Visiting the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang, China! 4506 Meters High!
You haven’t been to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain if you haven’t taken a picture with this stone sign
I’ve been fortunate enough to visit the Yunnan province of China during April and one of the highlights of my trip was definitely the Yulong Jade Dragon Snow Mountain near the gorgeous city of Lijiang.
And the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is an impressive attraction as well, bringing in 10,000 visitors every single DAY! So join me as I bring you to arguably the most beautiful natural attraction in all of China, perhaps even in the entire world (seriously the view is absolutely beautiful).
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The Yulong Mountains of Lijiang, Yunnan
A view of the Yulong Mountain range from the Blue Moon Valley ‘s Yuye Lake
The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is actually part of a larger mountain range known as the Yulong Mountain Range. With the highest peak called Shanzidou (Shan-Tzu-tou) being at 5,596 meters. Though the highest publicly available observation points is at 4,506 meters. There is also an observation point at 4,680 meters, the highest in the world in fact, but I didn’t get that far, though you could definitely take a quick hike up there if you so wish.
At the base of the Yulong Jade Dragon Snow Mountain you can find two other famous attractions in Yunnan: the Blue Moon Valley which the name viewpoint at the pristine Yuye Lake, and the Black Dragon Pool which is a park located in the nearby city of Lijiang and is known to be one of the best scenic views of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in all of China.
WARNING: Low Oxygen atop the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Here’s me inhaling some fine oxygen, trust me, you’ll really need this, it’s for your own safety.
A HUGE WARNING before you even attempt to scale the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The oxygen levels on the mountain (even at the base) is low. Meaning you will be prone to dizziness, rapid heart beats, breathing difficulties, and possibly even brain damage from prolonged lack of adequate oxygen.
Therefore, I heavily recommend, no matter how healthy you think you may be, to purchase a portable oxygen tank to bring with you while going up the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. These oxygen tanks are readily available and can be purchased at various local shops for about 40 RMB, or you can purchase them at the hospital for around 100 RMB. I recommend the hospital option as the local shops are known to sell some fake questionable gas…
How to get to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
You’ll need to take the Park’s green buses to reach the base of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Unfortunately, it’s quite difficult to find public transport from attraction to attraction in Yunnan, your best bet is via a public bus or a tourist bus.
You’ll want to start at Lijiang City, which is about 20 km away, from there you can take the tourist bus located at the South Gate of the Lijiang Ancient Town for 40 RMB. You also have the option of a public bus Number 7 which you can take at Hong Tai Yang Square for 15 RMB.
Another option I recommend is taking a tour to view the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, like I did. Tours such as the One Day Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Tour makes traveling so much easier, plus it also includes tickets to the Impression Lijiang Tour, which is an educational and entertaining show about the history of the local nomadic Naxi tribe.
Riding the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Cable Car
Hang tight, the cable car ride is a bit bumpy!
When arriving at the base of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, you’ll need to purchase a ticket for the cable car as that is the only way to get up to the observation point.
The price for cable car is 180 RMB, which will take you to the top of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. However, there is an additional 180 RMB entrance fee that will allow you access to the entire Jade Dragon Snow Mountain park.
Apologies for the blurry picture, the cable car windows were quite dirty…
Riding the cable car 4,000 meters up the Yulong Mountains felt so surreal. It’s absolutely beautiful, words can’t even describe it.
My mom describe it as feeling like ascending into heaven, which I think describes the views and feelings quite well, still though, you’ll need to come here yourself to get the full experience of riding the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain cable car.
Exploring the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
There’s a lot of people here, so expect to be pushing through the crowd a bit
When you reach the observation point of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, you’ll have a chance to purchase some of that highly coveted oxygen tanks at the visitor center, If you haven’t done so already, please purchase one for your own safety!
I am still young, and I thought I was relatively strong (humble brag *wink *wink), but I still needed to suck in some fine oxygen often as my body was not used to that high of an altitude.
It almost looks fake with how pristine the snow is
First of, I would like to say that the weather up there? Not cold at all, there is only a nice cool breeze but other than that, have fun with the Yunnan sun emitting heat rays onto your bodies.
Seriously, I thought I would be cold but no, I was actually sweating.
On the topic of the sun, the lights reflecting off the snowy mountains makes for an incredibly pure white picturesque view, it’s quite jaw-dropping to be honest.
I salute all these strong people who are making their way to the highest observation point in the world
Off in the distance you’ll see a hiking trail leading further up the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to the 4,680 meter observation point that I was talking about earlier.
I didn’t have time to climb up the final stretch of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as I traveled with a tour and we were pressed on time. However don’t let that stop you from scaling the mountain yourself.
I’d imagine the views from up there must be insane!
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
The views from the 4,506 meter observation point is already insane, from up here you can see the city of Lijiang! The views are really something out of this world.
Details About the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is part of the Yulong Mountain Range and is the most popular attraction in Yunnan, China, a must visit when you come to this province.
Location: Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang, Yunnan, China, 674106
Opening Hours: 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM | Mon - Sun
Entrance Fee: 180 RMB and an additional 180 RMB for the cable car
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