I’ve discovered another hidden gem, not a viral hotspot, but its aesthetic appeal is absolutely top-notch.
In the morning, wake up to the sea of clouds, during the day make wishes and stroll through the fields of flowers, and in the evening, visit the park to admire the sea of lights. With so many activities each day, your eyes will be treated to an endless feast of beauty!
I absolutely love recommending these lesser-known places, where you spend less money and still have a wonderful experience. Today, I have a thoroughly planned guide and great package deals, and during the upcoming May Day holiday (including the Qingming holiday), there are no price increases whatsoever! It’s all about a relaxing vacation; just wait for the weather to warm up a bit more, and it’ll be perfect.
Without further ado, today’s highlight is the Ge Xian Village Resort, which is owned by the same parent company as the previously recommended Wuyuzhou, but these two places offer completely different vibes.
Ge Xian Village is built around the famous Daoist mountain, Ge Xian Mountain, where the atmosphere varies dramatically between the peak and the foot of the mountain.
Ge Xian Mountain is the temple of Ge Xuan, the founder of the Lingbao sect of Daoism, and the Ge Xian Temple on the mountain has a history of over 1,600 years, truly a land of remarkable people and features. If you receive a call claiming to be from a celestial being, you should install a fraud prevention app, but Ge Xian Village claims to be the dwelling place of immortals, and they are indeed serious!
At the foot of the mountain is the main scenic area of Ge Xian Village, where buildings and attractions are centered around traditional Chinese culture. There are also multiple live performances every evening. I didn’t expect such an ethereal place during the day to have such lively entertainment at night! Ge Xian Village is probably what people mean when they say, “pursue the purest of immortals while enjoying the wildest nightlife.”
Furthermore, Ge Xian Village is located in Shangrao, a transportation hub city. It takes about 3 hours by high-speed rail from Shanghai and less than 2 hours from Hangzhou. For those coming from further away, Shangrao also has an airport in Sanqing Mountain. The destination may be obscure but is very accessible. No need to wait for holiday periods; you can easily come over a weekend!
We recommend hotels based on the principle of seeing is believing, and this applies even more so to scenic areas. There are over a dozen types of accommodation within the scenic area, and we have selected five options that balance quality and uniqueness to recommend. Moreover, all accommodations in Ge Xian Village are operated by the scenic area itself, ensuring quality service in case of any issues.
This package is valid until September 20, and for the period from May 1 to May 5, there will be a price increase of 200-300 yuan per night, while prices for all other dates remain the same! The Qingming holiday is also included (if you have travel plans, it’s advisable to book soon)! In spring, Ge Xian Village is bursting with flowers, and its aesthetic value is exceptionally high!
1) Ge Xian Village Mountain Pillow Hotel, Deluxe King/Twin Room for 1 night + 1 breakfast + 2 Ge Xian Village Resort tickets (including admission and round-trip cable car) for 648 yuan.
The value of this package is high because it includes a 220 yuan ticket for the scenic area and return cable car tickets. You can search online; these two items are absolute essentials in Ge Xian Village and never go on sale, meaning even locals have to dig into their pockets. Additionally, if you were to book the scenic area hotels through an OTA platform, these tickets would also need to be purchased separately. Packaging these essential items into the deal without any extra markup is a true sign of sincerity.
The Mountain Pillow Hotel offers standard hotel configurations and is conveniently located near the highest-end hotel, the Xixinyuan, making it easy to access the main scenic area.
Rooms start at 25 square meters, and if you’re bringing kids, it’s advisable to choose a twin room with two 1.35-meter beds that can be combined.
2) Ge Xian Village Cloud Hotel, Cloud View & Residence King/Twin Room for 1 night + 1 double buffet breakfast + 1 set of double tickets (including admission and round-trip cable car) for 588 yuan.
Many people don’t know that you can actually stay at the top of Ge Xian Mountain. The cable car usually operates from 8:00 or 8:30 in the morning; if you want to see the morning sea of clouds and sunrise, you either need to stay at the top or hike overnight.
