Shibao Mountain is famous for its natural beauty as well as the local Buddhist caves, sculpture and temples. Amongst rocks of various strange shape and size, the slopes of the mountain are covered with azaleas and other green vegetation. There are two main tourist attractions on the mountain, namely the Shizhong Caves and Baoxiang Temple. The caves were created during the Song Dynasty. Altogether there are 16 caves with 136 Buddhist statues. If you mount the ninety-nine steps to the top, you’ll pass an interesting ancient stone pagoda.
An annual folk song festival is also held here, attracting thousands of Chinese and ethnic minority people and tourists. It is possible to finish the trip in a day, but many travelers choose to stay a night on the mountain, and some of the temples have accommodation.
How to get there: The mountain is 25km south of Jianchuan County Town. Take a bus to Jianchuan County from the main bus station in Xiaguan and then take the local bus heading towards the mountain. The first leg of the trip should take a couple of hours and the second leg should take about an hour.
Cost: RMB30 entry fee
