Autumn Cuihua Must-Visit Guide
One-Day Autumn Tour of Cuihua Mountain: Encounter the Most Beautiful Season of Qinling
📍 Destination: Xi'an Cuihua Mountain (Zhongnan Mountain National Geopark)
⏰ Best Time: Mid-October to early November (peak red leaf viewing period)
🚗 Transportation: Self-driving/tourist shuttle/bus (about 1 hour from Xi'an city center)
🎫 Tickets: 65 RMB/person (peak season), half price for students
🌄 Itinerary: Enjoy the autumn scenery in one day
🌅 Morning: Explore the mountain gate, stroll through a golden world
🕘 8:30-9:00 | Arrive at the scenic area, feel the autumn mountain gate
The ginkgo avenue at the entrance is golden and brilliant, perfect for photos and check-ins.
Recommended to take photos in front of the "Zhongnan Yuxiu" archway, especially beautiful in the slanting morning light.
🕙 9:00-10:30 | By Tianchi Lake, admire the autumn reflections
Walk or take the sightseeing bus (20 RMB/person) to Tianchi. Along the way, red leaves dot the mountains.
Tianchi is a landslide-formed dammed lake with blue water, surrounded by colorful forests, and the reflections are picturesque.
Tips: There is a tea house by the lake where you can rest and enjoy tea, feeling the tranquility of the mountains.
🌄 Noon: Climb high and explore unique landforms
🕚 11:00-12:30 | Challenge the Wind Cave & Ice Cave
About a 20-minute walk from Tianchi to the Wind Cave, where cool wind whistles at the entrance, like "stones singing."
The Ice Cave has ice all year round; even in autumn, you can see sparkling icicles, mysterious and stunning.
Tips: The cave floor is slippery; it is recommended to wear non-slip shoes and bring a flashlight or phone light.
🕛 12:30-13:30 | Lunch at the summit, overlook the sea of clouds
Climb to the top of Cuihua Peak (altitude 2132 meters) with a broad view, overlooking the Qinling mountain range.
Recommended to bring your own simple meal (sandwiches, fruit) or buy hot drinks at the summit kiosk to warm up.
🍁 Afternoon: Red leaves cover the mountain, enjoy the return journey
🕑 14:00-15:30 | Stroll along the maple forest trail
Descend via another route passing through "Red Leaf Valley," where maples and smoke trees weave a fiery red tapestry.
If time permits, visit the "Taiyi Zhenren" stone statue and listen to local elders tell mythological stories.
🕓 16:00-17:00 | Farmhouse dinner, savor mountain flavors
Recommended farmhouse dishes at the foot of the mountain:
Stewed native chicken with mushrooms (fresh and nourishing)
Buckwheat noodles (Shaanxi specialty)
Hawthorn wine (sweet and sour, perfect for autumn)
📌 Travel Tips
✅ Clothing advice: Around 10-15℃, recommend wearing a windproof jacket + comfortable hiking shoes.
✅ Must-bring items: Power bank, thermos, sunscreen, camera (the autumn scenery is stunning!).
✅ Suitable for: Couples, families, photography enthusiasts, hiking beginners.
✨ Why must you visit Cuihua Mountain in autumn?
✔ A feast of colors — ginkgo, maple, and smoke trees blend into the "Qinling palette."
✔ Geological wonders — Wind Cave, Ice Cave, Tianchi, experience nature’s craftsmanship.
✔ Cultural heritage — Taiyi Mountain legends, Tang dynasty stone carvings, a blend of history and nature.
📸 Best photo spots: Tianchi reflections, Wind Cave entrance, summit sea of clouds, Red Leaf Valley.
Autumn at Cuihua Mountain is one of the most beautiful seasons in Qinling. This one-day trip lets you climb high for distant views, stroll among red leaves, and savor mountain delicacies. If you are in Xi'an, don’t miss this colorful feast this autumn!
📢 Have you planned your autumn trip? Let’s go! 🍂🏞️
Cuihua Mountain has very beautiful scenery, especially the Tianchi Lake. The water is super green and beautiful. I have been there many times with friends and family. It is especially suitable for vacation in the summer. In the winter, the scenery is different, but it is still very beautiful.
