Yao Mountain

Yao Mountain, also known as Yaoshan Hill or Yaoshan Mountain, is the highest mountain of Guilin, with the main peak reaching an altitude of 909.3 meters (2,983 feet). Lying 10 kilometers (6 miles) northeast of the city center, it is a wonderful site to have a bird's-eye view of beautiful Guilin City, embraced by the winding Li River. The scenic area boasts diverse karst landscapes, the world's largest natural image of a recumbent Buddha, and also many historical relics like: ancient temples, and the Mausoleums of Jingjiang Princes.It would take about an hour to climb to the top of Yao Mountain. The cable car and slideway can make your visit to Yao Mountain more relaxed and give you a special experience. Taking the cable car to go up the hill will save half an hour, and sitting in the cabin, passengers can have a panoramic view of the landscapes of Guilin.

Different scenery in the four seasons gives Yao Mountain different charms. In spring, it becomes a sea of azalea blossoms, and the air is heavy with sweet scent. When summer comes, the forest flourishes, turning the hill into a wide green world. Maple leaves redden, and wild chrysanthemums are all over the field in autumn. Once the snow comes, everything is covered in a beautiful white mask, making Yao Mountain look like a fairy wonderland. The most marvelous scenery is that, seeing from the peak, the hill on the opposite side looks like a Buddha reclining among the clouds. This unbelievable scene has attracted numerous visitors from home and abroad.

You can choose to go downhill by the slideway. It measures 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) in length, containing 18 bends with the height difference of 150 meters (492 feet). You need to walk half way down the mountain to get to the station. When you are rushing down by the slideway, forest, grotesque stones, flowers, and clear springs, all embrace you and pass you by. This will definitely offer you an amazing experience.At a height of 200 meters (656 feet), is the site of Maoping Monastery, built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD). With one court and three bays, it was once one of the most influential temples in Guilin.

The mountain was named after the Yao Temple built in the Qin Dynasty (221 – 207 BC) at the altitude of 450 meters (1,476 feet) on the western slope. Later, the temple collapsed, and then Shoufo Temple and Baiyun Taoist Temple were built on the same site. They were very prosperous at that time. Shoufo Temple was founded in the Ming Dynasty, and renovated by the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911 AD). It contained three bays, with one main shrine in the center, two side halls, and a stone-arched gate. It was a place to worship the Buddha of Eternal Life (Shou Fo). Nowadays, only the ruins can still be seen.

At a height of about 700 meters (2,297 feet), you can see the site of a monastery named Bailu. It was the former residence of Master Bailu, who was an eminent monk in the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD).Enjoying an equal popularity with the Thirteen Tombs of Ming Dynasty in Beijing, Mausoleums of Jingjiang Princes, located at the foot of Yao Mountain, are an imperial cemetery burying eleven princes of the Jingjiang Family during the Ming Dynasty. The Jingjiang Family is comprised of the descents of King Jingjiang, the nephew of a Ming emperor. More than 300 tombs are spread over 100 square kilometers (39 square miles). The one tomb open to the public is that of the third king and his consort. Excavated items include gold, silver, jade, pottery, porcelain and other antiques. Among them is a precious, elegant porcelain vase.1. Take bus no. 24 to Jingjiang Wangling (Mausoleums of Jingjiang Princes) Station, and walk north for about 15 minutes to Yao Mountain.
2. Take taxi from the city proper, which costs CNY 40 or so.
Guilin Bus Search
 

Slideway	CNY 60	Free for children under 1.2m (3.9 ft)
Cable Car	CNY 65	Free for children under 1.4m (4.6ft)
Round-trip Cable Car	CNY 110
Mausoleums of Jingjiang Princes Museum	CNY 28	Free for children under 1.2m (3.9 ft)

 

Yao Mountain	9:00 – 16:00
Mausoleums of Jingjiang Princes Museum	9:30 – 16:30 (Ticketing stops at 16:30)