Yuelu Mountain

Spot Facts

Practical Info

1. South Gate

   Start · Entrance
2. Yuelu Academy

   about 320 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight

   Enter from the South Gate and first visit Yuelu Academy—founded in the Song dynasty, a thousand-year seat of learning, famous for its gate couplet "Chu abounds in talent, and here it flourishes most"; the lecture hall, Confucian temple, and gardens are well preserved. About 1 hour. Why this route: Yuelu Academy is the source of Huxiang culture; the scholarly air of this thousand-year academy gives the Yuelu Mountain trip a profound foundation.
3. Aiwanting Pavilion

   about 320 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight

   Walk from the academy's back hill to Aiwan Pavilion: the name comes from Du Mu's line "I stop the carriage, loving the maple woods at dusk"; surrounded by maples, with fiery red leaves in autumn, it is a landmark of Changsha (plaque in Mao's calligraphy). About 20 minutes. Why this route: Aiwan Pavilion is Yuelu Mountain's most poetic landmark; autumn maples and the old pavilion make for great photos.
4. Lushan Temple

   about 310 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight

   Follow the mountain path past Lushan Temple (a thousand-year-old temple with ancient pines from the Six Dynasties), climb to the summit's Yunlu Palace—a Taoist temple; the summit platform overlooks all of Changsha and the Xiang River flowing north. About 1.5 hours. Why this route: Reaching Yunlu Palace at the summit is Yuelu Mountain's highest point, with city views and the Xiang River all in one sweep.
5. Yunlu Palace

   about 330 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight

Photos