Guiyang · Visitor Guide
Qianling Mountain Park (黔灵山公园, Qiánlíngshān Gōngyuán)
A roughly 426-hectare urban park on Qianling Mountain in Guiyang's Yunyan District — one of southwest China's largest city parks. It packs a 1672 Buddhist temple (Hongfu Temple), a reservoir lake, a zoo, a cave where General Zhang Xueliang was detained in the 1940s, and hundreds of wild macaques into a half-day walk from downtown. Locals treat it as their morning gym; the monkeys are the part most visitors remember, for better or worse.
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Quick Answer
Is Qianling Mountain Park worth visiting?
Qianling Mountain Park is a roughly 426-hectare forested park in central Guiyang with Hongfu Temple (1672), Qianling Lake, a zoo, and 500-plus free-roaming macaques. Entry is ¥5; allow 3–4 hours for the main loop or 5–6 to hike the ~1,396 m summit (as of 2026).
Quick facts
| Ticket | ¥5 park entry (as of 2026); cable car approx. ¥20 each way, toboggan slide extra (verify). |
|---|---|
| Hours | Daily 06:30–22:00 (as of 2026); cable car and zoo approx. 09:00–17:00 (verify). |
| Recommended duration | 3–4 hours for the main loop; 5–6 hours for the full summit hike. |
| Best time to visit | Early morning (06:30–09:00) on a weekday — macaques are active, trails are cool, and weekend crowds are thinner. March–May and September–November for comfortable hiking; Guiyang summers stay mild (July average ~28°C). |
| How to get there | Metro Line 3 to Qianlingshan Park station (~5-min walk to the gate); buses 1/2/10/12/16 (verify); DiDi about ¥12–20 from the city centre. |
| English signage | partial |
| Wheelchair accessible | partial |
| Entry fee | ¥5 (as of 2026); cable car extra |
| Opening hours | Daily 06:30–22:00 |
| Area | ≈426 hectares (4.26 km²) (verify) |
| Founded | Park established 1957; Hongfu Temple 1672 |
| Macaques | ~500–1,500 free-roaming rhesus macaques |
| Summit | ≈1,396 m (大罗岭 / Daluo Ridge) |
What to expect
Qianling Mountain Park spreads across roughly 426 hectares of forested ridge in Guiyang's Yunyan District, a 10-minute DiDi from the Jiaxiu Pavilion area. The standard route runs from the south gate up to Hongfu Temple, past Qianling Lake, and along the macaque trails toward the summit at about 1,396 m. A cable car (索道) and a toboggan slide (滑道) cut the climb for anyone not up for the stone steps. Expect a zoo, a Buddhist temple, a reservoir lake, a politically charged karst cave, and several hundred wild monkeys — an unusually complete package for a city park.
The cultural anchor is Hongfu Temple (弘福寺), founded in 1672 during the Kangxi reign by the monk Chisong; it is one of Guizhou's most active Buddhist sites, with a nine-tier pagoda and courtyards thick with incense. Qilin Cave (麒麟洞), a small karst cave on the grounds, held General Zhang Xueliang under house arrest in the early 1940s after the Xi'an Incident — a footnote most foreign visitors walk straight past. The park itself was formally established in 1957, and the name Qianling (黔灵) simply means 'spirit mountain of Guizhou.' What actually put the park on the domestic-tourism map, though, is less the history than the macaques: a population that has grown from a few dozen to somewhere between 500 and 1,500, depending on whose count you believe.
In practice the park is half tourist site, half neighbourhood gym — most of the people you pass at 7 a.m. are Guiyang retirees doing their daily stairs. The monkeys are the genuine risk: do not feed them, do not carry food in open bags, and keep phones secured, because grabs and bites happen most years and the temple approach is the worst spot. English signage is thin outside the main gates, so screenshot the map or ride the cable car if you want to skip the navigation. For ¥5 entry (as of 2026) you get one of the better-value half-days in any Chinese provincial capital, provided you treat the macaques with more respect than they will show you.
