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Jiuhua Mountain, formerly known as "Jiuzi Mountain", was renamed "Jiuhua Mountain" because its nine peaks resemble nine naturally carved lotus flowers. Therefore, the great Tang Dynasty writer Li Bai changed the name of "Jiuzi Mountain" to "Jiuhua Mountain", and since then Jiuhua Mountain has become very famous.
The great poet Liu Yuxi also praised Mount Jiuhua highly, saying that it has "strange peaks that startle the soul at first sight", "nine peaks competing for beauty, with strange spirits", "the most amazing thing in the world", and "a stunner that combines the beauty of Taishan, Huayue, Nüji and Jingshan in one".
Jiuhua Mountain is so majestic that it is known as the "No. 1 Mountain in Southeast China". It has a rich Buddhist culture and is a newly-designated World Geopark. Would you like to come and visit it?
Located in Qingyang County, Chizhou City, Anhui Province, it borders Taiping Lake and Mount Huangshan. Major transportation hubs include Chizhou Station, Tongling Station, and Chizhou Jiuhuashan Airport. Detailed transportation information is available in the Jiuhuashan Practical Information section.
One of the four famous mountains of Chinese Buddhism, the dojo of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
The four famous Buddhist mountains are: Mount Wutai in Shanxi - the dojo of Manjushri Bodhisattva; Mount Putuo in Zhejiang - the dojo of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva; Mount Emei in Sichuan - the dojo of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva; and Mount Jiuhua in Anhui - the dojo of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
The Jiuhuashan Scenic Area Management Committee oversees two scenic areas: the 5A-rated Jiuhuashan Scenic Area and the 4A-rated Dayuan Cultural Park. For detailed itineraries, see [How to Visit Jiuhuashan].
Jiuhua Street is a mountain basin with an average altitude of about 640 meters. It is home to thousands of years of Buddhist temples, important temples, hotels, and old street shops. It mainly includes three routes:
(1) Along Jiuhua Street: No need to climb mountains, including Huacheng Temple, Jiyuan Temple, Sandalwood Forest (Dabei Tower), Tonghui Zen Forest, etc., about 3-4 hours
(2) Along the Baisui Palace route: You need to climb the mountain. It is located at Chaxiao Peak (871 meters above sea level). It includes Baisui Palace, Dongya Zen Temple, Huixiang Pavilion, etc. The round trip on foot takes about 3 hours. You can save 1 hour by taking the cable car. The Ganquan Road route is located in the north of Chaxiao Peak. The Guanyin Cave and Tiger Cave are relatively remote and back-to-back. You need to go around a big circle. Although it takes time, it is worth going. In front of Guanyin Cave, you can overlook the winding mountain road. The Ganquan Road route takes another 2 hours.
(3) Along the Flesh Hall Route: You need to climb the mountain, located in Shenguangling (700 meters above sea level), including the Flesh Hall, Upper Zen Hall, Jingjie Jingshe, Small Terrace, etc., about 2-3 hours
Starting from Jiuhua Street, there are famous temples such as Tiantai Temple and Baijingtai (reachable by cable car) on the mountain, as well as some natural scenery. There are nunneries and ancient Phoenix pines at the foot of the mountain.
It takes two to three hours to reach the top of the mountain and two hours to reach the foot of the mountain. The process of going up and down only takes more than ten minutes by cable car, while it takes three to four hours to walk up the mountain.
Huatai Scenic Area is a typical granite terrain alpine scenic area with magnificent natural scenery. It is mainly for viewing strange peaks and rocks. There are high-altitude plank roads built in the scenic area, but no temples.
There's no hiking trail from the Huatai Cableway Station to the Huatai Scenic Area. To reach the Huatai Scenic Area on foot, you'd have to hike four to five hours from the Tiantai Scenic Area. It's generally recommended to take the cableway down the mountain to and from the Huatai Scenic Area. The round trip, including the sightseeing tour, takes about three hours.
This scenic area is free and is also known as the 99-meter Ksitigarbha Statue Scenic Area or the Jiuhua Giant Buddha Scenic Area. Hongyuan Hall within the park requires a separate ticket of 99 yuan.
(1) If you are going to Jiuhua Mountain to worship Buddha and return on the same day, you should go directly to Jiuhua Street, the core scenic area of Jiuhua Mountain. The main temples, hotels, and old street shops are all here.
1) Jiuhua Street Route: Chandanlin (Dabei Tower) - Tonghui Zen Forest - Mingong Zen Temple (God of Wealth Hall) - Jiyuan Temple (2 hours);
2) Flesh Relic Hall Route: Huacheng Temple - North Gate, Ksitigarbha Temple, Flesh Relic Hall - Small Terrace - Upper Zen Hall - Jingjie Jingshe (3 hours);
3) Baisui Palace Route: Baisui Palace, God of Wealth Hall, Hall of Five Hundred Arhats, Flying Guanyin Hall – Natural Sleeping Buddha Observation Deck – Dongya Zen Temple – Huixiang Pavilion, Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda (3 hours).
