Yunding Stone City - Ciyun Temple April Experience

Hello everyone! 🤟 Since my previous post about Yunding Mountain Stone City and Ciyun Temple received good views, but only featured autumn photos with yellow ginkgo leaves, I decided to visit again in April to see how it looks and share my experience with you. During my weekend visit, I discovered a spot that most guides miss—Yuanjue Ancient Temple. Though small and only taking about 10 minutes to explore, why am I highlighting it? Because its architecture hasn't undergone modern restoration! Built during the Ming Dynasty and renovated in the Qing Dynasty, it preserves ancient architectural techniques. You can see clear differences in the eaves and pillars compared to Ciyun Temple, making it well worth a visit. The best part? When navigating to Yunding Stone City, you'll pass right by Yuanjue Ancient Temple! It's perfectly on the way—the ancient temple is halfway up Yunding Mountain, while the stone city sits at the summit! Regarding hiking difficulty, families with children can easily complete the journey from the scenic area entrance via the Dragon Ridge Ancient Path to Ciyun Temple. The round trip takes just over 2 hours with stops along the way—very manageable. If you prefer not to hike, you can drive directly through the scenic area entrance to Ciyun Temple. Hiking enthusiasts can park at the mountain gate at the foot of the mountain and start climbing from there, so there are plenty of options. As for the scenery, I can only say spring is wonderful! While autumn might be great for viewing ginkgo trees, spring is definitely superior in every other way! Just compare the photos from this post with my previous ones to see the difference! Today I'm just sharing my experience. For detailed itineraries, please check my previous post about Yunding Mountain. And as always, I recommend staying at our hotel. Thank you! 📍 Accommodation Recommendation 🌿 Sunshine Shengming Garden Hotel 👉 Why choose it? ✅ Chinese garden style + zero-pressure mattresses, a peaceful sanctuary in the bustling city ✅ 5-minute walk to the bus station, with Yonghui Supermarket & food street right next door ✅ Includes breakfast + laundry room + gym + card room, meeting all your travel needs ✅ Book bar with hundreds of books, terrace for beer and BBQ, and special family rooms for parents with children 📍 Address: 319-343 Jinyuan Street, Zhao Town, Jindong County