# Jiuhua Mountain travel guide (九华山) Anhui Province · East China, China · 6 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/anhui/jiuhua-mountain ## Quick itinerary - **Day 1:** Huatai Scenic Area (take the cable car up the mountain and walk the elevated plank path, with a distant view of Feilai Peak) → Tiantai Scenic Area (Lotus Peak, Guanyin Peak, etc.) → Minyuan Scenic Area (bamboo sea, Wenshu Cave) → Baisui Palace → Jiuhua Street (watch the night temple activities, stay overnight) - **Day 2:** Jiuhua Street Scenic Area (mainly temples, including Roushen Baodian Hall and Huacheng Temple) → Ganlu Temple ## The feel of the place - **One of the Four Great Buddhist Mountains:** Mount Jiuhua, together with Mount Emei, Mount Wutai and Mount Putuo, is known as one of China's Four Great Buddhist Mountains, and is the place of practice of Bodhisattva Dizang (Kshitigarbha) in Buddhism. As soon as you enter Mount Jiuhua, you can feel its rich Buddhist atmosphere, most immediately from the temples found at nearly every step and the lively incense-offering. Apart from the incense and the devout pilgrims, however, the scenery here is no less impressive, and compared with Huangshan, each has its own distinct charm. - **"Free" Guides:** On Mount Jiuhua you will meet many "free" guides, and visitors who cannot tell them apart can easily be steered into spending money on food, lodging and shopping. Visitors should, first, be on guard against being cheated, and, second, not haggle over it, so that it does not spoil the mood of the trip. ## The feel of the place ### Free Shuttle Bus with Entry Ticket With a Mount Jiuhua entry ticket, you can ride the scenic area shuttle buses to each attraction free of charge. The ticket is valid for 3 days. ### Buddhist Origins Buddhism has a long history on Mount Jiuhua, arriving in the Jin dynasty and flourishing in the Tang dynasty. During the Kaiyuan era of the Tang, the eminent monk Kim Gyo-gak (Jin Qiaojue) from the Kingdom of Silla (present-day South Korea) crossed the sea to Mount Jiuhua to practise. He was regarded as a reincarnation of Bodhisattva Dizang, and after his death, Mount Jiuhua was designated as the place of practice of Bodhisattva Dizang in Buddhism. - tip: The Clouds, Mists and Winds of Mount Jiuhua 1. Spring clouds on Mount Jiuhua differ from those on Huangshan. Tiantai Platform is an excellent vantage point for the sea of clouds, and other spots include Baisui Palace, Shenguang Ridge and Little Tiantai. Be sure to see the fog as well: the peaks drift in and out of view, with the dreamlike beauty of Penglai, the mythical immortal isle. 2. Mount Jiuhua is also famous for its winds. May is the season when strong gusts are most likely. When the wind rolls through the valleys, listening to the rustling of the pines and watching the bamboo groves surge makes for a memorable experience. ### Preparation and Information ### Language Mandarin is widely spoken here, so communication is no problem. ### Climate and Best Travel Seasons Mount Jiuhua can be visited year-round, but spring and autumn are its most beautiful seasons. Mount Jiuhua's annual average temperature is 13.4°C. Sunshine hours are short and rainy, overcast weather is common. In winter, temperatures in most areas stay below 0°C, and the mountain remains frozen for long periods. ## Getting there & around ### Getting There Mount Jiuhua currently has no direct flights or trains, but shuttle buses run to Jiuhua from surrounding areas, so access is fairly convenient. ### By Air Jiuhua Airport is a regional tourist airport, currently offering scheduled flights mainly to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou. At the airport you can purchase a "one-ticket pass" that includes Mount Jiuhua scenic area admission and transport within the scenic area. ### By Train To reach Jiuhua by train, the usual route is via Chizhou Railway Station (池州火车站). From the station, take the Chijiu Line (池九线) bus from the long-distance bus terminal. The final stop is Jiuhua, about 50 minutes away. Transfer there to scenic area buses. Chizhou Railway Station is about 50 km from Jiuhua. A taxi to Jiuhua costs around ¥100 and takes about 1 hour. ### By Road Jiuhua Bus Station is located on Kecun Xinjie (柯村新街). Buses run to Tongling, Anqing, Wuhu, Nanjing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Huangshan, Chizhou, Qingyang and other destinations. To Shanghai: departs 7:00; journey 6 hours; fare ¥140–150. To Hefei: departures from 7:00 to 16:50, every 2 hours; journey 3 hours; fare ¥88. To Tangkou (Huangshan Scenic Area): departs 9:30 and 13:10; journey 3 hours; fare ¥58. ### Getting Around the Scenic Area There are three ways to go up the mountain: hiking, porter-carried sedan chairs, or cable car. ### Beware of Fake Temples and Fake Monks Pilgrims arrive from every direction with deep devotion to this sacred Buddhist site, but along the way up, a few bogus temples have appeared. Burly "monks" flag down vehicles by the roadside and lead visitors