Mount Sanqing travel guide
三清山
Mount Sanqing travel guide with a day by day itinerary, 5 places with tickets and opening hours, where to eat and stay, and how to get there.
5 places · In the guidebook: pages 1469–1478
Mount Sanqing, Jiangxi Province · AI illustration for China Trip
Quick itinerary
Mount Sanqing in 2 days
- Day 1
- West Coast Scenic Area→
- Sanqing Blessed Land (Sanqing Palace, Ziyan Terrace, Jiutian Yingyuan Palace)→
- Yujing Peak (you may stay overnight on the mountain and watch the sunrise from Nanqing Garden the next day)
- Day 2
- Nanqing Garden→
- Sunshine Coast Scenic Area→
- Wanshou Garden Scenic Area
The feel of the place
For city dwellers, memories of sunrise tend to be faint, yet people long for the awe-inspiring spectacle of the dawn. Mount Sanqing draws visitors with its mountain sunrises and its renown as a Taoist sacred mountain. Of course, you can only truly appreciate its charm by being there in person. Beyond that, the mountain is also famous for its precious flora and fauna.
Preparation & Information
Language
Mount Sanqing is increasingly becoming a tourist hotspot. Although it has preserved its original character and local accents remain unchanged, communicating in Mandarin poses no major obstacle.
Climate and Best Time to Visit
Mount Sanqing's average temperatures are not high, but the seemingly endless rain can dampen the mood of a trip. As a mountain destination with an alpine climate, autumn is the best time to visit, and it is also the season when the rarely seen Buddha's Light (佛光) appears frequently. Spring and summer are the peak travel seasons. During the rainy season, be sure to bring rain gear.
Things to see
Besides its beautiful mountain scenery, Mount Sanqing is home to many centuries-old trees. The “Sister Pines” on the Tianmen cliff are over 400 years old, their branches and leaves intertwined and leaning against each other. The 500-year-old pine beside Qinghua Pool has a crown spanning 20 metres, with branches like claws that resemble a fierce beast.
Yujing Peak Scenic Area
At 1,819.9 metres above sea level, Yujing Peak is the highest summit on Mount Sanqing. Here you will find the ethereal Penglai Three Peaks, the steep plunge of Feixian Valley, and natural wonders such as sea of clouds, mist and sunrise. The local saying goes, "Without climbing Yujing Peak, you will miss the wonder of Sanqing." It is one of the best spots on the mountain for watching both sunrise and sunset.
3 hours
West Coast Scenic Area
The West Coast, also known as the West Sea Plank Walk, is the most thrilling section of Mount Sanqing. Along a cliff face about 1,600 metres above sea level, a plank walkway about 3,700 metres long and 2 metres wide juts out over the abyss. Running from Tiyun Ridge (梯云岭) in the south to Sanqing Palace in the north, it is the longest and most expansive suspended plank walkway on the mountain, and arguably among the longest and most open high-mountain cliff walkways in the world. Standing on the viewing gallery, you will feel as carefree as wandering the West Sea and as joyful as an immortal.
3 hours
Giant Python Emerging from the Mountain
The iconic landmark of Mount Sanqing. The Giant Python Emerging from the Mountain is a towering granite column formed by weathering and gravitational collapse. Several transverse cracks run across its body, yet after hundreds of millions of years of wind and rain, it still stands firm.
1–2 hours · Included in the Mount Sanqing scenic area ticket
Getting there & around
Getting There
Mount Sanqing is 78 km from Shangrao, so Shangrao is the necessary gateway to the mountain. To visit Mount Sanqing, you can first take a train to Shangrao in Jiangxi and then travel into the mountains by bus from Shangrao, or change buses at the Yushan county bus station. Another option is to take a long-distance bus that runs directly from Nanchang to Shangrao.
By Train
To visit Mount Sanqing by train, you can travel to Shangrao or to Yushan Station within Shangrao prefecture. Although getting off at Yushan is closest to Mount Sanqing, most trains passing through Yushan are slow trains.
By Road
After arriving at Shangrao or Yushan Station by train, take a bus into the Mount Sanqing scenic area.
