Itinerary · 7 days · active
Shaolin and Taoist Mountains Circuit, 7 days
Central China's sacred mountain loop: Shaolin Temple on Song Shan, Mount Hua's vertiginous plank walk, and the Taoist pilgrimage site of Wudang Mountain.
Central China has a remarkable concentration of sacred mountains: Song Shan (嵩山) is the central of the five Confucian sacred mountains and home to Shaolin Temple; Hua Shan (华山) is the most physically dramatic of the five, with near-vertical granite ridges; Wudang Shan (武当山) in Hubei is the Taoist counterpart — the centre of the Wudang martial arts tradition. This seven-day circuit connects all three.
Day by day
Day 1 · zhengzhou
Arrival Zhengzhou, Yellow River excursion
Arrive Zhengzhou (郑州). Day trip to the Yellow River Scenic Area north of the city — viewpoints over the river from the loess plateau edge, and the Yandi and Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) mausoleum complex, marking the legendary origin point of Chinese civilisation.
Stay in: Zhengzhou.
Day 2 · dengfeng
Shaolin Temple, Dengfeng UNESCO heritage
Day trip or overnight to Dengfeng (登封). Shaolin Temple (少林寺) — the Tang-dynasty Buddhist monastery on Song Shan associated with the development of Chan (Zen) Buddhism and shaolin martial arts. The pagoda forest of 248 burial towers is architecturally significant. Dengfeng's UNESCO heritage cluster includes the Han dynasty observatory and the Ancient Academy.
Attractions: shaolin-temple, dengfeng-historic-monuments, song-shan-shaolin
Stay in: Dengfeng or Zhengzhou.
Bus or taxi Zhengzhou → Dengfeng, 1.5h.
Day 3 · luoyang
HSR to Luoyang, Longmen Grottoes
Morning HSR west to Luoyang (30 min). Longmen Grottoes (龙门石窟) — Tang-dynasty Buddhist carving site; the Fengxian Temple group with its 17m Vairocana Buddha is one of the finest large-scale religious sculptures in Asia. Luoyang water banquet dinner — a Henan speciality of successive soup courses.
Attractions: longmen-grottoes, white-horse-temple-luoyang
Stay in: Luoyang.
HSR Zhengzhou → Luoyang, 30 min, ¥50.
Day 4 · huashan
Train to Hua Shan station, mountain approach
Morning train east toward Xi'an and off at Hua Shan station. Hua Shan (华山) — the western of the five sacred mountains, with five peaks on a granite massif. Afternoon ascent via cable car to the North Peak. Overnight on the mountain for sunrise.
Attractions: huashan
Stay in: Hua Shan summit accommodation — basic but centrally placed.
Train Luoyang → Hua Shan, 2h.
Day 5 · huashan
Hua Shan South Peak, Plank Walk, descent
Dawn summit walk to the South Peak (2,154m) — the highest of the five Hua Shan peaks. Plank Walk (长空栈道) along a narrow ledge bolted to a near-vertical cliff face — safety harnesses available and mandatory. Descend via the steep east route. Train to Wuhan for Wudang connection.
Attractions: huashan
Stay in: Wuhan or Xi'an.
Train Hua Shan → Xi'an 1.5h, then HSR Xi'an → Wuhan 4h, ¥350.
Day 6 · wudang
Train to Wudang, Taoist mountain ascent
Arrive Wudang Mountain (武当山) from Wuhan. The Wudang complex — a Ming dynasty Taoist building group covering the full mountain, with the Golden Hall at the summit (1,612m). The Taoist martial art style wudang quan originated here. Pilgrims walk up; tourists take shuttle buses and cable cars.
Stay in: Wudang Mountain base.
HSR Wuhan → Danjiangkou/Wudang, 3h, ¥180.
Day 7 · wudang
Purple Cloud Temple, tai chi morning, departure
Early morning tai chi session run by the mountain's Taoist monks — open to visitors at the Purple Cloud Temple (紫霄宫). Full mountain walk to the southern complex. Depart via HSR back to Wuhan for flight connections.
HSR Wudang → Wuhan 3h; then flight WUH → Beijing or Shanghai.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥3500 |
| Mid-range | ¥8000 |
| Comfortable | ¥16000 |
Per person 7 days. Shaolin entry ¥100. Hua Shan cable car ¥160 one-way. Hua Shan Plank Walk ¥100 harness fee. Wudang ¥238 all-mountain ticket. Summit accommodation ¥100–300 per night.
Attractions covered