Anhui Qiyun Mountain: A Seriously Underrated Taoist Secluded Immortal Mountain

⛰️Qiyun Mountain—Huangshan’s White Peak, a blessed land of caves and heavens. As one of China’s Four Great Taoist Mountains (alongside Wudang Mountain, Longhu Mountain, and Qingcheng Mountain), it boasts a long and rich Taoist history. The surprises here go beyond being a Taoist sacred site; it’s also a museum of cliff inscriptions carved into stone, a place visited twice by the famous explorer Xu Xiake, and an open-air geological exhibition area of Danxia landforms. The rocks formed 90 million years ago in the Cretaceous period stretch before your eyes, turning time into a scroll. The cliff inscriptions are directly carved onto these “exhibits”: over 500 cliff inscriptions and steles left by literati and Taoist believers throughout the ages, using the huge, flat, and hard red cliffs provided by the Danxia landforms.

🚗 Travel Tips
- Huangshan North → Qiyun Mountain: Taxi costs about 40 RMB/30 minutes, or take a tourist bus (40 minutes), or a public bus which takes over an hour.
⚠️ It’s recommended to drive yourself or take a taxi back for more flexibility!

🏔️ Hiking Highlights
1. Taoist culture overload: The incense at Taisu Palace and Yuxu Palace is booming, with surprises every few hundred meters!
2. Stunning Danxia landforms: Red cliffs and sea of clouds, every snap is wallpaper-worthy (unfortunately, I couldn’t capture even 1% of the beauty).
3. Cloud Sky Street: The ancient village of Yuehua Street looks like it’s floating in midair. Have a bowl of vegetarian noodles to recharge—super healing.
- Don’t overestimate your stamina! The full loop takes over 4 hours; beginners are advised to hike the highlights (True Immortal Cave → Sky Street → Yuxu Palace).
- Cable car one-way is 60 RMB. When pressed for time on the way down, I decisively paid for it—saved my knees.

✨ Summary: Qiyun Mountain is perfect for a travel route combined with deep Taoist immersion.

Post by MO. Gus 28 | Oct 20, 2025