Guiyang · Guizhou · Place

Qianling Mountain Park

An urban forest park where wild macaques roam, giant pandas nap, and a cable car climbs to panoramic city views.

Written and signed by Lena Zhou

4.9/5RatingPark entry CNY 5; cable car CNY 20 one-way / CNY 30 round-tripTicket07:00 to 20:00 daily (cable car from 08:00, zoo last entry 16:00)Opening hours

What it actually is

Qianling Mountain Park in Yunyan District, Guiyang, is a 426-hectare forested hill that doubles as the city's central park. Visitors ride a five-minute cable car to a mountaintop pavilion with panoramic city views, then wander downhill past Hongfu Temple, Qianling Lake, and a free zoo housing two giant pandas. Wild Guizhou macaques roam the trails.

Editor's take

Lena ZhouWritten and signed by

The verdict

Worth it, and cheap - go early, walk down from the cable car, and treat the monkeys as wildlife, not a photo op: carry no visible food or drink and don't fight them for a bag. Great for anyone up for a half-day of walking through forest, temples and a free zoo. I'd skip it if you can't handle a few hours on your feet, or if you're nervous around animals that will absolutely mug you.

What's great

The whole place runs on about CNY 5 to get in and CNY 20-30 for the cable car, and it's genuinely huge - forested hills, a lake, temples and a free zoo with pandas. For what you pay, nowhere in the city comes close.

Take the cable car up early, then walk down. You come out right past Hongfu Temple and the animal enclosures, so you see the mountaintop view and the whole descent without backtracking.

Morning is the move - go when it opens, get sun through the trees, and the air is genuinely fresh, especially after rain. The light on the temple is far better early than in the afternoon.

The wild macaques are the real draw and you'll see plenty on the trail down. Watch them, don't feed them, and it's a proper experience you won't get in a normal city park.

Worth knowing

The monkeys are aggressive and will rob you - snatching drinks, bags, ice cream, even pulling at clothes, closing in fast with no warning. People get scratched and bitten. Carry no visible food or drink, and if one comes at you, drop the bag and show empty hands.

It's enormous, so plan for a few hours of walking. If your legs, your kids, or older relatives aren't up for that, you'll be worn out before you've seen half of it.

It gets crowded and hot, especially weekends and holidays - the temple area packs out. Combined with the heat, midday is the worst time to be here.

A few things cost extra on top of the cheap entry - the cable car, and Hongfu Temple charges its own fee - so don't assume the CNY 5 covers everything.

Grounded in 90+ traveller reviews. Distilled by our editors from traveller reviews on Xiaohongshu and Douyin.

Essentials

Opening hours07:00 to 20:00 daily (cable car from 08:00, zoo last entry 16:00)

TicketPark entry CNY 5; cable car CNY 20 one-way / CNY 30 round-trip

Contact+86 851 8682 3039

Rating4.9/5

Good to know

No pets allowedDogs and other pets are prohibited to avoid conflict with the wild macaque population.

No food in macaque zonesKeep food, plastic bags, and exposed water bottles sealed when walking between Hongfu Temple and Qianling Lake.

Wear sturdy shoes for stone steps

Keep food hidden from macaques

Misty mornings give best views

Cable car queue shortest before 9 AM

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Cable car to a mountaintop panorama

The 5-minute cable car from the south gate lifts you to Kanzhu Pavilion, the park's highest lookout. On clear mornings the entire city of Guiyang spreads out below; on misty days the surrounding karst ridges rise above the cloud line. Arrive before 9 AM for the cleanest view and shortest queue.

Wild Guizhou macaques on the descent trail

Between Hongfu Temple and Qianling Lake, troops of wild Guizhou macaques cross the path, sit on guard rails, and occasionally investigate plastic bags. Keep food sealed, avoid eye contact, and never feed them — this is the closest wildlife encounter most visitors get in southwest China.

Hongfu Temple and vegetarian buffet

Founded in 1672 during the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Hongfu Temple is Guizhou's first major Buddhist monastery and still an active place of worship. A CNY 2 entry ticket includes a stick of incense; a vegetarian buffet (CNY 10) is served before 11 AM.

Getting there

busBus 1, 22, or 34 to Qianling Mountain Park; about 30 minutes from central Guiyang

didiDiDi from downtown Guiyang takes 20 to 30 minutes and costs CNY 25 to 35.

walkFrom the nearest bus stop, the south gate is a five-minute uphill walk.

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