Mount Danxia, Guangdong: China Danxia Visitor Guide
Compare Mount Danxia's five visitor areas, red-bed landforms and cultural landmarks, and see how it fits into the China Danxia World Heritage property.
Contents
Mount Danxia lies in the northeast of Shaoguan in Guangdong and is the place that gave the Danxia landform its name.[1] Red sedimentary rock, lifted by uplift and carved by weathering and erosion, forms spectacular red cliffs, natural pillars, towers, ravines and valleys.[2] The name comes from a line describing rock as red as cinnabar and as bright as rosy clouds. More than 680 peaks of red sandstone and conglomerate fill the 292-square-kilometre scenic area, and the highest, Bazhai, reaches 619.2 m.[3]
Mount Danxia and the China Danxia property
China Danxia is a serial World Heritage property, not a single park. It has six components, Chishui, Taining, Langshan, Danxiashan, Longhushan and Jianglangshan, spread along a crescent-shaped arc about 1,700 km long from Guizhou in the west to Zhejiang in the east.[2] Mount Danxia (Danxiashan) is the Guangdong component, and it was listed as a World Natural Heritage site in August 2010.[3] See the UNESCO China Danxia listing for the formal property and geological background.
Things to Do
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Choose an area by interest
Mount Danxia has five visitor areas: Jinshi Yan-Changlao Peak, Yangyuan Stone-Ximeizhai-Tongtai Bridge, Xianglong Lake-Yinyuan Stone-Wolonggang, Water Danxia and Jinjiang Gallery.[4] The Yuedan road, about 46 km long, connects Shaoguan city with Renhua county along the park.[1][4] In 2023 the park had four gates, south, southwest, west and Dazhong.[1]
Changlao Peak is the choice for culture: the area around it has more than 130 cliff inscriptions and steles, and the mountain holds temples such as Biechuan Chan Temple, Jinshiyan Temple and Xianjuyan Taoist temple.[3] For river scenery, head for Jinjiang Gallery or Water Danxia. Boat trips on the Jinjiang Gallery and Water Danxia, a ferry on Xianglong Lake, shuttle buses between sites and a cable car were run as concessions in 2024.[4]
What to look for in the landscape
Look for the contrast between red cliffs and the dark green of subtropical broad-leaved evergreen forest that the rugged terrain has helped to conserve, together with the pillars, towers and ravines.[2] Teapot Peak is described as the world's largest natural purple-clay teapot.[4]
Plan your day
Pick one area per visit rather than trying all five, and choose the gate that serves it. Explore more destinations in the China travel guide.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China; article source: Guangdong Department of Culture and Tourism: 广东韶关以创建丹霞山国家公园助推旅游业强劲复苏. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
- [2] UNESCO World Heritage Centre: China Danxia. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
- [3] UNESCO International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST): 丹霞山世界地质公园. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
- [4] Shaoguan Danxia Mountain Management Committee (procuring authority named in document): 丹霞山景区锦江画廊游船等五个特许经营权授予项目竞争性磋商文件. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mount Danxia is in the northeast of Shaoguan in Guangdong.
It is a serial property of six components: Chishui, Taining, Langshan, Danxiashan, Longhushan and Jianglangshan. Mount Danxia is the Guangdong component, not the whole property.
Mount Danxia has five visitor areas: Jinshi Yan-Changlao Peak, Yangyuan Stone-Ximeizhai-Tongtai Bridge, Xianglong Lake-Yinyuan Stone-Wolonggang, Water Danxia and Jinjiang Gallery. Choose by the landscape or landmarks that interest you.
Changlao Peak. The area around it has more than 130 cliff inscriptions and steles, and the mountain holds temples such as Biechuan Chan Temple, Jinshiyan Temple and Xianjuyan Taoist temple.
Yes. The Jinjiang Gallery and Water Danxia areas are built around boat rides, and a ferry serves Xianglong Lake.
The scenic area covers 292 square kilometres and more than 680 red sandstone and conglomerate peaks. The highest, Bazhai, reaches 619.2 m.
Pick one area rather than trying all five. Choose Changlao Peak for cultural landmarks or Jinjiang Gallery for river scenery, and pick the gate that serves your area.
