The other way to do the mountain, and the one Chinese students grew up on: through the Huashan Gate at Yuquan Temple around midnight, stairs by headlamp to the North Peak (3-4 hours) and on along the ridge to the East Peak's sunrise terrace (4-6 hours in all), then down by cable car in the morning. It is official — the hiking gate is open 24 hours for booked visitors and the scenic area's notices carry a night-climb safety paragraph — and it is not a day trip: it needs the entry booking for the right slot, a night without a bed, warm and waterproof kit, and it is a bad idea in wind, rain or ice. Sunrise is worth it about one morning in three.
AdmissionTicketedNight-slot mountain entry ¥160 (Mar-Nov); cable extra; seasonal — see tipsNot independently verified — check official channels before you go
HoursHiking gate 24 h (booked); cable down from 7:00; seasonal — see tipsVerified · 2026-07Source ↗
ClosedNone scheduled; gate closes for weather, geology or safetyVerified · 2026-07Source ↗
ReservationRequired · Timed entry
IDPassport required; see details for entry handling.Verified · 2026-07Details ↓Source ↗
AddressTrailhead at the Huashan Gate beside Yuquan Temple, Huayin; summit at the East Peak sunrise terraceVerified · 2026-04Source ↗Navigate ↗
EntranceHuashan Gate (华山门) hiking entrance, Yuquan Rd, Huayin — scan the booking in your slot
Last verified 2026-09-11
How to book
Mountain entry booked in the night time slot on the official channels; no separate night ticket; the descent cable car bought as usualVerified · 2026-07Source ↗
ID details
Passport required; see details for entry handling. As the entry ticket — real-name booking, scanned at the Huashan Gate in the booked slot; passport not named in the notices
Paying on site
Book entry for the night slot → Huashan Gate scan → Yuquan Temple → the 'one road' stairs → North Peak (3-4 h) → ridge → East Peak terrace (1-2 h) → sunrise → cable car down (West or North) from opening.
Beat the crowds
Leave the gate at 23:00-midnight in summer to reach the East Peak by 4:30 with time to spare; on May Day and summer weekends the stairs above the North Peak are a slow single file — start earlier, not later.
Language
Route signs bilingual and lit at junctions; no English at the gate at night.