VISITING NINGBO XUEDOU TEMPLE 雪窦寺 AND HIKING XUEDOU MOUNTAIN AREA

A day before the Spring Festival me and my friend visited Xuedou mountain area and temple 雪窦寺 located in Fenghua district 奉化区, Xikou溪口. Xuedou mountain 雪窦山has been named as one of China’s five sacred Buddhist mountains中国五大佛教名山. The statue of Buddha Maitreya米勒大佛is the biggest copper statue of its kind in the world. I didn’t expect that there will be much more to see except the statue and maybe some park to walk around; but to my surprise Xuedou temple scenic area includes not only the famous Buddha Maitreya but also a very nice hiking trail.

Things to do at Xuedou mountain scenic area

Xuedou scenic area has a lot of different attractions to offer for any taste, for example, Buddhist temples, many waterfalls in different sizes, impressive big rocks and cliffs, bamboo forests and so on. I would say this is a great place to spend your day, whether you are with friends, family or alone. The whole area itself is quite big, covering 85 square kilometers.

Fenghua, Xikou

I prefer to start my day early; however we reached scenic area at 10:30 am. If I decide to visit this place again, I would certainly start my trip earlier, because park is big and we didn’t manage to visit some other spots that were on the map. This is a day trip and I suggest arriving early if you want to see all attractions offered there (site is opened from 8:10 am- 4:45pm).

In fact, Fenghua is a very famous destination for Chinese tourists, because not only there is a beautiful scenic area but it is also a hometown of Chiang Kai-shek (military and political leader, former president of the Republic of China). There are also many sites related to Chiang Kai-shek in Xikou. You can do a separate trip to these sites too if you are more interested in historical buildings and temples.

Getting there

There are buses going from Ningbo 宁波 city to Xikou, however we reached it by car, and it was around an hour drive. At first we drove past the ticket center. Then we were stopped at the checkpoint and sent to parking lot near it; ticket center was right there as well. The guy from check point said that there is not much place to park your car at the top of the mountain, and visitors were advised to park at parking space next to the ticket office (it costs 10RMB per day).

Tickets

Xuedou scenic area. Here you can see the two pricing options

For sight visit, there are two pricing options – one 230RMB includes visit to Wuling Gate, Fenggao House – a former residence of Chiang Kai-shek, temple, Wenchang pavilion, Yutai Salt shop. The other option (which we choose) includes the Xuedou temple and mountainous area with hiking option, beautiful scenery, waterfalls etc. and it costs 150RMB. This includes also shuttle bus fee 30RMB. (There will be 50RMB additional fee for cable car and small train). Shuttle buses will drive you throughout the park from one point to another. You have to show the ticket every time you get on bus, or before entering visiting site. Don’t lose your ticket! 

Shuttle bus

Bus ride from ticket office to the drop off point took around 15min, and the first thing we saw was the big Buddha Maitreya statue. Keep in mind that buses going back to the ticket office are not leaving from the same place where you are dropped first time. You will see a parking lot in the scenic area; and before getting on, ask where it is going (whether you want to go back or to the next spot, you can point in the ticket your destination).

Sites to visit

Sites marked from 8-12 are the ones offered to see in Xuedou mountain area. Number eight is Xuedou temple with Buddha Maitreya statue

There are five main viewpoints at the Xuedou mountain area. You will see them on the ticket marked with numbers from 8 – 12 . Number eight is the first one to see – the Buddha Maitreya 米勒大佛statue which is indeed large and quite impressive. We were strolling around there for maybe an hour or bit more.

Hiking Xuedou mountain

From Buddha statue we took shuttle bus and were dropped off at Sanyintan 三隐潭 (number eleven). From Sanyintan we started hike in the mountainous area, with a lot of waterfalls and nice views offered. At first we thought that there is just a viewpoint, after which we go back to the bus stop and go further to number 12. Then we climbed down for a while and still were convinced that soon we should be going back. However, we kept walking down, and eventually saw a map that showed cable car and small train coming soon. In the middle of the trail there was a resting poin with vendors selling food. 

Xuedou mountain express

After a while we reached the ticket office where we purchased ticket (50RMB), and had a couple minutes ride on the small train (or express). Ride with an express was very lovely, as we could have a short rest and enjoy the view of mountains. This could be also a fun attraction for children. When we got off the express, we had to take few steps up the mountain, and there was a fantastic view of the waterfall. This was one of the most impressive sights of this trip. We sat there for a while, drank some tea and had few cookies for energy. I advise to take snacks and water with you. There was a small store selling some Chinese food and snacks too; someone who hasn’t taken anything to eat with him might find it useful. Next we took a cable car, leading up the mountain. 

Getting to the top

It was totally worth it, as we were rewarded with overwhelming views again. At last we were at the top of the mountain, and were heading to the mouth of waterfall which we just saw from down. Sight was as impressive as previous ones. It turned out to be a 2 hour hike and at the end we came back to the place where big Buddha was located. We could take this trip also from the starting point without getting on the bus, but from opposite direction. That would be a bit tiring, as going from stop eleven we were mostly just going down the mountain. If you take this route from another direction though (starting point where Buddha statue is located), there will be a lot of climbing up.

End of our trip

I liked how the route was designed and everything was pretty well organized. This trail is suitable for any age. We saw a lot of children and old people on our way too. Sometimes I am amazed by how fit elderly Chinese are. I certainly enjoyed this hike and wouldn’t mind to repeat it again sometime soon. We finished hiking after 3pm, and decided to skip the last point. Another reason to come back! In fact, at first we wanted to start with it, and go straight to the area marked as number 12. But when we got on the shuttle bus, we were told that it is going to Sanyintan. At the end it turned out perfect!

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