The Silver Pagodas
Walk up to the pagodas and then hike the stairs and steps to explore the stupas and shrines in the hills behind.
This hike is not currently scheduled
With the villages in the area still closed we’re not able to do the full version of the hike. On this visit we’ll do a more detailed exploration of the park area, and hike out to finish by a closed down hotel.
We start off with a short walk from the park entrance up to the pagodas.
The site dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), with the pagodas built in the 1400’s. The silver bells of the pagodas used to ring in the breeze, and are the source of the name of this peaceful spot.
The temples are long gone, burned during war, but you can still see their foundations.
The five big pagodas are still there, along with carved tablets, incense burners, and other stone relics. It’s said that below each pagoda are the cremated remains of a monk, and, the taller the pagoda, the more important that monk.
In the hills behind the pagodas there is more to find—the foundations of the nunnery, various stupas and shrines, preaching platforms, a Bell Pavilion, large boulders, and tall cliffs. We’ll pass by all of those as we follow the steps and stairs up to the lookout on the main peak of the Silver Mountains.
After enjoying the views from the top we’ll hike back down the stairs to the pagodas, and then take a side trail to walk out to the carpark of a closed hotel to finish the hike.
COVID-19 and participation precautions
The current precautions are minimal. Please read in full here: Operating hikes under COVID-19 precautions