Jizu Mountain Travel Guide: Cable Car, Temples and Day Trips from Dali

Jizu Mountain (Jizushan, Chicken Foot Mountain) is a Buddhist pilgrimage mountain in Yunnan and a full day trip from Dali. Most visitors take the cable car up to Jinding Temple on the 3,248 m summit. What trips people up is timing: meals and the last cable car run on fixed hours, and on weekends cars can’t drive up the mountain.

This guide covers how to plan that day, from leaving Dali to catching the last bus back. It draws on Yunnan trips we’ve planned since 2006, our visits to the mountain almost every month, feedback from our guests and the scenic area’s official prices. By the end, you’ll know whether to ride or walk down, which timeline fits your group, what everything costs, and which mistakes cost visitors the most money.

1. Jizu Mountain at a Glance

Why the mountain is sacred

Jizu Mountain (鸡足山) is a major Buddhist pilgrimage mountain in Yunnan, sitting northeast of Erhai Lake in Binchuan County. Its name comes from the shape of its ridges: three spurs in front and one behind, like a chicken’s foot. Buddhist tradition holds that Mahakasyapa, the Buddha’s senior disciple, entered meditation at Huashou Gate on Jizu Mountain. Most pilgrims come because of him.

Temples here date back to the Tang dynasty and peaked in the Ming and Qing, when thousands of monks lived on the slopes.

The three main sites

Zhusheng Temple sits at mid-mountain. Jinding Temple and its Lengyan Pagoda stand on the summit, and Huashou Gate is a sheer rock wall just below the top.

The white Lengyan Pagoda on the summit was built between 1932 and 1934. It’s a 42 m brick tower modeled on the Qianxun Pagoda at Dali’s Three Pagodas. During World War II, pilots flying the Hump airlift used the pagoda as a navigation landmark, according to Binchuan County’s official media center.

Why people go

Most Chinese visitors come to pray, and many come back. Local pilgrims who believe in the mountain’s blessings return year after year, some six or seven years in a row. Many come back to give thanks after a good fortune-stick draw. Our foreign guests usually go once, so the planning matters more.

The other reason to go is the view, and on a clear day it’s worth the trip by itself. From Jinding Temple you look over a sea of clouds to Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake in the west, with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on the northern horizon.

Jizu Mountain is also less commercial than many Chinese scenic areas. Temple lunches cost CNY 10–20, and incense inside the temples is free. The trap is at the gate, not on the mountain (see section 5). Jizu Mountain is NOT one of China’s four great Buddhist mountains, but pilgrims from Yunnan and Southeast Asia rank it alongside them. If you’ve done Mount Emei, expect a smaller mountain, with the cable car covering most of the climb.

2. Cable Car or Hike?

Take the cable car up. Underestimating the steps is the biggest mistake visitors make on Jizu Mountain. From the cable car base station, an average walker needs at least 2 hours of steep stone steps to reach the summit. From the mountain foot, it’s 3–4 hours.

“From the cable car you can already see the path going up and up with no end. And Jizu isn’t one mountain. It’s one peak after another, and many of the steps are very steep.” — German guest Franz

The real decision is how you come down.

Cable car up, hike down: the route we’d pick

If your knees are good, walking down is the better choice. The descent from Jinding Temple runs past Huashou Gate, Kasyapa Hall (Jiaye Dian), Tongwa Hall, Huideng Nunnery and Shizhong Temple. These temples are quiet even on busy days, the trail runs through old-growth forest, and you’ll likely see monkeys along the trail. You finish at Shizhong Temple and take the sightseeing bus out.

Spend extra time at Kasyapa Hall. It sits under a thousand-year-old ginkgo, and few people stop there. Visitors who sit and copy a sutra for half an hour report it as the calmest part of the day.

With older travelers or children

Treat the cable car as essential, not optional. One of our guests jogged parts of the climb above the cable car station and still needed nearly two hours. With older travelers or kids, ride both ways and treat Huashou Gate as optional.

3. One-Day Timelines from Dali

Both plans below leave Dali Old Town at 8:00 by private car and reach the scenic area gate by 10:00. They split at the summit. Plan A has you back in Dali by 17:00. Plan B adds two hours, and you need to reach Shizhong Temple before the last lower bus leaves at 17:30. Public bus users need a different plan. On weekdays the last scheduled coach back to Dali leaves at 14:00, and the 16:30 DiDi bus and 16:00–16:30 scenic direct bus fit Plan A only. Plan B works with a private car (see section 4).

