# Mount Qingcheng, a day trip from Chengdu > Mount Qingcheng is a Taoist mountain of forest temples about 70 km north-west of Chengdu, 25–40 minutes by train from Xipu. Front Mountain entry is ¥80; the cable car is ¥35 one way. Open daily: 8:30–17:00 from November to March, 8:00–17:30 from April to October. Allow 4–5 hours on the mountain. Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/chengdu/mount-qingcheng - City: [Chengdu](https://yesgo.io/china/chengdu), China - YesGo score: 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 4 h - Entry: ¥80; cable car ¥35–60 extra - With kids: Fine with kids - Front Mountain entry: ¥80; children 6 and under or below 1.3 m free - Hours (Front Mountain): Nov–Mar 8:30–17:00, Apr–Oct 8:00–17:30; ticket sales stop 30 min earlier - Cable car: Yuecheng Lake – Siwangguan: ¥35 one way, ¥60 return; under 1.2 m free - Cable car hours: Nov–Mar 9:00–17:00, Apr–Oct 8:00–17:30 - Yuecheng Lake boat: ¥5 - Shuttle from car park to gate: ¥10 one way - Booking: Online, real-name with your passport, up to 15 days ahead, morning or afternoon slot - Back Mountain: Entry about ¥20; its own cable cars cost extra - Train Xipu – Qingchengshan: 25–40 min, about ¥10, real-name ticket - Station to the gate: Bus 101, about ¥2, to the car park, or a 10-minute taxi - Coordinates: 30.90050, 103.57300 - Facts checked: 04.11.2026 ## Key facts - **¥80** — Front Mountain entry; the cable car is extra (source: Official account of the Qingchengshan–Dujiangyan scenic area) - **≈ 1,260 m** — the Front Mountain summit, crowned by Laojun Pavilion (source: travelchinawith.me; chinafortravelers.com) - **2000** — UNESCO World Heritage listing, together with the Dujiangyan Irrigation System (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **2nd century** — Zhang Daoling, the first Celestial Master, taught here (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **25–40 min** — by train from Xipu (Metro Line 2) to Qingchengshan Station (source: chinahighlights.com; travelchinawith.me; chinafortravelers.com) - **≈ 70 km** — north-west of Chengdu, in Dujiangyan (source: Russian Wikipedia (about 68 km); chinafortravelers.com (about 67 km by road)) - **¥35 / ¥60** — cable car one way and return (source: Official account of the Qingchengshan–Dujiangyan scenic area) - **15 days** — how far ahead you can book — online and real-name only (source: Chengdu Release (成都发布); official scenic-area account) - **2 sides** — Front Mountain for temples, Back Mountain for gorges — separate tickets (source: travelchinawith.me; chinafortravelers.com; wanderinchina.com) - **Tianshi Cave** — the Celestial Master's Cave, linked to Zhang Daoling (source: travelchinawith.me; chinafortravelers.com) ## Mount Qingcheng tickets and prices **Front Mountain** entry is **¥80**. Children aged 6 and under, or below 1.3 m, go free, and full-time students reportedly pay half. There's no special rate for foreign visitors. The ticket is valid only on the day you booked, and the cable car, boat and shuttle are all extra. The **cable car** from Yuecheng Lake to Siwangguan costs ¥35 one way or ¥60 return (¥20 / ¥30 for children 1.2–1.5 m). The **boat** across Yuecheng Lake is ¥5. **Back Mountain** entry is about ¥20; it has its own Jinli and Baiyun cable cars, and guides quote different prices for them. Book through the scenic area's Chinese-language WeChat accounts, on Meituan or on Trip.com, which takes foreign cards. On the mountain, pay with **Alipay or WeChat Pay** linked to a foreign Visa or Mastercard, and carry some cash yuan as backup. > **Book online and bring your passport** Entry is by online, real-name booking only, for a morning or afternoon slot, and weekend slots run out. Foreign visitors book with a passport and go through the staffed lane, since the automatic gates read only Chinese ID cards. The Front Mountain now has a single entrance — the main gate by Jianfu Palace; the old Feixianguan entrance is closed. ## How to get to Mount Qingcheng from Chengdu 1. From Tianfu Square, ride Metro Line 2 west to the end of the line at **Xipu** (犀浦). The intercity rail station is in the same building — follow the 城际铁路 signs. 2. Trains from Xipu to **Qingchengshan Station** (青城山站) take 25–40 minutes and cost about ¥10. There are more than 30 a day, roughly 6 am to 8 pm. Tickets are real-name: book on 12306 or Trip.com with your passport — two or three days ahead for weekends, return included. 3. The gate is about 4 km from the station. Turn right out of the exit for **bus 101** (about ¥2) to the big car park below the mountain, then take the ¥10 shuttle bus to the gate. A taxi from the station takes about 10 minutes. 4. Show the driver 青城山前山山门 — the Front Mountain main gate by Jianfu Palace. Ignore touts at the station offering ¥15–50 “shortcuts”: some drop people at the wrong side of the mountain. 