Cuihua Mountain

Cuihua Mountain is in the northern part of the Qinling Mountains, 20 km (12 miles) from downtown Xi'an.  As a part of Zhongnanshan National Forest Park, Cuihua Mountain has been recommended as one of the top ten attractions in Xi'an since 1997. Having experienced many devastating earthquakes in ancient times, the mountain features unique landslide formations. Here you can see a stone sea of collapsed mountains plus steep peaks, cliffs, and dammed lakes created by the earthquakes
 

Cuihua Peak and Ganqiu Peak were the two mountains most affected by the earthquakes, both having extremely precipitous cliff faces. Cuihua Peak rises to height of 1,414m (4,600 feet) and is surrounded by peaks created by landslides.

At the foot of Cuihua Peak, there is debris from collapsed mountains, forming a sea of huge stones with various shapes. Some look like camels, some like rabbits, and some like cranes. The randomly scattered stones create a maze in the area, where you can explore to your heart's content. In places, the huge stones huddle together leaving many deep, narrow gaps between them.

Cuihua Mountain

Heavenly Lake (Tianchi) on the Mountain

Where rocks blocked the upper Taiyi River, a natural quake lake came into being, called Heavenly Lake. It's around 14 hectares (30 acres), and is known as 'the Pearl of the Qinling Mountains'. Here visitors can enjoy boating and fishing.

In addition to Heavenly Lake, you can also have fun at Ganqiuchi Lake and Bishan Lake.
 

The Wind Cave and Ice Cave are two highlights of the Cuihua Mountain Scenic Area. Actually they are not natural caves, but very narrow gaps formed by the sea of collapsed stone. At the narrowest points, you even need to bend your back to go through the gaps. Without sunshine nearly the whole year, the Wind Cave can provide you with a comfortable, cool space on hot days. The Ice Cave is cold even in hot summer. The temperature difference between the cave and outside can reach 23℃ (73℉) in summer, and ice doesn’t melt in the cave.
 

Through a combination of high technology using sound, light, and electronics, the museum shows the landslide scenery and provides information about the animals, plants, weather and hydrology affected by the landslide.

It’s best to visit Cuihua Mountain during summer. You can enjoy the beautiful cascade waterfalls in Yifangyuan Scenic Area, and if you are lucky, you will even see a rainbow over the waterfall on sunny days. Walking around this natural oxygen bar, you can also enjoy the highest waterfall in the northern part of the Qinling Mountains.

In fall, you can enjoy the colorful leaves on Mount Cuihua. All kinds of seasonal fruit is also available. In winter, heavy snow covers the area. The ski resort in Cuihua Mountain is the only natural ski area in Xi'an as well as the biggest in Shaanxi Province, allowing around 1,000 people to ski at the same time.
 

Every year on lunar June 1st, there is a temple fair in memory of a girl named Cuihua. During that time, there are more visitors than usual.

During the second week in April, the 'Thousand People Mountain Climbing Activity' is held, attracting a great many backpackers.
 

1. You can enjoy your Cuihua Mountain tour within one day.
2. A snack street is next to Heavenly Lakeand provides lots of local food. It's a little more expensive than in other places, so we suggest you prepare some food in advance.
 

1. From downtown Xi'an:
Take metro line 2 to Changninggong, exit B out and then take a taxi to the entrance. The taxi may take about CNY 15.
2. From Xi'an Railway Station:
Take metro line 4 to Wulukou, transfer to line 1 to Beidajie, change to line 2 to Changninggong, exit B out and then take a taxi to the entrance.
3. From Xi'an Airport:
Take the shuttle bus to Xi'an Railway Station, then follow the above route.
 Xi'an Bus / Metro Search.

Getting around
As the core scenic area is about 6 km (3.7 mi) from the entrance, tourists can either walk there or take a sightseeing car or mini bus. At present 3 routes are in service: entrance - Tianchi area; entrance - Yifangyuan area; entrance - skiing/grass skiing area.

Minibus Fare: CNY 6 per person per trip.
Sightseeing Car Fare: CNY 20 per person for a single trip.