The scenery is sublime. Along Blue Dragon Ridge (苍龙岭; Cānglóng Lǐng MAP GOOGLE MAP ), which connects the North Peak with the East Peak (东峰; Dōng Fēng), South Peak (南峰; Nán Fēng) and West Peak (西峰; Xī Fēng), the way has been cut along a narrow rock ridge with impressive sheer cliffs on either side.
The West Peak cable car (西峰索道; Xīfēng Suǒdào 1 way/return ¥140/280; h7am-7pm) is less crowded than the North Peak cable car and the 20-minute ride offers clear views of all the other peaks at the top, but it is also more expensive.
The South Peak is the highest at 2160m and the most crowded. The East Peak isn't as busy, but all three rear peaks afford great views when the weather cooperates. If possible, avoid weekends when foot traffic is heaviest.
At the South Peak thrill-seekers can try the Plank Walk (长空栈道; Chángkōng Zhàndào adult ¥30); a metal ladder leads down to a path made from wooden boards that hover above a 2000m vertical drop. Thankfully, the admission fee includes a harness and karabiners that you lock onto cables, but even with these safety features it’s scary as hell. At peak times, and even in the slow season, queues can get seriously long here.
There is accommodation on the mountain, most of it basic and overpriced, but it does allow you to start climbing in the afternoon, watch the sunset and then spend the night, before catching the sunrise from either the East Peak or South Peak. Some locals make the climb at night, using torches (flashlights) and some of the paths are illuminated. The idea is to start around 11pm and be at the East Peak for sunrise; you get to see the scenery on the way down.
Admission is ¥180 (students ¥90).
Don’t forget warm clothes.
Jade Spring TempleTAOIST SITE
(玉泉院, Yùquán Yuàn MAP GOOGLE MAP )
This large Taoist temple awaits climbers taking the 6km walk from Huá Shān village to the North Peak and lies just before the ticket office.
4Sleeping
You can either stay in Huá Shān village or on one of the peaks. Prices for a bed triple during public holidays. It's best to phone ahead to check on room availability and prices on the mountain, but you'll probably need a Chinese speaker. Mountain hotels are basic, with no showers and shared bathrooms.
In the village, there are a couple of hostels and other cheapies, plus some decent hotels. Most shops have basic, budget rooms.
Huá Shān Bǎoliánjū Guójì Qīngnián LǚshěHOSTEL$
(华山宝莲居国际青年旅舍 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0913 436 8010; Huashan Lu, 华山路 dm ¥60, s & d ¥198; aW)
This particularly clean, smart but soulless hostel has a lot of exposed brickwork, especially in the lobby and the shower rooms. Rooms are comfortable, if characterless. It's on the main road, so there's a lot of traffic outside.
Huáyuè Quick HotelHOTEL$
(华岳快捷酒店 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0913 436 8555; Yuquan Donglu, 玉泉路, Huà Shān village s/d/tr/ste ¥228/188/288/388; W)
This place right at the intersection has clean and simple rooms with OK bathrooms, but the location is rather noisy with traffic, albeit handy. Rooms are normally discounted to between ¥128 (single and double) and ¥180 (suite).
West Peak HostelHOSTEL$
(西峰旅社, Xīfēng Lǚshè MAP GOOGLE MAP ; dm ¥100)
Rustic and basic, but also the friendliest place on the mountain. It shares its premises with an old Taoist temple.
Huá Shān Huáyì Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(华山华驿青年旅舍, Huá Shān Huáyì Qīngnián Lǚshě MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0913 436 0385; Dongmian Xiang, Lianhua Shanzhuang, 莲花山庄东面巷 dm ¥45-55, r ¥128; aW)
This white-tile hostel in the east of Huá Shān village is a reasonable and friendly choice, with a very quiet setting, way back from the main road. There's a pleasant courtyard, with sunloungers upstairs and excellent views of the mountain, but English is poor. Doubles are good value, although the beds are a bit hard.
The hostel is around 1km to the east of Yuquan Lu along Huashan Lu and south down a side road.
North Peak HotelHOTEL$$
(北峰饭店, Běifēng Fàndiàn; 云台山庄, Yúntái Shānzhuāng, Yúntái Hotel MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %157 1913 6466; dm ¥150-200, d/tr/q ¥720/900/1040)
This is the busiest of the peak hotels, but a friendly enough place. Rooms are clean and pretty nice, and they have views; the 'eight-human' dorm is the cheapest. It's also home to Huá Shān Coffee, with its fantastic views.
