Sanqingshan is another under-reviewed WHS in this part of Central-East China: the last report dates from a visit 7 years ago. I got there in May 2024 from the hub of Shangrao, where I took a private Didi taxi to take me in 70 minutes via a toll highway to the site’s Southern Cable Car station (a.k.a. Waishuangxi station). I visited on a Monday and there were no queues. After buying your ticket (entrance + cable car rides = 252 yuan in total) near the Hilton hotel, you have to walk up via a shopping/restaurant street to reach the lower cable car station.

The site is part of our Visual effects of Cloud, Fog and Mist connection and its OUV (one criterion only) relies on the granite peaks that are shaped by vegetation and continuously changed visually by meteorological effects. Although it was dry downhill, it had started raining when I arrived at the upper cable car station. It was bad enough that I needed to buy a bright yellow raincoat on site for 25 yuan, with which I blended in nicely with the Chinese visitors. Half an hour later it got dry uphill as well and I did not need the raincoat anymore for the rest of the morning.

There are signs with maps that show trails that you can hike, but all seem to involve a fair bit of step-climbing (I can testify that even in 2024 it is possible to hire 2 porters to carry you, see upper picture). I first hiked uphill for some 20 minutes to a large platform, with more restaurants and shops, but from where you have a good overview of the peaks in this area. The spectacle of clouds around peaks can already be seen here well too. At one moment, the sky was bright and all the peaks showed, but maybe 5 minutes later they were all hidden behind the clouds again. If you hear the Chinese tour groups cheering like a goal has just been scored, a peak has cleared up.

I walked a bit to the East from the main platform, in search of sights of Taoist fame (Sanqingshan is a sacred Taoist mountain). But except for the ubiquitous yin-yang signs, I did not find anything of note. I also did not want to climb too much, as this was the third sacred mountain site that I visited in 3 days already. For me, it was enough to just sit at a platform and watch the peaks and the clouds performing their show. I spent 3 hours there in total and managed to limit the hiking to 4.5 km. With other, more prolific Chinese mountain WHS already on the list based on granite peaks (Huangshan) and Taoism (Taishan), the additional inclusion of Sanqingshan does feel superfluous and I have not rated it too highly.