10 Stunning Mountains In China

China is home to some of the most incredible mountains in the world. In fact, the mountains in China are some of the tallest in the world. Mount Everest, which is the highest point in the entire world, is in China along with several other amazing mountains. If you’re planning on traveling to China make plans to visit some of these mountains in China as part of your trip. You will get to see stunning views, incredible wildlife, and religious shrines that very few people get to experience. You can even walk across the sheer face of a mountain.

10 Mountains In China

Most people recognize Mount Everest. It’s the most well-known of the mountains in China but it’s not the only mountain that China is famous for. Mount Huangshan is a UNESCO World Heritage site and there are several other sacred mountains in China that you will enjoy seeing like:

Mount Everest

Located in: Tibet

Height: 29,032 feet

Nearby City:  Lhasa

Known For: Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. Anyone who makes it to the top of Everest will be at the highest point on Earth. But, not that many people ever make it to the summit. This mountain sits right on the border between China and Nepal. Getting to the base camp of the mountain can be quite a trek, but it’s nothing compared to actually trying to climb Everest.

Climbing Everest is one of the toughest physical challenges that anyone can take on. Many people who try it train for years before taking on Everest. Still, more than 4,000 have climbed to the top of Everest. Around 300 people have died attempting the climb and their bodies are still on the mountain due to the difficulty of getting them down.

Climbing Everest can cost more than $100,000 and takes about two months. Trekkers will have to climb for about three weeks just to get to the base of Everest, and then it can be another 30-40 days to get to the summit and back down. The views from the top are something that only a small portion of people will ever experience however, so some climbers make it a life goal to climb to the top and see the most breathtaking and highest spot on the entire planet for themselves.

K2 Peak 

Located in: Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang

Height: 28,251 feet

Nearby City:  Askole, Pakistan or Kashgar, China

Known For: K2 is the second tallest mountain in the world and it’s also in China. Actually it is in both China and Pakistan. It sits on the border between the two countries. It’s a very remote location so even getting to the base camp is quite a journey.

Most people who are attempting to climb K2 approach from Askole, Pakistan because the trip to the base camp is easier. But it is also approachable from Kashgar, China. No matter which route you take you will need almost two weeks to get from any actual city to get to the base camp for climbing K2. If you approach from the China side you will have to take a bus trip, an off road trip through the desert, and then an 8-10 day journey on camels to get near K2.

And this trip is only available during certain times of the year. During the rainy season floods will make the area inaccessible. If you are near the K2 base camp during the rainy season you could be stuck there for a month until the flood waters go down.

Climbing K2 is done within a group with an experienced guide company. You can attempt to make the climb to the base camp on your own, but when you’re taking on a climb of this magnitude it’s much safer to do it in a group.

Namjagbarwa Peak

Located in: Pemako

Height: 25,531 feet

Nearby City:  Zhibai Village

Known For: Namjagbarwa Peak is not easily accessible. It’s located in a remote area of Tibet next to the deepest gorge on Earth. It has a sister peak called Gyalha Peri that lies on the other side of the gorge. There was no attempt to climb this mountain since the 1990s and it’s considered to be inaccessible because of the remote location and the lack of any established base camp.

Even though you can’t climb Namjagbarwa Peak there are two different locations in the region where you can go to get the best view of the peak. Both require a slight climb but allow you to get unobstructed stunning views of this majestic cloud topped mountain.

The stunning cloud formations that hover over the peak have given rise to many local legends about this amazing mountain. Some locals believe that the gods gather at the top of the mountain and the clouds are the smoke from their fires. Others believe that that the mountain ascends almost to heaven and there is a road at the peak that leads directly to a celestial kingdom.

Minya Konka

Located in: Sichuan

Height: 24,790 feet

Nearby City:  Chengdu

Known For: Minya Konka is less remote than some of the other mountains in China but it’s still quite an undertaking to climb it. Before the mid-2000s, there is only a handful of successful climbs and 19 climbers possibly died on the mountain. In order to reach the summit the best approach is through the northwest ridge. However, there is a high risk of avalanches that can be deadly. The mountain is so tall that it has its’ own weather so it’s really impossible to forecast what the weather will be on the mountain.

You can climb this mountain if you have mountain climbing experience and you have a permit and go in a group with local guides. However, even with those precautions be aware that this is a long and difficult climb. If you want to take on this climb you should complete some Alpine climbs beforehand to practice extreme mountaineering skills.

Meili Snow Mountain

Located in: Yunnan Province

Height: 22,112 feet

Nearby City:  Deqin County Town

Known For: The Meili Snow Mountain, or Prince Snow Mountain, is one of the prettiest mountains in China. This mountain sits on the border between China and Tibet and is relatively accessible when you compare it to some of the other mountains in China.