into their temples, then demand money. Please stay alert, or hire a licensed guide. ### Sedan Chairs Porter-carried sedan chairs provide return transfers between Jiuhua Street and Minyuan, between Minyuan and the Baijingtai cable car, and along all sightseeing routes. ### Scenery Along the North Route 1. Entering by the north route, you will pass the Wuxi Jiuhua Mountain Gate (五溪九华山门坊), one of the Ten Ancient Scenes of Jiuhua, known as "Five Creeks and Mountain Colours" (五溪山色). From here, head south up Mount Jiuhua to the main gate. 2. Key sights: Six Springs Well (六泉井), Erseng Hall (二圣殿), Liuyi Bridge (六一桥), Taoya Waterfall (桃崖瀑布), Ganlu Temple (甘露寺), Longchi Waterfall (龙池瀑布), the Mountain Gate (山门), and more. ### Mount Jiuhua and Li Bai The poet Li Bai visited Mount Jiuhua three times. On his second ascent he composed the line "Subtle essence divides into two breaths; the spirit mountain opens as Jiuhua" (妙有分二气，灵山开九华), from the famous linked verse "Renaming Mount Jiuzi as Mount Jiuhua" (《改九子山为九华山联句》). The mountain's name comes from this. On his third visit, he wrote "Gazing at Jiuhua, Presented to Wei Zhongkan of Qingyang" (《望九华赠青阳韦仲堪》). - **Customer Service** — - **Ticket Booking** — - **To Hangzhou** — Departs 7:00; journey 6.5 hours; fare ¥125. ## Eat & drink Vegetarian food is a must-try on Mount Jiuhua, although chicken, duck, fish and meat dishes are also available. Stone ear fungus and bamboo shoots from the mountain are prized tonic ingredients, and no restaurant menu is complete without "Jiuhua Three Ears" (wood ear, stone ear and silver ear fungus). Another plant worth mentioning is huangjing (Polygonatum): legend says Bodhisattva Dizang often ate it. It tastes sweet and resembles ginger in shape, but is larger. ## Shopping Jiuhua ice ginger, cloud-mist tea ("Jiuhua Maofeng", "Dizang Quecha" and "Dongya Quecha" are the most famous), folding fans and huangjing are all excellent local specialties. Some, such as folding fans, were once imperial tributes. As a Buddhist pilgrimage site, Jiuhua also offers items you should not miss: scented sachets, Buddhist bowls, prayer beads, wooden fish and other religious keepsakes. ## Where to stay Although Mount Jiuhua isn't as famous as Huangshan, finding a place to stay is no worry at all, as its facilities are far better than you might imagine. Jiuhua Street is the mountain's central thoroughfare, much like Guling Town on Mount Lu. The street is narrow, but banks, the public security bureau, schools, cinemas, hospitals and everything else you need are all here. - tip: All major temples have guest rooms for pilgrims and visitors, with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals available, so you can choose freely and comfortably. ### Winter Closure for Maintenance The West Sea Grand Canyon scenic area closes for maintenance every winter, from December to March. Exact reopening dates vary, so please follow the scenic area's official notices. ### Don't Bring an Umbrella to Huangshan Huangshan's weather changes constantly, alternating between sunshine and rain. The mountain is high and windy, so umbrellas are a bad idea; they could easily carry you away along with them. Bring a raincoat before you climb, or buy one at the foot of the mountain. If you wait until it rains on the summit, the price will surprise you greatly. - tip: Descend Huangshan in a "Z" ### Pattern The paths up Huangshan are steep and precipitous. When climbing, lean your body forward and don't go too fast. When descending, take it especially slowly. Zigzagging down in a "Z" pattern saves effort. ### Where to Camp Mountain lodgings are not very clean and are fairly expensive. During Huangshan's fire-danger season, camping is prohibited in many places. - **Julong Hotel** — Located on Mount Jiuhua, it is one of the first batch of Red Star hotels in Anhui Province. (50 m northeast of the Jiuhua Mountain ticket checkpoint, 0566-2571888) - **Dongya Guesthouse** — Located in the heart of Jiuhua Street within the Mount Jiuhua Scenic Area, this is Mount Jiuhua's upscale hotel. (No. 8, Huacheng Road, Mount Jiuhua Scenic Area, 0566-2831370) ## Things to see - **Ganlu Temple Scenic Area** (★★★): Time needed 1 hour — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/ganlu-temple-scenic-area - **Zhantan Lin Temple** (★★★): Admission Included in the Jiuhua Mountain scenic area ticket; Time needed 2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/zhantan-lin-temple - **Jiuhua Street Scenic Area** (★★★): Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/jiuhua-street-scenic-area - **Shuangxi Temple** (★★★): Time needed 1 hour — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/shuangxi-temple - **Tiantai Scenic Area** (★★★): — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/tiantai-scenic-area - **Baisui Palace** (★★★): Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/baisui-palace --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 1300–1309. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.