Mianshan (绵山）located at Jiexiu Town (介休）in Shanxi province of China （山西）
Normally, people who came to Shanxi go to Pingyao, Wutaishan or Taiyuan, then there are not many reviews of Mianshan. However, after I saw the picture of Qixian Valley, which located in Mianshan, I told myself that I must go there! Then, I's crazily finding Mianshan's information, map and scenic spots.
The above picture is one of pictures of Qixian Valley I found while I surfing internet which inspired me to go to Mianshan. The picture was from https://dp.pconline.com.cn/photo/list_3191705.html which I highly recommend you guys to take a look for Qixian Valley from his blog and you will fall in love with Qixian Valley as I do.
In case you don't think that the previous picture is not inspired your adventure sprite enough, please check this blog --> http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_999f42870102wgd1.html
The photos of Qixian Valley in this blog will wake your adventure sprite up.
The rain welcomed me when I arrived Jiexiu train station. The taxi drivers approached me and told me that now, there is no bus to Mianshan so I should take taxi there. I actually knew that there still a bus, but because of raining, take a taxi should be more convenience.
The taxi driver asked for 10 RMB per person for driving us to Mianshan. However, after we got in his car, he's gone back on his word. He told us that 10 RMB for drive us to the Mianshan's foothill, not the main entrance which the ticket office located. If we want him to drive us to main entrance of Mianshan, we must pay him 25 RMB each. ( Some Chinese reviews said it cost 40 RMB. for taxi meter to main entrance)
At that time we cannot refuse and let him drop us in the middle of nowhere, so we need to pay him more as he requested.
The ticket office of Mianshan. When I was there, it's raining. So I did not take any picture of the main entrance. The above picture was taken from http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_5d32c2150102v751.html
Inside Minashan has many tourist attractions. If you want to visit all of them, you may need 5-7 days. At the ticket office, you can book the hotel in Mianshan here. There are 6 hotels in Mianshan but only 2 hotels are allowed foreigners to stay. Yunfeng Hotel is one of that.
Yunfeng hotel located at Yungengsi bus stop inside Mianshan Scenic area. The hotel was a cliff-side hotel. Stunning view from hotel room. You also can walk to Yunfeng temple next to hotel without climbing hundreds step but walk from 10th floor lobby of the hotle.
If you want to stay in Mianshan, booked or not, first, you need to contact the hotel reservation counter at the ticket office at the main entrance before entering into Mianshan scenic area. The reservation counter will issue some documents which need to be submitted to the hotel when we check-in.
Mianshan ticket price was very cheap. 160 RMB for one time entering, but you can stay inside as long as you want. (110 RMB for entering fee, 50 RMB. for the shuttle bus that you can hop on hop off for your whole trip in Mianshan)
After bought ticket, you need to take a shuttle bus into the scenic area. The shuttle bus from ticket office will drop you at Dragon Head, and then, you need to change the bus to the other bus which take you to the scenic spots.
There are 2 shuttle loops:
1. Main entrance (ticket office) <----> Dragon Head
2. Inside scenic area loop which has 7 stops: Dragon Head <--> Daluogong <--> Tianqiao <--> Zhujiawa <--> Yunfengsi <--> Qixiangu <--> Shuitaogou
As the map above, you can walk to each tourist attractions from the top of the mountain, except the temples at Daluogong, Tianqiao and Zhujiawa shuttle station, because these temples located at cliff-side and no way to the top of cliff or top of mountain. You can reach the top of mountain at Dragon Head shuttle station (walk or take a cable car), Yunfengsi shuttle station by walking or take an elevator at Mummy temple (正果寺）, Qixian Valley shuttle station, and Shuidonggou shuttle station by walk or take a cable car.
The view from lobby at 10th floor
Yunfeng temple
the stair up to the temple
I shot this photo from hotel's 10th floor lobby at my last day in Mianshan. Unfortunately for me that all my time in Mianshan, there was no sunny day but rain, mist and a lot of clouds, only sunny day I met was the day I left.
So basically, these following pictures are what I met! 😭
heavy mist
From Yunfeng Temple, you can walk to Sky Plank Road which is pathway along the cliff lead to the top of the mountain.
the way to Sky Plank Road
Sky Plank Road
The picture of Sky Plank Road without mist. I shot this picture at the morning before I left.
As you can see, the top of Sky Plank Road has a small temple and the pathway to the top of the mountain.
At the top of the mountain, I walked as blind because of fog. Actually, we planned to walk to Jie Zitui's tomb, but we found Zhengguo Temple （正果寺）or Mummy Temple instead.
From the temple, there is no way down. You need to walk back or take an elevator (15RMB cash, they don't accept Wechat pay or Alipay)
The next day, we took the shuttle bus to Qixian Valley
For me, Qixian Valley is really impressive and fun. A lot of Korean tourists was here to enjoy their hiking but few Chinese.
When we reached at the top, there is pathway to Jiagong Temple （介公寺）and JieZitui Tomb which located at top of the mountain.
Many Chinese tourist came here for visit JieZitui Tomb because Qingming Festival was originated by legend of Jie Zitui. Jie Zitui was king's bureaucrat who left the royal court to leave in Mianshan with his mother. However, the king want he to return to the royal court but he refused. Then the king burn the mountain to force Jie to come out. However, Jie and his mother was burn and finally died.
Because of Jie's death, the king forbidden his people to set fire in this day as a memorial for Jie. Then it became an origin of eating cold food in Qingming Festival.
the elevator
Dragon Head
Daluogong Temple
Tianqiao or Sky Bridge
The staff said the Five Dragon waterfall area is the must! However, after I went there, I'm not impressed at all. For me, it looks like some park with fake waterfalls. I should take a cable car to the top of the mountain instead of visit Five Dragon waterfall.
1 -05 -2019
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