Rhododendron Mountain Ancient Cypress Peak

Rhododendron Mountain Ancient Cypress Peak

Rhododendron Mountain Ancient Cypress Peak is located in the Rhododendron Mountain Scenic Area of Jinggangshan.

Rhododendron Mountain is situated to the south of Ciping and is made up of the central peak Yangmei Peak, the western peak Wangzhi Peak, and the eastern peak Guandao Peak. From afar, the mountain looks like a penholder, thus earning the name "Penholder Mountain." The area’s “Ten-Mile Rhododendron Grove” is especially renowned—when rhododendrons bloom across the mountainsides in April and May, it becomes one of Jinggangshan’s most outstanding natural landscapes.

The Ciping Central Bus Station (Tourist Service Center) offers a direct special bus line to Rhododendron Mountain, with a ride of about half an hour, which is very convenient. Please note that while the general admission ticket for Rhododendron Mountain is included in the Jinggangshan Scenic Area ticket, there are no walking paths up the mountain—you must take the scenic area cable car round trip (160 RMB per person in peak season, 150 RMB per person in off-season). However, the cable car offers great value for money, taking about 25 minutes one way. From the cable car, you can enjoy stunning views of the layered emerald-green mountains below, especially breathtaking when the rhododendrons are in bloom, with a sea of flowers beneath you.

The cable car has three stations: upper, middle, and lower. The middle station features a dramatic 180-degree turn that’s a bit thrilling. After passing the middle station, the outline of Rhododendron Mountain comes into view. Starting from the upper cable car station, it takes about 20 minutes to walk to the junction at Ancient Cypress Peak, which serves as the starting and ending point for sightseeing on Rhododendron Mountain. To the left is a narrow trail that only experienced guides can lead you on. To the right, there are two walking paths—one is a cliffside plank walkway, the other a wooden trail—and the two connect to form a loop near the East Big and Small Pine Islands. Most visitors choose to begin their clockwise tour along the left-hand cliffside plank walkway. The path is easy to walk and allows you to enjoy the scenery along the way.

The cliffside plank walkway faces the Rhododendron Mountain Canyon, and along the route, there are five viewing platforms where you can admire the back side of Five-Finger Peak and the canyon landscape. The fifth viewing platform, the easternmost one, is surrounded by several peaks over a hundred meters tall. From this viewpoint, you can see distant views of Peacock Peak and Stone Bamboo Peak, offering the most spectacular scenery. Along the path, you’ll also find several rock formations resembling objects, such as General Rock and Golden Rooster Announcing Dawn, which do bear a striking resemblance upon closer inspection.

Behind the fifth viewing platform, the Big and Small Pine Islands are known for their dense collection of uniquely shaped pine trees, with viewing platforms set up for the best photographic angles of these specimens. Beyond the Small Pine Island, the wooden plank walkway leads to the “Ten-Mile Rhododendron Corridor,” where visitors can stroll through a sea of rhododendrons in April and May. There are many varieties of rhododendrons here, but the most noteworthy is the “Rhododendron King” near Yangmei Peak—a massive monkey head rhododendron surrounded by 44 smaller rhododendrons and a parasol-shaped pine tree, with an age of around a thousand years.

Further along the trail, you’ll encounter several rock formations resembling objects, such as Buddha Finger Pointing to the Sky and others, which are fun to admire and photograph. Walking to the end of the wooden plank trail brings you back to Ancient Cypress Peak. From there, retrace your steps back to the upper cable car station to take the cable car down the mountain. On the return bus ride to Ciping, the bus will pass by Wuma Chao Tian; if you have time, you can get off to explore. In summer, you can also go rafting at the foot of Rhododendron Mountain, typically for 100 RMB per person.

Special Tips

Whether boarding at the central station or any other attraction, you must validate your ticket at the ticket-checking counter as soon as possible so the scenic area can keep track of visitor numbers and arrange shuttle buses for you. Address: Inside Jinggangshan Scenic Area, Ji’an City, Jiangxi Province (approximately 35 km southwest of Ciping)

Type:

Category: Mountain Cable Car / Gondola

Recommended Visit Duration: About 0.5 day

Phone:

0796-6561788

Official Website: http://www.jgbjs.com/Index.html

Opening Hours:

7:30–17:30 (Off-season: November 16 – February 15; Peak season: February 16 – November 15)

Ticket Information:

No separate entrance ticket required. Included in the Jinggangshan Scenic Area ticket. Gondola round-trip fare: 150 RMB (off-season: November 16 – February 15), 160 RMB (peak season: February 16 – November 15). Optional gondola insurance: 2 RMB.