Taishan East Road, Shandong, China

4.5 (199 reviews) Spent Ranking #2 in Tai'an Hiking Trails

A must do

6,660 steps to the top - we entered the annual race on 5 September this year along with over 7,000 others as we were already there paddling a Dragonboat for Australia on Lake Dong Ping the day before. It is not the easiest of climbs to the top but if you are fit you will manage the 7.5klm hike.

There are of course the options to walk 5klm and then take the cable car or to take the bus and then the cable car. Whatever option there will still be a distance to walk.

Well worth the trek as we passed beautiful scenery and temples along the way, and no need to carry provisions as there are little kiosks dotted along the way, but be prepared to pay about 10 times over the odds!

Highly recommendable.
Tai'an review images

Address

Front of Tai Mountain, Taishan District , Tai'an, Shandong, China, Postal Code: 271001.

Current local date and time now

Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 8:20

User Ratings

4.5 based on (199 reviews)

Excellent
45%
Good
46%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%

Reviews

  • 5inchpebble 5:00 PM May 27, 2017
    Do What Confucius Did
    Nice experience. Bring sunscreen. The stone steps are steep and narrow. The top half of the hike is much harder than the lower half. Don't look at the scenery while moving. Be careful of the fellow climbers around you. Some of them over estimate their abilities and can become a danger to you. Step in a zigzag pattern to save your knees and spend less energy per step if needed, just like the water carriers. Bring extra clothing and flashlight if you climb at night.

    The trail is open 24/7. There are Taoist, Buddhist and Shamanistic Temples everywhere you turn. Beautiful calligraphy from famed folks reaching back 2000 years overlap each other. Can be quiet a cultural and spiritual experience. The signages are in Chinese, Korean, Japanese and English.

    If you are fit and accustomed to walking up a mountain, the trip is around 3 hours each way. If you walk at a leisurely pace, it's at least 5 hours each way.
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  • 5Zhiguang Z 5:00 PM Nov 2, 2015
    The Cultural Route
    This is the most traditional route for Mount Tai, where one can find many calligraphy arts and carving arts, as well as natural views.
  • 5Andrew Tsui 5:00 PM Oct 7, 2016
    Best route up
    I been checking trip advisor and lonely planet tips but it all concludes that this is the best route up to the peak. Convenient with small shops on the way and in the peak with Cable Car Service up and down the mount.
  • 5JayDeeBee1950 5:00 PM Nov 19, 2012
    A climb but well worthwhile
    Taishan is the first among China's 5 important mountains our guide said. Best done with a local. You can climb thousands of steps but we took bus halfway then cable car then walked 777 steps. Good clear day but cold fantastic view & local guide made all the difference. Food at top of cable car & usual hawkers but all very friendly.
  • 4TuangWX 5:00 PM May 5, 2016
    Hard to climb, needs great determination
    Was determine to climb the whole route but gave up after reaching half way... too steep and really challenging.
  • 4ergopublic 5:00 PM Oct 20, 2019
    stairway to heaven and to touristtraps
    Chinese emperors walked this stairway to heaven to worship life: more than 6000 steps to the top. We followed the path and climbed the steps, a steep but perfect stairway, from Taian City in some 3,5 hours, sourrounded by many chinese hikers - we maybe saw two western faces. It was a gorgious experience, just two irritations: the smog on this wide country and the touristtraps on the summit - as there is also a modern cable car and we took it back down.
  • 4Ana L 5:00 PM Sep 27, 2017
    Nice mountain to hike
    When I went there, the cable car on the South side was not working, as well as the bus, due to renovation. So, be careful with that, if you are planning to walk halfway, and then take the cablecar. The South route is, however, more interesting, but there are too many steps, and your knees might not like it. The view from the top is outstanding, but the rocks in Huashan are more spectacular. Nice temples on top.
  • 4Martin A 5:00 PM Oct 19, 2018
    The East Road Is A Beast
    Following the advice of locals, we hiked this huge hill at 3:00 in the morning so we could see the sunrise on top of Taishan. It takes between two to six hours, depending on your speed and the crowds. Hundreds of people do this hike on the high holidays in China. Thousands start the hike from the midway point but not everybody makes it to the top. It gets steeper and steeper and the stone stairs get shorter so my 45s, or size 12s, were too big, close to the top. When you get to the final gate, you discover there are many more stairs to reach the very top of the mountain. Try to go off-season, avoid the crowds, and you will appreciate the mountain even more.

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