Wǔyúnfēng FàndiànHOTEL$$
(五云峰饭店 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %138 9135 4822; dm ¥100-180, s & d ¥780, tr ¥900, tr per bed ¥300)
This basic place is along the Black Dragon Ridge and on a hillside, not a peak. An OK choice if you’re planning on doing a circuit of the rear peaks the next day, or want to catch the sunrise at the East or South Peak. Rooms have views but you'll have to share the loo. There's a restaurant, but no English sign.
oHuá Shān GuesthouseHOTEL$$$
(华山客栈, Huàshān Kèzhàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0913 465 8111; www.517huashan.com; 2 Yuquan Lu, 玉泉路2号 s ¥668, d ¥418-628, ste ¥1360-2288; iW)
This excellent and very friendly place appears less like a hotel and more like a guesthouse, but it's huge and the best hotel in the area. You can usually nab one of the rooms for around ¥280.
Dōngfēng BīnguǎnHOTEL$$$
(东峰宾馆 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0913 430 1312; dm/tr/q ¥150/1149/1280, d ¥960-1040)
The top location on the East Peak for watching the sun come up also has the best restaurant. Triples and quads have views from upstairs.
5Eating
Take your own food or eat well before ascending, unless you like to feast on instant noodles and processed meat – proper meals are very pricey on the mountain. Along Yuquan Lu, every other outlet sells ròujiāmó (shredded pork or beef in a bun) for around ¥6 – perfect for stocking up on calories if you're climbing up the mountain.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Huá Shān Coffee (华山咖啡; Huàshān Kāfēi MAP GOOGLE MAP ; North Peak Hotel; coffee from ¥38; h8.30am-5pm, 24hr in summer) at the North Peak Hotel is a great place for a coffee, with ranging views through glass windows, and it's open all hours in summer. Otherwise you will be limited to drinking beer in the hotel restaurants.
8Getting There & Away
Bus
From Xī’ān to Huá Shān, catch one of the private buses (¥36, two hours, 6am to 8pm) that depart when full from in front of Xī’ān train station. You’ll be dropped off on Yuquan Lu, which is also where buses back to Xī’ān leave from 7.30am to 7pm; they depart from the lot opposite the post office ( GOOGLE MAP ; Yuquan Lu). Coming from the east, try to talk your driver into dropping you at the Huá Shān highway exit if you can’t find a direct bus. Don’t pay more than ¥10 for a taxi into Huá Shān village. There are few buses (if any) going east from Huá Shān; pretty much everyone catches a taxi to the highway and then flags down buses headed for Yùnchéng, Tàiyuán or Luòyáng.
Train
Eight high-speed G-class trains (2nd/1st class ¥55/90, 32 minutes) run daily from Xī'ān North train station to the recently opened Huá Shān North train station between 9.19am and 9.06pm. In the other direction, the first/last train back to Xī'ān leaves at 7.53am/8.50pm. Slower trains (¥20, 90 minutes) also link Xī'ān with Huá Shān train station, a different station that services slower trains.
8Getting Around
Regular buses (¥5) connect Huá Shān North train station with the Huá Shān Visitor Centre Ticket Office (华山游客中心售票处; Huá Shān Lǚyóu Zhōngxīn Shòupiàochù GOOGLE MAP ). A taxi will cost you around ¥20. Regular buses (¥3.50) also connect Huá Shān train station with Huá Shān Visitor Centre Ticket Office.
Shuttle buses (one way/return ¥20/40) to the North Peak cable car run from the Huá Shān Visitor Centre Ticket Office; shuttle buses (one way/return ¥40/80) also run to the West Peak cable car from here. A free bus runs to the Huá Shān Visitor Centre Ticket Office from the bus station near th
e foot of the main steps that lead to the Jade Spring Temple on Yuquan Lu. It can be a long wait, though, so you can take a taxi from the village for ¥10, or walk (20 minutes).
Hánchéng 韩城
%0913 / Pop 59,000
Hánchéng (韩城) is best known for being the hometown of Sima Qian (145–90 BC), China’s legendary historian and author of the Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian). Sima Qian chronicled different aspects of life in the Han dynasty and set about arranging the country’s already distant past in its proper (Confucian) order. He was eventually castrated and imprisoned by Emperor Wudi, after having defended an unsuccessful general.
