Huashan Mountain – The Internet Lied to You (It’s Safe!)
One of the best things I did in China was visit Huashan Mountain (also known as Mount Hua). It wasn’t on my original trip itinerary but when my friends and I found ourselves with a free day in Xi’An during our weeklong tour, we decided to head up to the mountain. When we’d asked our tour guide his opinion, he discouraged us from going and the internet almost succeeded at scaring us off too. Huashan Mountain is often cited as one of the most dangerous places in China and we were worried we were in over our heads. Thankfully, the internet is full of more propaganda than truth. In reality, Huashan Mountain is very visitor friendly to a variety of fitness levels and we never felt unsafe or in any danger.
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Where is Huashan Mountain
Huashan Mountain is located ~75 miles east of Xi’An, making it a perfect day trip from the city. The mountain has 5 major peaks. The tallest one – South Peak – stands at 7,087 feet (2,160 meters) above sea level, which is low enough that you shouldn’t be concerned about altitude sickness.
How to Get to Huashan Mountain from Xi’An
For tourists, I think the best way to visit Huashan Mountain is with a guide. We booked this tour through Viator. Our guide Ellen and driver picked us up from the hotel, drove us to the visitor center ~1 hour and 45 minutes away. Then we boarded a bus with our guide that took ~40 minutes us to the base of the mountain. Finally we just had to take a 20 minute gondola up to the West Peak station to start our short hike. Having a guide not only ensured we didn’t get lost but also meant that we were able to learn a lot about the history, culture, and significance of the mountain and surrounding area. Our tour also included all our entry tickets in the cost (except the mountain coaster).
There are also high speed trains and buses that can take you to Huashan Mountain if you have confidence navigating the Chinese public transit system on your own. This would definitely be the cheaper route.
What to Expect
Choosing Your Route
There are a few different routes you can take to hike around Huashan Mountain and it’s very “choose your own adventure.” We only wanted to spend a half day on the mountain and were keen to take it easy, so we chose to hike from the gondola station to the West Peak and then over to the South Peak before returning to the gondola. There were plenty of stairs but as an avid hiker, I’d rate this as “moderate.”
I’ll talk more about the infamous Plank Walk below, but we chose to avoid that and the Chess Pavilion (a similarly dangerous route) completely in order to stay well within our comfort zones and physical limits.
All around you’ll notice red ribbons tied to the railings. These are prayer ribbons where people have made a variety of wishes. While you’re there, you can buy your own and make your own wish to leave on the mountain. There is also a temple at the top near the West Peak where people go to pray.
The views from Huashan Mountain are striking and unique. I don’t think I’ve ever seen mountains quite like these before. We were there in the fall and at the leaves were just starting to change colors, really making the scenery even more vibrant. After so many days experiencing the cities of Beijing and Xi’An, it was a great juxtaposition to get into nature and see what China’s natural beauty has to offer.
Facilities
Huashan Mountain is very much set up for tourists, in a good way. The paths along the cliffs have railings/fencing to keep you safe, there’s food vendors, hiking poles and sun hats for sale, and toilets available throughout the park. Note that most of the toilets we encountered were squat toilets (including one squat toilet port-a-potty), but there were western toilets at the base of the gondola station. There’s also plenty of people trying to sell you a photo-op, but I would avoid these as the photo spots aren’t any better than those you can access on your own.
Crowds
The crowds vary a lot day-to-day in China and especially depend on the weather. We went on a Tuesday in mid-October and the various forecasts showed a bit of conflicting information, which I think kept the crowds at bay. There were plenty of people around but I didn’t think it was too crowded (especially compared to our visit to the Terracotta Warriors the day before where we were packed in like sardines). We were able to get a gondola all to ourselves and there wasn’t any line to board.
Be sure to check the Chinese holiday calendar because tourist sites around the country experience peak crowds on these days.