4) If you are a fast walker, you can also take Jiuhua Street and the Flesh Body Hall, then go to Dongya Zen Temple and return to the vicinity of Huacheng Temple, that is, you do not go to Baisui Palace.
If you have a full day, you can take a large loop, namely: Huacheng Temple - Flesh Body Hall - Upper Zen Hall - Small Terrace - Huixiang Pavilion - Dongya Temple - Baisui Palace - Gion Temple - Mingong Temple - Tonghui Zen Forest - Sandalwood Forest. You only need to go up and down the mountain once, and the rest of the time you are basically walking on flat roads.
(1) If you stay one night in Jiuhua Mountain, it is recommended to stay on Jiuhua Street for convenience. On the first day, you can refer to the one-day tour itinerary. On the second day, you can go to Tiantai Scenic Area, Huatai Scenic Area, or Dayuan Cultural Park to visit the 99-meter statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
A Huatai Scenic Area
Take the scenic shuttle bus from the Tourist Service Center to the Huatai Cableway Station - take the Huatai Mountaintop Small Loop Line - and take the cableway down the mountain.
B Tiantai Scenic Area
Starting from Jiuhua Street, take the scenic bus to Fenghuangsong, hike or take the cable car to Tiantai Peak, take the mountaintop small loop, visit Taiji Cave, visit Lion Peak, and then go down the mountain to Jiuhua Street.
C Tourists with ample time and strong stamina can also consider the Rooftop-Flower Terrace route, but be sure to pay attention to safety.
Take the scenic bus from Jiuhua Street to Fenghuangsong, then take the cable car or walk to Tiantai, then Xiaohuatai, then take the Huatai cable car down the mountain, then take the scenic bus to the scenic area service center or Jiuhua Street.
D1 Refer to the one-day tour itinerary and stay at Jiuhua Street
D2 Visit Tiantai Scenic Area and stay at Jiuhua Street or Ke Village
D3 Playing Flower Terrace + Dayuan Cultural Center
Jiuhuashan Grand Entrance Ticket: 160 yuan/person (half-price admission for those under 18, over 60, students, and teachers with ID; free admission for those under 6, over 65, the disabled, active military personnel, disabled military personnel, and retired military personnel with ID. The price is reduced to 140 yuan during the off-season, from November 15th to January 15th each year. There are no special offers, no internal prices, and no online discounts, so beware of scams);
Baisuigong Cable Car: 100 yuan/person for round trip (80 yuan in the off-season, you can choose to take a single trip for 55 yuan or hike back and forth);
Tiantai Cableway: Round trip 160 yuan/person (120 yuan in the off-season. Unless you love mountaineering and have excellent physical strength, it is recommended to buy a round-trip ticket);
Huatai Cable Car: 160 yuan/person for a round trip (120 yuan in the off-season. This is a high mountain scenic area. There is no road leading from the cable car station. You have to walk from the rooftop, which is the Tiantai-Huatai crossing route, which takes about five hours).
Admission to Dayuan Cultural Park is free, while admission to the Hongyuan Hall in the park is 99 yuan per person and discounted tickets are 49 yuan per person.
Jiuhua Mountain Scenic Area bus ticket: 50 yuan/person (a pass that allows one round trip to each scenic area. No need to purchase if you drive yourself, but parking fee is 40 yuan/day and night);
Battery car in Dayuan Cultural Park: 30 yuan/person (pass, valid for one round trip);
1) Trains and high-speed trains – Chizhou Station and Tongling Station
A. Chizhou Station - Exit Chizhou Station and the Chizhou Bus Terminal is next to it.
There is also a free direct bus to Jiuhua Street from the exit of Chizhou Station. However, you will need to purchase a 50-yuan ticket for the Jiuhua Mountain Scenic Area's internal tour bus. You will also be asked to purchase your Jiuhua Mountain ticket on board. At the Jiuhua Mountain Tourist Service Center (Ke Village), transfer to the internal tour bus, where your onboard guide will lead you to the scenic area - Jiuhua Street. The last bus departs around 5:00 PM during peak season, and the return bus from the Jiuhua Mountain Tourist Service Center (Ke Village) leaves at 4:30 PM.
B Tongling Station/Tongling North Station - There are buses to Jiuhua Mountain from both stations, which run every half an hour. It is very convenient
2) Bus Station - Chizhou Bus Terminal
: Located next to Chizhou Station, Chizhou Bus Terminal
offers buses to the Jiuhuashan Tourist Service Center (Kecun). Buses depart hourly for 12 yuan. The last bus departs around 5:00 PM during peak season, and the return bus from the Jiuhuashan Tourist Service Center (Kecun) departs at 5:00 PM.
