Songshan Mountain

Songshan Mountain, aka Mount Song, lies in Dengfeng city, in the heart of Henan Province and about 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of its capital, Zhengzhou. Mount Songshan, which is also known as Zhong Yue (middle mountain), is known as one of the Five Mountains of China. The others in this group are Tai mountain in Shandong Province, Hua Mountain in Shaanxi Province, Mount Heng in Shanxi Province and Mount Heng in Hunan Province.
 Songshan Mountain has fine natural scenery. Its 72 mountains, grouped around the peaks of Mount Shaoshi and Mount Taishi, extend for about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from east to west. Besides these mountains, there are many valleys, caves, pools and waterfalls, each of which provides the visitor with a unique and wonderful experience. The landscape of Mount Song is so unique that it has been given the title of 'International Geological Park' by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Songshan Mountain Shaolin Temple

Songshan Mountain

The history of Songshan Mountain is as rich and interesting as its landscape. Its proximity to Luoyang, the ancient capital city of nine different dynasties, made it an essential place for emperors to offer sacrifices to their ancestors and the gods and to confer the crown to their heirs. This has left many sites of historic and cultural interest in Mount Songshan. The beauty of the area's scenery also led to many scholars, eminent monks and famous Taoists chose this area as an important place to give lectures, explain Buddhist sutras and develop the teachings of different religions. Practitioners of the three faiths of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism absorbed ideas from each other, which led to their three belief systems growing closer together.
 Songshan Mountain is the birthplace of China Zen Buddhism, and is the home of many wondrous temples, including Shaolin Temple, the largest pagoda forest in China, Ta Lin (meaning pagoda forest) and the most ancient pagoda in China, Songyue Temple pagoda. A visitor can also visit the oldest cypress, as well as the earliest star observation platform in China.

What makes Songshan Mountain different from the rest of the Five Mountains is its profound and extensive cultural history. For this reason, a visit to Songshan Mountain will be greatly rewarding for scholars of religion, physical culture, astronomy, archaeology, geology, art, and architecture, as well as for travelers with a passion for beauty and history.
 1. Take a bus from Zhengzhou Central Bus Station to the scenic area directly, and the buses depart at 7:00, 8:00, 8:50, 9:40 and 11:00. It takes about 40 minutes and costs CNY 20.
2. Take a bus from Zhengzhou North Bus Station or General Bus Station to Dengfeng city, and then take Dengfeng Bus 2 to Songyang Academy in Songshan Mountain Scenic Area. Or, visitors can take a taxi to reach there after arriving in Dengfeng.
Zhengzhou Bus Search
 

Entrance Fee	Shaolin Temple: CNY 100 Yongshou Temple: CNY 60 Songyang Academy: CNY 30 Huishan Temple: CNY 40 Zhongyue Temple: CNY 30 Luya Waterfall: CNY 50 Observatory: Free Songyang Scenic Area: CNY 80 including Songyang Academy, Laomu Cave, Songyue Temple pagoda, and Fawang Temple.  Taishi Mountain Scenic Area : CNY 50 including Fawang Temple, Laomu Cvae and Songyue Temple pagoda. Zhongyue Scenic Area: CNY 80 including Zhongyue Temple, Luya Waterfall, and Observatory.  Free for children under 1.4m (4.6 feet).
Cable Car Ticket	Shaolin Cable Car: CNY 70/ one-way; CNY 120/ round-trip. Songyang Cable Car: CNY 50/ round-trip.
Opening Hours	7:30 - 17:30