Planning a Shanghai to Mount Langya Day Trip?Want to escape the hustle and bustle of Shanghai and enjoy some peaceful scenery? Langya Mountain is the perfect place! This beautiful spot is famous for the ancient writer Ouyang Xiu’s essay “The Drunken Pavilion.” It’s close by, so you can have a fun and relaxing day trip.
How to get there?
The high-speed train is the easiest option:
Depart from Shanghai Hongqiao Station.
Take the morning G1204 high-speed train (departing at 9:33).
After about 2 hours (11:24), you will arrive at Chuzhou Station.
To return to Shanghai in the evening, take the G153 high-speed train (departing at 20:51 and arriving in Shanghai at 22:27).
How do you get to Langya Mountain Scenic Area from Chuzhou Station?
When you exit the train station, there is a bus at the square in front of the station that goes directly to Langya Mountain Scenic Area.
The bus is fast and takes about 10 minutes to reach the parking lot near Zuiweng Pavilion.
It is also convenient to take a taxi or use a mobile app (such as Didi) to call a car, which takes about 20 minutes.
You can also drive yourself:
Drive from Shanghai and take the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway.
When you reach Nanjing, turn onto the Ningluo Expressway.
Drive for about 20 minutes and exit the expressway at the “Chuzhou” exit.
After exiting the expressway, follow the “Langya Mountain” road signs to reach the scenic spot.
Climbing Langya Mountain Route
It is recommended to enter from the north gate and exit from the north gate. This is the most convenient route:
North Gate → Yefang Garden → Zuiweng Pavilion → Tongle Garden → Langya Temple → South Heavenly Gate → (optional) Shenshou Lake → North Gate
Easy Tour Route(1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.):
Starting from the North Gate: Begin your journey here.
Yefang Garden: The first scenic spot after entering the mountain, it resembles a delicate small garden, locally known as the “Bonsai Garden.” You can admire the beautiful plants and architecture.
Zuiweng Pavilion: Follow the path from Yefang Garden to reach it. Remember to take the shaded path on the left—it’s more comfortable! The scenery here is stunning: an ancient pavilion, emerald-green pond, and numerous koi fish. In front of the pavilion lies the famous “Rangquan Spring.”
Tongle Garden: It is a short walk west from Drunken Pavilion (approximately 400 meters). This is primarily a memorial hall dedicated to Ouyang Xiu, featuring many stone carvings of “The Record of Drunken Pavilion” written by ancient calligraphers, well worth a visit.
Heading to Langya Temple:
After leaving Tongle Garden, if you’re worried about getting too tired from climbing the mountain later (especially since you’ll also have to climb Nantianmen), we strongly recommend taking the sightseeing bus (20 yuan one way, 30 yuan round trip; buying a round-trip ticket is more cost-effective). The sightseeing bus will take you directly to the vicinity of Langya Temple.
The sightseeing bus will stop briefly at Shenshou Lake. We recommend not getting off the bus yet and waiting until you descend from Nantianmen to visit Shenshou Lake specifically.
Langya Temple: After the sightseeing bus arrives, you will see several paths. Be sure to take the farthest right path leading to Langya Temple! Do not take the left path called “Yunxi Yunjing,” as it has too many steps and is too tiring! Taking the right path, you can reach this historic Tang Dynasty temple in about 10 minutes. The temple is nestled among green trees, creating a serene environment.
Climbing Nantianmen: After exploring Langya Temple, it’s time to tackle Nantianmen. Though there are only about 300 steps, climbing up still requires some effort.
Persevere! The view from the summit is absolutely worth it! At the summit stands a beautiful observation tower (Langya Pavilion), rebuilt in 2017, which has become a landmark of the scenic area.
From the summit, the view is breathtaking! You can truly understand the feeling described by Ouyang Xiu in his poem, “Surrounded by mountains on all sides.” On clear days, you can even see Nanjing in the distance. The mountain breeze feels particularly refreshing and invigorating.
(Optional) Shenxiu Lake: After descending from Nantianmen, if you have purchased a sightseeing bus ticket, you can get off at Shenxiu Lake Station to see this tranquil lake. After viewing the lake, take the bus back to the North Gate.
Returning to the North Gate: Regardless of whether you visit Shenxiu Lake, you will eventually take the sightseeing bus or walk back to the North Gate to conclude your journey.
Important Note:
Entrance to Langya Mountain itself is free.
However, you need to buy separate tickets to visit the main attractions such as the Drunken Pavilion, Tongle Garden, Langya Temple, and Nantianmen.
The most cost-effective way is to buy a combined ticket (65 yuan), which includes admission to all the attractions mentioned above.
Buying tickets is very convenient and can be done at the self-service ticket machines in the scenic area.
Tips:
Ticket perk: The combined ticket can be purchased on-site by scanning a QR code with your phone. There’s an awesome perk: if you can recite the entire text of “The Record of the Drunken Pavilion” on the spot, you can skip the entrance fees for all attractions!
Sightseeing bus schedule: Note! After 5 PM, you can no longer purchase sightseeing bus tickets, so make sure to buy your tickets early if you plan to take the bus.
Time schedule: Start at around 1:00 p.m. and finish before 5:00 p.m. for a perfect timing.
What to eat when you’re hungry?
You will definitely be hungry after climbing the mountain, so you can try the local cuisine of Chuzhou:
Chuxiang yuan: A famous local restaurant. We recommend the tea mountain chicken (the chicken is very tender and fragrant) and the Rangquan tofu (tofu made with spring water from Langya Mountain, which has a special taste).
Yuzhuang Village: Also has good food. Try the spicy soup (a thick, slightly spicy soup that’s very appetizing) or the leek-stir-fried pork kidney (leeks stir-fried with pork kidney, with a rich flavor).
What should you be mindful of?
Plenty of time: Chuzhou and Langya Mountain are not particularly large, so one day is enough to visit them, making them ideal for a short weekend trip.
Sunscreen and water: If you go in the summer, the sun may be quite strong, so remember to apply sunscreen and wear a hat or sunglasses. Climbing mountains can make you thirsty, so be sure to bring enough water.
If you have time: If you have enough time, you can visit the former residence of Wu Jingzi (author of the famous novel “The Scholars”) or stroll around Taiping Ancient Town.
We hope this clear and practical guide will help you easily plan a day trip from Shanghai to Langya Mountain! Have fun!
