What are the hiking routes for Sanqing Mountain? Where do you start the climb?

Below is a detailed hiking guide for Sanqing Mountain.

Cableways are available on both the southern and eastern sides of Sanqing Mountain, and hiking on foot is also an option. Travellers with limited time or poor physical fitness are recommended to take the cable car.

The southern entrance is highly recommended. The facilities here are newer. After reaching the mountaintop, you can freely visit South Qing Garden, West Coast or Sunshine Coast. Four mountain hotels are located here, and most importantly, there are far fewer crowds.

If you take the eastern cableway uphill, you can only access South Qing Garden, with only one hotel — Goddess Hotel — on site.

The core scenic zones include South Qing Garden, West Coast, Sunshine Coast, Yujing Peak and Sanqing Palace. Sanqing Palace is relatively remote, and Yujing Peak is a high summit. Visitors with limited stamina may skip these two spots.

You may refer to the sightseeing map for specific stops. If you follow the loop covering the core zones, you can visit almost all top ten scenic spots.

Two days are generally sufficient for a full tour. Spend one day touring the big loop of South Qing Garden, and the other day exploring the loop of West Coast plus Sunshine Coast. Hikers with a brisk pace can even complete the loop twice. I actually did that myself.

There is a big advantage to doing two rounds. On the first day, the sky was clear and bright blue; on the second day, the whole mountain was shrouded in thick mist. The scenery on the two days was completely different.

Day 1: Take the South Cableway uphill → Head to West Coast to watch the sunset and evening glow → Overnight at Sanqing Palace or other mountain lodges.

Day 2: Watch the sunrise at Sanqing Palace or Yujing Peak → Wander around South Qing Garden.

Day 1: Ascend via either the South Cableway or East Cableway → Complete the South Qing Garden loop → Make a special trip to West Coast for the sunset glow → Return to the azalea forest area in South Qing Garden for accommodation.

Day 2: Rise early to watch the sunrise at Yuqing Platform → Hike the full loop covering West Coast and Sunshine Coast → Descend via the southern exit.

You will easily find your way once you arrive on site. I reached the mountain at 11 a.m., hiked to Azalea Villa in southern South Qing Garden and pitched my tent. I left my luggage there and set off lightly with my camera. I walked along northern South Qing Garden to Sunshine Coast, then continued to West Coast to enjoy the sunset, before heading back to the villa along the same path.

Early the next morning, I went to Yuqing Platform for the sunrise. After packing up, I set off again for the big loop including West Coast, Sanqing Palace and Sunshine Coast, then descended from the southern gate. Honestly, it was extremely tiring.

If you do not plan to catch sunrise or sunset, the schedule becomes much simpler: explore South Qing Garden on Day One, and finish the big loop of West Coast, Sanqing Palace and Sunshine Coast on Day Two.