A series of snow covered ridges around the mountain are climbable, but no one has ever reached the summit. The best views on Meili Snow Mountain are on the Kawegobo Peak where you can see amazing low glaciers as well as the sun lighting up the snow fields on the ridge.

This mountain is sacred to Tibetan Buddhists and you will often meet people on the mountain who are making a sacred pilgrimage. After seeing the magical old growth forests, the exotic wildlife, glacier-fed waterfalls, rainbows, and flowing fields of mountain flowers that all can be found on this one ancient wonder it’s easy to see why Buddhists would consider this to be a sacred space.

Mount Kailash

Located in: Ngari Prefecture

Height: 21,837 feet

Nearby City:  Darchen

Known For: Mount Kailash is another sacred mountain in China, but it’s sacred to four religions not just one. The mountain itself is practically a sheet of rock and ice with graduated indents along the sides. Sometimes it’s called the “Stairway to Heaven”. People in the Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, Bön, and Jainism religions all believe this is a sacred space. Hindus believe that Shiva lives at the very top of the mountain, which has never been climbed. Buddhists consider Mount Kailash to be the point where heaven and earth meet.

No climbing or accessing this mountain is allowed. However, every year thousands of people from all four religions come here as part of a sacred pilgrimage. All four of the religions that hold his mountain sacred have a ritual that involves walking around the base of the mountain. It’s certainly a once in a lifetime thing to see so if you get the chance to visit Mount Kailash you should.

Daocheng Sanshen Mountain

Located in: Sichuan

Height: 19,685 feet

Nearby City:  Riwa Township

Known For: Sanshen Mountain is actually part of a trio of mountains in China. The three peaks are all snow covered mountains that are considered to be sacred in the Tibetan Buddhist faith. The three mountains that are grouped together are said to represent the three bodhisattvas. While no climbing or trekking on the mountain is allowed there are observation platforms where tourists can climb to get better views of the stunning snow capped peaks.

If you are visiting the mountains in China that are considered to be sacred always be respectful of the people that live and pray there. Make sure that you are not leaving trash behind or doing anything that might interfere with the worship of the pilgrims who come to the mountains as part of a religious journey.

Mount Emei

Located in: Mount Emei Scenic Area

Height: 10,103 feet

Nearby City:  Emeishan City

Known For: Mount Emei is the most sacred of the sacred Buddhist mountains in China. It is where the first Buddhist temple was built and it’s the spot where Buddhists believe Buddha found Enlightenment. Now there are several temples on the mountain and in the surrounding areas. You can visit the temples but be aware that these are pilgrimage places for many Buddhists and try to stay out of the way of those that are participating in a religious journey.

The scenery on and around Mount Emei is stunning. Some of the trees on the mountain are more than 1,000 years old. And because of the height of the mountain you can see trees, flowers, and vegetation that range from subtropical to alpine.

Remember if you visit this cultural site that these temples and grounds have been around since the 10^th century and be respectful of the culture.

Mount Huashan

Located in:  Shaanxi Province

Height: 7,086 feet

Nearby City:  Huayin City

Known For: Mount Huashan actually has five peaks, one in each direction, but it’s the highest peak which is the south peak that the mountain is the most famous for. The south peak of Mount Huashan is called the “deadliest hike in the world”.

All of the peaks on this mountain are sheer cliffs, but there is a small shrine located at the far edge of the south peak and to reach the shrine hikers and climbers must walk on a treacherous walkway that is just inches wide and hangs off of the mountain more than 6,000 feet into the air.

There is a small railing and the hikers all wear safety harnesses but this is not a walk for anyone that is scared of heights or faint of heart. It’s a terrifying walk across the sheer face of a mountain.

Of course, you don’t have to take the Plank Walk. There are cable cars that can take you comfortably to the top of the mountain so that you can still get all of the magnificent views without the risk of plunging off the side of the mountain.

Mount Huanghan

Located in: Anhui Province

Height: 6,102 feet

Nearby City:  Hongcun Village

Known For: Mount Huangshan is also known as the “yellow mountain” and it’s one of the loveliest mountains in China and in the world. You may already be familiar with the image of this mountain because it’s been used in many forms of art for thousands of years.

The mountain, and the preserved ancient villages around it, make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is something you must see if you’re traveling to China.

Mount Huangshan is made up of granite cliffs and spires that are all naturally occurring. At the top of the mountain is the “sea of clouds” where the clouds sit almost directly on the granite spires creating a scene like something out of a fantasy film. There are hot springs, ancient pine trees, and much much more to discover on this stunning ancient mountain in China.

10 Tallest Mountains In China

• Mt. Everest
• K2 Peak
• Namjagbarwa Peak
• Minya Konka
• Meili Snow Mountain
• Mount Kailash
• Daocheng Sanshen Mountain
• Mount Emei
• Mount Huashan
• Mount Huangshan

Highest Point In China

Mt. Everest -29,032 feet

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