Mount Fanjing, aka Fanjingshan, is the highest peak in the Wuling Mountain Range of Guizhou Province. It is one of the five sacred Buddhist mountains in China which impresses visitors with the many ancient temples and relics on its summit and a time-honored mushroom-shaped rock. In 1986, the mountain was listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site for its rich biodiversity of plants and animals.
Whether you like hiking or sightseeing, or seek a serene cultural immersion, Fanjing Mountain is your ideal choice. If you’re planning to travel to Mount Fanjing, the following guide will provide you with the best information and tips for enjoying the trip to Fanjing Mountain.
- Location: The junction of Jiangkou County, Yinjiang County, and Songtao County in Tongren City, Guizhou Province
- Opening time: 8:00–17:00
- Ticket price: 110 yuan per person (including cable car fee)
- Time Needed: 4–6 hours
- Best time to visit: April to October
- Suited to: nature lovers, mountaineers, Buddhists
Why Visit Mount Fanjing?
- The UNESCO-listed Mount Fanjing is a biosphere reserve, hosting a rich biodiversity of plants and animals. It is where you may encounter many rare and endangered species, including the rare Guizhou golden monkey, Fanjingshan fir, and the dove tree.
- It stands as the highest peak within Wuling Mountain Range, offering stunning panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
- It is a holy mountain of Chinese Buddhism, housing over 40 time-honored temples and monasteries of different dynasties.
Fanjing Mountain Attractions: What to See & Do
The Landmark – Remarkable Mushroom Rock
You must have seen the pictures of the miraculous Mushroom Rock on the summit of Fanjing Mountain, even if you have never been there. The mushroom-shaped rock has an approximate height of 10 meters (32.8 feet), and it’s quite famous for its fantastic appearance. It is like a tough mushroom growing from the earth, also like a magical stone down from Heaven. Can you believe that the Mushroom Rock has stood there for billion years? That’s true. Standing by the rock, you can overlook the mountain, with the sea of clouds as well.
The Main Peak – Red Cloud Golden Summit
Red Cloud Golden Summit is the main peak of Fanjingshan, named for the red morning glows embracing the top. Red Cloud Golden Summit is extremely precipitous and it is very exciting to climb up through the stone steps dug into the cliff, with only iron chains by side. The top of Red Cloud Golden Summit is split into two parts naturally, like two fingers pointing up. On the top of one side, there is a temple dedicated to Buddha Shakyamuni; on the top of the other side, a temple to Buddha Maitreya stands.
Red Cloud Golden Summit is considered as the treasure basin of Fanjing Mountain, for the amazing landscapes as well as cultural sites there. It is a splendid location to see the imposing sea of clouds, which makes you feel like in a fairyland. The Light of Buddha is another expressive view of the Red Cloud Golden Summit. In the clouds to the sun, a colorful aureole would appear, with an indistinct figure inside. This marvelous natural phenomenon usually is found in the morning after rain.
A Fairyland with Diverse Wild Fauna and Flora
One of the most beautiful mountains in China, Mt. Fanjingshan is home to varieties of wild lives. The extensive land is covered with thick forest, which is home to more than 2,000 species of plants and over 800 kinds of animals, such as the endangered Guizhou golden monkeys and the protected Chinese dove trees. Thus the mountain is also called the Wildlife Gene Bank. Guizhou golden monkeys, known as the elves of Fanjing Mountain, are unique creatures locally. You will see many towering trees, and you can just get your arms around the thick trunk.
Meet the Time-hornored Fanjing Mountain Temples
Fanjingshan is listed as one of the five most famous Buddhist mountains in China. Even though Buddhism had been spread around the mountain area long before, it began to thrive there until the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644). The mountain is of Maitreya for Buddhists, and there is a giant golden sitting statue of Maitreya Buddha at Longquan Temple at the foothills. It is an open-air statue made of pure copper, as well as the largest one in Guizhou.
You will meet a number of temples here and there, as it is said there are hundreds of small and large-scale temples around the mountain. Huguo Temple and Cheng’en Temple are the largest ones there, as were the imperial temples in ancient times. In addition, inscriptions on the cliffs and steles about the establishment and reconstruction of these temples can be found. If you like Chinese arts, especially calligraphy, the inscriptions cannot be missed.
