GUNUNG · Tiongkok

Mount Jiuhua (Jiuhuashan)

九华山

Information

Elevation: 1.342 m
Country: Tiongkok (CN)
Location / Range: Perbukitan Tiongkok Tenggara — Kabupaten Qingyang, Chizhou, Provinsi Anhui
Mountain type: Massif granit dengan puncak-puncak menara (non-vulkanik); UNESCO Global Geopark sejak 2019
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 30.4822, 117.8044
Difficulty: Sedang. Hampir seluruh jalur berupa tangga batu bertingkat; naik jalan kaki ke area Tiantai memakan sekitar 2 jam, sedangkan kereta gantung memangkasnya jadi ±20 menit. Segmen Shiwang Peak paling menuntut
Best Season: Maret–Mei (azalea mekar) dan September–November (langit bersih, peluang lautan awan). Hindari puncak musim hujan dan liburan besar Tiongkok
Permits & Rules: Tiket masuk kawasan wisata Jiuhuashan berbayar; kereta gantung Tiantai dikenakan tarif terpisah (musim ramai ±CNY 160 pulang-pergi, CNY 85 sekali jalan). Kawasan aktif secara religius — hormati tata cara kuil
Hazards: Tangga batu licin saat hujan dan berkabut, kepadatan peziarah pada hari besar Buddhis, kabut tebal yang menutup pandangan, serta jalur 'belakang gunung' non-resmi yang minim penanda

Description

Mount Jiuhua, or Jiuhuashan (1,342 m at Shiwang Peak), lies in Qingyang County, Anhui Province, south of the Yangtze River. It is one of China's Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains and is revered as the seat of the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha (Dizang); by tradition the Korean monk Kim Gyo-gak practised here until his death, and his body is venerated in the 'Flesh Body Hall'. More than 350 temples and shrines dot its slopes, home to some 3,000 monks and nuns, so hiking Jiuhua is always part trek and part pilgrimage. Its name, 'mountain of the nine lotuses', refers to the cluster of granite peaks rising like petals. Since 2019 the roughly 139.7 km² area has held UNESCO Global Geopark status: its granite holds geodes filled with quartz, feldspar and purple and green fluorite crystals, with a geological record reaching back to the Neoproterozoic. The main route climbs from Jiuhua Street near Huacheng Temple to Baisui Palace, then on to Tiantai (Heavenly Terrace) Peak at 1,306 m, site of the mountain's highest temple — reached up a final 257 steps symbolising Ksitigarbha's years of ascetic practice.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Jalan Jiuhua (Kuil Huacheng) → Istana Baisui

Sedang; tangga batu di antara kompleks kuil

Setengah hari; kereta gantung tersedia untuk turun

The classic route from the scenic-area centre on Jiuhua Street, near Huacheng Temple, climbing past Zhantanlin and the Flesh Body Hall to Baisui Palace. It is mostly stone stairs between temples, making the walk a pilgrimage as much as a hike. The cable car station at Baisui allows a descent without repeating the stairs.

Source

Lanjutan ke Shiwang Peak (titik tertinggi)

Berat; tangga jauh lebih curam dan terbuka

Tambahan 1–2 jam dari area Tiantai

A continuation from the Tiantai area to Shiwang Peak (1,342 m), the highest point of the Jiuhuashan scenic area. Its stairways are far steeper and more demanding than the temple paths below, with open views across the granite peaks — the hardest and quietest part of the mountain.

Source

Puncak Tiantai (Heavenly Terrace) — jalan kaki atau kereta gantung

Sedang; tangga batu panjang, 257 anak tangga terakhir menuju kuil

±2 jam berjalan kaki ke area puncak; ±20 menit dengan kereta gantung Tiantai

The route to Tiantai (Heavenly Terrace) Peak at 1,306 m, site of Jiuhuashan's highest temple. From the lower station near the Phoenix Old Pine, hikers can walk about 2 hours or ride the cable car in around 20 minutes. The final stretch climbs 257 steps to Tiantai Temple — a number tied to Ksitigarbha's years of ascetic practice. Peak-season cable car fares run about CNY 160 return.

Route Segments

1

Stasiun bawah (Fenghuang Old Pine) → Stasiun atas Tiantai

±2 jam jalan kaki atau ±20 menit kereta gantung
2

Stasiun atas → Kuil Tiantai

1.306 mdpl

257 anak tangga terakhir menuju kuil tertinggi Jiuhuashan

Source

Climbing Experiences

Climbing Jiuhuashan means walking stone stairways between temples. Most start on Jiuhua Street near Huacheng Temple and climb to Baisui Palace — a section that can be shortened by cable car. From there the route continues to Tiantai (Heavenly Terrace) Peak at 1,306 m, site of the mountain's highest temple; walking up takes about two hours, while the Tiantai cable car takes only around 20 minutes. The final flight to Tiantai Temple counts 257 steps, a number tied to Ksitigarbha's years of ascetic practice. Hikers after more link on to Shiwang Peak (1,342 m), the area's highest point, up a far steeper set of stairs. Some local walkers take unticketed 'back mountain' routes, which are poorly waymarked and suit experienced hikers only.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.