[2025 Jintang Attraction] Travel Guide for Yunding Mountain Scenic Area, Jintang (Updated May)

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

Transportation: Take bus No. 44 to the scenic area About the location: In the middle section of the Longquan Mountains in the northeast of Jintang County About the travel guide: 1. The two ginkgo trees in front of the main hall of the temple are especially beautiful. The best time to view the flowers is from mid to late November. The tour lasts about 2–3 hours, and the photos taken in the sunshine are better. 2. The golden ginkgo leaves hang down like a waterfall. It is one of the best places to see ginkgo in Chengdu. The golden ginkgo trees form a golden ocean. 3. Every year when the ginkgo leaves fall, a golden corridor is formed, which is a great romantic place for taking artistic photos and for couples to relax, forming a beautiful pastoral scene. Recommended attractions nearby: 1. Yuanjue Temple 2. Shicheng Peach Blossom Garden 3. Lingkai Temple Tips: 1. Bring enough water and some snacks in case of need 2. It may not be suitable to go to Yunding Mountain Temple on a cloudy day 3. Traffic may be very congested on weekends, so it is recommended to leave early or late

[Grin][Grin]About the scenic spot: Jintang Yundingshan Scenic Area covers an area of ​​5,494 square meters and is famous for its tranquility and beauty. Yundingshan has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. There are currently 8 city gates and famous attractions such as the urn city, the one-line wall, and the fort. ⛰【Guide to Ginkgo Biloba Appreciation】 [One] The two mandarin duck ginkgo trees in front of the temple hall are particularly beautiful. The green tiles and red walls set off the quietness of the temple. When I went there in the morning, the air was sweet all the way, the environment was very good, and the ginkgo trees were also beautiful. [Two] Recommended playing time: 2-3 hours, two ginkgo trees, lush and leafy! In autumn, the golden yellow ginkgo leaves hang down like a waterfall, and the green tiles and red walls are also suitable for filming ancient costumes. [Three] Choose a sunny day to enjoy the ginkgo trees. There are many food stalls near the temple, so you don’t need to bring too many supplies. Although the ginkgo trees are beautiful, don’t pick up the ginkgo nuts casually, as they are not edible. 📍Detailed address: Longquan Mountain Range in Jintang County, Chengdu 🚗Transportation strategy: Start from Longtan Temple Interchange on the Third Ring Road, take the Chengjin (Tang) Qing (Baijiang) Expressway, and after about half an hour of driving [100][100] Recommended one-day hiking route: Fengjie Farmhouse Cuisine - Daerbao - General Cypress - South Gate - Fort - Yunding Mountain Ruins - Ciyun Temple 🕙Opening hours: 8 am to 6 pm 💰Ticket price: Free 🌟Recommended features of surrounding attractions: [One] Jintang Tuanjie Reservoir Yunding Lakeside Campground [Two] Yunding Stone City [Three] Yuanjue Ancient Temple 📌Tips: [One] It is recommended to wear comfortable shoes and warm clothes for outdoor activities [Two] Please protect the environment and do not throw garbage at will [Three] Comply with the regulations of the scenic area and do not climb dangerous areas

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Spring is here, time to go hiking! This time, we will share the classic Longji Ancient Path—Yunding Mountain round trip. . Pass through the ancient city gate and ancient city wall, and finally reach the thousand-year-old Ciyun Temple, to pray for your family in the new year🧧🧧🧧 . 📍: Fengjie Farmhouse, Jintang 🚗: 1h from downtown Chengdu ⏰: 3–4h 🎫: Free🆓 🅿️: CNY 10 . 🌳Jintang Yunding Mountain . On the mountain, there are Yunding Stone City and Ciyun Temple, and at the foot of the mountain, there is the Tuo River, known as the Little Three Gorges of Jintang. The view is wide, and you can overlook the surrounding area. . ✅Yunding Stone City . The only remaining site of the Song-Yuan War in western Sichuan, where more than 8,000 people of the Southern Song Dynasty fought to the death with the Yuan army, blocking the Yuan army for 15 years, and although they were defeated, they were still glorious. . ✅Ciyun Temple . It is said to be one of the famous temples of the Tang Dynasty, with a history of more than 1,800 years, and has been granted titles, plaques, or names by five emperors. It is very beautiful when the ginkgo trees turn yellow in autumn. . 🌳Hiking highlights . ✅Friendly road conditions About 4 km, all stone steps + stone roads, the ridge line is relatively flat, suitable for beginners and families, and pets are allowed🐈‍⬛ . ✅Beautiful scenery along the way There are crooked ancient trees and thousand-year-old ginkgo couple trees, you can overlook the Tuo River, the Little Three Gorges of Jintang, and pray and burn incense at the thousand-year-old Ciyun Temple🙏 . 🌳Round trip route Fengjie Farmhouse ➡️ General Cypress ➡️ Yuxian Pavilion ➡️ Battery ➡️ Ciyun Temple . ❤️❤️❤️Tips You can bring your own food, or you can have some snacks at the entrance of Ciyun Temple.