5. For the Back Mountain at Tai'an Old Town (泰安古镇), it's about 30 minutes by road from the station — minibus or taxi. 6. Prefer no transfers? A tour from Chengdu with a driver, often combined with Dujiangyan. ## Front Mountain or Back Mountain? | | Front Mountain | Back Mountain | | --- | --- | --- | | Entry | ¥80 | About ¥20 | | Highlights | Taoist temples, the lake, the summit pavilion | Gorges, waterfalls, Tai'an Old Town | | Cable car | One, ¥35 / ¥60 | Two — Jinli and Baiyun | | Time | 4–5 hours | 5–7 hours | | Effort | Stone steps; moderate with the cable car | Long trails, harder going | | From the station | About 4 km, bus 101 | About 17 km, minibus or taxi | Front Mountain prices are official; Back Mountain prices and walking times are unofficial, from travel guides. With one day, pick the Front Mountain. ## What to see on the Front Mountain - **Jianfu Palace** (建福宫) by the main gate — the first temple you reach, founded in the Tang dynasty. - **Yuecheng Lake** (月城湖) — a calm lake by the lower cable-car station, crossed by a small boat. - **Shangqing Palace** (上清宫) — the highest working temple, about 20 minutes' walk above the cable car. - **Laojun Pavilion** (老君阁) on the summit — a tiered tower with views over the ridges; access inside is reportedly limited. - **Tianshi Cave** (天师洞) — the temple complex at the Celestial Master's cave, linked to Zhang Daoling. - **Chaoyang Cave** (朝阳洞) — a small temple tucked under a sheer cliff on the way down. ## Mount Qingcheng opening hours The Front Mountain is **open every day**. From 1 November to 31 March it runs 8:30–17:00, with ticket sales ending at 16:30; from 1 April to 31 October it's 8:00–17:30, with sales ending at 17:00. Your booking slot is either morning (until noon) or afternoon. The cable car keeps shorter hours in winter — 9:00–17:00 — and 8:00–17:30 from April to October. In peak season the queue for it can pass 40 minutes, so ride up early and walk down. ## How long does it take to hike Mount Qingcheng? On foot from the gate to the summit takes about two hours of steady stairs. The classic loop — gate, Jianfu Palace, Yuecheng Lake, cable car up, Shangqing Palace, Laojun Pavilion, then down on foot past Chaoyang Cave and Tianshi Cave — takes 4–5 hours with stops. The Back Mountain is a different day: 5–7 hours along gorges and plank paths, starting from Tai'an Old Town, with the Jinli and Baiyun cable cars to shorten it. Doing both sides in one day isn't realistic. ## Is Mount Qingcheng worth it? Yes, if you want a calm, green day out of Chengdu with living Taoist temples and cool forest air — it's YesGo's pick for a quieter alternative to the crowds at the Leshan Giant Buddha. The train is short and cheap, and there's no single make-or-break queue. It's less rewarding if you expect one big “wow” view: the forest hides the panoramas, and the summit is a climb. In heavy rain the steps get slippery. If you only have one free day and want spectacle, Leshan delivers more. ## Mount Qingcheng and Dujiangyan in one day The **Dujiangyan Irrigation System**, on the same UNESCO listing, is 25–30 minutes by road from the mountain gate. It has its own ¥80 ticket and its own booking slot, so reserve both. A workable order: morning train from Xipu to **Lidui Park** station (离堆公园), a 10–15 minute walk to the waterworks; after lunch, a taxi to the Qingcheng gate and the cable car up; evening train from Qingchengshan back to Xipu. It works in reverse too. There's no time for the Back Mountain on such a day. > **In the Taoist temples** The temples are working, with resident monks. Keep your voice down, ask before photographing monks or people praying, and don't sit on altar steps. Covered shoulders are the respectful choice if you go into the halls. ## Guided tour or on your own? Going independently is simple and cheap — metro, a ¥10 train and a bus, around ¥50 for the round trip. The fiddly parts are the Chinese-language entry booking and weekend train tickets. A tour with a car and guide solves both, and it makes Dujiangyan easy to add, since the two are awkward to link by public transport. A guide also helps decode the temple halls — Taoist deities are less familiar to most visitors than Buddhist ones. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Entry booked with your passport, slot chosen - [ ] Train tickets Xipu – Qingchengshan both ways - [ ] The same passport you booked with - [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay with a card linked — or cash yuan - [ ] Good shoes and water — lots of steps - [ ] 青城山前山山门 saved to show the taxi driver - [ ] Decided: the mountain alone, or Dujiangyan too ## Chengdu's temples and sacred sites compared Places of faith in Chengdu, rated by YesGo. - [Wenshu Monastery](https://yesgo.io/china/chengdu/wenshu-monastery) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Wuhou Shrine](https://yesgo.io/china/chengdu/wuhou-shrine) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ¥50; ages 6–18 ¥25 - [Leshan Giant Buddha](https://yesgo.io/china/chengdu/leshan-giant-buddha) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥80; river