[2025 Changde Attraction] Travel Guide for Changde Taiyang Mountain Forest Park (Updated Jun)

📍Location: 7 km north of Changde City, Hunan Province, the last peak of the Wuling Mountains extending eastward. The main peak is 568.5 meters above sea level and is the "green lung" on the west bank of Dongting Lake. 🌳Must-see spots: ▫️ Forest hiking: The entire route is shaded by trees, with gravel roads and wooden steps. The slope is gentle and family-friendly. Along the way, there are viewing platforms such as Qingyin Pavilion and Yingyun Platform. From the top of the mountain, you can overlook Changde city and Liuye Lake. ▫️ Cultural exploration: Ancient temples such as Puguang Temple and Guanyin Hall are hidden in the mountains and forests, allowing you to experience the fusion of Buddhist and Taoist culture. Giant stone carvings such as the natural Sun God statue and Pangu sitting statue are visually stunning. ▫️ Ecological experience: The forest coverage rate exceeds 95%, the air is fresh, and you may encounter white cranes flying, full of wild fun.

📍【Liuyue Lake: A Gentle Touch of Hunan's "Little Erhai"】 ▪️Cycle along the 7 km lakeside trail, and take amazing photos at the pink beach + Sakura Island. ▪️Paddle a transparent boat at the filming location of "Back to Field," and get the same experience as the stars. ⛰️【Sun Mountain: A Wizard of Oz Above the Clouds】 ☀️Three must-try experiences: 1️⃣Rush to the mountaintop viewing platform at 5 a.m. to watch the sea of clouds engulf the entire city. 2️⃣Hike through the primeval secondary forest and search for Alsophila spinulosa from the dinosaur era. 3️⃣Visit the cliffside temple "Puguang Temple," with its red walls, green tiles, and Zen-like atmosphere. 🏡【Nearby Activities】 Day 1: Cycling around Liuyue Lake - Taking photos on the beach - Dinner at a fisherman's restaurant Day 2: Sunrise at Sun Mountain - Forest hike - Going down the mountain to eat Changde rice noodles ✨If you have enough time, you can add a visit to Changde's Poetry Wall/River Street night view to experience the charm of the old city. 📝Practical Information Package: 🚗Transportation: 1.5 hrs by high-speed train from Changsha, and a 20 yuan taxi ride within the city to the scenic area. 🎫Tickets: Liuyue Lake is free/Sun Mountain is 30 yuan (half price for students)

This is my first time climbing Sun Mountain. I hiked up and down the mountain. The notes will tell you how many pavilions there are and what the end looks like. Let me first talk about my route: I started hiking from the foot of the mountain at 7 o'clock in the morning, passed Pangu Square, and reached the top. Then I walked along the plank road to the end (you have to walk further to reach the end of the plank road), returned to Pangu Square along the road, and started to go down the mountain after eating. Let me talk about the pavilions first. I checked them before I went there, but I didn't know how many there were. I counted them after I walked through the pavilions this time. There were 5 in total, especially the last one, which was completely blocked by leaves and could not be seen at all from the top of the mountain. Let's talk about the end of the plank road. In fact, after passing the fifth pavilion, go forward and you will see a very steep staircase extending down not far away. At the bottom, I found that it actually leads directly to the highway. Yes, it is the highway (this Turn left, the right side leads back to Pangu Square. Keep going left and you will see the end of the road. This is the real end. I suggest walking along the road when returning from the end, because at this time you basically don’t have much energy to walk back on the plank road. The road is very long, but relatively labor-saving. This is how I walked back to Pangu Square. If you follow my hiking route, my personal suggestions are: 1. Don't expose your legs or hands. It's best to wear a hat because few people walk on the far side of the plank road. Some plants extend out and may scratch your skin. 2 When walking on the plank road, walk slower in spring and summer, pay more attention to whether there are snakes, some places are almost overgrown with weeds, and when you encounter a fork in the road, walk to the left, because the right side is down the mountain to the road. 3. Whether going up or down the mountain, only take the road, don't take the stone steps to climb the slope. Every slope is very high, unless you are very strong. I took the stone steps when going down the mountain, but I couldn't climb the mountain next to the Sakura Building in the end, so I had to take the road obediently. 4. Bring some ointment for mosquito bites when walking on the plank road. There are indeed a lot of insects. I kept hearing mosquitoes flying around my ears.

Changde Sun Mountain is scenically beautiful, with its majestic and imposing peaks. There is also a very spiritual temple located at the top of the mountain. Today, accompanied by a close friend and with a heart full of curiosity, I drove up the mountain. The first stop, Xuantian Number One Peak—the main peak of Sun Mountain, with an altitude of 568.56 meters. Standing at the summit, looking far into the distance, the mountains are painted with shades of green, thick and light, which, in the misty haze, appear even more lush and vivid. The second stop—Puguang Temple, which has a long history. During the Western Jin Dynasty, the great virtuous monk Miaoyin Zen Master (the third generation of transformation) established Puguang Temple on Sun Mountain to worship his predecessors, to repay ancestral virtue, and to express gratitude for Buddha's grace. The Fifth Patriarch Hongren and the Sixth Patriarch Huineng both came to Sun Mountain to assist in spreading the Dharma and saving sentient beings. The master's teachings were powerful and awe-inspiring, and his fame spread far and wide. Once, three thousand monks practiced here, attracting believers from all directions to convert, with disciples and scholars coming in an endless stream to worship Buddha and tour the mountain. The beauty of Sun Mountain cannot be fully appreciated overnight. No scenery in the world is as beautiful as the road back home.