🌳A horn blows in the cold against the mountains in the lonely city, and a boat is moored at a single tree by the river at night. In the 13th century, there were two main battlefields in the Song-Yuan War: Jingxiang and Sichuan. Here is the Yundingshan Stone City, known as one of the Eight Pillars of Shu. It is also the only ancient battlefield relic from the Song and Yuan dynasties that has been preserved in the entire southwest. 🪨From the time it was built in 1243 to the time the defenders ran out of food in 1258, the city fought bloody battles for a full fifteen years. The next hundred years were the most dangerous of the three genocide crises that the Chinese nation faced: all the mountains and rivers were lost, the Han people were divided into the lowest class, several households shared one kitchen knife, and life was worth the same as a donkey. The other mountain cities among the Eight Pillars, including Yunshan, Dahuo, Dehan, Baidi, Diaoyu, Qingju and Kuzhu, were all destroyed. Only the Stone City on Yunding Mountain was spared because "the military and civilians in Chengdu did not obey the national laws and it was planned to use war to invade the land", so the Yuan army sent 500 people to be stationed there. 🌳Today, the stone city still stands tall, and the city walls made of mortise and tenon joints still look the same as before. The North City Gate and Changning Gate are still well preserved, and what is particularly rare is that the inscriptions on the city construction have been completely preserved. 🌳Walking in the drizzle of Shicheng, overlooking the turbulent waves of Tuojiang River, the city in the distance becomes hazy. My thoughts are lingering: "Song" was the most prosperous dynasty in terms of economy and culture in ancient Chinese history. However, the people were complacent and the military was idle, corruption flourished and eventually foreign invaders invaded, turning the country into a waste. Looking back on the past and considering the present, we must always be prepared for danger in times of peace. 🌳I always express my joy and anger to the mountains and rivers. Although I am in a low position, I never forget to worry about my country. I am Anxiang Yingxiu and I will talk to you about the stories in the scenery.

This is a rare ancient trail hiking route around Chengdu. It starts from next to the "Fengjie Home Cooking" restaurant and hikes upward. This ancient trail originally belonged to Yunding Mountain, the first peak of Jintang. Because this ancient road winds along the mountain ridge and its shape resembles a dragon's back, it is called the "Dragon's Back Ancient Road". The scenery changes along the way. This hiking route is basically ancient stone steps and ancient trails. It is not difficult. You may occasionally encounter ancient roads, ancient city gates and ancient city walls along the way, so you can walk along it even with children. Walking on the ancient road that is somewhat old, lowering your head seems to be listening to the story of time. Hiking to the "South Gate" of Yunding Stone City, the ancient road and ancient city wall are also amazing. Yunding Stone City is one of the eight major mountain city defense systems in the late Song Dynasty and it is also the only remaining Song-Yuan war site in western Sichuan. The end point is the Ciyu Temple with a history of more than 1,800 years. Formerly known as Tiangong Temple, it was granted titles, plaques or names by five emperors. The temple also houses inscriptions and paintings written by Emperor Qianlong, Lu You and Su Dongpo. Finally, we returned along the same route. The whole journey was about 4KM and we took 2 hours of walking and taking photos. It was quite relaxing and very suitable for a day trip. Tips: Navigation from the starting point: Jintang Fengjie Farmhouse, parking fee 10 yuan Tickets: Free The route we took: Jintang Fengjie Farmhouse → Daerbao → Jiangjunbai → Yuxian Pavilion → South City Gate → Fort → Ciyu Temple