Beiwudang Mountain Scenic Area Voyage Tips and guide

The Beiwudang Mountain Scenic Area (武当山) is located in Fangshan County, Lüliang City, Shanxi Province. It is the birthplace of Taoism in China and a sacred place of Taoism in the north. It is known as the first mountain in Shanxi. The scenic area has 72 peaks, 32 cliffs and 24 streams.

1. It is about 120 km from Taiyuan. You can take a long-distance bus from Taiyuan to Fangshan, and then transfer to a bus to the scenic area.
2. The long-distance bus from Taiyuan to Fangshan stops at Yu Kou. There are minivans going up the mountain from there, which can take you to the ticket office and then up to the top. The whole journey costs about ¥46 (Sep 2025).
3. There are four minibuses from Fangshan to the foot of the mountain every day. The buses at 07:00 and 10:00 in the morning only stop at Caojia Gou Village. You can hire a minivan or a tricycle from Yu Kou or Caojia Gou to the top.

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Map of Beiwudang Mountain Scenic Area

Among the mountains, there are numerous strangely-shaped rocks. A 10,000-jin (5,000-kg) "turtle rock" stands precariously on the cliff edge. With a gentle push or a gust of wind, it wobbles as if about to fall, which is terrifying and thrilling. Therefore, it is also called the Wind-Blown Rock and is one of the rarest landscapes in China.

There are numerous Taoist buildings on the mountain, such as the Xuantian Grand Hall, the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods, and the Linggong Temple, all featuring upturned eaves and interlocking brackets, exuding an ancient and elegant charm. There are also cultural heritages like murals and stone carvings. The two characters "Qiao Song" near the stone steps leading to the South Heaven Gate from the Golden Summit were inscribed by Wang Jixian, the magistrate of Yongning Prefecture during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty.

The main scenic spots in Wudang Mountain include the Golden Summit Scenic Area, Nanyan Scenic Area, Taizipo Scenic Area, Fushou Kangning Garden Scenic Area, Xuanyuemen Scenic Area, Qiongtai Scenic Area and Wulong Palace Scenic Area.

The Jinding Scenic Area is located around Tianzhu Peak and consists of Chaotian Palace, the 1, 2 and 3 Tianmen Gates, Taihe Palace, etc.

The Taihe Palace , built in 1416 during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, is now a nationally recognized key religious venue and a key cultural relic under state protection. The main building of the palace, the Golden Hall, is located at the summit and features a copper-clad, imitation-wood structure.

The Nanyan Scenic Area is located on the mountainside and consists of Zixiao Palace, Nanyan Palace, Langmei Temple and other attractions.

• 32.426667111.02251 Zixiao Palace (紫霄宮) (at the foot of Zhanqi Peak). One of the most complete surviving palaces in Wudang. Built in the imperial architectural style, it is now a nationally recognized key religious venue and a key cultural relic protection site, serving as the seat of the Wudang Mountain Taoist Association.  
• 32.42276111.011322 Nanyan Palace (南岩宫) (facing the Golden Summit). The place where Zhenwu attained enlightenment. The Tianyi Zhenqing Palace, a stone hall built during the Yuan Dynasty, is embedded in the cliffs and is the most prominent of the 36 rocks on Wudang Mountain.  

Located on the ancient sacred road from Taizipo to Zixiao, the park is now a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Site. It serves as a Wudang Group Taoist temple, embracing modern principles of returning to simplicity and simplicity.

The Longquan Temple within the park is the foremost of the eight Wudang temples. Longquan Temple is the only temple in Wudang that promotes filial piety, dedicated to the Great Emperor Xuanwu (Northern Emperor), and serves as a place for the Northern Emperor to commemorate his parents.

In front of Longquan Temple stands the Tianjin Bridge, the longest stone bridge on the Wudang Mountain Ancient Incense Road. "Tian" means "Heavenly Palace," and "Jin" means "River Ferry." The ancient bridge connects the Upper and Lower Eighteen Bends of the mountain, spanning the Jiudu Stream. Pilgrims crossing the bridge were said to reach Heaven, hence the name Tianjin. Tianjin Bridge echoes the Jade Belt Bridge, which spans the Jinshui River in Beijing's Forbidden City.

Located behind the Meridian Gate, the Jade Belt Bridge overlooks the Hall of Supreme Harmony and leads directly to the Qin'an Hall of the Beidi Temple, the only temple on the Forbidden City's central axis. Therefore, the Jade Belt Bridge also served as a bridge connecting the emperor and the people, exemplifying the Ming Dynasty's strategy of "building the Forbidden City in the north and Wudang Temple in the south."

The scenic area is located at the northern foot of Wudang Mountain and consists of Xuanyue Gate, Yuzhen Palace, Yuanhe Temple, Yuxu Palace and other attractions. Xuanyue Gate is the common name of the stone archway "Zhishi Xuanyue". It was built in the 31st year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1552) and is a national key cultural relic protection unit.

Yuxu Palace , located at the northern foot of Wudang Mountain, is known as "Xuantian Yuxu Palace," named after the Zhenwu God, who was given the titles "Xuantian Shangdi" and "Yuxu Shixiang." Built in 1412, the tenth year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, and expanded during the Jiajing reign, it was the largest palace on Wudang Mountain at the time and was once the site of Zhang Sanfeng's training. The ruins of Yuxu Palace are a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Site.

Yuanhe Temple, located at the foot of the Jade Emperor Pavilion, 2.5 km east of Yuxu Palace, is the first Taoist temple on the ancient sacred road of Wudang Mountain. Its full name is "Yuanhe Qianxiaofu".

Located in the Qinglongling area, the scenic area comprises Mozhenjing, Taizipo , and Xiaoyao Valley. Its design and layout are closely tied to the story of Zhenwu's cultivation. Taizipo, according to legend, is also known as Fuzhen Temple, where the Zhenwu prince, after receiving a needle-grinding ritual from his grandmother, returned to cultivate again. The temple boasts scenic features such as the One Pillar, Twelve Beams, and the Nine-Curved Yellow River Wall.

The scenic area is located on the south side of Wudang Mountain and consists of Laojun Cave, Eight Immortals Temple, Qiongtai Shangzhongxia Temple and other attractions.

The scenic area is located on the West Shinto Road and consists of attractions such as the Five Dragon Palace.