Lingtong Mountain in Zhangzhou｜I took my 5-year-old to climb it! Family-friendly guide included

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Unexpectedly, in Pinghe, Zhangzhou, there’s Lingtong Mountain, a hidden gem perfect for hiking with kids! The entire route is shaded by greenery, cool and not sunny, and you might even encounter little squirrels along the way. We brought our 5-year-old, played and explored as we went, and completed the whole route without any stress! Here’s a detailed guide for everyone👇

🚗 Navigation: For self-driving, set your destination to "Qingyun Hotel" (parking here makes the climb easier)
💰 Cost: Entrance ticket 20 RMB/person, parking fee 10 RMB (ticket office is halfway up the mountain; buy your ticket there before driving further up)

🧗‍♀️ Easy family route (about 6 hours total):
1⃣️ Qingyun Hotel — 2⃣️ Qingyun Temple — 3⃣️ Tongtian Platform (has a viewing deck with beautiful scenery) — 4⃣️ Lingtong Rock (make wishes and pray) — 5⃣️ Pantao Cave (⚠️ Best photo spot on the mountain! This section is more natural and you can enjoy panoramic views of the Hanging Temple) — 6⃣️ Return the same way down 🔚

🔔 Tips:
1. After enjoying the view at Tongtian Platform, you need to backtrack a bit before following signs to Lingtong Rock
2. The mountain road has many winding turns; drive slowly and carefully for safety

🎒 Must-have items:
1. Hiking poles, non-slip shoes, umbrella, and extra clothes for kids (to change if they sweat)
2. Bring enough food and water, such as instant noodles (hot water is available on the mountain) and other snacks
3. Bring 7 coins (there’s a wishing wall where you can toss coins and make wishes [smile])
4. Others as needed

We started from Xiamen Island, about 2.5 hours away. We began climbing at 10 AM and headed back to Xiamen at 4 PM, about 6 hours total. With a kid, we took it slow, played along the way, had lunch on the mountain, and rested in a pavilion while enjoying the view—the actual hiking intensity was not high.

On the whole route we took, only the stairs leading to Lingtong Rock were a bit more challenging; the rest was “very easy” according to our 5-year-old! Just a reference for you all👌

On this trip, we also met some adorable squirrels 🐿️ and found “dancing seeds”—so magical!! Lingtong Mountain in Zhangzhou is densely vegetated, shaded all the way, cool and not sunny, making it perfect for hiking with kids~