Three things to plan around

• Lunch: 11:30–13:00. Temple kitchens stop serving on time, and arriving 5 minutes late can mean no food. Eat first, then explore.
• Last cable car and sightseeing bus: 17:30. Miss the cable car and you walk down, 3 hours minimum on stone steps. Miss the bus and you walk out to the gate. Start heading back to the top station by 15:00–16:00.
• Weekend and holiday road closure. On weekends, public holidays and the 1st and 15th of each lunar month, all cars park at the Lingshan Yihui car park at the gate, and everyone takes the lower bus up. This applies to private drivers too. On weekdays, cars can drive straight to the Zhusheng Temple car park.

During Golden Week (October 1–7) and other national holidays, add 15–20 minutes to every bus and cable car step for queues.

4. Getting There and Back

A private car from Dali takes 1.5 hours and is the only option with no return deadline. If you’d like us to arrange a driver from Dali, contact us for a quote. Public transport works too, but most options are booked in Chinese, and the return times limit how long you can stay.

Public transport from Dali

Getting back to Dali

The coach leaves the Shizhong Temple car park, and on weekdays its last departure is 14:00. Weekends and holidays sometimes add later runs up to 17:30, but not on a fixed schedule. Departure times shift with passenger numbers. Get the driver’s phone number on the way in and confirm the return time then.

If you miss every bus, take the green minibus from Shizhong Temple to the mountain gate for CNY 15. From there, share a car or book a ride-hail car to Dali, which costs CNY 120–180 for the whole car. Drivers waiting at the foot often ask more. Visitors who came down late have paid CNY 40 per person for a minibus. One group was asked CNY 260 for a shared car.

Tickets inside the scenic area

Inside the scenic area, the sightseeing bus runs in two separate sections with separate tickets, and the two don’t connect. The lower bus covers 10 km from the gate (Lingshan Yihui) to Zhusheng Temple and Shizhong Temple. From Zhusheng Temple, where the lower bus stops, you walk 10–15 minutes uphill on paths and steps, past the monkey viewing area, to the Yunbingdian stop. The upper bus then covers 5 km to Yufo Temple, where the cable car starts. The cable car doesn’t reach the summit: from the top station, it’s another 10–20 minutes on stone steps to Jinding Temple.

On weekdays, cars can drive straight to the Zhusheng Temple car park and skip the lower bus. On weekends, public holidays and the 1st and 15th of each lunar month, all cars park at Lingshan Yihui at the gate.

These are the official prices from the scenic area. Buy each bus section one way. A return costs CNY 30 on either section, exactly two singles, so prepaying saves nothing. It only loses you money if you miss the last bus at 17:30 and have to walk out. The bus also leaves when full, so off-season waits can run 10 minutes.

Children under 1.2 m ride the sightseeing bus free. Entry is free for visitors aged 70 and over and for children aged 7 and under or 1.2 m and under. Visitors aged 60–69, young people aged 7–18 and full-time students up to undergraduate level pay half price, CNY 27.50. Discounts are checked against ID. The official policy names Chinese ID cards, student cards and Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan travel permits. Bring your passport and student card and ask at the ticket window.

5. Incense, Fortune Sticks and Temple Etiquette

Don’t buy incense at the gate

The incense shops at the Jizu Mountain entrance are where visitors lose the most money. People have paid CNY 160, CNY 380 and even CNY 688 for bundles there, and nearly all regret it.

“Don’t buy at the incense shops by the gate! I paid over 160 for this. If my friend hadn’t stopped me, I’d have bought another bag.” — Singaporean guest Pengli

Jinding Temple, Zhusheng Temple and the other temples give out free incense. Three sticks is the normal offering, and Buddhism doesn’t ask for big bundles. If you want your own incense anyway, the shops in Jizushan town charge far less than the ones at the gate.

Fortune sticks and prayer slips

Fortune-stick drawing is not always available. It has been paused at Jinding Temple at times. Some visitors were told to buy incense before they could draw. Ask your guide to check that week’s status.

