Shandong Self-Drive Tour to Wudang

During the May Day holiday, I planned a trip to Wudang Mountain in advance.

1. Considering traffic jams in the provincial capital Jinan, I planned to depart at 5:30 AM on May Day. The city roads were very smooth, but a massive traffic jam suddenly appeared at the city's expressway toll gate. It took 40 minutes to go from the toll gate to Yinjialin Junction. It was no longer realistic to reach Wudang Mountain that day, take the scenic area bus, and stay overnight on the mountain.

2. After passing Yinjialin Junction, the traffic jam became routine on the Jiguang Expressway. It was only 6:10 AM, but the scale of self-driving trips from Jinan was enormous. It took three hours to reach Liangshan Service Area. From the Jiguang Expressway, I turned onto the Rilan Expressway. Unfortunately, due to road repairs, there was still severe congestion—only two lanes in both directions.

3. On the Rilan Expressway, after turning onto the Nanlan Expressway at Caozhou Junction, traffic suddenly improved dramatically. I sped along at 120 km/h, with almost no cars. When I arrived at the Jinggangao Expressway intersection in Xuchang, traffic jams started again. I completely gave up the idea of taking the bus to the mountain in the evening and staying there. I canceled the ticket and accommodation.

4. After passing Nanyang, road conditions improved. Around 6:30 PM, I finally reached the hotel at the foot of the mountain. Wudang Mountain Hotel was fully booked—only a suite for 960 yuan per night, which was unnecessary. I stayed at Xiandu Hotel, where the facilities were a bit old. Dinner was very good. When traveling, eating at the hotel where you stay is actually the best choice—good food, clean, and maybe slightly more expensive than outside restaurants, but that doesn't really matter.

5. Early the next morning, I drove to the Wudang Mountain parking lot. Traffic began to jam on the way, but after experiencing jams all day yesterday, I was mentally prepared. Because the distance was short, I reached the parking lot quickly. The scenic area parking lot is huge—reportedly can hold 8,000 cars. It might be a bit far from the ticket office, but there's no need to worry about finding a spot.

6. The entrance to Wudang Mountain Scenic Area is extremely far from the parking lot. I walked for a long time pulling a suitcase, apparently circling the commercial street, from south to north, then from north to south, with several flights of stairs along the way.

7. At the ticket check and scenic area bus boarding point, the crowd was gradually increasing. The bus ride to Nanyan Palace took about 40 minutes. People prone to motion sickness might find it uncomfortable—the entire route is full of S-curves. The bus driver's skills were superb, barely slowing down when passing on curves.

8. The scenic area bus heading toward Nanyan Palace stops at: Taizi Slope, Xiaoyao Valley, and Zixiao Palace.

9. Arriving at Nanyan, also known as Crow Ridge, I first dropped off my suitcase at the booked Tai Chi Hall. Then I visited Nanyan Palace.

10. Nanyan Palace needs no introduction—it's best to read the official introduction on Ctrip. The path has some ups and downs, but children and elderly can manage.

11. At noon, I had lunch at Tai Chi Hall. The restaurant staff kindly moved a table into the courtyard, allowing me to dine in the sun. It was wonderful. The Sunrise Mountain View Twin Room at Tai Chi Hall offered an unbeatable view—entering from the west, it looked like a two-story hotel, but its east side faced towering mountains and actually had six floors. This was a good choice: good food and good accommodation.

12. After lunch, I took the bus to Taizi Slope—no need for much introduction; again, refer to the official Ctrip description. Dinner was still at Tai Chi Hall.

13. Early the next morning, I took a bus first to Taizi Slope, then transferred to Qiongtai. After getting off at Qiongtai, I walked a short distance to the cable car. Ticket purchase was self-service. After getting off the cable car, I truly understood why travelogues all say to come to the Golden Summit early—the queue for the cable car was almost nonexistent. But after getting off, the entire process was slow queueing because the Golden Summit is very small—maybe 1,000 square meters at most. It has a Golden Hall, a Fumu Temple, and two small side rooms. Taihe Palace is also a World Cultural Heritage site, with a few very small temples. Queuing actually made the climb less tiring.

14. Going downhill, there was plenty of space below, but the mountain path is narrow, so queueing continued. Descending by cable car, first to Taizi Slope, then transfer to Nanyan Palace.

15. At noon, I ate at the hotel. In the afternoon, I visited Zixiao Palace. Zixiao Palace is grand—the most magnificent hall and layout I have ever seen. No exception, it's the only one. A must-visit in life—feel the overwhelming majesty.

16. On the third day, I took the bus back to the parking lot and returned home.