Laoshan Mountain in Qingdao is full of interest due to its unique scenery and long history, where tourists can experience Laozi’s Daoist temple, the mountains by the sea, and the natural Feng Shui treasure land. So, what are the must-visit attractions in Laoshan Mountain?
Travel Guide
There are five scenic areas in Laoshan Mountain: Taiqing Scenic Area, Jufeng Scenic Area, Huayan Scenic Area, Yangkou Scenic Area, and Jiushui Scenic Area.
1. Taiqing Scenic Area
The main attractions in the Taiqing Scenic Area include Taiqing Palace, Mingxia Cave, Shangqing Palace, and Longtan Waterfall. Laoshan Mountain is famous for its immortals, and the Taiqing Scenic Area is the core of Daoist culture, the origin of the immortal mountain. The main highlights of the Taiqing Scenic Area are Daoist culture and ancient trees and rare trees. While in the scenic area, you can hear tales and legends of immortal Daoists, see ancient relics and monuments, and experience ancient charm.
Tour route: Bashi River Square – Longtan Waterfall – Shangqing Palace – Mingxia Cave – Taiqing Cableway (or walk) – Taiqing Palace (reverse is also possible). The tour takes about four hours.
The Taiqing Scenic Area mainly has three scenic areas: Bashi River Area, Taiqing Palace Area, and Sea Tour Area.
2. Jufeng Scenic Area
Jufeng, commonly known as “Laoding”, with an altitude of 1133 meters, is the highest peak on the 18,000-kilometer coastline of mainland China. It is a mountain that dominates the sea, embracing all things. At an altitude of 800-900 meters around Jufeng, there is a mountain-looping tour road. Standing on most sections of the road, you can see the sea from afar, with the sky and sea blending seamlessly. There are eight mountain gates named after the eight trigrams of the Book of Changes on the loop road, corresponding to the eight surrounding mountain passes, a wonderful combination of nature’s grand creation and the thoughts of ancient sages. Laoshan Jufeng is the best choice for viewing the scenery from a high place, exercising, and praying for peace.
To visit Jufeng Scenic Area, you need to take a sightseeing bus up the mountain. Self-driving vehicles need to be parked in the Laoshan Tourist Service Center parking lot. After getting off the sightseeing bus, you can take two ways to get up the mountain: take the cableway or walk up the mountain. This section of the road takes about ten minutes by cableway and about an hour and a half on foot. The area near the cableway upper station, the Tiewadian ruins, is relatively steep. If you walk up the mountain, pay attention to safety.
3. Huayan Scenic Area
Huayan Scenic Area is located in the eastern part of Laoshan Scenic Area, south of Taiqing, north of Yangkou, west of Jufeng, and east of the sea. It is the only Buddhist scenic area in Laoshan Mountain. It mainly has famous attractions such as Huayan Temple, Narayana Cave, and Fahai Sculpture. Huayan Temple is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the sea to the east. It follows the terrain, is simple and elegant, and its asymmetrical layout is rare in Buddhist architecture. It is the ancestral home of Chinese Praying Mantis boxing.
Take a sightseeing bus from the Yangkou Scenic Area parking lot to the Huayan Scenic Area. The tour route: Faxian Square – Huazang Gate – Pagoda Courtyard – Huayan Temple – Yugu Stone – Narayana Cave. The whole tour takes about two and a half hours.
4. Yangkou Scenic Area
Yangkou Scenic Area is located in the northeastern part of Laoshan Scenic Area, with mountains and immortals behind it and the blue waves of the Yellow Sea in front of it. The scenery is characterized by Taiping Palace Daoist Temple and bay beaches. It has unique natural landscapes and a collection of cultural relics, with a long history and culture. Since ancient times, it has been known as a fairyland and a blessed land. The scenic area is famous for its eight scenic spots: Huagai Welcoming Guests, Sea Palace, Taiping Dawn Bell, Shifeng Binyi, Youlong Daojing, Xianshan Shoufeng, Qidong Mitian, and Tianyuan Lansheng. It is also famous for its leisure, summer resort, vacation, and entertainment destination.
After entering the scenic area, on the left is the cableway (it is recommended to take the cableway if you are not physically fit or are short on time, round trip 25 minutes, the upper station is near the Shouzi Peak. If you are taking a one-way trip, it is recommended to walk up and take the cableway down. You can enjoy the sea views from the cableway); on the right is the hiking tour route, the whole route is: Taiping Palace – Lion Peak – Youlong Cave – Xiantao – Shouzi Peak – Mitian Cave – Tianyuan. The whole tour takes about 2-3 hours.
5. Jiushui Scenic Area
Jiushui originates from the Tianyi Spring at an altitude of 1100 meters on the north side of Jufeng. It is the highest spring on Laoshan Mountain. Jiushui is also the upper reaches of Baisha River, the mother river of Laoshan Mountain. The area has a negative oxygen ion concentration of 42,000 per cubic centimeter, which is 20 times the national highest standard, making it a real “natural oxygen bar”. Jiushui is famous for its beautiful mountains and rivers, forming a natural gallery. “Every five steps you see a different scene, every ten steps you see a different world.” You can see lifelike anthropomorphic rocks everywhere. The clear water meanders, with flying snow of waves and jade-like water in the pools, changing endlessly. When you enter this natural gallery, you naturally become “people in the painting”.
Route: Guanlao Parking Lot – Wooden Walkway – Inner Three Waters – Wuji Pond – Lengcui Gorge – Qishui Chuilian – Guanpu Pavilion – Chaoyin Waterfall – Weizhu Observation Deck. Most of the main attractions, “Nine Waters and Eighteen Pools”, and various anthropomorphic rocks are concentrated on this route.
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