Wutong Mountain National Forest Park

Highlights

● Descend the peak via the scenic Taishan Stream path, and see the waterfalls along the way

● Prove your mettle by climbing the impossibly steep Hero Slope

● Drink in the views on the Shili Dujuan ridge climb

● Snap a selfie on the summit wearing an “I climbed Wutongshan” souvenir medal

Shenzhen’s tallest mountain at 944 meters high, Wutongshan and its two lesser peaks comprise a 31.8 square kilometers national park riddled with thigh-burning hiking trails.

Given that the commercial buzz of Luohu is only 10 kilometers away as the Roc flies, it feels a world away from the city.

There are as many ways to tackle Wutongshan as there are types of people climbing it. Puffed out sightseers playing music from their mobile phones as they struggle up the steps; serious walkers with their Gore-Tex and poles; photographers seeking that perfect vista of cloud flowing over peaks; even the occasional wiry trail runner – probably a tech billionaire on their day off.

The main route

Most people begin their ascent at Wutongshan’s North Gate (梧桐山北大门), marked by a grand stone páilóu gate. A long and winding road (mostly closed to vehicles) is the slow and steady route up; more fun by far are the stepped woodland paths that intersect the road at various points. Follow signs for the Wànhuāpíng route (万花屏, Wànhuāpíng; literally “ten-thousand flowers screen”). After an hour you can branch off to “Little Wutong,” a lower peak crowned with a TV tower, and then double back to the main peak via the spectacular Shílǐ Dùjuān Cháng Láng (十里杜鹃长廊，translated on some signs as “Ten-Miles of Azalea”), which climbs a scenic ridgeline for some of the way, until the routes converge at Butterfly Valley (蝴蝶谷; Húdié Gǔ) before the final stepped ascent to the top, parts of which, notably the Hero Slope (好汉坡; Hǎohàn Pō), are exhaustingly steep.

We strongly recommend carrying your own reusable water bottle, but there are plenty of roving vendors selling bottled water, beer, cucumbers, instant noodles and “I climbed Wutongshan” medals for when you need a rest. The total climb up, if you do Little Wutongshan and the main peak, should take about 3-4 hours; an hour less if you only tackle the main peak.

Taishan Stream route

Another route up the mountain traces the line of a gulley for 5.5 kilometers and is incredibly scenic, as well as being shaded for most of the route. The Taishan Stream route (泰山涧; Tàishān Jiàn) consists of steps (thousands ofthem) passing one or two waterfalls and crossing the bubbling waters at several points.

It’s a long, leg-testing climb upwards, though, so you may wish to save it for the downward route. If descending, it starts at the summit (look for the signposts) and finishes 100 meters up the road from the main North Gate.

Allow around two hours to get down, at least three going up.

Wutong Art Village 

A cluster of urban villages in the foothills of Wutongshan comprise this looselyknit art zone, home to freelancers, spiritual types and other folks escaping the city in search of a more lowkey lifestyle – some are exiles from Dafen Oil Painting Village.

After your climb, take a leisurely stroll and you’ll discover the occasional charming gallery or whimsical café nestled among more ordinary local shops.  

Climbing tips

● The toilets and drinking water facilities at the North Gate entrance are the last you’ll get until Butterfly Valley near the summit.

● Higher up the mountain, hiking routes have distance markers every hundred meters, so it’s easy to track your progress.

● Near the summit, vendors sell drinks and snacks. For something more substantial, there are quite a few small restaurants in Wutong Village, just south of the North Gate.

Chinese name: 梧桐山国家森林公园

Wútóngshān Guójiā Sēnlín Gōngyuán

Add: 137 Maozai Village, Luohu District (罗湖区茂仔村137号)

Admission: Free