South Peak Effortless Walk: Yanxia Cave to Huiyin Gaoli Temple Hike

Alight from bus 87 at Yanxia Cave bus stop (烟霞洞站). The cave entrance is immediately beside the road — a 30 m deep natural limestone cavern set into the cliff face of South Peak's western slope. Yanxia Cave (烟霞洞 / 'Misty Grotto') is one of the 'Three Caves of Mist' (烟霞三洞) alongside Shiwu Cave and Shuile Cave, and the most historically significant of the three. The cave houses 16–18 arhat statues carved directly into the living rock during the Later Jin dynasty (五代后晋, 936–947 CE), making this the earliest surviving representation of the 'Eighteen Arhats' in Chinese Buddhist art — a discovery formally confirmed by Zhejiang Provincial Museum in 2021. Two bodhisattva standing figures (Guanyin and Shizhi) flank the cave entrance. The carvings are protected as a Major Historical and Cultural Site at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位), part of the Southern Hills Cliff Carvings group (西湖南山造像). The cave atmosphere is cool, still, and deeply quiet — a sharp contrast to the tourist crowds at Lingyin Temple. Walk time from the bus stop to the cave: 2 minutes. Visit time: 15–20 minutes.

Caution: The cave floor can be damp. No flash photography inside — these are 1,100-year-old national treasures. The carvings are protected behind low railings; do not cross them.

Photo suggestion: The mouth of Yanxia Cave framed by its two Song-dynasty Guanyin and Shizhi standing figures — silhouettes against the bright forest beyond.

From the cave entrance, follow the stone-paved footpath that ascends gently through mixed forest of camphor, maple, and privet trees. The path is predominantly level with brief, low-gradient stone steps — one of the easiest trail sections in the entire West Lake hill system. After approximately 10 minutes you reach Wumen Cave (无门洞 / 'No-Gate Grotto'), a smaller, less-visited cave set back from the main path among dense bamboo and tree ferns. Wumen Cave contains several arhat carvings in an older, more weathered style — many faces have been eroded beyond recognition by centuries of moisture, giving the cave a haunting, archaeological quality unique among Hangzhou's hills. A small stone altar at the cave mouth still receives occasional incense from local devotees. The cave is unlit — bring your phone torch or visit in the middle of the day when ambient light reaches deepest into the chamber.

Photo suggestion: Wumen Cave entrance half-hidden behind bamboo fronds — early morning light filtering through the leaves onto the weathered stone altar.

Continue ascending on the main stone-paved path. The gradient increases gradually as you approach the ridge but never becomes strenuous — this is the 'effortless route' (省力线) in practice. You will pass a small memorial stele for the 'Blood Garden Cemetery' (血园陵), a Revolutionary War memorial from the 1920s, then ascend the final stone steps to the summit of South Peak (南高峰, 257 m). The summit is marked by Chengwang Pavilion (骋望亭 / 'Gazing Pavilion'), a two-tier octagonal pavilion whose name derives from Ming dynasty writer Tian Rucheng's poem. The pavilion itself is pleasant, but the true reward lies 20 m past it on a wooden observation deck (观景平台) hidden just below the summit ridge on the eastern side. This deck offers one of the most complete city-and-lake panoramas in Hangzhou: West Lake directly north with Su Causeway, Xiaoyingzhou islet, and Leifeng Pagoda clearly identifiable; the Qiantang River snaking along the southern horizon; and the rolling tea-terrace hills of Longjing and Wengjia Shan in between. This is the same view quality as the much harder North Peak hike, achieved with a fraction of the climbing.

Caution: The observation deck has no railings on the downhill side. Keep children close. The deck can be crowded on fine-weather weekends.

Photo suggestion: The full panorama from the hidden wooden observation deck — West Lake, Leifeng Pagoda, Su Causeway, and the Qiantang River in a single wide frame. Best in late afternoon golden hour.

From the summit, descend on the south-eastern stone path. The gradient is gentle to moderate — take care on the stone steps, which can be worn smooth in places. After approximately 15 minutes you arrive at the Faxiang Tang Camphor Tree (法相唐樟), Hangzhou's oldest living tree at an estimated 1,068 years of age (documented since 1986 as a Class-A protected ancient tree). The tree covers roughly 400 square metres — its southern trunk has long since hollowed, but the northern branches remain vigorous and new shoots continue to emerge from the root base, a vivid demonstration of resilience. A steel support structure protects the hollowed branches. Continue descending along the path for another 10 minutes until you reach Huiyin Gaoli Temple (慧因高丽寺 / 'Gaoli Temple of Huiyin'), the route's finish. Built in 927 CE by King Qian Liu of the Wuyue Kingdom, the temple gained its 'Gaoli' (Goryeo/Korea) designation when Korean Prince Uicheon (义天) travelled here in 1085 to study Huayan Buddhism under Master Jingyuan. The temple was completely rebuilt in 2007 in Song Dynasty architectural style, faithfully following the layout documented in an ancient temple map. The centrepiece is the Sutra Revolving Cabinet (转轮藏) in the Lunzang Hall — at 13.5 m tall and carved entirely from nanmu wood with gold-foil inlay, it is the tallest example of this architectural form in China, originally used as a rotating sutra library. One full rotation is said to confer merit equivalent to reading all the scriptures it once held. Entry is free. The temple courtyard is quiet and photogenic, with Song-style yellow walls, grey tiles, and carefully raked gravel gardens.

Caution: The stone steps on the descent are worn smooth in places and can be slippery after rain. Take them deliberately. The temple closes at 16:30 — time your visit accordingly if finishing in the afternoon.

Photo suggestion: The Huiyin Gaoli Temple courtyard with its yellow Song-dynasty walls framing the 13.5 m Sutra Revolving Cabinet visible through the hall doorway.