boat ¥70 extra - [Mount Qingcheng](https://yesgo.io/china/chengdu/mount-qingcheng) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥80; cable car ¥35–60 extra ## The mountain by day, old Chengdu by night Metro Line 2 runs from Xipu straight into the centre. Spend the evening in Kuanzhai Alley and on Chunxi Road. 1. [Mount Qingcheng](https://yesgo.io/china/chengdu/mount-qingcheng) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥80; cable car ¥35–60 extra 2. [Kuanzhai Alley](https://yesgo.io/china/chengdu/kuanzhai-alley) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 3. [Chunxi Road](https://yesgo.io/china/chengdu/chunxi-road) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free ## Good to know “Qingcheng” also names the station, the surrounding area and a local tea; the Qingcheng kung-fu school of novels and films is fiction. The Panda Valley in Dujiangyan is a separate place — a ticket for the [panda base](https://yesgo.io/china/chengdu/chengdu-panda-base) in Chengdu isn't valid there. Another day out from Chengdu: the [Leshan Giant Buddha](https://yesgo.io/china/chengdu/leshan-giant-buddha). ## Tips - In winter the gate opens at 8:30 but the cable car only at 9:00 — see Jianfu Palace and the lake first. - Ride the cable car up and walk down: the main temples line the descent. - Say no to “fast transfer” offers at the station — take bus 101 or a metered taxi. - Book your return train at least 5–6 hours after you arrive. - Food and water cost more up the mountain because porters carry everything — bring your own water. - Stone steps get slippery in rain; wear shoes with good grip. ## Questions ### How much is the Mount Qingcheng ticket? ¥80 for the Front Mountain; children 6 and under or below 1.3 m go free. The cable car is ¥35 one way or ¥60 return. The Back Mountain costs about ¥20. ### How do I get from Chengdu to Mount Qingcheng? Metro Line 2 to Xipu, then the train to Qingchengshan Station — 25–40 minutes, about ¥10. From there, bus 101 to the car park and a ¥10 shuttle, or a 10-minute taxi to the gate. ### Should I visit the Front or Back Mountain? Front Mountain for the temples and if you have one day. Back Mountain for a long hike through gorges and waterfalls; it's farther from the station and harder. ### What are Mount Qingcheng's opening hours? Daily: 8:30–17:00 from 1 November to 31 March (tickets until 16:30), 8:00–17:30 from 1 April to 31 October (tickets until 17:00). ### Do I need to book in advance? Yes. Entry is by online real-name booking only, up to 15 days ahead, for a morning or afternoon slot. Foreigners book with a passport. ### How long does it take to hike Mount Qingcheng? About two hours from the gate to the summit; 4–5 hours for the Front Mountain loop. The Back Mountain takes 5–7 hours. ### Is there a cable car on Mount Qingcheng? Yes. On the Front Mountain it runs from Yuecheng Lake to Siwangguan for ¥35 one way or ¥60 return. The Back Mountain has two cable cars of its own. ### Can I do Mount Qingcheng and Dujiangyan in one day? Yes, if you stick to the Front Mountain with the cable car. The two gates are about 30 minutes apart by taxi, and each needs its own booking. ### How high is Mount Qingcheng? The Front Mountain summit at Laojun Pavilion is about 1,260 m above sea level. Some sources give higher figures for other points on the range. ## How we checked Front Mountain prices, hours, the cable car, boat and shuttle come from the Qingchengshan–Dujiangyan scenic area's official account on NetEase; booking rules and free entry for children from the city's official Chengdu Release account. These are official sources, though we didn't open the scenic area's own website. Back Mountain details, the train, bus 101 and walking times are unofficial, from travel guides, so they're marked “verifying”. Where guides disagree: the station bus is ¥2 (bus 101) in some and ¥20 (a gate shuttle) in others; the upper cable-car station is named differently, and we follow the official source; three guides give different Back Mountain cable-car fares, so we don't list them. Two guides and Chinese references put the summit at 1,260 m, while English Wikipedia gives “over 1,500 m” at Shangqing Palace. Wikipedia dates Zhang Daoling's activity to 142 or 143, so we say 2nd century. Payment notes are unofficial, from travel guides. ## Sources - Qingchengshan–Dujiangyan scenic area official account on NetEase: prices, hours, cable car, boat, shuttle bus, single entrance - Chengdu Release (成都发布) on The Paper: online real-name booking, time slots, free entry for children - English and Russian Wikipedia: Mount Qingcheng; Wikidata Q905536 - travelchinawith.me: hours, Back Mountain, cable cars, boats, Xipu train, summit height - chinafortravelers.com: booking, trains, station to gate, touts, Dujiangyan on the same day - wanderinchina.com: Xipu train, bus 101, time per side - chinahighlights.com: Xipu – Qingchengshan trains, bus 101 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.