩 of the previous pic) ~~~
- Upper pic: Inside Three Sky Cave 三天洞 is a temple.
- Lower pic: Looking back
• Red oval: Location of Three Sky Cave 三天洞 is inside the rock cliff there.
• Yellow arrow: Direction I'm heading
• Red arrow: White Cloud Peak 白云峰
22) More stairs before reaching Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge) ~~~
If you know the name of these stairs, please let me know.
- The right side pic is the red circle of the left side pic.
- Red oval: Stairs along Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge) ... Refer to photo #25.
- Yellow arrows: Direction I'm heading
23) Throughout HuaShan, souvenir stalls are everywhere. You can't escape from them :-)
24) View to HuaShan East & West Peaks, and the way to there (To enlarge the image, click on it.) ~~~
- Red oval: Stairs along Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge) ... See photo #25.
- 3 Red arrows from left to right:
1 East Peak is somewhere in that direction. It can't be seen from here.
2 Central peak is somewhere in that direction. It can't be seen from here.
3 West Peak
25) Zooming into Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge), the middle part of previous pic ~~~
- Red arrow: East Peak is somewhere in that direction. It can't be seen from here.
- Red oval: Stairs along Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge) ... Lower pic zooms into it.
Walking along it is like walking on the edge of a razor blade ! Steep slopes dropping off both sides.
- Red circle of lower pic: 2 lookout platforms, one on top of another.
(The lower pic of photo #29 is the lower one of these 2 platforms.)
26) Passing Dulong Temple 都龙庙 / 都龍廟
Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge)
Immediately after passing Dulong Temple 都龙庙 / 都龍廟 ...
27) The stairs of Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge) is long and steep.
- 2 lower pics:
• Red circles: They circle the same place, 2 lookout platforms, one on top of another.
(The lower pic of photo #29 is the lower one of these 2 platforms.)
28) From the stairs of Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge) looking back towards where I have been ~~~
- Upper pic: Zooming into the blue square of the lower pic
• 4 red arrows from left to right:
1 Three Sky Cave 三天洞 is a cave inside the rock cliff there ... Refer to photo #21.
2 Sun Moon Crag 日月岩 ... Refer to photos #19 and #20.
3 Yuntai Mountain Villa 云台山庄 / 雲臺山莊 ... Refer to photo #9.
4 North Peak
• Small blue dot: Memorial Pavilion 纪念亭 ... Refer to photo #13's upper pic.
• Red oval: Fast-food stall ... Refer to photo #13's lower pic.
- Lower pic:
• Blue square: Upper pic zooms into this area.
• 3 red arrows from left to right:
1 Sun Moon Crag 日月岩 ... Refer to photos #19 and #20.
2 North Peak
3 White Cloud Peak 白云峰
• 2 white arrows from left to right:
1 Souvenir & fast-food stalls ... It is photo #23.
2 望河楼 / 望河樓 building; just behind it is North Peak Cable Car Top Station ... Refer to photo #32.
• Red oval: Dulong Temple 都龙庙 / 都龍廟 ... Refer to photo #26.
• Yellow arrow: Direction I'm walking along Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge)
It is like walking along the edge of a razor blade !
29) The 2 pic below form a 180 degree panorama from Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge).
- Upper pic: This pic is similar to the previous pic ... looking back towards where I have been ~~~
• 3 red arrows from left to right:
1 Sun Moon Crag 日月岩 ... Refer to photos #19 and #20.
2 North Peak
3 White Cloud Peak 白云峰
• 2 white arrows from left to right:
1 Souvenir & fast-food stalls ... It is photo #23.
2 望河楼 / 望河樓 building; just behind it is North Peak Cable Car Top Station ... Refer to photo #32.
• Red oval: Dulong Temple 都龙庙 / 都龍廟 ... Refer to photo #26.
• Blue arrow: Direction I'm walking along Canglong Ling 苍龙岭 (Black Dragon Ridge)
- Lower pic: (Continuation to the right of the upper pic)
• Red circle: Lookout platform
A ranger is stationed there in case us hikers need help ... because the stairs are long and steep.
He asks me to be careful because I am holding my camera instead of the handrail when climbing up :-)
30) The stairs continues after the lookout platform of the previous pic. It is now less exposed than in photos #25, #27, #28, #29. But it is just as steep ... as can be seen in the expression on the faces of the people in the lower pic.