From Yushan: Minibuses run directly from Yushan Bus Station to Mount Sanqing. The fare is ¥15, with departures daily at 17:00.
From Shangrao: There are three ways to get to Mount Sanqing from Shangrao.
1. Buses run daily from Shangrao Passenger Transport Center to Sanqing Mountain South (the South Cable Car). Departures are at 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:30, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 16:00. The journey takes about 2 hours, and the fare is ¥27.
2. Buses to the eastern part of Mount Sanqing (Jinsha Cable Car Station) depart from the Fortune Wanda Jiahua Hotel. Departures are at 9:00, 10:30, 12:30, 13:30, 15:00 and 16:00 daily. The journey takes about 2 hours, and the fare is ¥18.
3. One bus to Yushan leaves Shangrao East Station daily at 7:25. The journey takes about 1 hour and the fare is ¥14. From Yushan, you can transfer to Mount Sanqing.
By Air
The nearest airport to Mount Sanqing is Quzhou Airport in Zhejiang Province, and the trip from the airport to Mount Sanqing takes only 1.5 hours.
Shangrao Railway Station
Shangrao Railway Station- Address:
- Lingxi Town, Xinzhou District, Shangrao City
- Phone:
- 0793-8238366
- Getting there:
- Take bus No. 7, 17 or 19 directly from the city centre
Eat & drink
The flavours here are much like Jiangxi home cooking. For people from Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu, the food is a little spicier and saltier, and the prices are a bit higher.
Local Snacks and Specialties
Huangjin Tea (Golden Tea)
Local Snacks and SpecialtiesThe name was personally bestowed by the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty. Legend has it that when Qianlong toured south and visited Mount Sanqing, he drank a tea with a sweet, crisp and fragrant flavour that lingered in his memory. After returning to the palace, he could not forget it, so he spent 10,000 taels of gold to send people to Jiangxi. After great hardship they found the tea, and it was named Huangjin Tea. The tea relieves summer heat and can also treat colds.
Stir-Fried Sweet Potato and Pork Slices
Local Snacks and SpecialtiesA very homely dish that many people who have visited Mount Sanqing unanimously recommend.
Sanqing Flavour
Local Snacks and SpecialtiesDelicious farmhouse cooking. The “one chicken, two dishes” serving gives you a chicken dish plus a very flavourful chicken soup.
- Address:
- On the commercial street 20 metres to the left of the main entrance of the Waishuang Hilton Hotel, southern Mount Sanqing scenic area
- Phone:
- 13097376016/15350153353
Sanqing Mountain Folk Restaurant
Local Snacks and SpecialtiesA wide variety of dishes in generous portions. The fish in the fish soup is killed to order, so it is very fresh.
- Address:
- Diagonally opposite Kaiyuan Resort Hotel (ground floor of Banshan Guesthouse)
- Phone:
- 13755336222
Where to stay
Both Yushan county town and Mount Sanqing offer accommodation at a range of standards. In general, room rates in the county town are somewhat lower, but if you want to see the sunrise, you'll need to stay in the mountains. Mount Sanqing has around 10 mountain villas and hotels, all with fairly good accommodation.
Sanqing Jinxiu Villa
Recommended AccommodationSanqing Jinxiu Villa is located at Pingxi Service Area on the mountain ring road, right next to Shenxian Ganshi (Immortal Driving Stones), a gateway attraction in the southern part of the Mount Sanqing scenic area.
- Address:
- At the starting point of the mountain ring road in the southern Mount Sanqing scenic area
- Phone:
- 0793-5295373
Sanqing Rishang Villa
Recommended AccommodationHere you can enjoy the pleasure of “lying in bed and gazing at the mountains.” The huge viewing platform overlooks many of the surrounding scenic highlights.
- Address:
- Located inside the core Mount Sanqing scenic area
- Phone:
- 0793-2189377
Sanqing Yunju Inn
Recommended AccommodationAn elegant, comfortable place to stay, conveniently located for sightseeing, with a warm and friendly owner and landlady.
- Address:
- Jinsha Service Area, eastern Mount Sanqing
- Phone:
- 13767306246
Day trips & beyond
Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 1469–1478. Translated from the Chinese edition; names and prices follow the guidebook. · Plain text version