For its historical textures and ambience, Hánchéng is a great side trip from Xī’ān. Built upon a hill, the new town (新城; xīnchéng) located at the top is dusty and unremarkable and is where you’ll find hotels, banks and transport. But the more atmospheric old town (古城; gǔchéng) at the bottom of the hill boasts a handful of historic sights. The unique Ming-dynasty village of Dǎngjiācūn is 9km further east.
1Sights
DǎngjiācūnHISTORIC SITE
(党家村 ¥40; h7.30am-6.30pm)
This lovely and perfectly preserved, 14th-century village nestles in a sheltered location in a loess valley. Once the home of the Dang clan (党家), successful merchants who ferried timber and other goods across the Yellow River, it has since evolved into a quintessential farming community. The village is home to 125 grey-brick courtyard houses, which are notable for their carvings and mix of different architectural styles. The elegant six-storey tower is a Confucian Hall (文星阁; Wénxīng Gé).
As with so many small villages, many of the families have moved out and their homes are now exhibition showrooms, so the village feels rather lifeless. However, it’s well worth a wander to explore the old alleys and admire the historic architecture.
Dǎngjiācūn is 9km northeast of Hánchéng. To get here, take a minibus (¥4, 20 minutes) from the bus station to the entrance road, from where it’s a pleasant 2km walk through fields to the village. A taxi from Hánchéng is another option (¥35 to ¥40).
Confucius TempleCONFUCIAN SITE
(文庙, Wénmiào ¥15; h8am-5.30pm)
In the heart of the old town, the tranquil Confucius Temple is the pick of the sights in Hánchéng. The weathered Yuan, Ming and Qing buildings give an understated sense of how long they have stood the test of time, along with the dramatic towering cypress trees (often associated with Confucian sites), half-moon pool and glazed dragon screens. The city museum holds peripheral exhibits in the wings.
Buying a ticket for the Confucius Temple gets you admission to the City God Temple too. Bus 102 (¥1) runs here from the southwest corner of Huanghe Dajie, close to the bus station. A taxi is ¥10.
City God TempleCONFUCIAN SITE
(城隍庙, Chénghuáng Miào Huangmiao Xiang, 隍庙巷 ¥15; h8am-5.30pm)
At the back of the Confucius Temple is the City God Temple (Chénghuáng Temple), in a lane lined with Ming-dynasty courtyard houses. An antediluvian temple has apparently been here since the Zhou dynasty, but this whole site has undergone renovation through the dynasties and in recent years. The main attraction is the Sacrificing Hall, with its intricate roof detail, where gifts were offered to the divine protector of the city.
4Sleeping
For something completely different, spend the night in Dǎngjiācūn, where basic dorm beds in some of the courtyard houses are available for around ¥30. If a local doesn’t approach you, just ask and you’ll be pointed in the right direction. Places are pretty relaxed about taking foreigners.
Tiānyuán BīnguǎnHOTEL$
(天园宾馆 %0913 529 9388; Longmen Dajie Beiduan, 龙门大街北段 s & d ¥120-140; ai)
A few doors down from the main bus station, this place has simple but serviceable rooms.
Yínhé DàjiǔdiànHOTEL$$
(银河大酒店 %0913 529 2555; Longmen Dajie Nanduan, 龙门大街南段 r from ¥398; aiW)
This upmarket option offers comfortable accommodation and discounts of around 30%. From the bus station turn left and walk on the main road for about 10 minutes. The name means the 'Milky Way Hotel'.
8Information
Bank of ChinaBANK
(中国银行, Zhōngguó Yínháng cnr Huanghe Dajie & Jinta Zhonglu; h8am-6pm)
This branch of Bank of China, close to the bus station, has a 24-hour ATM and will change cash.
8Getting There & Away
Buses (¥75, three hours, seven daily) leave from Xī’ān’s long-distance bus station near Xī'ān train station for Hánchéng from 8am onward; the last bus leaves Xī'ān at 7pm. Buses back to Xī’ān run until 6.30pm. There are two buses per day from to Hánchéng to Huá Shān (¥45, two hours) at 7am and noon. There are also two daily buses to Yán’ān (¥80, eight hours) at 6.50am and 8am.
