Park of China
Overview
| Designation | National Park of China (first batch) |
| Province | Shandong |
| Location | Shandong Peninsula, on Laoshan Bay of the Yellow Sea at Qingdao |
| Mountains | Mountain Ranges of China |
| Latitude, longitude | 36.2, 120.6 Google Maps |
| Highlights | Taoist mountain; seaside |
| Top sights | Laoding summit, the Shangqing and Xiaqing palaces |
| Highest point | 1,133 m |
| Nearby cities | Qingdao |
| Nearby sites | Jiaodong Peninsula Coast 165km, Mount Yuntai, Lianyungang 208km, Dalian Coast 312km, Mount Tai (Taishan) 314km, Temple, Mansion and Cemetery of Confucius, Qufu 331km Search nearby |
| Themes | Mountain, Famous Mountain, Ocean, Taoism, Spring, Small Waterfall, Temple, Stamp, Coastal landforms, Hiking & climbing, Tea, Sea of clouds & sunrise |
About
Mount Lao, a famous Taoist mountain, lies in Laoshan District 40 km east of Qingdao, Shandong, on Laoshan Bay of the Yellow Sea. Its summit, Laoding or Jufeng, is 1,133 m, the highest point of the Shandong Peninsula. It is called “the first famous mountain on the sea”; locals say “Mount Tai may be high, but not like Lao by the Eastern Sea”. The main sights are the Shangqing and Xiaqing palaces, springs and waterfalls.
The scenic area has a front and a back: the front centred on the Taiqing and Shangqing palaces and the Longtan waterfall, the back on Beijiushui, the White Cloud Cave and the Chaoyin waterfall.
The Qing writer Pu Songling is said to have written his tales “The Taoist of Laoshan” and “Xiangyu” and his Song of the Mirage at Laoshan in the Taiqing Palace.
Laoshan rises straight from the sea, mountain and ocean joined: the highest peak on China’s coastline. The granite massif is steep, with many streams and famous mineral water, from which Tsingtao beer is brewed. It is an important seat of the Quanzhen school of Taoism: Qiu Chuji and Liu Chuxuan of the “seven masters of Quanzhen” taught here in the Jin and Yuan, when it had “nine palaces, eight temples and seventy-two hermitages”; Taiqing, Shangqing, Taiping and Hualou palaces and the Mingxia Cave survive.
It is in the first batch of national parks of China (national scenic areas) named by the State Council in 1982.
Travel tips
Getting there: buses, tourist bus routes or Metro Line 4 go from Qingdao city to Laoshan. The main entrance is the Dahedong visitor centre, where you change to the park's shuttle buses. Beijiushui has its own entrance, reached by Metro Line 11 to Beijiushui station.
Booking: entry requires advance booking under your real name; book early for holidays.
Routes: the area is divided into several routes, such as Taiqing, Jufeng (the main peak), Liuqing, Yangkou and Beijiushui. They are not well connected, so one or two routes per day is usual.
Taiqing Palace: by the sea on the southern route, easily combined with Liuqing Bay.
Jufeng (Laoding): climbing the main peak involves long flights of steps and takes at least half a day. Jufeng and Yangkou both have cable cars.
Beijiushui: a walk along a stream past pools and falls, fullest in summer; in winter there is little water.
Yangkou: on the northeast coast, with Taiping Palace and a sandy bay.
Season: summer and autumn are best; in summer sea fog is common on the coast.
Caution: the coastal road is busy on weekends and holidays, so getting in and out takes time.
Main sights
Taiqing Palace: the Taoist temple by the sea at the southern foot, founded in the Western Han, the largest and oldest on the mountain; in its courtyards stand a Han cypress, a Tang elm and the camellia of Pu Songling’s tale “Xiangyu”.
Jufeng: the summit, Laoding, climbed from Taiqing Palace or Beijiushui, with a cable car to the mid-station and sunrise over the sea from the top.
Shangqing Palace and Mingxia Cave: a Taoist temple and a cave on the slopes above Taiqing Palace; the cave on Kunlun Hill looks out to sea.
Beijiushui (“Nine Northern Waters”): the gorge of the upper Baisha River on the northern side, where the stream bends nine times through linked pools and falls, the best water scenery on the mountain.
Yangkou: the area on the north-east coast with Taiping Palace, Lion Peak and the Mitian Cave, and a sandy bay for bathing.
Hualou Palace and Huayan Temple: a Yuan Taoist temple on Hualou Hill and the only Buddhist temple, on the eastern foot.
The Laoshan coast: the coast road from Qingdao to Yangkou runs between mountain and sea, past the Shilaoren (“Old Stone Man”) shore.
Taiping Palace was founded by the Taoist Liu Ruozhuo under imperial sanction in the early Northern Song; finished in the Taiping Xingguo era, it was called Taiping Xingguo Yuan, and after rebuilding in the Jin Mingchang era it took its present name.
Stamps
In 2000 China Post issued “Mount Lao”, four stamps and a sheetlet: Jufeng, Yangkou Bay, Beijiushui and the Taiqing Palace.
Map
Photo credits: Granite peaks and a pool in Laoshan: Your friend (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Nearby
| National parks | Jiaodong Peninsula Coast 165km, Qingzhou Scenic Area 198km, Mount Yuntai, Lianyungang 208km, Boshan Scenic Area 246km |
| AAAAA attractions | Olympic Sailing Center and Marine Culture Tourist Area 24km, Longkou Nanshan Scenic Area 153km, Penglai Pavilion Tourist Area 182km, Lian Island Scenic Area 191km |
| AAAA attractions | Qingdao World Horticultural Expo Garden 10km, Qingdao Old Town 12km, Maogongshan 12km, Shilaoren Sightseeing Park 14km |
| Historic cities | Qingdao 26km |
| Cities | Qingdao 29km |
| Historical sites | Laoshan Daoist Building Complex 9km, Early Buildings of the Tsingtao Brewery 27km, Qingdao Badaguan Modern Buildings 28km, German Buildings in Qingdao 29km |
| National geoparks | Zhucheng Dinosaur National Geopark 119km |
| Nature reserves | Mashan National Nature Reserve 39km |
| Historic villages | Xiongyasuo Village 48km |