Showing posts with label Baiyun. Show all posts

[PLACE] 20141222 Moxingling 摩星岭 @ Baiyun, Guangzhou


Moxingling 摩星岭 or the Moxing Summit is the highest peak at the Baiyun Mountain Range. Standing at 382 meters (1,253 ft) above sea level, the peak is able to provide you an almost 360° view of Guangzhou City.

The peak is part of the whole Baiyun Mountain Tourist Attraction Area and to read more about Baiyun Mountain, please visit my previous post about Baiyun Mountain.

To reach the Moxing Summit entrance, you are required to either drive your way up, or to climb your way up just like I did, or you may choose to take the electric car shuttle with fee chargeable depending on your package. It cost another RMB5 for admission into Moxingling area.

Guangyuan Middle Rd, Baiyun, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
广州市白云区广园中路
Nearest Metro Stations: Nil
Telephone: +86 020 3722 2222
Opening Hours: 06:00am until 05:00pm (to be verified)

TO GO


 Disclaimer: Google services are barred in China. You need to either bypass the "Great Wall" or use a VPN. Alternatively, you may use their domestic sites such as Baidu Map.

Just follow the normal way to Baiyun Mountain and then hike your way up or take the electric car shuttle service to reach the Moxingling entrance.




ATTRACTION



This is a continuation post from my previous post about Baiyun Mountain. I was hiking my way up for about 30 minutes from the Baiyun Sqaure, thinking that I have finally reached the peak of Baiyun Mountain after seeing the signboard of Moxingling.

Little that I know that this is just the beginning for another never ending climb. Even though 382 meters might not sound that tall compared to the other famous mountains in China (for comparison sake, Mount Kinabalu is 4,095 meters). It still seemed like a never ending climb with people around me started to pant a lot and complaining (except for those who took the easy way up).


A short climb along the slope after the entrance is a small square with a Buddha statue on the left and a wishing tree on the right, covered with red ribbons, each carrying a wish from its visitors. There's also some booth selling souvenirs and a photograph booth trying to sell you your own portrait.


The wishing tree with the red ribbons gives a very unique picture especially with the cool breeze. The above picture is taken with an ultra wide angle lens, else won't be able to fit the whole tree.


Local tourist who got persuaded by the photo booth to have his portrait with the Moxing Summit stone arch. As soon as I saw the stairs, I had a bad feeling that the climb will continue. Since I have came a long way from the bottom, might as well complete the whole journey to the peak!


As I climb up the hill, I stumble upon this very special angle of this stone hut with the city background. I used the 50mm to compress and to bring forward the background to show the contrast between the nature and the civilisation, as well as the old and the new.


Not long after I reach the stone arch of the Moxingling, I was wondering. Is this it? Is this the peak? But there's more stairs behind! No, it isn't. It's just another arch out of no where, to confuse you more.


Further up I reach another spot which gives a very good frame, touch up by the branches. Moxingling provides way more photographic spots compared to the lower grounds.


Continue climbing, I reach another platform where a small eatery is located. I spotted a radio tower behind the eatery and common sense tells me that the top is near.


Continue climbing, again. Finally I saw the blue blue sky and the end of the stairs! Yes, it's the peak of Moxingling finally.


At the peak, there's this area for people to attach padlocks, same as any other tourist spots around the world (meh!) to signify long lasting love relationships. However, there's no lock vendor noticed around, so I guess you need to bring your own padlocks next time.


The Moxingling arch, stating the 382 meters above sea level, and the distance away from Beijing (the capital of China).


From here, you get an unobstructed view of the East side of Guangzhou city. Too bad there's no signature landmark, otherwise this will be another Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. Hopefully Guangzhou will develop overtime and prosper in future.


I wanted to explore more and started walking downhill towards the North direction (I came from South direction). I saw the Huangpo Reservoir from afar and tried to gauge how long more I need to walk before I reach the next destination.

However, after considering the time constraint and my stamina, I aborted my mission and started to head back. Oh my, there goes another 30 minutes hike downhill!

