Lion's Head Mountain

Lion's Head Mountain takes its name from the shape of the ridge, and from the 1890s a series of Buddhist temples was built along it, several of them set into natural rock overhangs so that the cliff forms the back wall and the roof. A stone pilgrim path with steps links them across the ridge, taking a couple of hours end to end, through camphor and bamboo. It has been a pilgrimage route for over a century.

What you actually see

• The cave temples - halls built into rock overhangs with the cliff as their back wall.
• The pilgrim path - a stone stepped route linking the temples along the ridge.
• Quanhua Temple - the largest of the complexes, with accommodation for pilgrims.
• The forest - camphor and bamboo along the whole ridge walk.

When to go

March to November is the most comfortable. The path is slippery after rain, which is frequent. Weekends bring pilgrims and hikers.

Honest expectations

The walk involves several hundred steps and is steeper than it looks. Temples are active places of worship and behaviour should reflect that. Facilities along the ridge are minimal.

Nearby

Neiwan is north, and Nanzhuang is south in Miaoli.