The ticket price is expensive, but Cuihua Mountain is one of the easier mountains to climb to the top.
I went there during the Spring Festival holiday. The snow in the city had melted, but the mountains were still covered in ice and snow. It was a different world❄️🧊 It was difficult to get a taxi on the way back, and public transportation was also very inconvenient
Cuihua Mountain, a poetic name, aptly shows its beauty. The mountains here are steep, the vegetation is dense, and the clear streams shuttle through the mountains, like a silver ribbon. Climbing to the top of the mountain, overlooking the surroundings, the mountains are continuous, and the clouds are lingering, as if you are in a fairyland. The miracle of Cuihua Mountain, as if every step is walking into the painting of nature! The east wind is good as a yanghe messenger, and the grass and flowers are reported to bloom in March. The flowers are red and the willows are green, and the distant mountains are covered with blue. Such comfort and comfort are the best of the year. Don't waste the good time on earth. Bring your family and friends to Qujiang Yanshan Scenic Area for a date with spring!
It is the most beautiful scenic spot in Qin and is also very playable. I think it is not inferior to the 5A scenic spots of the same type! However, since the scenic spot is too large, some strategies are needed. Let me also talk about some of my own suggestions. 1: You can drive up the mountain by yourself, but it is best to buy tickets and parking tickets in advance, so that you can enter the scenic spot directly after the ticket check. Many people did not buy tickets in advance, which caused congestion at the entrance of the scenic spot. 2: It takes more than five kilometers of mountain roads to drive to the parking spot on the mountain. You will constantly overtake slow cars along the way. So if you think your driving skills are not up to standard, it is best to park in the parking lot of the visitor center, and then take the shuttle bus up the mountain, which should save more time. 3: After going up the mountain, park in the parking lot here at Tianchi, or there are two parking lots before Tianchi. Although there are parking lots ahead, it is not convenient to go to the main attractions, and it is easy to cause congestion, which wastes sightseeing time. 4: The scenic area is very large ~ It takes basically a whole day to have fun. Route: Take a slow walk around Tianchi ~ Cuixian Palace, Laojun Temple ~ Go around Tianchi ~ Tiandong ~ Wind Cave ~ Ice Cave ~ Observation Deck to take pictures of Qinling Mountains ~ Go back to Tiandong and walk to another exit ~ You will pass through more than ten caves along the way ~ Go back to Tianchi; I didn’t plan well this time and arrived at the scenic area at noon (I should have arrived at the scenic area at around 9 o’clock in the morning, so I could complete this route), so I had to give up Cuixian Palace and Laojun Temple, which also took three and a half hours 5: There is also a mountain climbing road on the side of Fengdong to Cuihua Peak, but it takes more than three hours to go back and forth, so unless you stay overnight on the mountain, there is no need to climb. Cuihua Mountain is mainly Tianchi and various natural caves with beautiful scenery, especially the ice cave ~ It is less than 3℃ inside, and it feels like entering an ice cellar all of a sudden, but it feels very hot after coming out, which really makes you feel the real ice and fire Overall, the experience is quite good, and I will come again next time I come to Xi'an
Good place to go on weekends~ I compiled a guide Public transportation: After taking the subway to Weiqunnan, there are two ways to get to the scenic spot ①Take the bus (729.740.335) to Xi'an Translation Institute, and then share a taxi to the scenic spot. The bus is 2 yuan, the taxi is 10 yuan per trip, and the carpool is 10 yuan per person. The total time is 1 hour and 30 minutes to arrive ②Take a taxi directly at the Weiqunnan subway entrance, about 40 yuan per trip. Or share a car for 20 yuan per person and go directly to the scenic spot. Accommodation and catering: ①Xi'an Translation Institute has all the accommodation and catering. It is 4km away from the scenic spot, and the price is the same as that of the city. This is the farthest place that the bus can reach. You need to share a car or drive to enter the scenic spot ②There are many farmhouses in front of the scenic spot, scattered on both sides of the road. There are farmhouse dishes and accommodation here. But the price is emmmm ③There are many farmhouses in the Tianchi parking lot in the scenic