Wangshun Mountain National Forest Park

Wangshun Mountain National Forest Park is located in Lantian County, 60km (about 37mi) from Xi'an City, known as "Small Yellow Mountain in Shaanxi Province" after Yellow Mountain. A total area of 36.45 square kilometers (14 square miles), Wangshun Mountain is an integral part of Zhongnan Mountains. On its highest peak, Jade Emperor Peak, 2,239m (7346 ft), you get a panorama of Mt. Huashan to the east, Wei River to your north, Qinling Mountains to the south and Xi'an City to your west. It's a popular summer resort for local people to escape the down town heat.

Wangshun Mountain National Forest Park was once called Jade Mountain because famous Lantian Jade was harvested in this mountain. In one of the 24 Filial Piety Stories, a man named Wang Shun carried soil daily for a long time to bury the remains of his deceased mother on this mountain which has no soil on it. Gods had pity on him so that they transformed the soil in his baskets into two mountainous burial mounds for his mother. Since then he  lived near to the tomb to maintain it for three years rain or shine and worshipped in the mountain and finally achieved immortality. In his honour, this mountain has been renamed to Wangshun Mountain.

Wangshun Mountain National Forest Park is scenic. "A Thread of Sky" is a deep and narrow gorge as if hewn by a huge axe. More than 30 unique stones of different shapes such as monkeys, running horse, camel, eagle hunting for food and tiger dashing down the mountain will amaze you. Songshi, Qicai, Longhu and other 4 ponds shine with dreamy green under the sun. Another famous natural spot on Wangshun Mountain is the Millennium Azalea Tree. According to experts, this 5-meter (16 feet) high azalea tree is more than 1,000 years old. Therefore, local people hold it as spiritually sacred.

Cultural relics line up the mountain road, where you'll see the 24 Filial Piety Statues and the Temple of Dutiful Son, Wang Shun. Verse couplets on the main hall of the temple were written by Ren Farong, a contemporary renowned calligrapher. In the centre of the hall is the statue of Wang Shun kneeling on the floor at full attention to his mother.

Not far from the Temple of Dutiful Son there is Awaiting Son Stone with footprints left by Wang Shun's mother waiting for his return from woodcutting in the mountain.

Being the transportation hub of Shaanxi and Sichuan of old, many calligraphers and poets left their literary traces here, as well as cliff-side carvings from Han (202 BC-220 AD) to Tang (618-907) dynasties. You should definitely not omit them during the visit.

Travel Tip

It should be noticed that there's no food consession on your way to the top. You should take your own provisions with you for the mountain road will take about 4 hours to trek.
 

How to get to Wangshun Mountain National Forest Park

1. Take bus 926 at Xi'an City Stadium Station and get off at Lantian Bus Station. Then take the express bus there to Wangshun Mountain National Forest Park.
2. Take a minibus at Xi'an Bus Station south-west to Xi'an Train Station to Shangzhou District or Luonan County and get off at Lanqiao Town and then take a local electric tricycle or walk to Wangshun Mountain in about 30 minutes.
 
Admission Fee CNY 40
Cable-way: CNY 50 for a single trip and CNY 80 for round trip
Opening Hours 07:00-18:00
 
 Nearby Attraction
 Shuilu Temple
- Last updated on Aug. 15, 2024 by Catherine He -