3) Jiuhuashan Long-distance Bus Station (Kecun)
Jiuhuashan Long-Distance Bus Station is located at the Jiuhuashan Tourist Service Center (Kecun). Buses depart from the station for Hefei, Shanghai, Ningbo, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, Anqing, Xuancheng, Tunxi, Huangshan, Qimen, Lu'an, Nanchang, and Tongling. Some buses depart from the station, while others depart from the station.
After arriving at the Jiuhuashan Tourist Service Center (Ke Village), you'll need to take the scenic area's internal tour bus to the scenic area.
The internal tour bus ticket is 50 yuan. This single round-trip bus trip includes three routes: Jiuhuashan Tourist Service Center (Ke Village) - Yingxian Bridge (Jiuhua Street) [approximately 14 kilometers of winding road], Jiuhuashan Tourist Service Center (Ke Village) - Huatai Cableway Station, and Huxing Mountain - Fenghuangsong [approximately 7.5 kilometers of winding road].
The last bus from Yingxian Bridge (Jiuhua Street) to Jiuhuashan Tourist Service Center (Ke Village) is at 5:30 PM.
There are three main accommodation options in Jiuhua Mountain.
First, stay on Jiuhua Street, which offers convenient living with numerous supermarkets, guesthouses, hotels, and B&Bs.
Second, stay at Fenghuangsong and the starting point of the Tiantai hiking trail, where most accommodation options are B&Bs.
Third, the Jiuhua Mountain Visitor Service Center (Ke Village) is located at the foot of the mountain, where there are many hotels but it's a bit more inconvenient to visit.
Tips:
1. Jiuhua Street has limited room availability. For weekends and long holidays, reservations must be made at least one week in advance. During the temple fair at the end of the seventh lunar month and during various Golden Week periods, reservations must be made ten days in advance. Hotels near the prime location of Chantanlin (Dabei Tower) are particularly tight. 2. When booking, ask about the distance to Chantanlin (Dabei Tower) or Huacheng Temple; hotels within 500 meters are generally convenient. 3. Hotel rates in the Jiuhua Street area are categorized into three types: weekday rates, weekend rates, and holiday rates. Weekend rates apply from Sunday to Thursday, weekend rates from Friday and Saturday, and holiday rates apply from the day before a long holiday to the day before the holiday.
There are many hotels and small restaurants in Qingyang County, Ke Village where the tourist service center is located, and Jiuhua Street, the core scenic area on the mountain. It is recommended to eat in these three places. It is not recommended to go to large hotels. It is more authentic and delicious to choose small restaurants with more characteristics.
Tips:
Jiuhuashan area is mainly based on Anhui cuisine from southern Anhui. Noodles and porridge are generally not provided for lunch and dinner. Anhui cuisine is generally salty and spicy. If you prefer a light taste, please tell the owner in advance.
1. What to bring
Bring some cash, mobile phone, bank card, ID card and other documents, bring thicker clothes, and do not wear leather shoes or high heels;
2. Book a room in advance
Be sure to book a room in a suitable location according to your itinerary before coming, especially the rooms on Jiuhua Street on the mountain, to avoid being out of room. When booking a room, be sure to ask how far it is from Huacheng Temple or Dabei Tower in the center of Jiuhua Street;
3. Pay attention to safety
Jiuhua Mountain's tour routes are all paved with stone slabs to prevent slipping and falling. It's best to take the cable car up and down the mountain. Pay special attention to safety when taking photos. Ask for the distance and time when touring. Don't blindly go to remote areas, as you can easily get lost.
4. Beware of fraud
The key to avoiding scams is simple: don't pay. If you're driving, don't bring anyone on board. They'll pretend to be hitchhikers like staff or monks and try to trick you into spending money. If you're traveling by bus, don't leave the bus and get into a private car. Don't buy incense or candles on the roadside. Don't burn incense or worship Buddha in temples before arriving at the Jiuhua Street scenic area.
1. When entering or leaving a temple, do not step on the threshold, stand or sit on it, or block the doorway.
2. Monks and nuns deeply respect Buddha statues and generally do not allow tourists to take photos or videos inside temple halls, fearing that you might carelessly place the photos around instead of enshrining them.
3. Do not make loud noises inside the temple, dress revealingly, use obscene language, or ask about the monks' private affairs.
4. Do not touch or strike the temple's instruments (bells, drums, wooden fish, chimes, wooden fish clappers, cloud boards, etc.).
5. Wash your hands before worshiping the Buddha. Incense should not be ordered "buy," but "please."
6. Walk around the museum in a clockwise direction.