For the thriving Buddhism, many tourists go there for blessing. You can follow them to pray for good fortune in business, love, study, wealth, health, giving birth to a child, and so on.
Mount Fanjing Weather & Best Time to Visit
The mountain has a subtropical humid monsoon climate, with the monthly average temperatures ranging from 4.6 °C in January to 33 °C in July and August. Generally, Fanjing Mountain enjoys pleasant climate in all seasons, and the extremely hot and cold days are rarely to see here. May to October is the rainy season when this place sees most rains in a year.
When to Visit Fanjing Mountain:
The best time to visit the mountain will fall in summer and autumn, probably from June to November. In summer from June to August, it becomes a popular summer resort. With the rushing waterfalls and dense shades of the forest, it’s a perfect place to avoid the intense heat. You can also go drifting along the Taiping River there. In autumn with the cool weather, it is a magnificent world with red fall foliage all over the mountainside. Even so, the colorful spring flowers and snow landscapes are also worth a visit.
Take the Mount Fanjing Cable Car
Visitors can either take a cable car or hike up or down the mountain. The hike has nearly 9000 steps and will take about 4-5 hours. To save time and energy, you can choose to take a cable car to get up and down the mountain. The ride will take only about 20 minutes from the lower station to the upper station near the Mushroom Rock, and will reward you with a panoramic views of the mountain and the surrounding forest.
Note:
- The cable car price is CNY 140 for a round trip and CNY 70 for a one-way trip.
- The cable car operates from 8:15-17:45 daily.
How to Get to Fanjing Mountain?
There are tourist buses to the mountain from Tongren South Railway Station and Tongren Fenghuang Airport. It will take you 1.5-2 hours for a single trip, and the price might be 50-60 RMB.
From Tongren South Station, the bus departs at around 9:30 in the morning and 15:00 in the afternoon.
From Tongren Fenghuang Airport, two buses depart as well.
How to Get to Tongren?
Tongren City in Guizhou is well connected with most cities in Guizhou and major cities across the country. Tongren Fenghuang Airport operates direct flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guiyang, Guilin, Xi’an, Shenzhen, Nanjing, etc. Also, it has high-speed trains to/from Guiyang, Kaili, Chengdu, Chongqing, etc.
Tips for Visiting Mount Fanjing
- The hiking trail will be closed after 14:00, you are recommended to take the cable car to go up and down after 14:00.
- There are sudden thundershowers occasionally in summer, so, please remember to pack an umbrella or other rain gear.
- Due to the lower temperature on the top of the mountain, you’d better take a thick coat or warmer clothes, especially when you want to spend a night on the mountain for the sunrise.
Fanjingshan Accommodation: Where to Stay?
When take a trip to Fanjing Mountain, it is recommended to stay one night near the mountain area or in Tongren city area. Because the mountain is a biosphere reserve, there is no accommodation available in the scenic area. Below are some options for accommodation near Fanjing Mountain for your reference:
- Near the entrance of the mountain: For convenient reach to the mountain, you can stay overnight in a hotel or a guesthouse at the foot of Fanjing Mountain. Many visitors choose to stay in Zhaisha Dongzhai village which is only 3 km from the entrance and offers a cultural experience.
- In Jiangkou County:This area offers more hotel options and has better facilities and services, about 22 km from the scenic area.
- In Tongren City: In the city area, you can find hotels of all levels, ranging from boutique hotels to luxury 5-star hotels with all possible amenities. The city center is about 60 km from Fanjing Mountain.
Attractions nearby Fanjing Mountain
There are several attractions located near Fanjing Mountain that are worth a visit, including:
- Wanfenglin Scenic Area: A forest park located in Tongren City, it is famous for its waterfalls, bamboo forests, and ancient temples.
- Huangguoshu Waterfall: the largest waterfall in Asia and offers a stunning view of the surrounding area.
- Maling River Gorge: a beautiful canyon that is known for its crystal-clear waters, steep cliffs, and dense forests. You can go on a boat ride to explore the gorge or hike along the trails to enjoy the stunning scenery.