Six trains (¥17 to ¥42, three hours to seven hours) run between Xī'ān and Hánchéng, from 8am to 6.10pm. There's also a less useful slow train at 2.20am. From Hánchéng, the daily K610 train rumbles towards Běijīng (hard sleeper ¥256, 15 hours) via Píngyáo (¥105, six hours) and Tàiyuán (¥123, eight hours), departing at 2.13pm.
Yúlín 榆林
%0912 / Pop 92,000
Thanks to extensive coal mining and the discovery of natural gas fields nearby (but you'll see wind farms as well as oil wells on the way up from Yán'ān), Yúlín (榆林), a one-time garrison town on the fringes of Inner Mongolia’s Mu Us Desert, is booming. Despite all the construction, there’s enough interesting stuff to make this a good place to break a trip if you’re following the Great Wall, heading north on the trail of Genghis Khan or wandering west to the Hui culture of Yínchuān. If you're on the road from Yán'ān, look out for yáodòng (cave dwellings) perforating the hillsides until the land becomes desert.
Parts of Yúlín's earthen city walls are still intact, especially running along Changcheng Nanlu, while the main north–south pedestrian street in the elongated old town (divided into Beidajie and Nandajie) has several restored buildings. The lovely Lingxiao Pagoda looks down on the town from near the centre of Yúlín and is gorgeously illuminated at night. The Drum Tower is in the same area, overlooking a pleasant and rènào (bustling) neighbourhood come evening.
1Sights
Drum TowerTOWER
(鼓楼, Gǔlóu GOOGLE MAP ; Bei Dajie, 北大街 )
Yúlín's drum tower was first erected in 1380 and destroyed several times (the current tower dates to the early 20th century). With several restaurants and antique shops, the whole street is a nice place to wander, especially at night, when it’s lit by lanterns and the Drum Tower and South Gate (南门; Nánmén) and are illuminated.
oBeacon TowerTOWER
(镇北台, Zhènběitái 镇北台, Zhènběitái ¥30; h8am-5pm, later in summer)
Seven kilometres north of the Yúlín bus station, on the outskirts of town, are some badly eroded sections of the Great Wall and this imposing Ming-era four-storey beacon tower that dates to 1607 (and has been much restored recently). You can climb to the top for long views and also walk past old eroded and wind-blasted sections of wall and the stump of a disintegrated watchtower.
There are also two old surviving Siberian elm trees that Yúlín (literally Siberian Elm Forest) is named after; the tree species, now virtually wiped out here, once grew in abundance along the river. Bus 5 (¥1) runs here from Changcheng Nanlu (长城南路), about 200m west of the main bus station. Take the bus to Zhènběitái, which is the last stop, walk in the same direction a further 30m and then turn right; you will see the beacon tower on the hilltop.
4Sleeping & Eating
A selection of street stalls can be found in the evenings around the Drum Tower area.
Jingdu Holiday HotelHOTEL$$
(晶都假日酒店, Jīngdū Jiàrì Jiǔdiàn %0912 354 9966; 3 Yuyang Zhonglu, 榆阳中路3号 r ¥138-158, ste or tr ¥188)
This cheapie is actually rather smart, with comfortable and very presentable rooms. It has
a fine location near the South Gate and the Drum Tower; it's also a short walk from the main bus station. English skills are very limited, however.
Jīnyù HotelHOTEL$$
(金域大酒店, Jīnyù Dàjǐudiàn %0912 233 3333; 6 Xinjian Nanlu, 新建南路6号 s ¥218, tw ¥238-268, ste ¥598, incl breakfast; aiW)
This midrange place has well-turned-out and smart rooms, with flat-screen TV and oodles of space. Many rooms have a computer and big work desks, and some come with chaise longue. It’s near the main bus station, not far from the South Gate; exit the bus station, turn left and it's facing you at the first turn.
There's a branch of Home Inn sharing the same lobby, but it does not take foreigners.
8Getting There & Around
Taxis around town and to the train station will cost you ¥6. Bus 1 (¥1) runs between the two bus stations. Bus 7 (¥1) runs between the main bus station and the train station.
Air
There are several daily flights from Yúlín to Xī’ān (¥350).
Lonely Planet China Page 79