31) Looking back towards North Peak (To enlarge the image, click on it.) ~~~
- 2 red arrows from left to right:
1 North Peak ... Refer to photo #32.
2 White Cloud Peak 白云峰
- White arrow: 望河楼 / 望河樓 building; just behind it is North Peak Cable Car Top Station ... Refer to photo #32.
- Photo #32 zooms into the North Peak area.
32) (This view is similar to photo #28.)
Zooming into the North Peak area of the previous pic ~~~
- 2 white arrows from top to bottom:
1 North Peak Cable Car Top Station
2 望河楼 / 望河樓, main building in photo #3
- 5 red arrows from left to right:
1 Souvenir & fast-food stalls ... It is photo #23.
2 Three Sky Cave 三天洞 is a cave inside the rock cliff there ... Refer to photo #21.
3 Sun Moon Crag 日月岩 ... Refer to photos #19 and #20.
4 Yuntai Mountain Villa 云台山庄 / 雲臺山莊 ... Refer to photo #9.
5 North Peak
To Gold lock Pass 金锁关 / 金鎖關
33) Going through Five Cloud Peak Restaurant 五云峰饭店 / 五雲峰飯店 ~~~
- Upper pic:
• Yellow oval: The restaurant
• Yellow arrows: The way forward
• 2 red ovals from left to right:
1 Vertical oval: The signs say going up is along the yellow arrows.
(It is a oneway traffic.)
(Climbing down is along stairs just beyond the left edge of this pic.)
2 Horizontal oval: Characters on the portal: 五雲峯 (Five Cloud Peak)
- Lower pic: The way forward is through this restaurant
• White oval: Characters on the signboard: 五雲峰飯店 (Five Cloud Peak Restaurant)
34) One of the many fast-food & souvenir stalls dotted the entire HuaShan.
Near Gold lock Pass 金锁关 / 金鎖關
I am very close to Gold lock Pass 金锁关 / 金鎖關 now.
35) Scenery from near Gold lock Pass 金锁关 / 金鎖關 ~~~
- Upper pic: Towards East Peak ... south-ish direction ... Cloud & drizzle are there already.
- Lower pic: Towards West Peak ... south-west-ish direction
36) One of the many interesting rock formations in HuaShan
At Gold lock Pass 金锁关 / 金鎖關
37) At Gold lock Pass ~~~
The characters on the gate are: 金锁关 / 金鎖關.
- Upper pic: While approaching the gate from North Peak
- Lower pic: After pass the gate and looking back at it
• Red arrow: White Cloud Peak 白云峰
It is a marvellous spectacle to see thousands of these gold locks on the chains.
At the gate, there is a huge gold lock of about 4 meters long and 1.5 meters high standing on a big rock. It is made of pure copper and forged by 9,999 locks left by visitors. It is a popular photo site. Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo to show you here :-(
To Cloud Ladder 云梯
38) Come to this cave called 无山洞 / 無山洞 soon after passing Gold lock Pass 金锁关 / 金鎖關.
- Left pic: (Continuation to the left of the right pic)
• The words carved on the stone are exactly the same as the one at the summit of North Peak, photo #4.
- Upper right pic: Characters above the cave door: 无山洞 / 無山洞
- Lower right pic: Top of the rock above the cave
• Red circle: The sign says "Climbing not allowed".
39) Come to a junction:
- Here are the stairs to and from Central Peak.
- Near the end of the trip, I'll climb down these stairs and return to North Peak ... Refer to photo #82.
- But right now, I turn towards the left edge ... to East Peak.
Cloud Ladder 云梯
40) Soon after the junction of the previous pic are these stairs.
The upper part of the stairs is called Cloud Ladder 云梯. It is steep. Most people, including me, choose to bypass it by taking the stairs on the left (yellow arrow). It will lead to a viewing platform (yellow circle).
41) I am at the viewing platform of the previous pic (yellow circle there), looking down at Cloud Ladder 云梯.
- Yellow arrows: Instead of the Cloud Ladder 云梯, most people, including me, take this less steeper route.
To East Peak Summit
42) The Cloud Ladder 云梯 only takes you part of the way to East Peak. As is seen here, there are more stairs to climb.
