Jiuding Mountain Travel Guide

Dreaming of the majestic Jiuding Mountain? Here's a detailed guide fresh from my recent trip to the mountain! Let's go explore together! 🚗 Self-driving navigation: Search for Jiuding Mountain Taiziling Ski Resort or Couples Tree Parking Lot. The drive takes about 3.5 hours (approximately 130 kilometers). 🅿️ Parking: Couples Tree Parking Lot (20 RMB fee). Cars with high ground clearance can continue driving to the starting point of Lili Climb. 🎫 Tickets: 70 RMB for individual visitors (students get half-price). 💐 Best viewing period: Mid-June to July every year. ⛰️ Altitude: Around 3,800 meters. 🚶 Hiking: Round trip takes about 4–5 hours. 🏞️ Recommended routes: 💐 Trekking through the sea of flowers: Route A: Couples Tree → Lili Climb (Despair Slope, exhausting but fast) → Shimenkan → Chicken Claw Camp. Route B: Couples Tree → White Dragon Pool → Black Dragon Pool. PS: Black Dragon Pool is absolutely stunning! The lake is crystal clear, reflecting the sky and surrounded by a sea of flowers. It feels like stepping into a Studio Ghibli animation. Along the way, you'll see hills covered in flowers, herds of cattle and sheep grazing, and clouds drifting below your feet ☁️. It's an incredible experience, and my travel companions couldn't stop taking photos throughout the journey. 🏕️ About the camps: Chicken Claw Camp: Offers a wide and open view. Free water is available, but there’s no hot water or electricity. Tent rental costs around 150 RMB per person (including breakfast and dinner), but it gets extremely crowded. Black Dragon Pool Camp: Ideal for heavy-pack hikers who prefer setting up their own tents. The scenery is breathtaking, and it’s relatively less crowded. You can wake up to a sunrise in the morning. At night, the base offers hot pot for dinner, where ten people gather around to eat—a unique experience. If the weather is good, you can see the Milky Way 🌌 at midnight. ⚠️ Tips: 1⃣️ This route involves high-altitude hiking, so choose carefully based on your physical condition. If you experience altitude sickness at the camp, there are no vehicles to take you down. You’ll need to pay for someone to carry or assist you down, which can be very expensive! 2⃣️ Nights in tents can be quite cold. Bring hand warmers, foot warmers, a down jacket, and a hat for sleeping. One of my companions experienced altitude sickness and had to buy an oxygen tank from the camp owner at an exorbitant price—8 times the market rate! It’s best to prepare your own supplies in advance. 3⃣️ There’s no signal or electricity on the mountain, so bring a power bank and cash. 4️⃣ The weather in high-altitude areas is unpredictable, so a raincoat is a must! 5⃣️ The scenery depends heavily on the weather. Check the forecast before going; foggy conditions can diminish the experience. 6️⃣ Bring an extra pair of pants to change into after descending, and wear waterproof, non-slip shoes. A fellow traveler wore regular sneakers, which weren’t slip-resistant, and ended up falling repeatedly. His shoes were ruined by the time he got down.