SUMMARY


Moxingling is definitely worth the time and energy to visit if you are at Baiyun Mountain. In my opinion, it offers much more than the more touristy Baiyun Mountain. If you have the time and stamina to spare, do plan and explore the whole mountain range if you are nature lover.

Attraction
☆☆☆☆☆
very scenic view.
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆☆

Entrance Fee
RMB5
Opening Hours
06:00am until 05:00pm (to be verified)
Wifi
N/A
Parking
Yes
Website
N/A

GPS: 23.182887, 113.301674
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[PLACE] 20141222 Baiyun Mountain 白云山 @ Baiyun, Guangzhou


Located north-east of Guangzhou City, the Baiyun mountain range is a famous tourist spot since ancient time. The name Baiyun 白云, which literally means "White Cloud" well describes the scenery above that covers in mist and clouds especially during damp seasons.

The mountain range span across an area of 28km² with more than 30 high and low peaks. The highest peak, which is the Moxing Summit is at 382 meters above sea level. There are many scenic spots like Yuntai Garden 云台花园, Mingchungu 鸣春谷, Moxingling 摩星岭, Mingzhulou 明珠楼, Yunxi Ecological Park 云溪生态公园 etc in the Baiyun Mountain area.

Similar to Luhu Park and Yuntai Garden, the entrance of Baiyun Mountain is accessible via public transportation like cab and buses but not the Metro. At the entrance, public can choose to either take the cable car to the first summit or hike up the hiking trail via foot. Alternatively, you may also drive up the using the mountain roads.

The cable car ticketing counter is next to Yuntai Garden with total journey of 1.6km with approximately 15 minutes travelling time ascending about 200 meters. You get to see the hiking trail and trees along the cable car pathway.

Entrance fee is chargeable at RMB5 (RM2.80) per pax. Return ticket for cable car is RMB40 (RMB25 up, RMB15 down). The entrance fee for the respective scenic spots are charged separately. There's also a shuttle service for those who prefer to walk less. Each shuttle service cost RMB8 to RMB10 from location to location.

Guangyuan Middle Rd, Baiyun, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
广州市白云区广园中路
Nearest Metro Stations: Nil
Telephone: +86 020 3722 2222
Opening Hours: 06:00am until 05:00pm (to be verified)

TO GO


 Disclaimer: Google services are barred in China. You need to either bypass the "Great Wall" or use a VPN. Alternatively, you may use their domestic sites such as Baidu Map.

Unfortunately, there's no direct Metro station for Baiyun area. Alternative transportation includes public buses and cabs. There are many buses travelling through this route including bus number 175, 179, 199, 218, 223 or the tourist bus No. 1 from Zhongshanba Terminal. Depending where you are coming from, do check out the bus routes via Google Map before you travel. Typical cost of an air-conditioned bus cost about RMB2 to RMB3.

There's one Baiyun Park Metro Station, but that's at the West Gate and further away from the Cable Car Terminal. You can choose to take a bus from that Metro Station to the Southeast Gate.


There are a few gates for Baiyun Mountain range, but do head to the South Gate where the cable car terminal is located, next to Yuntai Garden.




ATTRACTION



I continue my journey to Baiyun Mountain after my detour to Yuntai Garden. The cable car terminal is just next to the garden's entrance. Luckily there's not many visitors during my visit and I don't have to wait at all for my cable car. The return ticket costs RMB40 (RM23) which includes some free vouchers for pictures but never fall for any "free" things in China. Just discard the vouchers will do.


The 12 minutes ride across the 1.6km path has a bit more to offer other than convenience with the colourful trees underneath coupled with hiking trails and mountain roads.


I also spotted this temple known as Nengren Temple 能仁寺 along the hiking trail when reaching the top. 


There's this square after the exit from the terminal, saying "Baiyun Mountain Welcomes You (白云山欢迎您)". Many tourist will have a picture here for safekeeping.


