Tiantai Mountain

 

Facts to Know about Tiantai Mountain

Chinese Name: 天台山 Pronunciation: tiāntái shān 

Time Needed: 1 Day

Service Time: 8:00-15:30 

Height: 500 to 1,098 meters

Occupied Area: 150 square kilometers 

Address: Tiantai County, Taizhou City, Zhengjiang Province, China 

 

Entrance Fee

Attractions	Price
Former Residence of Jigong	CNY 30
Jade Terrace in Fairy Gorge	CNY 65
Shiliang Waterfall	CNY 60
Huading National Forest Park	CNY 50
Guoqing Temple	Free of Charge
Chicheng Mountain	CNY15
Tiantai Mountain Waterfall	CNY100

 

• Ticket Free of Charge Policy

1. Children under 1.2 meters are free of charge.
2. Senior aged over 70 years old are free of charge.
 

• Note: 

Qiongtai Xiangu scenic area: Children under 1.2 meters are free of charge, and children over 1.2 meters need to buy a full ticket.

 

What You Need to Know About Tiantai Mountain

Tiantai Mountain Scenic Area, a famous mountain, is located in the eastern and central part of Zhejiang Province. Tiantai Mountain Scenic Area has been rated as the National 4A tourist area, the national key scenic spots, one of the ten famous mountains in China, and the national eco-tourism demonstration zone.
 

Tiantai Mountain is close to the sea in the east with magical, beautiful, and unique natural scenery. The mountain is renowned both at home and abroad boasting an extensive and profound history and human landscape.
 

The mountain featured by “ancient, tranquil, quiet, and unique scenery”, covers an area of 187.1 square kilometers and is divided into 13 scenic spots according to its geographical location and characteristics. Each scene is naturally interesting, unique, unique, and beautiful.
 

The climate here is mild, and mountains, rocks, caves, and waterfalls have their charms. It is the birthplace of the Tiantai Sect of Buddhism (One of the Chinese Buddhist sects), the birthplace of Taoism and the Buddhist Monk Ji Gong, and the place where The Travel Notes of Xu Xiake began. The beautiful natural scenery and profound Buddhist culture complement each other so that this magical land is full of vitality.
 

The main peak of the scenic area is located in the northeast of Tiantai County at an altitude of 1,098 meters and is composed of granite. The main scenic spots are Guoqing Temple, Shiliang Waterfall, Chicheng Mountain, Hanshan Lake, Huading Peak, and so on. Among them, Shiliang Scenic Spot is the essence of Tiantai Mountain. 
 

Here, a beautiful low mountain and sea of clouds and the magic of the Buddha can be described as unique in the mountain. It is a great blessing in life to climb this mountain.
 

Each May, Yunjin rhododendrons compete to bloom with large and bright flowers. More than 1,000 rhododendrons on each tree are arranged into 7-13 small rhododendrons per branch, forming a cluster of flowers with a bowl-shaped mouth, which seems like rosy clouds and very gorgeous. Therefore, Yunjin rhododendrons have a very vivid name called “Thousand-flower rhododendrons”.
 

Xu Xiake, a great traveler in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), traveled all over the world, went to Tiantai Mountain three times, wrote two travel notes, and marked the Diary of Traveling to Tiantai Mountain at the beginning of The Travel Notes of Xu Xiake.

 

Authentic Local Food

After enjoying the beautiful scenery of Tiantai Mountain, you can taste the specialties in Tiantai County or taste the local farmers’ dishes at the foot of Chicheng Mountain. The specialties mainly include Jiaobingtong (fried rolled burritos), sticky rice cake, pancakes with pork filling, and Danqing Yangwei (fried egg white with red bean paste), which will give you an unforgettable experience.
 

Jiaobingtong, the most distinctive dish among them, serves as an indispensable local holiday food. It is a fried rolled burrito with multiple vegetables and meat. It is crispy outside and full of flavor, which can be used as a snack or as a staple food. 

 Stewed Lamb Soup

The Stewed Lamb Soup uses the free-range lambs in Tiantai Mountain as raw materials. The supreme lamb is stewed with a small portion of milk and is cooked through specific procedures. You can enjoy the aroma of the soup and the tender fresh lamb once you take a dip in this soup.

 Cloud Tea

As one of the earliest places of tea cultivation in China, Tiantai Mountain is rich in high-quality Cloud Tea and also gave birth to the oriental tea culture -- Chinese tea ceremony. Tiantai Mountain is also rich in more than 1,000 kinds of precious medicinal materials such as Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, Dendrobium, etc. 