How to get there
Guiyang Metro Line 3 runs to Qianlingshan Park (黔灵山公园) station, which opened with the line in late 2023; the south gate is roughly a 5-minute walk from the station — follow the exit signs toward the park. City buses 1, 2, 10, 12, and 16 also stop at the Qianlingshan Park (黔灵山公园) bus stop by the south gate (bus numbers verify). From the Jiaxiu Pavilion / Nanming old-city area a DiDi or taxi runs about ¥12–20 and 10–15 minutes; from Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport (KWE) expect ¥40–60 and around 30 minutes. The south gate (南门) off Zaoshan Road is the main entrance, with ticket windows and the cable car base nearby.
Best photo spots
- Hongfu Temple's yellow-walled main hall framed by incense smoke and old cypresses
- Qianling Lake (黔灵湖) at dawn, with the forested ridge reflected on still water
- The macaque troop gathered on the stone steps near the temple approach — shoot with a zoom, not up close
- The summit viewpoint at 大罗岭 (≈1,396 m) looking south over central Guiyang's high-rise skyline
Tips
- Do not feed, touch, or make eye contact with the macaques; keep all food zipped away and hold phones loosely — grabs and bites happen, mostly near the temple steps.
- Arrive 06:30–09:00 for active monkeys, cooler air, and the local morning-exercise scene; weekend afternoons get crowded and hot.
- The summit trail is steep stone steps for most of the way; take the cable car up if you are short on time, fitness, or knee cartilage, then walk down.
- Wear closed-toe shoes with grip — Guiyang drizzles often and the mossy paths and temple steps get slick.
- Carry ¥5–20 cash for kiosk tickets and the zoo; Alipay and WeChat Pay work at the main gate but not every window.
Scams to avoid
- Vendors near the gate selling bananas or 'monkey food' — feeding is officially prohibited, and the encouraged begging is exactly why bites happen; skip it.
- Self-appointed 'monks' outside Hongfu Temple pressing incense or amulets for a 'donation' — ordained temple monks do not solicit tourists in the courtyards.
- Taxi or DiDi drivers claiming the park is closed or 'full' to steer you toward a commission jade or tea shop; the park is open daily from 06:30.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the entry ticket?
¥5 per person (as of 2026); the cable car is roughly ¥20 each way extra and the zoo sits within the park boundaries.
What are the opening hours?
Daily 06:30–22:00; the cable car and zoo generally run about 09:00–17:00.
How do I reach the park by metro?
Take Guiyang Metro Line 3 to Qianlingshan Park (黔灵山公园) station, opened with the line in late 2023, and walk about 5 minutes to the south gate.
Are the macaques dangerous?
They can be — do not feed, touch, or carry food in the open, and keep phones secure. Most bites happen around the temple approach; keep a few metres back and never corner one.
How long should I plan for a visit?
3–4 hours covers the main loop (gate, Hongfu Temple, Qianling Lake, macaques); allow 5–6 hours if you hike to the ~1,396 m summit.
Is the park wheelchair accessible?
Only partially. The lower lake, temple courtyards, and gate areas are paved and flat; the summit trails are steep stone steps. The cable car helps with elevation but the upper paths remain stairs.
When is the best time to visit?
Early morning (06:30–09:00) on a weekday, when macaques are active and crowds are thin. March–May and September–November are the most comfortable for hiking; summer is mild.
What is Hongfu Temple?
A Buddhist temple founded in 1672 during the Kangxi reign by the monk Chisong — one of Guizhou's most important temples, with a nine-tier pagoda and incense-filled courtyards.
What is Qilin Cave and why does it matter?
A small karst cave on the grounds used in the early 1940s to detain General Zhang Xueliang (and later Yang Hucheng) after the Xi'an Incident; it is now a modest memorial site inside the park.
Is there a cable car or an easier way up?
Yes — a cable car (索道) climbs the mountain and a toboggan slide (滑道) offers a quick descent, so you can reach the summit views without the full stair climb.
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