Weather Considerations
During my 8 day trip to China, it rained almost every single day, but the day we went to Huashan was a rare exception. As we were driving out to the mountain, there was a very thick fog and we could barely even see the buildings we were passing on the highway. I was very worried we’d get to the top of the mountain and not be able to see a thing. However, during our 40 minute bus ride to the gondola station, we turned a corner and drove above the fog layer, instantly greeted by blue skies and sun! We enjoyed wonderful weather until we drove back to Xi’An where it once again started raining. Don’t assume the weather in Xi’An and Huashan Mountain are the same!
Do be sure to look up weather reports ahead of time. This hike would be a lot less fun in terrible weather, especially if it’s pouring rain or icy.
What to Bring
Huashan Mountain is not as intense as the internet makes it seem, so you should pack like you would for any light day hike. I was nervous because I didn’t have proper hiking shoes with me, but my normal sneakers had plenty of traction on the rocks. Here’s a quick packing list of what I brought:
- Passport – you need this anywhere you go in China and we had to show them twice at the mountain
- Shoes you can walk in – I wore New Balance 327s and they were fine
- Layers – it’s warmer at the top of the mountain, especially if the sun is out
- Sunglasses – my favorite pair is only $13! I wear them on every trip
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- Snacks – there is food for sale though if you don’t have any
- Water
- Portable charger – make sure it has the CCC certification or it could be confiscated in China
- Bathroom kit (travel toilet paper, reusable pee cloth, hand sanitizer) – not every bathroom has toilet paper or soap so you want to be prepared
- Travelan – I take this with every meal in any country where it’s unsafe to drink the tap water
- Mini medicine bag – a just in case to avoid any rough situations on your day trip
Bionic Legs for Rent
I’d heard of bionic leg exoskeletons online but had never seen them in real life before arriving at Huashan Mountain. In the shopping center at the gondola station, you can rent Hypershell bionic legs to assist you as you hike. I think these could be especially beneficial to anyone with injury, weakness, or general aging to allow them to enjoy the mountain too. Hiking is not a very accessible sport, but this can help with that!
Mountain Coaster
There is a large set of stairs between where the buses drop you off and where you board the gondola. You can either hike up/down the stairs or take a mountain coaster. If you take the mountain coaster up, it’s just a slow uphill ride to avoid the stairs. However, if you take the coaster down (like we did), it’s a fun thrill to get down the mountain. Our legs were shaky from all the hiking and this was a fun end to a great day at Huashan.
The Plank Walk (AKA the reason the mountain gets a bad rep)
If you Google photos of Huashan Mountain, many of the search results will turn up images of the infamous plank walk. This is a series of planks drilled into the side of a cliff and if you want, you can brave a walk along the edge. Unfortunately, it has also been the site of many fatalities over the years.
THIS IS NOT MANDATORY! In fact, I would like to actively discourage you from doing it. I am an adrenaline junkie and I love via ferratas, which is essentially what the plank walk is. However, this one does not appear safe in the slightest. Yes, they give you a “harness” but it is not a traditional harness around your waist but instead one around your chest that it looks like you’d immediately slip out of if you fell. Also, there’s no bungee cable, just a flimsy looking rope holding you in, which could inflict significant force and damage if you were slip.
Beyond the obvious safety red flags, this is really just a tourist trap. You have to pay extra for this activity (30 Yuan) and it’s just a quick out-and-back photo op on the planks. Because it’s out-and-back you do also have to pass people on these narrow planks on your return, increasing your odds of an accident.
Save your time, save your money, and potentially save your life by skipping this one. If you’re interested in your first via ferrata, I recommend the ones in Mürren, Switzerland or Sacred Valley, Peru.
I promise you can have a lovely day at Haushan Mountain without the plank walk. I am living proof (emphasis on living because I skipped the plank walk).
Final Thoughts
I had an incredible time at Huashan Mountain and it was such a highlight of my trip to China. In fact, I think the only thing that tops it was visiting the Great Wall! Please don’t let the internet scare you into thinking this is some experts-only mountain – we saw people of all physical fitness levels enjoying the stunning views that Huashan has to offer.
Be sure to save this post for future planning!
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