I can’t comment on other mountains, but we’ve visited Huangshan’s mountaintop hotel. I can confidently say that the hardware conditions of the mountaintop hotel at Ge Xian Mountain are much better. When we were there, it happened to be raining, but normally you would be able to relax in your room while soaking in the beautiful views of the distant mountains.
The Cloud Hotel has two types of rooms available: the viewing room features tatami mats, while the residence room offers a regular bed. Both have identical amenities, with minimal differences in the views. You won’t be able to see the sunrise directly from your room, but the mountain views are guaranteed.
The Cloud Hotel has a very limited number of rooms; each type has only a few units. To stay at the mountaintop and enjoy the sea of clouds, you must book in advance.
3) Ge Xian Village Xixinyuan Boutique Hotel, Scenic Suite/Scenic King Room for 1 night + 1 breakfast + 2 adult tickets for Ge Xian Village Resort for 798 yuan.
The Xixinyuan is the most upscale hotel in the scenic area, with rooms distributed in row houses or independent villas, making it conveniently close to the main scenic area. Note that the Xixinyuan only offers king rooms, no twin rooms available.
The scenic suite and scenic king room in this package are actually the same class of room, both measuring 68 square meters and featuring a 270° large balcony. The only difference lies in the room layout. The suite has a separate living room and a large bedroom combined for scenic views; you can choose based on your preferences.
4) Ge Xian Village Bamboo Hideaway Guesthouse, King/Twin Room for 1 night + 1 breakfast + 1 set of adult tickets for Ge Xian Village for 498 yuan.
Bamboo Hideaway is positioned among the best-located accommodations in the scenic area, within the main scenic area, close to the shopping street and performance venues. Bamboo Hideaway features two rooms sharing a small courtyard, making it suitable for two families traveling together.
The design of Bamboo Hideaway has a touch of Yi ethnic minority style, which I think adds a unique character.
5) Ge Xian Village Shanhai Cang Boutique Hotel, Shanhai Cang King/Twin Room for 1 night + 1 breakfast + 2 adult tickets for Ge Xian Village for 498 yuan.
Ranking proximity to the main scenic area from near to far, we have Xixinyuan, Mountain Pillow Hotel, and Shanhai Cang, which are all relatively close together as clearly shown on the map. We deliberately avoided selecting particularly remote accommodations this time.
The Shanhai Cang’s distinctive appearance resembles a thatched cottage with a pointed roof, giving it a tent or treehouse feel. The interior is that of a regular hotel room with good hardware conditions. If you don’t mind walking for an extra minute, Shanhai Cang offers great value for money.
There are many hotels and options, but I’ve compared them all, and they are definitely better value than booking directly. Moreover, it’s currently the off-season, and I’ve confirmed that prices for all accommodations will only go up come spring.
Buying at the low point is the best significance of hotel vouchers, right? After all, while the A-shares may disappoint you, hotel vouchers that are flexible, non-expiring, and refundable will not.
After seeing holiday prices exceeding 2000 yuan per night at major chains and tripling prices for budget hotels, I sincerely believe that off-the-beaten-path destinations are incredibly appealing. Having visited so many scenic areas, I can confidently say that Ge Xian Village has the highest “repurchase rate” among locals.
Next, I’ll arrange a comprehensive travel guide for Ge Xian Village.
The design concept of the entire resort is centered around the story of Ge Xuan attaining immortality; Ge Xian Village is a happy little immortal village enveloped in ethereal energy all day long. As mentioned earlier, the scenic area is divided into the mountain top and the foot of the mountain.
At the top of the mountain, you can find Tianjing Platform, Ge Xian Temple, and a glass walkway; while at the foot, the Ge Xian Village main scenic area is reminiscent of an ancient town in Jiangnan, populated with various cultural experience centers and commercial streets. I suggest going up the mountain in the morning to pray and soak in the clouds, and in the afternoon enjoy some local food and watch performances. One night packed with activities and another to relax make for a perfect trip!
