Laoshan Yangkou & Taiqing Scenic Areas: Witness the Sea and Sky as One

Laoshan, known as the number one fairy mountain by the sea, has five fee-based scenic areas. This time, instead of choosing the Jufeng route to climb to the highest peak, I opted for the more relaxed Yangkou route, which offers views of mountains, the sea, and Taoist temples. After descending, I found I still had some time, so I explored half of the Taiqing Scenic Area as well. Since the subway requires three transfers followed by a bus ride, the journey takes about two hours. To avoid heading out too late, I left at around 7 a.m. and took the subway and bus to the Yangkou Scenic Area (4 scenic areas, 2-day combo ticket for ¥90). On this sunny Sunday, there were quite a few visitors, including families with elderly and children. The ascent at Yangkou is mostly stairs but manageable. Along the way, you can occasionally see the coastline merging with the mountains. After exploring Tiandong Cave and reaching the highest point, Tianyuan (with an altitude of just over 400 meters), I enjoyed lunch while taking in the mountain and sea views before descending. After leaving Yangkou, I took a bus to the Taiqing Scenic Area. The bus ride along the coastal highway offered stunning views. With just over two hours left before nightfall, I decided against walking the wooden coastal trail to Taiqing Palace and instead hiked up and down the valley to Shangqing Palace and Longtan Waterfall. Along the way, towering stone peaks were visible. Upon descending, I was pleasantly surprised to find free shuttle buses available to return to the Shanghedong Visitor Center, saving me from a lengthy detour to catch the bus. This allowed me to directly take the subway back to the hotel, cutting an hour off the travel time.