by sea-cloud bay, Rain mist spirit-beauty completes heaven's way. Numerous peaks tower yellow in the distance, Jumbled boulders punctuate pregnant space, ten thousand tree trunks. -Qiu Chuji (1148-1227)

From a strenuous yet rewarding hike available just minutes from town, to one of the "Five Sacred Mountains of China" accessible by a three hour train ride, Qingdao and the surrounding area offer innumerable hiking opportunities.  We are ready and look forward to taking you to any and all of them!

For centuries this mountain has been an important landmark in Daoist traditions.  Today, many are familiar with this mountain and its spring water, which is used to make China’s most celebrated golden libation, Tsingtao (the dated Romanization for Qingdao).  Several temples are hidden amongst its slopes, which for centuries have been a destination for bachelor and spinster pilgrims seeking a future spouse.  The mountain’s 4,000km area is a unique conglomeration of mostly pine forests with pink-granite boulders.  The local government has certainly capitalized upon its natural beauty and some areas are overrun with tourists, however we can help you find lesser-traveled areas without entrance fees (or steps), if so desired.  Trips to Laoshan may include:
-Pepper Forest-This moderate hike follows a crystal-clear, spring-fed creek several hundred meters up the side of Laoshan.  During the summer, refreshing swimming holes are found all along the trail.  After the one-and-a-half to three-hour hike, we can refuel on fresh chicken or goat BBQ, as well as organic vegetables and tea from a small village near the top.  Pepper Forest also makes for an ideal overnight camping spot, and their inside facilities, including a kang (炕/traditional, heatable brick-bed), are available if the weather is not conducive to sleeping under the stars.
-Double Dragon Peak – Found on the northeastern edge of Laoshan, Double Dragon Peak offers easy to moderate hikes in one of the more awe-inspiring areas of the mountain.  Just nearby is a reclusive east-facing beach resort, which makes for an ideal weekend getaway.  The resort is an idyll spot for taking in the vistas of Laoshan’s jagged peaks as well as the sun rising over several islands that bulge up from the Yellow Sea.  They offer fresh catches of the day on seafood as well as all around pristine facilities.  Electric kangs available as well! 
-Temples - There are several temples to be found throughout Laoshan.  The more famous ones, such as Taigong, are often overrun with tourists and bullhorns, but we are also familiar with some secluded ones, including one of the longest inhabited convents in China, or even the world for that matter. 

-Yangkou- Fans of epigraphs and Chinese calligraphy shouldn’t miss a chance to check out this beachside ascent.  Auspicious Chinese characters reaching 10-15 meters high are carved into the granite cliff faces.  This area also provides stone steps and chair-lifts to ease the way for another amazing view of the Yellow Sea.

-Beaches – There are several isolated beaches in the Laoshan area which make for an ideal spot to spend an anjing/安静/peaceful afternoon in the sun.

Starting from the business district of Qingdao, the peak of this jagged, dragon-back-shaped ridge can be summitted in under an hour. It offers an incredible view of the burgeoning economic center of Qingdao as well as the island-studded Yellow Sea. Also found amongst the slopes are German fortifications from the early twentieth century, including tunnels carved through the center of the mountain. With the help of our headlamps and a local troglodyte, we can spend an afternoon simultaneously underground and above the Qingdao skyline! Also, some of Qingdao’s most accessible sport climbing is found here.

One of the "Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism," and often regarded as the foremost of the five it is associated with sunrise, birth and renewal. The temples on its slopes have been a destination for pilgrims for more than 3,000 years. For centuries, most Chinese wayfarers have tried to crest the peak just before sunrise, climbing up in the middle of the night by torchlight. We can arrange either single-day or multi-day trips to this area found just a few hours train ride from Qingdao.