The Taoist lifestyle on the Danxia cliff is quieter than Huangshan

1. First, read the "Instructions" 1. Elevation 585 m, about 4 hours hiking up and down, knee-friendly; 2. Cloud and mist linger two-thirds of the year, with the highest chance of sea of clouds from September to November; 3. Take high-speed rail to Huangshan North Station → Xiuning Bus No.1 for 5 yuan / taxi 30 min directly to "Qiyun Mountain Visitor Center"; 4. Ticket 68 yuan, cable car one-way 60 yuan (8:00-17:30), all night shows free, no reservation needed. 2. Quick itinerary overview (2 days 1 night) Date Keywords Accommodation Suggestions Day 1 Bamboo raft + night show Stay at "Yuehua Resort Hotel" — cable car/town right outside, window view of cliff light show Day 2 Light hiking on the summit Cable car up → big loop 4h → cable car down, seamless connection to Huangshan/Hongcun in the afternoon 3. Detailed schedule Day 1 Horizontal River Boating & Intangible Cultural Heritage Night Show 14:00 Hotel luggage storage, change into Hanfu (rental 30 yuan/set at hotel) 15:00 Horizontal River bamboo raft (40 yuan/person), see Danxia reflections + cliff cliffside stone carvings, 30 min easy check-in 16:30 Leisure Ancient Street afternoon tea: dried plum vegetable biscuit + osmanthus rice wine 19:00 Night show continuous (schedule below, all within 5 min walk in town)   ① 19:10 Fish Lantern Parade — NPCs in ancient costumes holding carp lanterns, photo opportunities   ② 19:30 Iron Flower Show — molten iron at thousands of degrees splashed into the night sky, best spot: front row at Visitor Center plaza   ③ 20:00 Golden Dragon Dance — dozens of bamboo rafts linked into a hundred-meter fire dragon, with fireworks, panoramic view of Horizontal River   ④ 20:30 Charcoal Flower Dance — intangible heritage masters swinging burning charcoal cages, sparks flying 21:00 Return to hotel for foot soak and early rest to recharge for the next day Day 2 Summit Big Loop — Sea of Clouds and Cliff in One Frame 07:30 Cable car up (first run 8:00, queue 10 min early) 08:00 Wangxian Tower mountain gate → Shouzi Rock (9 m high "Shou" character stone carving by Zhu Xi) → One Day Gate 08:30 True Immortal Cave — cave Taoist temple + "Heaven Opens Divine Beauty" stone carving, cliff spring water can be collected at "Smart Spring" 09:30 Yuehua Sky Street — Hui-style ancient village on cliff, Taoists and villagers live here, red walls and black tiles perfect for Hanfu photos 10:00 Taisu Palace — built by imperial decree of Emperor Jiajing to pray for a child, fortune sticks and interpretation 20 yuan 10:30 Little Gourd Heaven — gourd-shaped stone chamber, dinosaur footprint fossils on ceiling, great lighting for photos 11:00 Yuxu Palace — red Taoist temple embedded in sheer cliff, the only place nationwide with a stele inscribed by Tang Bohu 12:00 Ziyun Pass lunch: bring your own food or Tianjie vegetarian noodles 15 yuan 13:00 Fang La Village — climb the "Cloud Ladder" straight up the solitary peak, small house on top overlooks Danxia corridor 14:00 Highest peak (585 m) check-in stone tablet, casually snap wallpapers when sea of clouds surges 14:30 Descend Danxia Corridor, red cliff steep slope + autumn maple, perfect for drone aerial shots 15:30 Cable car down → pick up luggage at Visitor Center, return or head to Hongcun (40 min drive) 4. Food & Accommodation List Food: ① Yunli Renjia (Yuehua Street): dried bamboo shoots with braised pork, fried eggs with wujia pi, about 50 yuan per person ② Riverside Horizontal River Fish Restaurant: stinky mandarin fish with crispy rice, mildly spicy and fresh, about 80 yuan per person Accommodation: ① Yuehua Resort Hotel — official scenic area hotel, includes breakfast, 2 min walk to cable car, balcony views of night show fireworks ② Xiangfurui Hotel — better value, floor heating + Hanfu rental, book 2 weeks in advance during peak season 5. Save Money & Avoid Pitfalls 1. Ticket 68 yuan, buy online 1 day in advance for 60 yuan; student ID half price. 2. All night shows are free, but best spot for Iron Flower Show requires arriving 20 min early to reserve. 3. Danxia stone steps are extremely slippery after rain, be sure to wear non-slip sports shoes and bring a disposable raincoat. 4. Only Yuehua Street has supply points in the scenic area, mineral water 5 yuan, recommend bringing one bottle + energy bars. 5. Drones must be registered in advance at the Visitor Center, flying over Taisu Palace is prohibited. 6. Bonus · Hidden Activities - Sunrise Sea of Clouds: stay at summit "Wangxian Tower Inn" 200 yuan/night, leave at 5:30 am for a 10 min walk to Xianglu Peak to watch sunrise, 70% chance of sea of clouds in autumn. - Tai Chi Experience: weekend mornings 9:00 at Taisu Palace plaza, Taoist priest leads free 15 min practice, Hanfu photo opportunities. - Free Night Climb: local villagers can climb the mountain free after 19:30 with ID to shoot starry sky, tourists please do not try. Save this guide in your backpack, In 2 days, your photo album will be full of cliffside Taoist temples, sea of clouds with red walls, and a spectacular firework show. Qiyun Mountain awaits you to live like an immortal.