Plan at a glance
An independent canyon attraction in Guichi District
Jiuhua Tianchi is in the Maya area of Guichi District, Chizhou, and is separate from the Jiuhua Street and Huatai routes in the core Jiuhua Mountain scenic area. Its main features are the mountaintop Tianchi lake, waterfalls, streams, Quaternary glacial remains, and canyon paths. It works well as a half-day visit; the exit is close to Nuoxian Town, so you can also add an evening visit there.
Drivers can navigate to “Jiuhua Tianchi Scenic Area (九华天池风景区)”; the reference parking fee is about CNY 10 per day. By public transport, take the Chiqingjiu bus to “Jiuhua Tianchi Stop (九华天池站),” then walk about 800 meters to the entrance.
Tickets, shuttles, and time needed
The reference adult admission price is about CNY 78, and students usually receive half-price admission. A one-way scenic shuttle costs about CNY 20. The boat ride costs about CNY 40, the Dwarf Tribe performance about CNY 60, and Ice River Valley rafting about CNY 60; these are usually charged separately, and opening status follows the arrangements for the day.
The scenic area usually opens around 08:00–17:00. Taking the shuttle uphill, visiting Tianchi and the waterfall, and walking downhill through the Glacial Stone Valley takes about 3–4 hours. The short route using the shuttle in both directions and visiting only the mountaintop sights takes about 1.5–2 hours. If you add an evening visit to Nuoxian Town, calculate the performance time separately.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
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The Glacial Stone Valley and caves
The Glacial Stone Valley follows a canyon path of about 2 km, with streams, boulders, and Quaternary glacial remains along the way. Caves such as Longgong and Qingliang Cave require visitors to bend down, and some sections even require crawling. They suit visitors who enjoy streamside hiking and short cave explorations.
The paths inside and outside the caves differ in humidity and elevation, and water can collect on your shoe soles. Visitors who want to complete the canyon route should be comfortable with sustained downhill walking, stone steps, and waterside sections; shoes with good grip are more suitable than ordinary casual shoes.
Tianchi, the waterfall, and the foothill water views
The mountaintop Tianchi and a waterfall with a drop of more than 30 meters are the main high-elevation sights. Water volume, weather, and visibility affect the experience. At the foot of the mountain, the color of Longchi Bibo changes with the light, making it suitable for a short stop outside the uphill and downhill sections.
The waterfall, Glacial Stone Valley, and Longchi Bibo offer different photography conditions: the waterfall works well for mist and mountain views, the canyon for streams and boulders, and the foothill water for reflections. A rainbow, clear distant views, and a particular water color cannot be guaranteed in advance.
Evening activities in Nuoxian Town
The Jiuhua Tianchi exit is close to Nuoxian Town. After the daytime visit, you can continue with an iron-flower performance, a fish-lantern parade, a water-screen film, or a live outdoor show. There may be fireworks on Fridays and Saturdays; confirm the day’s programme, start time, and whether a separate ticket is required.
What kind of visitor is it for?
Jiuhua Tianchi suits visitors who enjoy light hiking, streams, caves, and geological scenery. It also works for visitors who want to combine a daytime nature visit with intangible-cultural-heritage activities in the evening. With children, choose the short route using the shuttle in both directions; before entering a cave that requires bending or crawling, check the day’s passage conditions.
Build your day
Full route: Tianchi, waterfall, and the Glacial Stone Valley
After entering, take the scenic shuttle uphill. Visit the mountaintop Tianchi and waterfall first, then walk down through the Glacial Stone Valley, passing streams, boulders, and caves before returning to the foot of the mountain. The main route takes about 3–4 hours. Taking the shuttle uphill reduces the initial climb and leaves your energy for the downhill canyon walk.
Caves such as Longgong and Qingliang Cave are along the canyon path, and some sections require bending or crawling. Before entering, check whether the cave is open; if bending or crawling is difficult, continue along the main path.
Short route: shuttle in both directions to the mountaintop
When time is limited, take the scenic shuttle uphill, visit Tianchi and the waterfall, and take the shuttle down again. Allow about 1.5–2 hours. This short route avoids the continuous walking through the Glacial Stone Valley and suits visitors who need to catch transport, groups that should avoid stone steps, or visitors who only want the mountaintop lake views.
A one-way scenic shuttle costs about CNY 20, while the round-trip and on-site ticket types follow the day’s ticketing arrangements. If you switch to walking uphill, allow an additional hour and reduce the time spent at the mountaintop or on later parts of the itinerary accordingly.
Daytime scenic area plus an evening in Nuoxian Town
Enter Jiuhua Tianchi in the afternoon, take the shuttle uphill, and then walk down through the Glacial Stone Valley. After leaving the scenic area, continue to nearby Nuoxian Town. Evening programmes include iron-flower performances, fish-lantern parades, water-screen films, and live outdoor shows; performance times, content, and fireworks arrangements may differ each day.
Rain, snow, strong winds, or other on-site conditions may change or cancel the evening programme. If you plan to attend an evening performance, note the day’s start time first, then decide when to begin walking down and when to eat.
Get there
Driving and public transport
Drivers should navigate to “Jiuhua Tianchi Scenic Area (九华天池风景区)”; the reference parking fee is about CNY 10 per day. By public transport, take the Chiqingjiu bus to “Jiuhua Tianchi Stop (九华天池站),” then walk about 800 meters to the entrance.
Inside the scenic area, the shuttle connects the foothill with the main mountaintop area, while the Glacial Stone Valley and cave section are mainly explored on foot. The exit is close to Nuoxian Town, so visitors planning an evening visit can follow the day’s open walking route there.
Moving around inside the scenic area
A one-way scenic shuttle costs about CNY 20, and walking uphill takes about one hour. If you take the shuttle uphill and walk down, the steps, stream sections, and caves on the return route will take up most of the visiting time. Although a shuttle round trip reduces walking, boarding, getting off, and waiting also take part of the time.
Know before you go
Different activities are charged separately
Admission, the scenic shuttle, boat rides, the Dwarf Tribe performance, and Ice River Valley rafting are charged separately. The Dwarf Tribe is an additional performance that you can choose according to your interests; these activities are usually not included in the basic admission ticket, so check exactly what a package includes before buying.
A one-way scenic shuttle costs about CNY 20, the boat ride about CNY 40, and both the Dwarf Tribe performance and Ice River Valley rafting about CNY 60. Prices, operating activities, and the contents of on-site packages follow the day’s signs.
Caves, stone steps, and weather
Stone steps, streamside rocks, and cave entrances become more slippery in the rain, so wear shoes with good grip in the Glacial Stone Valley. Longgong, Qingliang Cave, and similar sections require bending or crawling; visitors with limited mobility can stay on the main path and should not enter narrow or wet cave sections.
Walking downhill takes about one hour, and weather can change the pace on steps and waterside paths. In heavy rain, rain or snow, or if the shuttle is suspended, shorten the route and return according to the on-site directions.
Evening activities and the return journey
The iron-flower performance, fish-lantern parade, water-screen film, live outdoor show, and fireworks in Nuoxian Town are activity-based programmes and may be cancelled in rain, snow, or strong winds. Friday and Saturday programmes may also differ, so confirm the day’s programme and end time before buying a ticket or entering.
The scenic area usually finishes daytime visits around 17:00. If you plan to attend an evening programme, decide how you will come down when entering Jiuhua Tianchi, and leave time to walk from the exit to Nuoxian Town, eat, and enter the activity.