Mount Sanqingshan, Jiangxi: Granite Peaks and Walking Routes
Explore Mount Sanqingshan in Jiangxi: UNESCO-listed granite peaks and pillars, scenic areas to compare, cableways and a one- or two-day plan.
Contents
Mount Sanqingshan rises in northeastern Jiangxi, a World Heritage property of 22,950 hectares around 1,817 m Mount Huaiyu. The draw is the rock: 48 granite peaks and 89 granite pillars, many shaped like human or animal figures, standing in dense forest. Mist, bright halos on the clouds and white rainbows keep changing the scene, and forests, lakes, springs and waterfalls up to 60 m high fill the gaps between the stone. Suspended walking trails take you right into the scenery.[1]
A mountain of changing forms
Sanqingshan is a mountain of compact clusters rather than one summit view, so you walk from one group of pillars to the next. The weather is part of the show: cloud can wrap the stone figures in white or leave them sharp against the sky, so keep your plans flexible and enjoy whichever mountain you get.
Things to Do
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Compare the route areas
The mountain is divided into scenic areas, including Nanqing Garden, Sanqing Palace, Wanshou Garden, West Coast, Sunshine Coast, West Huatai, and Yuling Temple with Shigu Ridge. Nanqing Garden holds the best-known figures, among them the Goddess of Spring and the Giant Python emerging from the mountain. Sanqing Palace is the Taoist heart of the mountain, and Yujing Peak is the highest point. The park's own 2019 route guide suggests a full day that goes up by cableway, covers Nanqing Garden and the West Coast plank walk, and returns by cableway at sunset. It also offers a two-day plan that spends the night near the summit for sunrise from the peak, then drops through Nanqing Garden and Wanshou Garden to the south cableway.[2]
Getting up the mountain
Three cableways serve the mountain: Jinsha, Waishuangxi and Gangshou. Their hours change with the season; the winter timetable that began on 15 December 2025 ran from 08:30 (08:00 at weekends) to 17:30.[3] Tickets are bought in your own name and checked against your original ID at the gate.[4] By car, the south cableway at Waishuangxi is about 20 minutes from the Sanqingshan West exit of the De-Shang expressway, and the east cableway at Jinsha about 40 minutes.[2]
Weather and timing
Come on a clear morning for the long views, or accept mist for atmosphere. The cableway line on 0793-96373 and the tourism hotline on 0793-2407066 can tell you what is running that day.[3][2] For wider regional planning, continue with our China travel guide.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Mount Sanqingshan National Park. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
- [2] Sanqingshan Tourism: Perfect! Sanqingshan guide map and several visitor routes. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
- [3] Sanqingshan Culture and Tourism Bureau, published on the Sanqingshan Tourism website: 关于三清山索道冬季运营时间调整的公告 (Notice on winter cableway hours). Retrieved October 22, 2026.
- [4] Sanqingshan Tourism: 防控为先！看看三清山景区是如何做的！(real-name ticket booking). Retrieved October 22, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
A concentration of 48 granite peaks and 89 granite pillars set among forest, with ever-changing mist and cloud effects. The World Heritage property also has waterfalls, lakes and springs.
48 granite peaks and 89 granite pillars, many of which resemble human or animal figures.
Nanqing Garden, Sanqing Palace, Wanshou Garden, West Coast, Sunshine Coast, West Huatai, and Yuling Temple with Shigu Ridge. Nanqing Garden has the best-known figures, and Yujing Peak is the highest point.
No. Mist and cloud change by the hour, and they can reveal or hide the granite figures. Come prepared for both.
By one of three cableways: Jinsha, Waishuangxi or Gangshou. Hours change with the season, so call 0793-96373 before you go. You buy your ticket in your own name and enter with your original ID.
The park's 2019 route guide offers a full day by cableway covering Nanqing Garden and the West Coast, or a two-day plan with a night near the summit for sunrise.
The trails include suspended walkways and steps, so ask the tourism hotline on 0793-2407066 about the specific route and entrance before you travel.
