青城山

Why this place

Mount Qingcheng is where Taoism was founded as an organised religion — Zhang Daoling established the first Taoist community here in the second century. It is a quiet, wooded mountain of temples and pavilions, and it partners with the Dujiangyan irrigation works as a UNESCO site.

What to see

• The Jianfu Palace and the Tianshi Cave, the founding site of organised Taoism
• The Shangqing Palace at the summit, reached by a long stone stair
• The forest paths and the mountain's tea houses
• Dujiangyan, the 2,200-year-old irrigation system that still works, half an hour away

What to eat

• Sichuan mountain vegetables and the local tofu; Qingcheng's own tea
• Taoist vegetarian cooking at the mountain's restaurants

How to plan

One day for the mountain, half a day for Dujiangyan.

Best time

March–May and September–November