East Peak summit area
East Peak is renowned as the place to view sunrise at Huashan.
43) The top of the stairs of previous pic leads to here, a sunrise viewing area. It is on the edge of a cliff and is considered as part of East Peak summit area.
44) Standing at where the previous pic was taken, one can see the top of East Peak ... and I'm going there now.
45) Clouds and bits of rain start to roll in :-(
- Upper pic: The left side of this pic is the summit of East Peak, 2096.2 meters. But there is nothing to mark it being so.
- Lower pic: Further along at a pointed end of the cliff edge is a steel pole marking the place as the summit of East Peak even though it isn't the highest point.
46) Me :-)
The steel pole in the previous pic is behind me.
47) From the steel pole of previous pics, looking back at the summit of East Peak, 2096.2 meters ~~~
Most unfortunately, the clouds/mist/drizzle obscures everything in the distance :-(
48) Panorama from the steel pole in photos #45 and #46 ~~~
- Lower pic: (Continuation to the right of the upper pic)
• Central Peak, South Peak, West Peak are all somewhere in the main mountain there.
• Red rectangle: I'll be going there ... Photo #49 zooms into the area.
• Yellow circle: Before going to the red rectangle, I'll pass there first ... refer to photo #51.
• Red arrow: Toilet block
49) Zooming into the red rectangle of previous pic ... This is where I'll be going (photos #52 to #56).
Actually, my intended destination is Plank Road In The Sky 长空栈道. However to reach there, one needs to pass the bunch of buildings in this pic.
- 5 red arrows from left to right:
1 Toilet block
2 A bell ... the lower pic of photo #56
3 A lookout with a good view of Plank Road In The Sky 长空栈道 ... Photo #53 will be taken from there.
4 Where I'll have lunch ... the upper pic of photo #56.
5 South Heavenly Gate 南天门 / 南天門
- The building behind South Heavenly Gate 南天门 / 南天門 is a temple (ie between 3rd and 5th arrow).
- Plank Road In The Sky 长空栈道 is behind the lookout (3rd arrow) and can't be seen from where I am standing now.
Chess Pavilion
After leaving East Peak and before going to the yellow circle of photo #48, I attempt to go to the Chess Pavilion. The path to there is dangerous and hence requires the use of harness and ropes. Harness is to be hired at the entrance to the path.
To my chagrin, the guy manning the entrance said only people under 50 years old are allowed to enter :-(
Geez ! What type of crazy policy is this? Can I take him to court for age-discrimination?
50) The Chess Pavilion that I was not allowed to go :-(
Descending East Peak
51) Descending the stairs to the yellow circle of photo #48.
- Upper pic:
• Red circle: Yingyang Cave 迎阳洞 ... I won't be going there :-(
(Because I didn't have a map of HuaShan and didn't know about this cave.)
• Yellow arrow: The way to Plank Road In The Sky 长空栈道 and South Peak ... I'll be heading there.
- Lower pic:
• Red circle: Yingyang Cave 迎阳洞
• Yellow arrow: The way to Plank Road In The Sky 长空栈道 and South Peak
• Red oval: A fast-food joint ... It is the yellow circle in photo #48.
South Heavenly Gate 南天门 / 南天門
On my way to Plank Road In The Sky 长空栈道 ...
52) ... But first, pass through South Heavenly Gate 南天门 / 南天門 ... I can see this place in photo #49.
- Left pic: Its entrance
- Right pic: Picture taken much later while I'm on my way to South Peak and looking back at the Gate
Around Plank Road In The Sky 长空栈道
53) After passing through South Heavenly Gate 南天门 / 南天門 (previous pic), one can go on this narrow path which will lead to Plank Road In The Sky 长空栈道.
- This pic is taken from the lookout in photo #49 (middle red arrow there).
- Red arrow: There is a cave inside the slit pointed by this arrow. More on the cave is in photo #55.
54) I am now on the path which will lead to Plank Road In The Sky 长空栈道. To my chagrin, the Plank Road is closed. Is it just for today? And is it due to the rain? (It is raining lightly right now.)
- Also, even if the Plank Road is open, will it be only for people under 50 years old as was the case with the walk to the Chess Pavilion?
- Left pic: Facing forward
• Red arrow: There is a cave inside the slit pointed by the arrow. More on the cave is in photo #55.