The village at night is even more lively than during the day. As the lights come on, it feels even more like a little immortal village. Especially now, the scenic area boasts the [Mountain and Sea Classic Mythical Beasts Cultural Lantern Festival], which feels like a little Sichuan brought in – those local mythical creatures are simply magnificent!
Moreover, I think Ge Xian Village looks better at night for photo opportunities. After changing into traditional attire, it exudes a sense of opulence reminiscent of prosperous times.
Especially after the lights are turned on, the Jǔmáng tree is incredibly dazzling and could guarantee a 100% photo success rate!
However, the most eye-catching building in the scenic area is undoubtedly the 26-meter high Zhongmiao Pavilion, which is quite significant as it sits at the intersection of Yin and Yang within Ge Xian Village. Every night, multiple performances occur here.
You can find the latest schedule of activities on the official WeChat account of [Ge Xian Village Tourism Resort]; I’ll just post the schedule for March here. Important notes: performances will be reduced on Tuesdays as the performers take a day off, so be sure to avoid visiting Ge Xian Village on Tuesdays!
The “Light Show” and “Return to Antiquity” performances combine sound, light, and electricity, with the latter being a must-see in Ge Xian Village. It narrates the life story of Ge Xuan, one of the four great Celestial Masters in Daoism, featuring dramatic elements of fire and water, making for an impressive spectacle. Be sure to arrive early to secure a good spot; otherwise, you might find yourself stuck standing at the back!
“Immortal Village Flash Mob,” “Martial Arts Matchmaking,” and “Paper Umbrella Romance” are all live performances with different styles. You can even sneak in a little leisure during work hours, as performances run continuously between 5 PM and 8 PM in Ge Xian Village!
Each day’s activities typically conclude with a “Campfire Party,” and I can guarantee that the atmosphere in Ge Xian Village is genuinely great; we even went on a weekday! It will surely be even livelier on weekends! Going for a session of cardio at the gym is nothing compared to dancing for 30 minutes at the outdoor party in Ge Xian Village.
When not during performance times, feel free to explore various cultural experience centers, such as the Dao Culture Experience Center, Chinese Town Cultural Museum, She Ethnic Culture Center, and Xin Qiji Cultural Center, which aims to make traditional culture easy to understand and accessible.
There are some experiential projects available in these cultural centers, which require an additional small fee, typically in the range of tens of yuan. However, I’m not sure if you’ll have time to partake, as the itinerary for the day is truly packed.
On the first day, after participating in the evening activities, I recommend going to bed early to make it up the mountain as early as possible the next day.
Ge Xian Mountain has been a celebrated Daoist mountain since ancient times, known as the “First Mountain of Chinese Lingbao.” Conditions are much better now, as you can take a cable car to the mountain top in 7 minutes. Before the mountain path and cable car were established, many used to hike overnight.
The fact that so many locals keep coming back is a testament to its charm; on New Year’s Eve, the cable car operates all night!
Ge Xian Mountain has an elevation slightly over 1000 meters, and when reaching the summit, you will find yourself enveloped in the sea of clouds. I’m not being dramatic here; this environment certainly looks like a dwelling place for immortals removed from worldly affairs!
The grand Ge Xian Hall (known locally as Ge Xian Temple) has a long history, dating back to its establishment in the seventh year of the Yuanyou reign during the Northern Song Dynasty (1092 AD). Despite its fame, it remains extraordinarily uncommercialized. Services like lighting incense, drawing lots, and interpreting omens are all free of charge, showing no signs of commercialization whatsoever.
Let me share a snippet on how to properly use the fortune-telling lots.
1) Randomly pick a stick from the ground.
2) Toss the three Holy Cups; achieving one Yin and one Yang three times means this stick is yours. If not, replace it and continue until you achieve the correct results.
3) At the drawing location, find the corresponding number’s oracle text and have a Daoist interpret it for you.
Whether you believe in it or not, it can still be fun and serves as an experience of local culture!
