National Geographic has released its "Best Trips in 2019" list with 28 places selected around the world. Mount Fanjingshan in southwest China's Guizhou Province is the only tourist destination in China to make the list. Before you kick off your trip to this mysterious land, this tour itinerary may help you plan your adventure.

Why to go

Mount Fanjingshan is the highest mountain of the Wuling mountain range in southwest China, with its highest peak standing at 2,572 meters above sea level. Soaring up with over 8,000 steps, it rewards hikers with bizarre rock formations and above-the-clouds views of China's Wuling mountain range, National Geographic said. If you long for a skywalk above the clouds, Mount Fanjingshan is definitely the place to visit!

The name "Fanjing" is an abbreviation of Fantian Jingtu, meaning "Brahma's pure land" in Chinese. As a sacred Buddhist site, Mount Fanjingshan has numerous temples and is one of the Five Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China.

Hundreds of millions of years ago, Mount Fanjingshan slowly rose from the bottom of an ocean due to the force of the earth. Stunning landscapes like steep precipices, deep valleys and waterfalls formed 1 to 1.4 billion years ago were perfectly preserved here.

Home to over 2,000 species of plants and hundreds of endangered animals, Mount Fanjinshan is a treasure house of plants and wildlife and is dubbed "the gene database" of China.

It was officially added to the UNESCO Natural Heritage list on July 2, 2018, China's 53rd UNESCO World Heritage site.

How to play

You can either choose to climb the 8,000 steps or take a cable car to the Mushroom Stone, which is quite close to the top of Mount Fanjingshan.

Hiking to the top takes around four hours and you can rest at the grocery stores along the way, where snacks and water are provided. Although hiking up may drain your energy, it offers a feeling of conquest and a close contact with nature.

A 30-minute cable car ride will provide you with a bird's-eye view of the lush jungles on the mountain. A one-way ticket for the cable car costs 90 yuan (13 U.S. dollars) while a round-trip ticket costs 160 yuan (23.30 U.S. dollars).

How to get there

You can take shuttle buses to Mount Fanjingshan from Tongren South Railway Station and Tongren Fenghuang Airport in Tongren City, Guizhou Province. The bus departs from Tongren South Railway Station at 10:50 a.m. and the departure time from the airport depends on the flight schedule.

Tips:

1. Entrance ticket: 100 yuan (14.50 U.S. dollars)

Combo ticket: 290 yuan (42.20 U.S. dollars), including the entrance fee, sightseeing bus and round-trip cable car tickets.

2. Bring warm clothes and raincoats as the weather on the mountain is unpredictable.