On Sunday, I visited White Stone Mountain in Hebei Province. I took the Xiangyun Cableway from the East Gate, ascending directly from an altitude of 1,100 meters to approximately 1,900 meters. Visitors can choose to take a shuttle bus for 5 yuan or hike 1 kilometer to the Chive Garden. There is a large square here, and at certain times, there are sea lion or mermaid performances. You can choose different routes afterward; we opted for the central route, which most people choose, as it has more scenic spots, a relatively flat path, but can be a bit crowded. Due to rain the previous night, there was a lot of mist on the mountain, with peaks appearing and disappearing in the clouds. Occasionally, when the sun came out, the mist thinned slightly, allowing us to see parts of the peaks.
After walking part of the central route, we decided to take the branch route to the highest peak, Foguangding, from an altitude of 2,000 meters to 2,099 meters, a distance of about 450 meters, mostly stairs, which were a bit steep. By then, the sun had fully emerged, making it a bit sunny and hot, but it was still worth it once we reached Foguangding. Looking west, two massive peaks stood side by side like two thick fingers, with multiple rows of large rock walls behind them, shrouded in mist and clouds, resembling the walls of a celestial palace. Looking north, we could see the distant county seat of Laiyuan, while looking east and south revealed endless mountain ranges.
After descending from Foguang Peak, we chose the northwest route back to the central path. The descent was shaded and cool, but the steps were narrow and steep, requiring careful footing. After returning to the central route, we walked a bit further to the Sky Restaurant, which also has a large platform offering a close-up view of the twin peaks we had just seen. We had brought food, so we found a shaded spot to have lunch. After lunch, we decided to take the Red Birch Forest Loop Trail, which passes by the rock walls we had seen earlier and offers a distant view of Foguang Peak. This section of the trail is also cool, with beautiful scenery and few people, making it ideal for sightseeing and photography.
After reaching Feiyun Kou, there are multiple routes. You can take the Feiyun Cableway to 1,600 meters to view the scenery below, but this requires a long hike to the East Gate to exit, or you can take the Cui Ping Cableway toward the West Gate to exit from there. Our car was parked at the East Gate, so we had to loop back to the Sky Restaurant and take the Central Route back to the East Gate. This section is mostly a cliffside boardwalk with a few steps, not too challenging, and there are several scenic spots. However, the clouds and mist thickened in the afternoon, making it difficult to see the peaks clearly. We also skipped the famous glass boardwalk, deciding not to waste money on it.
We spent roughly six to seven hours exploring the entire scenic area. If you want to cover all routes and attractions, it would be best to allocate one and a half to two days. The combined ticket price for admission and the cable car is 270 yuan, which is slightly expensive. If you don’t take the cable car, you can hike or take the mountain road bus, which is cheaper but takes longer. The scenic area is highly weather-dependent; on rainy or cloudy days with low visibility, you likely won’t see much. On a clear day with no clouds or mist, the mountain peaks are visible but lack a sense of wonder. The best conditions are after rain when the sky clears with some mist, offering a fairy-tale-like landscape. If you can witness the Buddha’s light, that’s pure luck.