• China Guide

  • Introduction to China
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China Guide

The Yangzi basin

Wudang Shan

• Accommodation on the mountain

Wudang Shan's 72 pinnacles have, since Tang times, been liberally covered in Taoisttemples and the mountain is currently enjoying another bloom of religious fervour, with many of the temples emerging fabulously decorated. The mountain is also famous for its martial arts, which command as much respect as those of Shaolin Si. It's said that the Song-dynasty monk Zhang Sanfeng developed Wudang boxing – from which tai ji is derived – after watching a fight between a snake and a magpie, which revealed to him the essence of neijia, an internal force used to control "action" with "non-action". An easy ascent, coupled with Wudang Shan's splendid scenery and easy access from Wuhan, Xi'an and Yichang, make a visit here very worthwhile.

The access town, with transport links and accommodation, is Wudang Shan town. There's also limited accommodation on the mountain itself. It's possible to hike from Wudang Shan town to the summit in about eight hours though most people catch one of the ubiquitous minibuses to the roadhead three-quarters of the way up near Nanyan Gong. There's a stop at the park gates outside town to pay the entrance fee (¥147, incl entry to temples on the mountain and a refundable deposit of ¥20 on safe return of yourself), then drivers tear up past stark fields, outlying temples and martial-arts schools to where the road ends amid a cluster of hotels, sword shops and parked vehicles. Trails from the hotel area at the end of the road lead you to the many mountainside temples, including Nanyan Gong and Zixiao Gong, and to the summit of the highest peak, Tianzhu.

Bear in mind that if you're visiting between December and March the road may be snowbound, in which case minibuses won't run, and you'll have to walk the whole lot or try to bargain with a motorbike taxi to take you as far as possible. Another option is to take a minibus (¥70) to the cable car at Qiongtai (¥80 return), which then speeds you up to the summit.