• Red circle: The gate to Plank Road In The Sky 长空栈道. It is shut for today :-(
- Right pic: Facing backward
• Red arrow: Lookout ... Photo #53 was taken from there. It is also the middle red arrow in photo #49.
55) Looking into the cave pointed by the red arrows in photos #53 and #54 ~~~
Typical of HuaShan, there is a temple inside the cave.
Time to have lunch
56) All the areas in the 2 pics below can be seen in photo #49.
- Upper pic:
• Red circle: The table where I sat down for lunch
You can buy food here. But I have my own sandwich prepared the night before.
• Red arrow: South Heavenly Gate 南天门 / 南天門
What you see here is the back end. The front end is photo #52.
• Beyond the left edge of this pic is ... you guessed it ... a temple.
- Lower pic: (Continuation to the right of the upper pic)
• Red circle: The table where I sat down for lunch.
• Red arrow: A large bell which can be seen in photo #49
At Bizhao Cliff 避诏崖
On my way now to Jintian Palace 金天宫 and South Peak ... but first ...
57) ... Going through a cavern formed by a slanting rock cliff, called Bizhao Cliff 避诏崖 ~~~
- Yellow arrows: The way to Jintian Palace 金天宫 and South Peak
The three characters 避诏崖 literally means "imperial edict avoiding rock".
More on Bizhao Cliff 避诏崖 is in my other blog ... click on this link:
http://onemanadreaming.blogspot.com/2018/11/hemet-or-hermit.html
58) Looking back into Bizhao Cliff 避诏崖 ~~~
- Yellow arrow: The way to Jintian Palace 金天宫 and South Peak
At Jintian Palace 金天宫
59) On the way to South Peak, the path goes through the grounds of Jintian Palace 金天宫.
- Upper pic:
• Yellow arrow: The way to South Peak
• Yellow dot: The lower pic is taken from that spot.
- Lower pic: Photo taken from the yellow dot in the upper pic
• Yellow arrow: The way to South Peak
• Red oval: The characters on the signboard are 金天宫 (Jintian Palace)
60) At the forecourt of Jintian Palace 金天宫 (after ascending the stairs and entering the gate of previous pic) ~~~
- The way to South Peak is to ascend the stairs here; then turn right.
- Photo #61 zooms into the centre of this pic.
61) Still at the forecourt of Jintian Palace 金天宫 ~~~
- Upper pic: Middle part of previous pic
• Yellow arrows: The way to South Peak
- Lower pic: After ascending the stairs of the upper pic
62) Now at the top of the stairs of the upper pic of photo #61; and facing backwards at the gate where I came through ~~~
- Yellow arrow: The way I came from
- At where I'm standing now, I'll go left to South Peak.
South Peak, 2154.9 meters
63) Shortly after leaving Jintian Palace 金天宫, I am almost at South Peak ... It is just beyond the upper-right corner of this pic.
64) This is it, the summit of South Peak. At 2154.9 meters, it is the highest point of HuaShan.
- Upper pic: Red circle: The summit is there.
- Lower pic: Even though it is drizzling now, there are many people around the summit ... too many for me to be able to take a lone selfie with the summit cairn :-(
West Peak Cable Car Top Station
Next destination is West Peak summit ... but first, make a detour to ...
65) ... detour to here, West Peak Cable Car Top Station (To enlarge the image, click on it.)
- Red oval: Entrance to cable car station
To West Peak
66) Resume my walk towards West Peak summit ~~~
- The summit is beyond the rise in the 2 pics below. It can't be seen just yet.
- At the top of the rise is Cuiyun Palace 翠云宫 / 翠雲宮 ... Refer to photo #67.
- Both pics are taken near the junction of the detour to West Peak Cable Car top Station. The detour is on the right side of the pics.
- The rain is coming down relatively heavy now. Amazing number of people here even though it is raining ... probably because this place is close to the cable car station and easy to reach.
67) The way to West Peak summit is through Cuiyun Palace 翠云宫 / 翠雲宮.
- Upper pic: Through the rain, Cuiyun Palace 翠云宫 / 翠雲宮 is the building in the middle of the pic.
• Red arrow: A cave called 莲花洞 / 蓮花洞 ... Refer to photo #68.
