Sunrise from Jizu Mountain's Golden Summit Temple: sleep at the top
Jizu Mountain, Binchuan county, about 1.5 hours' drive from Dali Old Town
Jizu Mountain is a Buddhist pilgrimage mountain northeast of Erhai, and Jinding (Golden Summit) Temple stands on its highest peak at about 3,240 m, next to the white, 13-tiered Lengyan Pagoda. The summit is known for its four views: sunrise to the east, a sea of clouds to the south, Cangshan and Erhai to the west, and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on the northern horizon. The cable car doesn't start until 8:30, so to be on top at dawn you need to sleep in the plain temple guesthouse on the summit and wake for the monks' early-morning chanting. Restoration work that began in late 2024 was still going on in 2026, so parts of the temple are under scaffolding and the pagoda can't be climbed.
What locals sayMost people treat it as a day trip from Dali; those who stay up top remember both the freezing night and the candlelit dawn chanting.
- Cost
- Entry about ¥55, cable car about ¥72–75 return; summit dorm bed about ¥30, room about ¥200–240 (2026)
- Time
- 1 night · Sunrise, clearest November–April
- In Chinese
- 鸡足山 金顶寺
Ticket Jizu Mountain (Chicken Foot Mountain) US$8 ¥55 · prices & how to book →
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Based on what locals and regular visitors share, checked against current sources · Updated September 2026. Details change — check opening times locally.
