Plan at a glance
Location and terrain
Hongya Canyon is east of Xiaobaigou Village, Mahe Township, Lingshi County, Jinzhong. Navigate to “Hongya Canyon Visitor Center.” The visit runs from the canyon floor up to a high mountain meadow: sightseeing buses handle movement in the lower area, while the cable car connects the valley and the summit.
Allow about 4 hours for the shorter route or 6–7 hours for the fuller route. Both include walking and uphill sections. The attraction suits visitors who enjoy streams, grasslands, and mountain views; visitors with limited mobility or anyone who prefers to avoid cable cars and long walks should choose a shorter plan.
Two ticket options
The CNY 129 package includes admission, a round-trip sightseeing bus, and a round-trip cable car. The CNY 50 multi-attraction ticket covers five attractions in Lingshi County, but at Hongya Canyon it still requires a CNY 40 sightseeing-bus ticket and a CNY 90 cable-car ticket. Compare the inclusions before paying so you do not buy the same transport twice.
Real-name reservations are available through the “智游山西” WeChat account. The entry method for Chinese visitors uses a Chinese resident ID; international visitors should check which identification document is accepted when booking. Opening hours are 08:00–18:00. Check the day’s ticket, bus and cable-car operations, last transport service, and visitor limits before travelling.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
View Visit Optionsvia Trip.comChoose your visit
Love Valley and the lower trails
Love Valley has streams, waterfalls, red-rock cliffs, and dense vegetation. It is the main natural section below the cable-car line. Use the water or waterfalls as a foreground for photos, but watch the wet ground and railings and stay on the open trail.
The attraction also has Wildman Valley, an NPC-based game area. Reviews are mixed, and it is not part of the summit route. With children, decide whether to add it according to the day’s opening, crowds, and energy; do not detour there in severe weather.
High meadow and Niujiao’an
The high meadow is close to 2,000 metres above sea level, with open ground where horses and sheep may be seen. Niujiao’an reaches 2,566.6 metres and is the highest peak in Jinzhong. The meadow works for open views and wind turbines, while the summit gives a wider mountain and cloud-sea view when visibility allows.
The summit is more than 10°C cooler than the valley and can be very windy, so carry a jacket before taking the cable car up. Observe animals without feeding them, stay on open paths, and follow the day’s access arrangements in rain or mist.
For the wider mountain scenic area nearby, see Mian Mountain Scenic Area.
For the nearby merchant-compound visit, see Wang Family Compound.
Build your day
Four-hour shorter route
After entering, take the sightseeing bus to Love Valley, get off for photos and a short walk, then return to the bus and continue to the cable-car station. Ride the cable car up, visit the high meadow and Niujiao’an’s main summit area, then return by cable car and sightseeing bus. Allow about 4 hours.
This route keeps one representative section of the valley and one summit section, with only a short stop in Love Valley. Queues and operating times for the cable car and bus affect the return, so check the day’s descent and last-service arrangements before going up.
Six- to seven-hour fuller route
Start with a longer walk through Love Valley and its “Green Fairyland” section. Then take the sightseeing bus to the cable-car station, ride up, cross the high meadow, and walk to Niujiao’an. Allow about 6–7 hours, including time for the animals, open views, and summit section.
For the descent from Niujiao’an, choose the CNY 20 slide or walk down, then take the sightseeing bus back. The slide, cable car, and bus operate separately; when energy is low, return by the walking route instead of treating the slide as guaranteed to be open.
Get there
From Lingshi East Station
From Lingshi East Station, a tourist shuttle bus may take you to the attraction for about CNY 2. Services are limited, so check the day’s return and last-service times when you travel to the site. If there is no direct service that day, arrange a return vehicle rather than relying on a last-minute ride.
Driving and internal transport
Navigate to “Hongya Canyon Visitor Center.” The car park costs about CNY 10 per visit. After parking, go to the visitor center for entry, then use the sightseeing bus and cable car covered by your ticket; parking is separate from both the package and the multi-attraction ticket.
Hongya Canyon is about 8 km from Mian Mountain and about 5 km from Wang Family Compound. The three attractions have separate tickets and separate scenic transport, and vehicles are not guaranteed to connect them. If you combine them, calculate each site’s hours, return trip, and walking time separately.
Know before you go
Temperature, wind, and walking
Even with the bus and cable car, Love Valley, the meadow, and Niujiao’an involve walking and climbing. Wear shoes with good grip and bring a jacket and water. Wind is stronger and temperatures are lower at the summit; in rain or mist, stay away from exposed edges and do not cross railings.
Entering at the 08:00 opening gives you more time to arrange the bus and cable car and usually means fewer people in Love Valley. In rain or mist, summit visibility can drop sharply, so shift the focus to lower sections such as Love Valley when needed.
Tickets, food, and the return trip
The CNY 129 package and the CNY 50 multi-attraction ticket include different services: the latter still requires CNY 40 for the sightseeing bus and CNY 90 for the cable car at this attraction. The slide costs about CNY 20 and is an extra purchase; check each item before paying.
There is a self-service restaurant inside the attraction, and nearby county towns offer local noodles. For the return, use the arranged shuttle or a regular vehicle. Mian Mountain, Wang Family Compound, and other nearby sites require separate travel time, tickets, and walking plans.