Mountain Guide

Walking Xi’an
Frank Che
Xi’an Mountain Guide

For over 21 years Frank Che has guided visitors to over fifty different locations in the mountains south of the Xi’an valley.

Individually designed tours can be arranged lasting from one day to as long as a month or more are possible.
Locations include ancient holy sites, ecology and nature, exotic animals, pristine scenery, and sites of historic significance.

Manager Che
15829626213

Email: chexingfrank@foxmail.com
Phone: +86-15829626213

The Qin Ling Mountains

Where Are The Mountains?

The Quin Ling Mountains form the south border of the Xi’an or Wei River valley. The mountain range has historically protected the Xi’an valley from invasions from the south. No armies ever tried to struggle through these mountains while maintaining supply lines. Most mountain tours begin within an easy one or two hour drive from modern Xi’an.

Red Dots (diagram above) only SUGGEST the distribution of an estimated thousand ancient temples in the mountains south of the Xi’an valley. Some temples and pilgrimage
sites go back more than 2000 years.


Image right: Temples can be found today in the most imaginative locations from the valley floor to the tops of mountains. Frank estimates you can hike for three months and still not
visit all the temples in the front range of the mountains.

Buddhist monks began building temples in the mountains shortly after Buddhism was introduced to this area in the first or second century AD. By that time Taoist monks had already been building temples in these mountains for many centuries (LaoTsu lived about 500 BC).
   In addition there is an equally ancient tradition of purely Local Temples of various sizes being built back in the mountains and maintained entirely by local village people, sometimes with no connection with either Taoism or Buddhism and sometimes a mix of two or three traditions.
   Finally, individual Hermits have been living in caves and remote areas of the mountains since long before histories were first recorded.

          Insider’s Tip: Reportedly, many hermits living in the mountains these days have cell phones with solar powered chargers. (Who would have thought it.) Yes, Frank will take you to visit hermits. Hermits are also happy to receive gifts of any sort.  

   Frank, a local mountain guide, estimates you could hike for as long as three months just to see most of the temples, allowing no time to actually stop and enter the temple and meet local people.

Popular Quin Ling Mountain Tours and Treks

Mountain hiking and swimming tour.  Beautiful landscape, totally natural vistas of valleys, swimming in pure mountain pools. One or two day tour.

Visiting hermits living in mountain caves, practicing Qi Gong, meditation etc. Hermits are found in almost every valley. Most are Buddhist but not formal monks or nuns. Hermits are frequently visited by religious pilgrims. One or two day tour.

Lotus Flower Cave with many local ‘folk’ temples from bottom to top of mountain. The hiking trail from the bottom to the top is famous with pilgrims and tourists.

Lao Tsu – author of world famous Tao Te Ching. Tradition says Lao Tsu taught the world famous Tao Te Ching classic text at Lou Guan Tai located just west of Xi’an. The site can be visited in an easy one day tour along the ancient Silk Road.
Two present locations are associated with this ancient master: West and East Lo Wang Tai. These are located along the base of the pretty chain of mountains along the south of the old Silk Road. They are about 3 km from each other and can be easily visited in a day trip. The east location is where tradition says Lao Tsu lectured or taught many students. The West location is where Lao Tsu  wrote out the Tao Te Ching. There are also a large number of temples and historic sites at this location.
   On the way you an see a carved stone stelae of the Nestorian Christian tradition from around 700 AD in the Tang dynasty. Today a pagoda marks the location. The stone stelae found at this site can be seen in the Stone Forest in Xi’an.
   You can also plan to climb a nearby mountain known as Furnace Peak where a very large ancient cast bronze Ting, or cauldron, still remains. Tradition says this Ting this was used to ‘cook’ immortality pills as early as 500 BC.

More Possible Tours and Treks

There are an almost infinite number of different tour and hiking adventures possible in the mountains. Tours can follow various themes: nature, history, Buddhist temples, Taoist temples, wild life, etc. Below are additional touring examples and suggestions. Use your imagination. Contact Frank and discuss your special interests or wishes and he will specially design tours for your personal adventure.  
1. Wang Shun Mountain. [Chinese name]
One day tour. Involves taking cable car.

2. Lantian Man Earliest archaeological discoveries in the valley.

3. Wang Thuan Cave Very large limestone cave

4. Tang Yu Hot Springs close to many local historic sites

5. Tai Xing Mountain Taoist holy mountain. The valley has a large number of folk temples.
  6. Cuihua Mountain  You can take a bus to the top of this mountain from where you can see many near by mountains. You will also see a large famous lake west of the mountain in a hanging valley created by an earthquake in the Sui dynasty about 680 AD. There are many Buddhist holy temples in the valley and many Buddhist monks and nuns live on the north and south side of the mountain. Many independent hermits also live on the south side of the mountain. Nearby is the Buddhist holy mountain South Wu Tai. (name means 5 Peaks) with beautiful vistas, and a temple on top of very peak.
The mountain is also named after a famous ancient hermit named Tai Ye. Histories suggest there was once a ‘palace’ or temple complex built here. The famous hanging lake is known as Heavenly Lake.

7. Qinwa Mountain. Feng Huang mountain behind the Qingwa Mountain is the origin of Lov Zong one of the eight major current Buddhist sects. Many temples around the mountain.