Cangyan Shan

Description:

• This wooded mountain is part of the Taihang range, about 80km (50 miles) southwest of Shijiazhuang; its summit is at 1,044m (3,424 ft.). The main point of visiting is a staircase of more than 300 steps leading up a cleft and beneath two parallel bridges, each topped by a temple, originally Sui dynasty (518-618). The setting is as spectacular as it looks in the closing scene of the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (although the final jump is reportedly from Huang Shan), and the location, especially from the stairs below and on a misty day, makes for some spectacular photography. The paths which lace the mountainside do not lead to any other equally spectacular sights, and some have crumbled away. Take a picnic. The 2-hour minibus trip begins rather early in the morning.

• © Frommer's 2012