Please check out my hike to Suicide Peak here Hiking suicide cliff

Conquer the peak for a golden view

 One of my favourite things to do is to go onto hiking day tips.  Shenzhen is close to many other great cities, such as Huizhou and Dongguan. These are quiter and smaller cities than SZ, and also have great nature.  So a hiking day trip is quite an easy thing to do, can leave in the morning and come back in the evening. Recently I went to Baiyunzhang mountain which is near Huizhou and Dongguan. It is known as the Golden Meadow hike.  Heres my take on it.

After arriving at the metro and being met by a smiling, happy Sunny we boarded the bus and headed to the next pick up point, before you know it the bus was full and ready to go. After a quick coffee run we set of for the 90 min journey to Baiyunzhang mountain.

Baiyunzhang is located in Qingxi town and it’s on the border of Dongguang and Huizhou cities.  It is 1003m high and it is a well-known and often hiked mountain due to its golden meadow like fields and its breathtakingly sweeping views of the panorama below.  I had done a similar meadow like hike before at Dananshan in Huizhou, which is also an Oasis trip, but this was my 1^st time to take on this giant peak, and we, my fellow hikers and I, were determined and eager to take on the challenge ahead.

After some quick self-introductions and key information from Sunny we were left to snooze or talk or simply watch the views from the window.  Then we arrived.  We were greeted by a giant mermaid statue holding a piece of the sky, most of us were a bit perplexed as to why this was at the foot of a mountain.  There is a similar statue at Seaworld in SZ too.  After a toilet break and a then an important warm up routine it was away we go.

The start was a steep path the cuts through the grass and into the dense trees, however after a few mins of this the legs and body adjust and so it doesn’t seem so bad. On route we pass some nice photo opportunities and some really weird looking red flowers that I’ve never seen before.  Very exotic! The hiking guide was leading a good pace, not too fast and not too slow and soon we were making good progress through the luscious green trees around us.  After a quick break in a clearing in the field, a chance to drink some water and catch some air, and get a nice picture of the electricity tower above it was away we go again.

The trail becomes slightly more difficult due to its uneven, gravelly nature, slipping is possible, but go at a steady pace and you’ll be fine.  Walking, talking and admiring the views, the time and the altitude soon went by very fast.   It was time for lunch.  We settled in a lovely clearing which gave us fantastic views both of the vista below us and the looming mountain top behind us.  Lunch was a variety of food and snacks, with people sharing around and tasting different things.  There were even some spicy chicken feet, which I really didn’t want to try!

 

We set out sights on conquering the peak that was standing tall and proud behind us.  Although it looked daunting, it was deceiving as it wasn’t so bad to climb.  As we went higher and higher the grass become taller and more golden in colour, this was the golden meadow we were promised.

When we reached the top, we were rewarded with a phenomenal view of mountain stretching down below, truly awe inspiring. The peak had the best areas for photography too, with 2M tall golden grass and great lighting. In fact, there was many people having professional style photos done at the top!  Quite impressive that these women got to the top on fashionable clothes and shoes, only in China!

After a quick rest stop and numerous pictures, the descend began. The guide kindly warned us it was more difficult terrain, because of slipping, but we all thought it was OK.  Going down this second trail gave us much better views than going up, and it made for a very pleasant journey down. Every time we looked up we smiled and gasped at the view. Be careful with your footing as it can be slippery here, just take your time and enjoy the day.

Eventally we got back to the bottom, to be greeted by the same giant mermaid as before.  Out of breathe and needing food and water, we ordered from the local business and had a nice dinner and a few beers.  As night crept up we were fed and watered and onto the bus to go back to SZ ready for sleep.

 

I highly recommend this hike, it gave some fantastic views, and beautiful nature. It was also quite challenging, not for a beginner, and provided a good workout.  Please bring enough water for the day at least 2L and enough lunch and snacks to get you through the day.  There is NOWHERE during the hike to buy these so please be prepared.

 

Check out my previous hike to Dragons back here Dragons back hike in Hong Kong