Above the square there's a platform known as "Dusk View Spot (晚望)", which actually means the area for sunset and nightview because the sun will set at this direction usually around 6pm.


This is the view of the platform. It is actually a very wide space with trees and huts around. The Guangzhou City is towards the right side with a very wide opening.


This is the actual view from the platform. Unfortunately it is mid noon and the sun is no where near settings. As you can see from this picture, the buildings are actually quite far away from the mountains and with no large landscapes or signature buildings, the view is actually just...normal. From here, you will get to see the cable car at the bottom right side of the picture. (Pardon my picture with the vignetting and patching due to the CPL filter).


In between the platform and the square, there's an intermediate space showcasing statues of Confucius and the also the a few of the famous 中国二十四孝 (24 touching stories of filial children) stories.


During my visit, there's this Transformer exhibition going on, which has a lot of replica Transformers installed with some mechanical arms for movement. This is useful to attract local crowd but nothing special for foreign tourists because Transformers is not the main reason I'm here.


Walked along the streets further up away from the square you will see the number of visitors getting less. From here onwards will involve a lot of physical walking, unless you opt for the shuttle service which comes at a fee. There's a junction after you walked some distance where you need to choose which path to follow. The path on the left involves more walking at a longer distance while the right path involves more stair climbing at a shorter distance. Both routes will eventually lead to the peak.


I took the shorter route, which means I have to climb more stairs. Not long after that I reach this spot known as the Nine Dragon Spring (九龙泉) but unfortunately it is closed for renovation and recovery. I only get to take the picture of this small little spring before moving on.


There are many interesting spots and vantage points along the way, some of which I do not know what meaning does it bring. Nevertheless, my next destination is Moxingling, which is the highest peak, which also means that I need to keep on climbing.


Stairs.. more stairs!! But luckily the stairs are covered with trees and the air is refreshing. To be honest, I didn't felt tired at all after all the climb, perhaps it is due to the weather? or the fresh air? or maybe the spiritual energy around the mountain that fuels me up. I did saw many visitors giving up halfway, panting and resting after the long climb, but I just kept going.


There's also some interesting corridors along the stairs, which makes your whole journey less boring because you kept seeing new things.


Half way up I stumbled upon this small little house which writes 轩墨仙, which is actually a spot where ancient writers and scholars gather. There are some exhibits of calligraphy and books inside.


I didn't spend much time here and left after I took a few pictures. The journey up continues with more stairs and stairs.


Eventually I reach a spot that meets the crowd who took the longer route via slope. There's a bee farm and a military camp at this area which is also known as the 观云阁 (literally means Cloud Observing Pavilion).


However, the pavilion is closed during my visit and there's nothing much to observe from there to be honest.


The climb up to slope continues with another 200 meters more to go. 


Lazy people or the elderly can opt for the electrical shutter car.


I have been continuously climbing for close to 30 minutes and I thought I finally reached my destination, Moxingling. My.. my I was wrong. To read more, please continue to my next post about Moxingling.

SUMMARY

Baiyun Mountain is a very scenic place, filled with lush greenery and vegetation. It provides various vantage points overseeing different angle of Guangzhou City. If you are a nature lover and a hiking fan, would suggest you to spend a day here to explore all the different peaks at Baiyun Mountain range.

Attraction
☆☆☆☆☆
Very scenic and refreshing place. Close to nature.
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆☆
Cleanliness is well kept
Entrance Fee
Varies according to area
Baiyun Mountain: RMB5
Cable Car Return Ticket: RMB40
Mingchungu: RMB10
Xinghai Park: RMB5
Others: RMB3 to RMB10
Opening Hours
06:00am until 05:00pm (to be verified)
Wifi
N/A
Parking
Yes
Website
Baiyun Website - English Version

GPS:
Cable Car Terminal: 23.157015, 113.295640
Baiyun Square: 23.171753, 113.300479
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[PLACE] 20141222 Yuntai Garden 云台花园 @ Baiyun, Guangzhou


Yuntai Garden is actually a botanical park located at the north of Guangzhou city, bottom of Baiyun Mountain, next to Lihu Park. Although with the name "garden", Yuntai Garden is actually a huge park, covering land area of 120,000m² with 14 main attractions which includes river, lakes, stone carvings (artificial), tropical green house etc.

