Xitai Mountain 西泰山

About Xitai Mountain

The scenic area covers about 126 square kilometres and its main peak rises to 1,599 metres, so the ground within one name spans a wide range of altitude rather than a single summit walk. Official descriptions summarise its character as steep slopes, unusual rock, dense forest, flowers and quiet water, and it is rated a national 4A tourist area.

Wild azaleas are the feature the mountain is best known for. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs lists it among China's four main azalea-viewing places, and the Henan provincial culture and tourism department includes it in its own azalea list for the Luoyang area, describing the flowers among rock formations and cloud-filled valleys. Since 2002 an annual Henan Ruyang Azalea Festival and Yan-Huang Culture Festival has been held here, linking the flowering season to the local Yan-Huang ancestral theme.

What to look for

• The azalea slopes in flower, which open from late April into early May; the Henan flowering window generally runs across April and May and varies from place to place.
• The main summit at 1,599 metres, the high point of a scenic area of about 126 square kilometres.
• The rock formations among which the azaleas grow, one of the five qualities by which the mountain is officially described.
• The forest cover, which along with the steep relief and the streams gives the area its official character description.
• The Yan-Huang ancestral theme that the area's annual festival has been built around since 2002.

Location & getting there

Getting to Xitai Mountain

Check weather, trail access and the last return service. A mountain or forest area is not one entrance, and a map’s central pin may be far from the trailhead.

• Search for 西泰山 with 洛阳市 and 汝阳县.