Paying a visit to Mt.Wudang from Zhangjiajie

By Ms. SUSAN ( travelchinaguide.com )

Updated: 2012-05-22

Mt.Wudang is famous for its Taoist buildings. It is the first reason I decide to go there. For the second reason, I am a fan of Jin Yong's Kungfu novels. Mt.Wudang has been mentioned a lot in the Heavenly Sword Dragon Slaying Saber. Thus, I am planning to explore Zhang Sanfeng and his Taijiquan (shadow boxing).

We reached Wudangshan Railway Station at 05:12 am, by taking 1608 train from Zhangjiajie. The railway station is located at Liuliping, several kilometers from the mountain gate of Mt.Wudang.

Stepping out of the railway station, we saw a path which led to the wide road. There were some food stalls on both sides of the path. We finished our breakfast there and found a small supermarket.

Tips: 1 We suggest you buy some food and water in the supermarket because the water is sold expensively even out of the mountain gate of Mt.Wudang.

2 Standing at the crossing of the road, you will see green buses that run from Mt.Wudang to Shiyan. Thumb up and get on the bus and you will get to the mountain gate in 20 minutes. If you can't see the bus, please wait for a while. It appears in 15 minutes. Forget to say, the ticket fare is 5yuan($0.79) for each person.

3 The entrance fee is 140 yuan($22.15) (excluding Golden Summit and Grand Purple Cloud Palace). The sight-seeing bus costs 70 yuan($11.08) for a round-trip. The tourist map is worth 3 yuan($0.47). You can get one if you need it. By the way, the insurance costs 2 yuan($0.32).

The cable car cost is 150 yuan($23.73) for a round trip. The admission fees to the Golden Summit and Grand Purple Cloud Palace are 20 yuan($3.16) and 15yuan($2.37).

We were a bit worried before getting to the mountain gate. You know, we took the night train and didn't sleep well. All of us were afraid that we might fail to climb to the top of Mt. Wudang. In fact, we were wrong. The sight-seeing buses were very convenient.

Tip: If you don't plan to hike at the mountain, you can take the sight-seeing bus to have a general view of the Mt. Wudang.

There are two lines: 1 Mountain Gate of Mt. Wudang-Taizipo-Xiaoyaogu-Zixiaodian(Purple Cloud Palace)-Wuyaling(Crow Ridge). 2 Mountain Gate of Mt. Wudang-Taizipo-Qiongtai. Then you can take cable car to reach the Golden Summit.

Our Route:

Day 1 Took sight-seeing bus from the mountain gate to Taizipo and hung around at Taizipo for about 1 hour. Then we took sight-seeing bus to Xiaoyaogu. The natural scenery was wonderful and the Kungfu Show was performed at 10:30 and 15:30.

Later, we took sight-seeing bus to Wuyaling and visited Nanyan Palace for a hour. The sight-seeing bus stopped here. So we walked on the Nanyanhuan Road to visit Langmei Temple, Yellow Dragon Cave, Chaotian Palace, Sacred Way and One Hundred Steps. At last, we found a place to settle down.

Day 2 We set off at the hotel to see the sunrise at the Golden Summit. Then we visited Zijincheng, Sacred Way, Santian Gate, Ertian Gate, Yitian Gate, Chaotian Palace, Langmei Temple, Wuyangling and then took sight-seeing bus to Purple Cloud Palace. There we stayed for an hour and then went back to the mountain gate by sight-seeing bus.

Tips: 1 If you decide to climb the Mt. Wudang at Nanyan Palace, I suggest you climb up at the Sacred Way built in the Qing Dynasty (1.8 kilometers long) and go down from the Sacred Way built in the Ming Dynasty (1.4 kilometers long).

You may have a question that why do I have to climb up from the longer Sacred Way. Right, the Sacred Way built in the Qing Dynasty is longer but not steep. Save your strength for your rest journey.

2 If you have no plan to see the sunrise, you may just have a one-day tour at the Mt. Wudang. The following is the route :

Mountain Gate-Taizipo-Qiongtai (by sight-seeing bus)-Golden Summit(Cable Car). Go down from the Golden Summit to Nanyan Palace for a visit and then to Wuyaling. There you can take sight-seeing bus to Purple Cloud Palace for a visit and then back to the mountain gate by sight-seeing bus.

3 If you plan to see the sunrise, please do not accommodate at Crow Ridge or Seven-Star Rock. The hotels at the Crow Ridge are expensive. And you have to set off at 02:00 if you want to see the sunrise.

The hotel conditions at the Seven-Star Rock are worse but cheap. It costs 20-30 yuan($3.16-4.75) per person. But you need to set off at 03:00.

You may stay at the Sacred Way built in the Qing Dynasty, about 1 kilometer to the Golden Summit. It costs 40 yuan($6.33) per person. No toilet in your room. By the way, you may eat noodles if you are hungry. A bowl of noodles costs 10yuan($1.58). Here you just need to go at 05:00. You will get to the Golden Summit at 05:30.

3 4 If you are interested in the Taoist buildings, please do stay and visit the building complex at Taizipo. The highest building Five-Cloud Pavilion erects there. Also the Zig-Zag Yeollow River Red Wall is awesome.

Nanyan Palace is also worth a visit. Of course you cannot miss the Purple Cloud Palace.