Half-day tour of Luofu Mountain.

The Double Ninth Festival is the best time to climb mountains. Luofu Mountain, known as "the first mountain in Lingnan", "the ten famous Taoist mountains" (the seventh cave heaven, the thirty-fourth blessed land), and a national 5A scenic spot, has always been at the top of my mountain climbing list with its rich legends, profound cultural heritage, and vast green vegetation. Feiyunding, the main peak of Luofu Mountain, is 1,296 meters above sea level. Even if you start climbing from the cable car station, it is still 4,300 meters, and you need to climb more than 600 meters, which takes at least two hours, so it still requires a certain amount of physical strength. The road facilities on the mountain are very complete. Before Fenshuiao Station, there are only cement steps or wooden plank roads with complete railings. The road from Fenshuiao to Feiyunding is a stone staircase. The road condition is slightly poor, but the slope is gentle, and it is not dangerous or difficult. There are many strange rocks on the top of the mountain, which is very interesting. The view from the top of the mountain is very open. However, there was some mist today, and the top of the mountain was shrouded in clouds and mist in the afternoon, so visibility was not high. Those with less physical strength can climb up Eagle's Beak Rock (Figures 6 and 7). Looking forward (Figure 8), the road ahead is long and you can't see the end at a glance. Perhaps the most challenging one is the Haohanpo (Figure 13), which is 119 meters long and has 313 consecutive steps. It takes great courage and physical endurance to climb it in one go. But after going up, there are still many steps behind! There are a lot of Miscanthus on Feiyunding (Figure 16). It should be even more beautiful in two months. There are large areas of alpine rhododendrons on the top of the mountain, which must be extremely beautiful in spring. There is nothing on Feiyunding except the signpost, but two national flags are placed there considerately to make it convenient for tourists to pose for photos. After I came down from Feiyunding, I felt that I had not yet achieved enough, so I went to Boyun Temple, which is known as the highest temple in Guangdong. The round trip took an hour, with both climbing and descending, which was another test of my physical strength. I was shocked when I arrived (Figure 18). It is rare to see such a dilapidated temple. I also developed respect for the monks in the temple - they are true practitioners! Although the weather was good today and it was basically cloudy, the water consumption was still very high. I brought three bottles of water (500 ml each), but it still wasn't enough. I went to eat two more bowls of tofu pudding. The tofu pudding on the mountain costs 12 yuan, I can’t bear it. I paid 10 yuan at the Eagle's Beak Rock and 5 yuan at the cable car station, and had a bowl of food each. The ones at Eagle Rock are original flavor, and you can add honey yourself; the ones at the cable car station are pre-made and have a sweet taste. Walking down the mountain from the lower station of the cable car, you can reach Zhuming Academy (Zhuming Cave) and Marshal Building (Figure 20), as well as Chongxu Ancient Temple (see another post). Transportation and Tickets: Transportation in Luofu Mountain is not very convenient. If you are not driving, you can choose the high-speed rail. However, there are not many trains at Luofu Mountain Station. You can transfer from Guangzhou East or Huizhou North. There is bus No. 268 from the high-speed rail station that goes directly to the scenic area, and the ticket costs 4 yuan. It is best to take the shuttle bus going up in the scenic area (ticket is 6 yuan), otherwise this uphill road will be very tiring. Taking the cable car up and down is generally a must, of course, except for mountain climbing enthusiasts. Tickets can be purchased online, and it is more affordable to choose a package of tickets + cable car access.