Yandang Mountain is located in Yueqing, northern Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, with an elevation of 500 to 600 meters. Its main peak, the West Peak of Baigangjian, stands at 1,108 meters. Formed by four volcanic eruptions between 128 million and 108 million years ago, it is a UNESCO Global Geopark, one of the first batch of National Key Scenic Areas in China, and a National 5A Tourist Attraction. It is also one of the “Three Mountains” among the famous Three Mountains and Five Great Mountains.
The development of Yandang Mountain began during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, leaving behind over 400 cliff inscriptions. The scenic area stretches 25 kilometers from east to west and 19 kilometers from north to south, covering an area of approximately 450 square kilometers. It is divided into eight scenic zones—Lingfeng, Sanzhe Waterfall, Lingyan, Dalongqiu, Yanhu, Xianshengmen, Xianren Bridge, and Yangjiaodong—comprising more than 380 attractions. Among them, Lingfeng, Lingyan, and Dalongqiu are known as the “Three Wonders of Yandang.”
As soon as you arrive at the parking lot, you can see the mountains behind. Although the scenic area has several massive parking lots, the huge crowds during the National Day holiday still filled them to capacity.
Yandang Mountain is quite scattered, consisting of several completely independent attractions such as Fangdong, Lingyan, Lingfeng, Dalongqiu, and Sanzhe Waterfall. Tickets are sold separately for each, and you can take the scenic shuttle bus to travel between these different spots.
Dalongqiu is a very tall waterfall whose flow depends on recent rainfall; if the weather has been consistently sunny, the water volume will be very low. It is recommended to check Xiaohongshu beforehand to see if it’s worth visiting.
On this trip, we visited Fangdong and Lingyan. These two scenic areas are connected. You can enter via Fangdong and exit via Lingyan, which is mostly downhill and not very friendly to your knees. Alternatively, entering via Lingyan and exiting via Fangdong involves an uphill climb, requiring good physical stamina. Tickets for both areas are usually purchased together, though you can visit just one. However, visiting only one requires backtracking along the same route, as there is a ticket checkpoint when crossing into the other area.
The Fangdong scenic area mainly features several caves, one of which is square-shaped. Nowadays, most of the caves have been commercially developed, housing two coffee shops. During the National Day holiday, they were packed, and even ran out of ice. If you’ve hiked up from Lingyan and are exhausted, stumbling upon a coffee shop is a pleasant surprise. However, coming from the Fangdong side, you encounter a coffee shop right at the entrance, which isn’t particularly meaningful. I recommend visiting the second one, located next to the suspension bridge.
The suspension bridge is about 200 meters high and roughly 100 meters long. It sways considerably when crowded, so be careful not to drop your phone.
The view from the mountain looking down is stunning, especially when sunlight pierces through the clouds and shines upon the terraced fields.
Entering the Lingyan scenic area requires a separate ticket check. There is no mobile signal at this gate, so you must open your QR code in advance. It is recommended that signal coverage be improved; the lack of signal in such a critical area easily causes congestion.
The Lingyan scenic area is one of the most representative core zones of Yandang Mountain, rich in the “charm of mountains and waters.” Centered around Lingyan Temple, which was originally built in the 4th year of the Taiping Xingguo era of the Song Dynasty (979 AD) and bestowed with the plaque “Lingyan Zen Temple” by Emperor Zhenzong of Song, the area is surrounded by Tianzhu Peak and Zhanqi Peak, forming a towering confrontation of thousand-foot cliffs, with the Pingxia Zhang rock formation backing it from behind.
The Lingyan Tightrope Walking performance dates back to the 1930s. Performed between Tianzhu Peak and Zhanqi Peak, it involves high-altitude horizontal and vertical crossings, evolving from the traditional herb-gathering activities of local villagers.
From the mountain, you can see the descent path packed with people. With visitors going both up and down, it gets extremely crowded.
Within the scenic area, the Xiaolongqiu Waterfall hangs at the base of Longyin Zhang cliff; its cascading water strikes the rocks, creating a misty spray. Additionally, inside Longbi Cave, a bronze-colored horizontal rock is embedded in the wall, winding like a dragon.
Overall, Yandang Mountain remains a relatively traditional natural scenic area. Although some renovations and optimizations have been carried out, compared to more developed modern attractions, it still involves climbing a significant number of stairs. Whether ascending or descending, there are roughly over 3,000 steps. It’s manageable when there are fewer visitors, but during peak times, you’re forced to keep moving in dense crowds, jostling back and forth, which isn’t very safe. The overall reception capacity still falls short of meeting the demands of the massive National Day holiday crowds. Furthermore, ongoing renovation projects, such as elevator installations, have resulted in certain sections of the path narrowing to single-file passage without staff to manage traffic flow, frequently causing bottlenecks. All things considered, the scenery is quite beautiful, but it is highly recommended to visit during off-peak periods.
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