DIG PEEPER: The Complete Guide to Burning Incense in China: Traditions, Etiquette, and Cultural Significance

Morning chanting at Jinding Temple

Monks chant in Jinding Temple’s main hall every morning from 5:40 for one hour. You don’t need to book. Arrive 10 minutes early, stand quietly at the back, and watch or follow along silently. One of our guests said the yellow lamplight and candles made the cold hall feel warm. You can only attend if you sleep on the summit (see section 7).

Photos and the three-year myth

Most temples don’t allow selfie sticks or tripods inside the halls, and you should ask before photographing a Buddha statue.

The three-year rule is NOT a requirement. Locals often say you must visit three years running: to make a wish, to give thanks, and to complete it. That’s a folk custom from west Yunnan’s pilgrimage festivals, not a temple rule.

6. Vegetarian Meals

The temple lunches are a highlight for many visitors, and they are cheap.

“Lunch at Zhusheng Temple was 20 yuan and came with sweets and fruit. Dinner at Jinding Temple was 10. Outside Jinding I bought ginger tea for 5 yuan. On the summit, that tea really warms you.” — Irish guest Jacky

At the mountain foot, the local specialty is Binchuan haishao fish, cooked sour and spicy. Roadside restaurants charge more than in Dali, so ask the price before you order. In autumn and winter, orchards along the road sell Binchuan oranges by the box for less than city prices.

7. Should You Stay Overnight?

Stay on the summit only if you want sunrise and the 5:40 morning chanting. Otherwise, the day trip covers everything.

The summit guesthouse is basic. Rooms have no air conditioning, and nights at 3,248 m are cold.

“The summit was freezing at night. No air conditioning, so I lay shivering and survived on the electric blanket and quilts. First time in years I was in bed by nine and asleep by ten.” — British guest Victor

Rooms are few and booking is by phone in Chinese. Over Golden Week, book foot-of-mountain homestays well ahead too.

Some pilgrims turn Jizu Mountain into a two-day route with Lijiang. On day one they visit the Vajravarahi Cave (Jingang Haimu Cave) in Lijiang, where legend says Mahakasyapa left the key to Huashou Gate. On day two they “open the gate” at Jizu Mountain. If you’re splitting nights between the two cities, our Dali vs Lijiang comparison helps you decide where to base yourself.

8. Monkeys, Weather and Packing

The monkeys

We meet wild macaques most often on the walk from Zhusheng Temple up to the Yunbingdian bus stop, which passes the monkey viewing area. If you walk down, you’ll see more along the forest trail. They aren’t afraid of people and will sit close to the path. On our regular visits we haven’t seen them grab food or bags, and they’re much less aggressive than the monkeys on Mount Emei. They are still wild animals, so don’t feed them, and keep snacks inside your bag rather than in your hand.

The summit is 8–10°C colder

Jinding Temple sits at 3,248 m. The summit runs 8–10°C colder than the foot of the mountain, with strong wind. Visitors who went up in shorts and T-shirts were shivering by the afternoon. Bring a windproof jacket even in summer, and wear shoes with good grip. The steps are steep and often wet.

Check before you go

The cable car shuts for maintenance without much warning, and visitors in early June have arrived to find it closed. Check the official notice the day before you go.

Jinding Temple is also under restoration, which began in late 2024. We’ve watched the work on our regular visits through 2026, and it was still underway. The temple stays open for visits and incense. The Lengyan Pagoda’s exterior has been rebuilt, but the interior is closed and you can’t climb it. The temple’s main gate is still under scaffolding and safety netting, so parts of it can’t be seen up close. Ask before you go how much is still covered.

Packing list

• Small cash in CNY 10 and 20 notes. Fortune sticks, prayer slips and the Jinding Temple canteen take cash only. The one spot near Jinding Temple that swaps QR payment for cash is hard to find. See how much cash to bring to China.
• Screenshots of your e-tickets and a photo of the map board at the entrance. Large parts of the mountain have no phone signal, and most trail signs are in Chinese only.
• A windproof jacket and non-slip shoes.

9. Frequently Asked Questions

Planning Jizu Mountain as part of a Dali or Yunnan trip? Tell us your dates and we’ll fit Jizu Mountain into your itinerary with a private driver and English-speaking guide.