The Taishan Scenic Area is located in Taishan District, Tai’an City. Since ancient times, Taishan has been one of the famous mountains in China and has the reputation of being the first of the Five Great Mountains. The Taishan Scenic Area is famous for its magnificence. The mountains are steep and towering, very spectacular. Watching the sunrise, sunset glow and other scenes on the top of the mountain is also very beautiful.
Cloud seas often appear among the mountains, and in winter there is the wonder of rime, which is very beautiful. In addition to natural scenery, there are many cultural landscapes such as historical sites, stone carvings, and religious temples on the mountain. In spring, you can see peach blossoms and pear blossoms in the mountains. In summer, the top of the mountain is verdant. And because the top of the mountain is cool, it is also a famous summer resort. In autumn, the leaves in the mountains are red and yellow, and the forests are dyed layer by layer, which is very beautiful. The Taishan Scenic Area is very large, with a depth of about dozens of kilometers. There are several climbing trails to go up the mountain, and there are also roads and cableways crisscrossing among them. You can visit by combining hiking, taking a tourist bus, and taking a cableway. The Taishan Scenic Area has four entrances, namely Hongmen, Tianwaicun, Tianzhufeng and Taohuayu. Each entrance has a route leading to the Dai Ding tourist area on the top of the mountain. Hongmen and Tianwaicun are located on the front mountain. Generally, the conventional tourist routes are to go up the mountain from Hongmen or Tianwaicun and then go down the mountain from other routes on the same day or the next day. In order not to take the same route back, most tourists will go down the mountain from Taohuayu. Tianzhufeng is far away and the road is difficult to walk, so it is mostly a route for outdoor backpackers. The climbing trail at the Hongmen entrance is the trail opened when Qin Shihuang offered sacrifices to heaven and earth. This route is mainly a stone step road. You need to walk from Hongmen to Zhongtianmen. Along the way, there are many scenic spots such as Wanxian Tower, Doumu Palace, Four Pagoda Trees, Huimaling, and Hutiange. It is also a zone where many stone carvings on Mount Tai are relatively concentrated. After reaching Zhongtianmen, you can choose to take a cable car or walk to Nantianmen and the top area of the mountain. Along the way, you can see many scenic spots such as Eighteen Bends, Shengxian Square, Duisong Mountain, Chaoyang Cave, and Five Doctor Pines. The tourist route of Tianwaicun is a road from Tianwaicun to Zhongtianmen. You can take a tourist bus to go there. On the way, there are scenic spots such as Black Dragon Pool, Shanzi Cliff, and Feng Yuxiang’s Tomb. After reaching Zhongtianmen, the route is the same as the latter half of the Hongmen route. Tourists who don’t want to walk or climb mountains can choose this route. The Tianzhufeng route is a relatively steep climbing trail on Mount Tai with very few tourists. It is an area where outdoor enthusiasts often hike. It takes about half a day to climb the mountain. This route has beautiful mountain scenery and scenic spots such as Carp Back. At the starting point, there is also a performance of ‘The Grand Ceremony of Offering Sacrifices to Heaven and Earth on Mount Tai’. The Taohuayu route is the choice of many tourists when going down the mountain. There is a cableway from the Tianjie on the top of the mountain to the starting point of the Taohuayuan cableway on the mountainside. Then a tourist bus goes from the starting point of the cableway to Taohuayu at the foot of the mountain. The main scenery of this route is the Taohuayu Colorful Stone Creek scenic area. The stones mostly have colorful patterns, which are very magical. Those who are interested can go and visit.There are four routes leading to the Dai Ding tourist area on the top of the mountain. On the Dai Ding, there are the main peak of Taishan, Jade Emperor Peak, and the magical Heavenly Street scenic area. There are also multiple scenic spots such as Ri Guan Peak, Yue Guan Peak, Da Guan Peak, Zhan Lu Terrace, Bi Xia Temple, and Confucius Temple. You can visit them slowly on foot. At the top of the mountain, you can overlook the Yellow River and see the wonder of the ‘Golden Belt of the Yellow River’. The Hou Shi Wu scenic area behind the mountain can also be visited. There is a cableway that can lead from Hou Shi Wu to North Heavenly Gate.
Accommodation information: Generally, the time for visiting Taishan is mostly 1-2 days. During this period, you can stay overnight on the mountain. There are many inns and hotels near Heavenly Street and South Heavenly Gate for accommodation. It is more convenient to watch the sunrise, sunset glow, and the starry sky on the top here. On a clear night, you can also see the lights of the urban area on the mountain and take photos of the starry sky and urban lights coexisting. You can also camp on the top. It is more suitable in summer. In addition, there are also many accommodation places at the entrance at the foot of the mountain.
Climbing Taishan at night: Many tourists who watch the sunrise will choose to climb Taishan at night. It is advisable to start around 11 o’clock at night. When climbing Taishan at night, people generally choose the Hongmen route. There will be many people on this route at night, and there will be lights all the way. Around sunrise in the morning, you can just reach Ri Guan Terrace or Jade Emperor Peak on the top of the mountain. It is more suitable to watch the sunrise here.
Opening hours: Open all year round from 05:00 to 23:00. Hongmen (hiking into the mountain): 05:00 – 23:00. Tianwai Village (entering the mountain by car): 07:00 – 21:00. Taohuayu (entering the mountain by car): 08:00 – 16:00. Dongyudao (hiking into the mountain): 08:00 – 16:00. Tianping Lake Visitor Center (entering the mountain by car): 08:00 – 17:00.
Student discount tickets: Full-time undergraduate and junior college students in school enjoy half price. Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering: With an academician certificate/Shandong Talent Card and valid personal identification, they can bring one accompanying person to enter the park for free. Free. Municipal government advisers: With an adviser certificate, they can bring 1-3 staff members to enter the park for free.
Free admission ticket + bus ticket + cableway ticket. National comprehensive firefighters: With a firefighter certificate, free. Supplementary note: 1. Privileges for normal personnel are only for the main entrance ticket. If you need to take a vehicle up and down the mountain, you need to purchase a separate ticket. 2. Children under 1.4 meters (inclusive) do not need to purchase a separate ticket if they ride up the mountain without occupying a seat. Service facilities. Parking lot: [Hongmen Square – Tourist Center Parking Lot] Reference price: Subject to the on-site notice board. Address: Hushan Park, Hongmen Road, Taishan District, Tai’an City. Number of parking spaces: 330. [Tianwaicun Parking Lot] Reference price: Subject to the on-site notice board. Address: About 107 meters southeast of the intersection of Tianwaicun Road and Huanshan Road, Taishan District, Tai’an City. Number of parking spaces: 400. Toilet: There are toilets in the scenic area, which are located near facilities such as Taohuayuan, Nantianmen, Beitianmen, Zhongtianmen, Yuanjunmiao, and Houshiwu cableway station, and are marked with eye-catching signs. Catering: Buffet at Shenqi Hotel on the mountaintop. WeChat and Alipay can be used.