 

Popular Attractions of Tiantai Mountain

 Huading National Forest Park

Huading National Forest Park is located 25 kilometers north of Tiantai county, with an area of 7.5 square kilometers. Huading, also called Hua Peak, is the main peak of Tiantai Mountain, with an altitude of 1,098 meters. It is surrounded by mountains in the shape of a blooming lotus, and it is located in the center of the mountains. 
 

For its unique location and resemblance to the center of the lotus, it is named Huading. In the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), Li Bai, the notable Chinese poet, ascended to the peak and wrote a well-known poem to acclaim the overwhelming scenery and natural beauty of Tiantai Mountain. 
 

Climbing along the winding road, you can reach the highest peak of Huading, an open area of tens of thousands of square meters. Standing here, you can overlook the East China Sea, Qiantang River on the north, Kuocang Mountain on the west, and Yandang Mountain on the south. Moisty clouds prevail in Huading in the morning all year round, creating a unique scenery.
 

 Former Residence of Jigong

Located at Yongning Village, Tiantai County, the Former Residence of Jigong is the birthplace of Jigong, known as “living Buddha”. 
 

In 2002, the People’s Government of Tiantai County approved the restoration of the residence. It was completed in May 2004 and was officially opened for sightseeing. The renovated Former Residence of Jigong presents to the world a picture of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 – 1279).

 Longchuan Gorge

Located in Baihe Town, northwest of Tiantai County, Longchuan Gorge is 18 kilometers away from Tiantai County, and 107 kilometers away from the center of Taizhou City. 
 

Integrating mountains and rivers, canyons, waterfalls, cave springs, Longchuan Gorge is featured with its peaks, cliffs, and caves. It is formed by the natural landscape of eight waterfalls and one lake, with Taoist culture as its essence, attracting tourists from home and abroad to visit.

 

 Jade Terrace in Fairy Gorge

Jade Terrace in Fairy Gorge, 8 kilometers northwest of Tiantai County, is a typical granite canyon scenic area and is among the top 8 sceneries of Tiantai Mountain. It features odd-looking peaks, precarious cliffs, grotesque rocks, and remarkable waterfalls. 
 

Visitors are attracted by the beauty of the Eight Immortals Lakes, the majesty of the Twin Peaks, the exquisiteness of the hanging corridors, the magnificence of the Longtan Waterfall, etc. 

 

When to Visit Tiantai Mountain

It is very suitable for tourism from April to October. In this period, the climate is warm and humid. Especially in July and August, tourists can enjoy the beautiful scenery and avoid the scorching sun. Meanwhile, it is also called a famous summer resort in southeast Zhejiang.

 

Warm Tips 

1. Tickets are valid one-day. If visitors leave the park, you need to purchase tickets again.

2. There will be rain on the mountain in July, and the road tends to be slippery and foggy on rainy days, so it is not suitable for climbing. Also, it snows in winter, and Huading Scenic Spot is usually closed.

3. Some projects in the scenic spot will be temporarily closed or partially closed in case of bad weather that cannot meet the safe operation of equipment and irresistible natural disasters (such as thunder, rain, snow, hail, fog, rainstorm, typhoon, etc.).

 

Suggested Travel Route

Tiantai Passenger Transport Central Station → Huading National Forest Park → Shiliang Waterfalls → Guoqing Temple → Former Residence of Jigong → Tiantai Passenger Transport Central Station

 

Transportation

Get to Tiantai Passenger Transport Central Station
Take long-distance buses from Hangzhou Passenger Transport Central Station to Tiantai Passenger Transport Central Station. (Bus fare is 90 RMB. It takes about 4 hours.)

Take long-distance buses from Shanghai Long-Distance General Bus Station or Hutai Road Long-Distance Bus Station to Tiantai Passenger Transport Central Station. (Bus fare is around 140 RMB. It takes around 5 hours.)

Take long-distance buses from Suzhou South Bus Station to Tiantai Passenger Transport Central Station. (Bus fare is around 130 RMB. It takes around 4 hours.)

Take long-distance buses from Taizhou Jiaojiang Coach Station to Tiantai Passenger Transport Central Station. (Bus fare is around 35 RMB. It takes around 2 hours.)

 Get to Tiantai Mountain by Bus

Take bus 305 or 8 to get off at Zhatangao Station.
 

 Get to Tiantai Mountain by Taxi 

Chinese: 请带我去天台山。English: Please take me to Tiantai Mountain.

If you go to the Tiantai Mountain from the Tiantai Passenger Transport Central Station, it takes about 10 minutes (about 10 yuan).