Tongren Travel Guide: Fanjingshan, the Mushroom Stone and the Red Clouds Golden Summit
Tongren, in northeast Guizhou, is the base for Fanjingshan, the highest peak of the Wuling Mountains (2,570 m), a Maitreya Buddhist holy mountain and a natural World Heritage Site since 2018. The visit that everyone photographs is the Red Clouds Golden Summit, a rock tower split in two with a temple on each side, reached by chains and steep steps. Tickets are real-name and timed. From the east gate in Jiangkou County, a shuttle bus and a cable car do most of the climbing; on foot it is about four hours. Sleep in Jiangkou, go early, and give the mountain a full day.
Getting in and where to stay
Tongren South station is on the Shanghai–Kunming high-speed line, and Tongren Fenghuang Airport has domestic flights. Fanjingshan buses leave the city's tourist bus station. Alternatively, take a bus to Jiangkou bus station and change to the scenic-area bus, about 30 minutes to the east gate.
There are two gates. The east gate (Jiangkou County) has the cable car. The west gate (Yinjiang County) has no cable car and a long walk from the shuttle stop at Mianxuling. Stay in Jiangkou or at the inns by the east gate, so you can enter at opening time.
Places worth visiting
The east gate and the cable car
After the ticket check, a shuttle bus runs to the lower cable car station, where the stone stairway also begins. The cable car is the sensible choice: 2026 listings give ¥70 one way or ¥140 return. The walk up takes about four hours. For safety, walking up is not allowed after 14:00 and walking down not after 15:00, and same-day tickets stop selling at 15:00. The cable car resumed on 4 February 2026 after maintenance and closes in bad weather.
Mushroom Stone and the Old Golden Summit
From the top station, paths lead through a "stone forest" of weathered rock stacks over a billion years old. The Mushroom Stone, a top-heavy column of stacked slabs, is the mountain's emblem, and other stacks carry names such as Eagle Rock and Ten Thousand Scrolls. The Old Golden Summit (2,494 m) was the traditional pilgrimage peak. The highest point, Phoenix Mountain at 2,570 m, is not part of the standard route.
Red Clouds Golden Summit
The New Golden Summit (2,336 m) is a rock pinnacle split from top to middle by the Golden Knife Gorge. A Shakyamuni Hall stands on one half and a Maitreya Hall on the other, linked by a bridge. You cannot book it in advance. Scan the code at the square near the Mushroom Stone for a queue number and wait to be called. On busy days the wait can eat hours, so get your number first and then explore. The climb uses chains and very steep steps; skip it if you dislike heights.
The forest and its monkeys
The reserve, protected since 1978 and a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 1986, covers 567 km². It is the only home of the Guizhou golden monkey, fewer in number than giant pandas, and of the Fanjingshan fir, and it has one of the largest continuous subtropical beech forests. Dove trees grow here too. You are unlikely to see the monkeys from the tourist paths, but the forest on the walk is the real World Heritage value.
Tongren city
Tongren is home to Tujia, Miao, Dong and other peoples, who together make up about 70 percent of the population. The Tujia are the largest group. The old riverside quarter of Zhongnanmen in Bijiang District makes a pleasant evening walk.
When to come
April to October. Summer is much cooler on the summit than in the valleys, but fog and rain are common, and a clear morning after rain can bring a sea of cloud. In winter (December–February) the east gate admits visitors 08:00–15:00 and the west gate 08:00–13:00, and paths can ice. Holidays mean long cable car and summit queues.
Eating in Tongren
Eat Guizhou sour-soup fish and hot pot in Tongren or Jiangkou. Food on the mountain is limited, so carry water and snacks. Tujia dishes such as smoked bacon appear on many local menus.
How to arrange the route
- Day 1: train to Tongren South, bus to Jiangkou, sleep near the east gate.
- Day 2: enter at opening, cable car up, Golden Summit queue number first, Mushroom Stone while you wait, cable car down by mid-afternoon.
- Day 3: Zhongnanmen in the morning, then a train toward Guiyang or Huaihua in Hunan, or a bus to Zhangjiajie.
Zhenyuan's old town is in a different prefecture, Qiandongnan, and needs its own trip.
What to cut if short on time
Keep Fanjingshan. If the Golden Summit queue is very long, settle for the Mushroom Stone and the views of the summit. Skip the walk up and the west gate.
Things to confirm before you go
- Your timed real-name ticket, booked only through the official channels.
- Cable car status and the weather forecast for the summit.
- Seasonal opening hours and last ticket sales.
- Child discounts: heights and ages decide what you pay, so read the rules.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book Fanjingshan in advance?
Yes. Tickets are real-name and timed, and holiday days sell out. The Red Clouds Golden Summit itself uses a queue number on the day.
Should I walk up or take the cable car?
Take the cable car unless you want a four-hour stair climb; walking up is banned after 14:00.
Which gate is better?
The east gate in Jiangkou, which has the cable car and better transport.
Sources
The facts in this article were checked against the following sources, retrieved September 28, 2026, and rechecked on October 21, 2026.
- Tongren https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongren
- Mount Fanjing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Fanjing
- 梵净山 (Chinese Wikipedia) https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/梵净山
- 铜仁市 (Chinese Wikipedia) https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/铜仁市
- Fanjingshan ticket rules (official site) https://fanjingshan.gz.cn/?page_id=1188
- Winter hours and cable car reopening (official site) https://fanjingshan.gz.cn/?p=11299
- Fanjingshan transport (official site) https://fanjingshan.gz.cn/?page_id=755
- 2026 Fanjingshan guide, hours, tickets and transport (Guiyang Bendibao) https://gy.bendibao.com/tour/2023412/65231.shtm
Prices are 2026 listings; the official site's notices take precedence.
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under CC licenses or public domain; re-use requires attribution.
- tongren-fanjing.jpg from File:Bridge on Red Clouds Golden Summit, Mount Fanjing, 31 March 2020a.jpg, by Huangdan2060, CC BY 3.0
- tongren-mushroom.jpg from File:Stone steps, Mount Fanjing, Picture7.jpg, by Huangdan2060, CC BY 3.0
- tongren-city.jpg from File:Mount Fanjing, 31 March 2020p.jpg, by Huangdan2060, CC BY 3.0