Kids Club: Yajishan Daoist Temples
Hike the paths and stairs up Yaji Mountain, passing through temples and shrines on the way to the castle-like temples atop the peak.
This hike is not currently scheduled
Two castle-like temples sit atop the peak Yaji Mountain, home to Buddhas and incense burners instead of kings, queens, princes, princesses, or warriors. But you could easily imagine they’re castles. They’d certainly be hard to attack, with tall, thick walls, a strong gate, plus a difficult, steep approach, and that’s probably why the old monks went to the effort of building them up on top.
The temples are a popular religious attraction for people in the Pinggu district. It is quite common to see people burning incense, and sometimes it's possible to see a full religious ceremony.
As we make the climb to the top, we’ll catch our breath by stopping to look about the various temples and shrines either side of the stairs—a big temple near the bottom, the two temples at the top, and an assortment of shrines, caves, and special rocks in between.
In one of the temples on the way up, there are two side halls with dioramas of Daoist hell, complete with horse-headed guards carrying axes and models that depict the several hundred ways that you will be tortured if you are not a good Daoist.
We’ll aim to arrive at the top temples in time for a picnic lunch. After a good look about up top, we’ll hike an easy concrete track down an adjacent valley to finish.
Kids club: relaxed outings for kids to enjoy some family time in nature. Best for ages 5 and up. Younger children might protest at all the stairclimbing.
Itinerary
| 08:30 | Driving to the hike |
| 10:15 | Arrive at the car park, use bathrooms |
| 10:30 | Start walking up to the first temple, look about |
| 11:15 | Start climbing up to the top temples |
| 12:15 | Find a good place for your picnic in the big top temple, time to look about |
| 13:15 | Walk out the behind the temples, then follow a concrete road back down to the bottom |
| 14:15 | Included snacks and drinks at the car park |
| 15:15 | Driving back, stopping for a bathroom break |
| 17:15 | Arrive at Lido, then on to Liangmaqiao |
Things to do
打卡: get your ticket clipped at each of the temples and shrines on the way to the top.
Look out for Torture Horse and friends: the dioramas of Buddhist Hell include a wide range of characters, including Torture Horse, and some very inventive methods of punishment.
Extra hike: Big kids might like to do a short out-and-back for extra views of the temples on top of the mountain.
Please contact us if you'd like more details about the plan.
Participation notes
Safety and supervision: we choose hikes that are not dangerous, and we’ll warn you about any parts of the hike that require extra attention. You’re responsible for watching your children. We’ll let you know where’s good to play.
Vehicle: all participants must wear seatbelts while in the vehicle. Ask us about bringing your car seat, as certain seats might not fit.
Weather: if the weather doesn’t look like fun, we’ll cancel or postpone the hike.
Food: bring your own picnic lunch. We’ll supply some snacks and water for you.
COVID-19 and participation precautions
The current precautions are minimal. Please read in full here: Operating hikes under COVID-19 precautions