- Lower pic: About to enter Cuiyun Palace 翠云宫 / 翠雲宮.
• Red oval: Characters on the signboard are 翠雲宮.
• Yellow arrow: The way to West Peak summit
On the other hand, he may not know how to read a map. He may not even know how to read. All over HuaShan, there are plenty of information boards around with maps and directions showing tourists where to go. One shouldn't be lost. So, why is he asking me for direction?
I could have invited him to accompany me as eventually I'll end up at North Peak. But then I have a few more places to visit before returning there.
Hhmmm ... he is a difficult case to handle. In the end, in my broken Chinese, I point out the path he should take; and also explain that people on the way will help him with direction. He seems to be disappointed at my response :-(
The last I saw of him, he is still standing there forlornly in the rain, totally lost ... with the information board just behind him.
68) This is the cave pointed to by the red arrow in photo #67.
Too many people lining up to have their pictures taken at the cave entrance, hence I don't want to wait in the rain for a suitable opportunity to go in. If you know what is inside the cave, please let me know.
69) I've passed through the building in photo #67, now in the middle courtyard of Cuiyun Palace 翠云宫 / 翠雲宮.
- Yellow arrow: The way to West Peak summit
To West Peak summit
70) Very close to West Peak summit ~~~
- Upper pic: The summit is at the top of this cliff.
- Lower pic: Panning to the right of the upper pic
• Yellow arrows: The way to the summit
• Tip of the shorter yellow arrow: From there, a steep climb to the top ... See photo #71.
71) This steep climb up the cliff is at the tip of the shorter yellow arrow of the previous pic.
- Right pic: I have climbed up and now looking down at others climbing up.
• Red oval: This is roughly the position of the shorter yellow arrow of previous pic.
West Peak summit, 2082.6 meters
72) West Peak summit is supposed to be the most scenic spot in HuaShan. Sadly because of the rain, all I can see is a white-out :-(
- Upper pic:
• Cross this wooden bridge and the summit is there.
• Red arrow: The plaque at the summit ... See lower pic.
- Lower pic: West Peak summit and the plaque ... 2082.6 meters
• Again, too many people for me to take a photo of myself at the summit :-(
I leave the summit in the opposite direction from where I climbed up.
73) Moving forward a bit, and still in the West Peak summit area ~~~
There is a shop where you can hire historical costumes and have your photograph taken ... as the girl has done here.
74) Moving forward a bit more, and still in the West Peak summit area ... an obelisk
World No 1 Bridal Chamber 天下第一洞房
After West Peak, It is braving the rain to Central Peak, the last of the 5 HuaShan peaks to visit.
75) But first, a detour to here, World No 1 Bridal Chamber 天下第一洞房.
- Half red circle: It is a book. See photo #76.
76) The book in the half red circle of previous pic ~~~
I don't know enough Chinese to translate the words into English. If you wish, you can help me out :-)
77) Well, this is the inside of the cave.
To Central Peak
78) The way to central Peak is through this multi-way junction. As it is a junction, there are souvenir & fast-food stalls around.
79) Starting from the junction in the previous pic, it is a looong flight of stairs to Central Peak.
- The 2 guys here are also going to the same places as me ... to Central Peak, and then to North Peak. While on the way, we'll overtake each other a few times.
Central Peak, 2037.8 meters
80) The information board in the red oval says this is the Central Peak, 2037.8 meters ... But, refer to photo #81 for more on this matter.
- The buildings here house a restaurant and a lodge.
81) Opposite the buildings of the previous pic is this cliff. Why then does the information board say where I'm standing now is the Central Peak? The peak should be above the cliff. (To enlarge the image, click on it.)
- Are there stairs to climb up the cliffs to the highest point? (I can't find any.)
- Yellow arrow: Stairs to the buildings of previous pic
82) Climbing down Central Peak and looking back at the lodge which is the building on the right side of photo #80 ~~~
- The lodge is the same as the one in photo #39.
- Red oval: The 2 guys here are the same 2 guys in photo #79. We are all heading to North Peak and we'll be passing each other for a few more times.
After Central Peak, it is to the 3-way junction where photo #39 was taken. (The 3 directions at the junction are to North/East/Central Peaks.)
Then it is to North Peak and its cable car station. Then return to Xi'an.
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