Emeishan (Mt. Emei), Sichuan Province
- Madeleine Knight
- Jun 1, 2017
- 3 min read
Sichuan province is famous for it’s easy accessibility to the mountains that surround it. Within an hour of driving out of the city you will start to feel the undulating hills beneath you and see the mountains rising up in front of you. This is one of the many reasons foreigners travel and live here, some only planning to spend a few months and ending up 10 years later with a family and career in this fantastic province.
Out of the many mountains you can choose from, the one you are most likely to hear about is Emeishan (‘Shan’ meaning ‘mountain’), as it is a very popular tourist destination. Remember, you are in China, so you will be swarmed with people if you visit on a national holiday… BUT the view from the top can be worth your time if the weather permits.
- Entrance fee
High season: 185RMB
Low season: 90RMB
(ticket is valid for 2 days)
- Altitude
Starting altitude: 500m
Summit altitude: 3099m
This 2500m altitude ascent takes your average walker 14 - 16 hours to complete, one way. I would suggest to take this hike up over 2 or 3 days, as there is no hiking trail… there are more steps than you could ever imagine. Thats right, steps. 2500m of steps. This can take its toll of knees and calf muscles, so take it slow and see how you feel, do not launch yourself into this hike expecting to complete it in a day.
That being said, there are plenty of monasteries to sleep at on the way up/down. You will have to pay for a room, as you would in a hotel/hostel, with high season prices raising up to around 160RMB per night. Low season is considerably less, but the weather will be snowy and the sub-zero temperatures will make an already tough-on-the-knees hike more difficult.
However, for the summit view it is said to be at it’s most clear and beautiful during the winter months. At the top you will climb up to a huge statue of a golden Buddha, with a golden temple behind. The view will find you above the clouds, with a sea of fluffy grey and white as far as you can see in every direction… it truly is an awe-inspiring sight. Even on a grey, misty day you can see the clouds below you and straight out to the horizon in a way I have only ever found before while looking across the ocean. It is incredibly beautiful.
If you’re short on time, or have bad knees, or just really don’t fancy 2 or 3 days of stairs… you can get buses/cable cars up and down the majority of the mountain**. The buses begin from the bus station at the bottom of the mountain, opening around 5:15/5:30am in high season and the first bus leaves between 5:30 and 6am and around 7am in love season. The journey takes around 1.5-2hrs to the very top bus station (there are 2 other lower stations you can choose to get off at as well) one way.
- Bus Prices
Full mountain ticket: 90RMB return
Half mountain ticket: 40RMB return
The cable cars are also a very pleasant way to ride up sections of the mountain. There are two cable cars, one of which will take you the last 500m altitude to just below the peak.
- Cable Car Prices
Wannian Bus Station to Wannian Temple
Low season: 30RMB up, 20RMB down
High season: 65RMB up, 45RMB down
Taizi Ping Temple to Golden Summit
Low season:30RMB up, 20RMB down
High season: 65RMB up, 55RMB down
Along the route you will come across many temples and monasteries, with over 25 to explore across the mountain.
- Temple Ticket Prices
Wannian Temple: 10RMB
Baoguo Temple: 8RMB
Fuhu Temple: 6RMB
On another note, Emeishan is also a visitable place in winter as it is a popular ski resort, with many hotels and hostels at the bottom and regular buses up to the resort entrance at the top bus station (2430m altitude). Skiing is 90RMB per hour. For more information on this I would check the link below to a website I have trusted for almost all of my pre-trip research needs while in China!
**CAUTION there are still sections you will have to walk, the buses and cable cars are not completely comprehensive of the entire journey but do cover 95% of it.
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