Yuntai Mountain, 70km northwest of Zhengzhou, is a popular domestic tourist getaway located in a UNESCO World Geological Park. It boasts an area of 250sq km, surrounded by marvelous mountains, serene valley, luscious forest, running waterfalls, clear pools, and plunging springs.
The National AAAAA Grade Tourist Attraction holds 11 scenic spots but it’s the Hongshi (Red Stone) Valley you should visit.
Here is a photo essay of our Yuntai Mountain experience …
Zhengzhou to the Yuntai Mountain Entrance is a 2-hour bus ride.
Entrance Fee:
150 yuan / person (high season: March 1 to November 30)
60 yuan / person (low season: December 1 to the end of February)
Resort internal transportation fee: 60 yuan / person
We had two glorious days in Yuntai Mountain. First was shuffling our way to the busy Hongshi Valley while walking beside the beautiful red sandstone cliffs and the miniature gorge, then to Tanpu Valley where we dipped our feet in the cold spring water as a reward after a long hike.
Yuntai Mountain is so wide, you’ll need to take a bus to get from one scenic spot to another.
Tip: Buses come and go every 10 minutes and leave immediately when full.
Our first stop was the famed Red Stone Valley with the miniature gorge as the highlight of the hike. It’s a 2-kilometer hike and takes about an hour and a half to finish.
Inside is the Conglong Valley, a hidden spectacle renowned for its beautiful landscape.
I loved walking along the red sandstone quartz cliff set against the jade colored pools.
A great Instagram photo opportunity when the crowds are gone.
Visiting some of the waterfalls was a stunning and breathtaking experience.
Waterfalls are definitely one of the beautiful wonders on earth.
After the hike, we rewarded ourselves to some ice cream (5 RMB) while admiring the awesome view!
For lunch, we tried local specialty dishes…
Chinese wild yam has tons of health benefits since it’s good for the kidney and spleen. It also helps in lowering blood sugar and promotes longevity.
It is cooked in a variety of ways–may it be as a drink, a soup, steamed, fried, or made into a delicious snack.
In Yuntaishan Mountain, we tried specialty dishes cooked by the local farmers and villagers. One, in particular, intrigued me–a chicken dish called Jiao Hua Ji.
It uses an old traditional cooking method developed by farmers who were too poor to even have their own cooking utensils. The native chicken is hunted in the forest then wrapped around a layer of dirt and mud while being roasted.
Note: The cooked chicken inside the mud wrap can last 2-3 days.
After lunch, we headed to Tanpu Valley also known as Xiaozhai ditch. There are dozens of waterfalls and scenic spots like the Y-shaped waterfall, Dragon Phoenix Wall, and Butterfly Wall. Its 2km long and takes one and a half hours to tour.
The falls and pools were just so-so for me.
But we loved the Dragon Phoenix Wall and Butterfly Wall at the end of the hike.
The highlight for us was resting our feet on the cold spring water after hiking Tanpu Valley.
On our final day, we found our courage and walked on a translucent glass flooring of the edge of Zhuyu peak, the highest point (1308m) of Mt. Yuntai (entrance fee is 5RMB).
The Phoenix Mountain Glass Skywalk is divided into two sections, one that looks like a U, and the other suspended above the cliff with a height of more than 1000 meters.
You’ll have to wear special foot clothes to avoid scratching the glass.
The beautiful panoramic view was worth it!
Overall, Yuntai Mountain is a must! Reserve a half day for the tour to Red Stone Valley, then hike at Tanpu valley after lunch.
For the last day, we hiked up to the Phoenix Mountain Glass Skywalk, had lunch, and rode a bus back to Zhengzhou.
The trail is pretty easy with a path of rocks and concrete blocks to help you navigate the area.
Travel Tips:
– Water
– Wear anything that can protect you from the sun (sunblock, sunglasses)
– Backpack
– Casual, lightweight, & comfortable clothing
– Non-slip, closed shoes
– Towel
– Extra clothes
– Eat a heavy meal
– Bring a wide lens camera to capture the sites fully
– Bring your family or barkada for a more memorable hike 🙂
Zhengzhou Blogpost Series:
- ZHENGZHOU: 8 Awesome Places You Should Visit in Zhengzhou! @TigerAirSG
- ZHENGZHOU Food Trip: 10 Henan Dishes You Should Try in Zhengzhou! @TigerAirSG
- ZHENGZHOU: Dengfeng Shaolin Temple @TigerAirSG
- ZHENGZHOU: Yellow River Hovercraft Experience! @TigerAirSG
- YUNTAI MOUNTAIN: First Timer’s Guide to Yuntai Mountain (Photo Essay) @TigerAirSG
- ZHENGZHOU: The City of Kaifeng (Memorial Temple, Qingming River Park, and Drum Tower Night Market) @TigerAirSG
Live an Awesome Life,
Abi of Team Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: Our experience was courtesy of Tiger Airways. We wrote this article with our biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. Explore historical Zhengzhou and Henan province with Tigerair’s latest flights from Singapore-Zhengzhou. Our flight from the Philippines to Zhengzhou was made convenient with the Tiger Connect transfer service within Singapore Changi Airport’s transit area without the need to clear on arrival.
Service is weekly and operates every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Great images. Thank you!
Lovely breathtaking pictures.. keep up the great work
I’m a native Chinese and I’ve been yuntai mountain for two times, the scenic area now is still being expanded. whatever, it’s a good place to have fun.