三清山

Why this place

Mount Sanqing is a UNESCO natural site of granite pillars and peaks, with a cable car and a cliff-side walkway that loops around the mountain above the cloud line. It is one of the most dramatic and least-known of China's great mountains.

What to see

• The cliff walkway loop, hundreds of metres above the valley
• The granite pillar groups — 'Python Emerging from the Mountain' and the 'Goddess' peaks
• The sunrise from Yujing Peak, the highest point
• The Taoist temples on the mountain, which gave it its name

What to eat

• Jiangxi mountain food and the local wild vegetables
• Sanqingshan's own tea and the mountain's bamboo shoots

How to plan

Two days, one night on the mountain.

Best time

April–June and September–November