Mount Hua: West Peak Cableway and Walking Routes
Plan a Mount Hua visit: West Peak cableway facts, the classic walking route with times, the train from Xi'an and a night-climb checklist.
Photo: Jimmy Liu / Unsplash
Contents
Mount Hua, also known as Huashan, rises above Huayin in Shaanxi and is one of China's most dramatic climbs. You can go up on foot, through gorges and along ridges to the peaks, or ride the West Peak cableway almost to the top. Many visitors combine the two: walk up, then ride down.
What the West Peak cableway connects
The West Peak cableway has its lower station at Donggoukou in Wengyu, a middle station at Baique Temple in Xianyu and an upper station in a cliff chamber south of West Peak. The line is 4,211 m long with a height difference of 894 m, and its cabins carry 8 people each. The ride takes 18 minutes to the main peak area, with views along the way. It opened in April 2013.[1]
Things to Do
Offers are only loaded from GetYourGuide after you click. GetYourGuide can then process your IP address and set cookies. Privacy Policy
GetYourGuide partner offers. GoAsia may earn a commission if you book through these offers. Check whether tickets or transfers are included, and follow the attraction's official booking and admission rules.
Getting to Huashan from Xi'an
High-speed G trains run from Xi'an North to Huashan North in about 28 minutes, with second-class tickets at around 56 to 60 yuan (timetable of 16 October 2026). Slow trains take about 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours and cost much less.[2] Allow time for the transfer from the station to the scenic area.
The classic walking route
The ropeway company's route guide of July 2024 lays out the walking climb from the foot of the mountain: Yuquan Courtyard, Huashan Gate, First Gate, Thousand-Foot Gorge and Hundred-Foot Gorge to North Peak. This stretch takes about 4 hours and covers 12.5 km. From North Peak you continue over Azure Dragon Ridge and Golden Lock Pass to East Peak, about 3 hours and 6 km further, and many climbers stay overnight at East Peak to watch the sunrise.[3]
From East Peak the guide continues past Yaozi Fanshen to South Peak, then along the Changkong plank road to West Peak and Central Peak, and finishes with the West Peak cableway for an easy descent.[3] Yaozi Fanshen and the plank road are exposed side routes: treat them as separate stops, and ask at the visitor centre whether they are open on your day.
Plan the day
If you want to save your legs, ride the cableway up and walk down, or walk up and ride down. If you choose the full climb, plan an overnight ascent or an early start, and leave time for your own pace.
For a sunrise on the summit, the ropeway company lists sunrise at 06:34 to 06:59 in October and at 05:32 to 05:50 in July. Bring a jacket for the wait at East Peak, gloves for the chains and handrails, trekking poles if your knees need them, and 3 to 4 bottles of water plus chocolate or other food. A 40-litre backpack is enough.[3]
Check current mountain admission, cableway fares, hours and weather-related closures with the Huashan scenic area and the ropeway company before you go. For more trip ideas in China, see our China travel guide.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] Shaanxi Taihua Tourism Ropeway and Highway Co., Ltd.: 陕西太华旅游索道公路有限公司-公司简介. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [2] China Railway (12306): 12306 ticket search: Xi'an North to Huashan North, 16 October 2026. Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [3] Shaanxi Taihua Tourism Ropeway and Highway Co., Ltd.: 华山徒步+夜爬24开放！这份攻略请收好！(27 July 2024). Retrieved October 21, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mount Hua, also called Huashan, is in Huayin in Shaanxi, China, a short high-speed train ride from Xi'an.
A lower station at Donggoukou in Wengyu, a middle station at Baique Temple in Xianyu and an upper station in a cliff chamber south of West Peak. The ride to the main peak area takes 18 minutes.
No. The walking route climbs from Yuquan Courtyard through the gorges to North Peak and on across the peaks. The cableway takes you to West Peak in 18 minutes, and many climbers use it to come down.
The ropeway company's July 2024 guide gives about 4 hours and 12.5 km from Yuquan Courtyard to North Peak, then about 3 hours and 6 km from North Peak to East Peak.
No. They are separate stops. Ask at the visitor centre whether each is open on your day before you build your route around either.
High-speed G trains run from Xi'an North to Huashan North in about 28 minutes, with second-class fares of around 56 to 60 yuan on the timetable of 16 October 2026.
A 40-litre backpack, an extra jacket for the wait at East Peak, gloves, trekking poles if you need them, and 3 to 4 bottles of water with some food.