area, and the farmhouses here may be slightly more expensive than outside. Going inside, there are mobile stalls next to Tianchi. The stalls have instant noodles, cold drinks and snacks, and the price is 1-2 yuan more expensive than outside. ④ 500m near the top of the mountain, there are catering stalls, selling simple meals such as cold noodles and stir-fried rice balls, as well as drinks. The price is very expensive, Coke is 8 yuan Epidemic prevention and control: You need to have a nucleic acid sticker or a 48-hour nucleic acid test. This is adjusted at any time according to the epidemic situation in Xi'an. It is recommended that friends from other places can carpool and take a car with a Xi'an license plate to enter. Otherwise, there will be some trouble. Scenic area details: ① Tickets are sold at the tourist service center at the entrance, adult tickets are 65 and student tickets are 32. The tourist service center can store items, but they must be taken away before 4 o'clock. There are also power banks for rent and food and beverages for sale here ② Entering the scenic area is the battery station, which can go directly to Tianchi. But you will miss a scenic spot in the middle: the Geological Museum. The battery car is 20 yuan per person per trip. It is recommended that friends who are not non-professional climbers or frequent climbers can take it. Save a little energy because this section of the road is very long. ③ There are mobile stalls and farmhouses at the Tianchi parking lot. It is recommended to eat here and buy some water. The price is not very affordable if you go up. ④ From Tianchi, you will officially enter the hiking stage. There will be three scenic spots: the viewing platform, the ice cave, and the wind cave after walking for a while. Highly recommended, the ice cave is very cool. There are few places to rest from here, and there is a very long cloud ladder, so you should reserve your physical strength here, eat and drink enough before climbing up. ⑤ There are small mobile stalls at 3/4 of the top of the mountain, as mentioned above. There is a slide here to slide down the mountain, and the fee is 30 per person. Written at the end The whole scenic area is still very nice. My friend and I entered at 12 o'clock and finished playing at 16 o'clock. We rested several times on the way (after all, we are contemporary waste college students). If you take a battery car to and from, 3 hours is enough. I wish you all a good time
Seeking autumn in Cuihua Mountain, Xi'an, and enjoying the colorful Qinling Mountains under the blue sky and white clouds It is the colorful season of Qinling Mountains again. On weekends, drive from downtown Xi'an for 1 hour to reach Cuihua Mountain Scenic Area in Qinling Mountains. After paying a parking fee of 25 yuan, you can drive along the winding mountain road. As the altitude increases, the colors become richer, with verdant green, dazzling yellow, and gorgeous red, which is very pleasing to the eye. Parking at Tianchi Scenic Area, you can choose to go boating in the lake, or watch the strange rocks after the landslide, or climb to the top of Cuihua Peak to overlook the majestic Qinling Mountains. The Tianchi Dam Lake formed by the landslide has a wide lake surface. It is really a pleasant thing to rent a small boat and go boating on the lake. In addition to the natural lake water, the landslide rocks are also a great wonder. The scene in front of you can't help but make you marvel at the uncanny workmanship of nature. Looking up, a solitary peak comes into view, dotted with red leaves. Climbing to a high place, the autumn scenery of the forests in full color comes into view, and the beauty of nature is pleasing to the eye. In the cool autumn weather, choose to go to Qinling Mountains on weekends, walk around, take a look, integrate into the embrace of nature, and find the colorful autumn.
Belonging to the end of Zhongnan Mountains, there will be tens of thousands of people climbing on Qingming Festival every year just in time for the peak period. The predecessor, Shao Qingjing, can climb slowly to see the scenery. Want to go to Zhongnan Mountains to see that thousand-year ginkgo tree is not the season. Cuihua Mountains are not too high. I did not climb Taiyi Real Man like Tianchi, which charges 50 fees for self-driving just halfway up the hill Chi 20 A person climbs up or down the hill to see the scenic tickets. It is suggested to buy 10 yuan cheaper from Ctrip and exchange it at the tourist center. It is better to buy 9 yuan from the downtown area an hour earlier. It is also a good place for geological research to start earlier and start earlier.