Despite the size, the Yuntai Garden is actually very well maintained with beautiful flowers to be seen everywhere, which is the main attraction for this garden. The other artificial sculptures and carvings are just add-ons which is nothing unique.

The entrance fee is at a humble RMB10 (RM5.70) which is well worth the ticket price given the scale of the park. The upkeep and maintenance are tip top. You are required to have some stamina to fully explore the park given the hilly landscape. Recommended to reserve at least 3 hours if you would want to explore every inch of this park.

801 Guangyuan Middle Rd, Baiyun, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
广州市白云区广园中路
Nearest Metro Stations: Nil
Telephone: +86 20 3722 2222
Opening Hours: 08:00am until 05:00pm (Daily)

TO GO


Disclaimer: Google services are barred in China. You need to either bypass the "Great Wall" or use a VPN. Alternatively, you may use their domestic sites such as Baidu Map.

Unfortunately, there's no direct Metro station for Baiyun area. Alternative transportation includes public buses and cabs. There are many buses travelling through this route including bus number 175, 179, 199, 218, 223 or the tourist bus No. 1 from Zhongshanba Terminal. Typical cost of an air-conditioned bus cost about RMB2 to RMB3.



ATTRACTION



Yuntai Garden was not in my original itinerary as I only planned to visit Baiyun Mountain. The entrance of the garden is just next to the cable car terminal to Baiyun Mountain, so I thought might as well just pay a short visit since the entrance fee is not too expensive.


My my I was wrong. The garden (or park) is freaking huge. Given the tight schedule, I'm not able to visit all the sections within the park but was able to cover about 70% of it within one and a half hours time. 


The sun light in the winter is very harsh with warm colours even thou it is early in the morning. During my visit, the park is having this lantern festival exhibition with various lanterns (made with cloth) based on themes are exhibited along the pathways. Lights will be turned on during night time.


I started off from the right pathway up the hill where I eventually reach a tropical green house, housing various tropical plantations as well as cactuses, sheltered from the four seasons under the green house.


The plants are labelled with their common names and scientific names, as well as their origins. (Yes, I post this on purpose)


There's this beautiful wall of orchids at the exit of the green house.


Right after the exit from the green house, there's this junction that will lead you to the Biodiversity Valley, which is another huge area with rivers and lake, decorated with Chinese-architectural huts. I skipped this area due to lack of time.


Next I arrived at this Rose Garden where different roses are found here. Unlike our lame Rose Valley in Cameron Highlands, the plants here are well kept and the roses blossom with vibrant colours.


Red rose, white red, blue red, purple rose, big rose, small rose, real rose, fake rose. You name it, they have it here.


Besides roses, they also have other beautiful flowers around.


At the left side of the park there's this uphill track, which presumably will lead you to a hill top. My advice is to just ignore it because I got conned to climb up the whole stairway to reach the top with no view or scenery. Just, ignore it.


The long long way up..


To this con-man hut. Nothing to see but some trees. 15 minutes uphill stamina wasted.


Last but not least, a replica of the London Eye made with lantern cloths in the middle of the lake near the entrance.

OK, time to move on to Baiyun Mountain after 1.5 hours spent here.

SUMMARY


Yuntai Garden is worth a visit if you like parks and plantations. Although there's no unique plants special to China like the Peony Flower, it is still worth a visit, thanks to its well maintained facilities and plants.

Attraction
☆☆☆☆☆

Cleanliness
 ☆☆☆☆☆

Entrance Fee
RMB10
Opening Hours
08:00am until 05:00pm (Daily)
Wifi
N/A
Parking
Yes
Website
Baiyun Mountain Website

GPS: 23.157012, 113.293786
Read More
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