Shennong Mountain Scenic Area
To find out just how beautiful the 'Beauty Pine' is, you must visit Shennong Mountain. Nearly 16,000 white crane pines grow on sheer cliff tops,…
Shennong Mountain Scenic Area, Yuntai Mountain
Key facts
- Admission
- ¥65; cable car ¥70 (full route)
- Opening hours
- 8:00—18:00
- Time needed
- 1 day
- Getting there
- Direct shuttle buses run from Jiaozuo Tourist Bus Central Station and from Qinyang urban area
- Guidebook rating
- 4 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 2116. Open in Google Maps
About Shennong Mountain Scenic Area
To find out just how beautiful the 'Beauty Pine' is, you must visit Shennong Mountain. Nearly 16,000 white crane pines grow on sheer cliff tops, forming a 'Dragon Ridge Great Wall' that is quite spectacular from afar. This is where Emperor Yan, Shennong, is said to have distinguished the hundred grains and tasted the hundred herbs, so the mountain holds many precious medicinal herbs. A saying still circulates: 'One trip through Shennong Valley, and even illness cures itself.'
Tips from the guidebook
- Take a cable car up the mountain: there are two cable cars, the Shennong Mountain Sightseeing Cable Car (Fuxi Hall → Heavenly Gate) and the Sliver of Sky Cable Car (Baisongling Scenic Area). Riding up by cable car saves you from being too exhausted to enjoy the scenery after climbing the 1,028-metre-high peak.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Shennong Mountain Scenic Area cost?
Admission to Shennong Mountain Scenic Area is ¥65; cable car ¥70 (full route), as listed in the 2025 guidebook. Prices can change; check the official channel before you go.
What are the opening hours of Shennong Mountain Scenic Area?
Shennong Mountain Scenic Area is open 8:00—18:00.
How do I get to Shennong Mountain Scenic Area?
Direct shuttle buses run from Jiaozuo Tourist Bus Central Station and from Qinyang urban area
How long should I spend at Shennong Mountain Scenic Area?
Plan on 1 day for Shennong Mountain Scenic Area.
Where is Shennong Mountain Scenic Area?
Shennong Mountain Scenic Area is in Yuntai Mountain, Henan Province, in the Central China of China. On the southern foot of the Taihang Mountains, 23 km northwest of Qinyang City
More places in Yuntai Mountain
Qingtian River
Daquan Lake is the highlight of Qingtian River. Here you can see northern pastoral scenery and feel the charm of southern waterside villages at the same time. Its middle section closely resembles the Wu Gorge, earning it the nickname 'Three Gorges of the North'. Inside the scenic area, Jinjialing Ridge turns a sea of red every autumn, arguably the finest autumn foliage in the Central Plains, and the thousand-year-old Yueshan Temple holds plaques and couplets bestowed by Emperor Qianlong, which are well worth seeing.
¥70; boat ticket ¥90 (full route); cable car ¥80 (full route) · 0.5–1 day
Yuntai Mountain
When people mention Yuntai Mountain, many different places north and south of the Yangtze may come to mind, but the one meant here is the Yuntai Mountain of the line 'Everyone has a sprig of cornel in their hair but one', and the main production area of the famous 'Yuntai landform'.
¥120; sightseeing shuttle ¥60 · 1–3 days
Chenjiagou Village
World-famous tai chi originated in this small village called Chenjiagou, and martial arts film star Jet Li once came here specifically to observe tai chi. The village has the Museum of Tai Chi Masters Through the Ages, the Chenjiagou Martial Arts Hall, and the site where Yang Luchan learned boxing. The Chenjiagou Site has also yielded a Western Zhou-period tomb complex and a variety of artefacts.
¥30 · 2–3 hours
Jiaozuo Film and Television City
The city's style is set against the backdrops of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the Qin and Han dynasties, and the Three Kingdoms. TV dramas and films such as 'Diao Chan', 'Qu Yuan', 'Cao Cao and Cai Wenji' and 'The Great Qin Empire' were all filmed here.
¥35; boat ticket ¥30; eco-sightseeing shuttle ¥5 one way; cable car up ¥30, down ¥30, round trip ¥60 · 4–5 hours
Hongshi Gorge
The most beautiful and most breathtaking part of Yuntai Mountain is Hongshi Gorge, where red rocks are scattered throughout the deep, secluded canyon. 'Stunning' is no exaggeration; the scenery is so dense it can take your breath away.
Zifang Lake
The name sounds elegant, and the scenery has an artistic flair. The lake is half shaded and half sunlit: one side glitters with golden light while the other is clear and emerald green. At midday the lake surface acts like a giant mirror, reflecting the direct sunlight back out and dazzling the eye.