October 18 this year marks the traditional Chinese festival Chongyang Festival, or Double Ninth Festival. Traditionally, Chinese people drink chrysanthemum wine, carry a dogwood branch and climb mountains to celebrate this festival. You can choose to follow this tradition or not. But the autumn days are always a perfect time for hiking and climbing given the clear weather. So here are some mountains around Beijing and Shanghai for you to explore.

Beijing

*Fragrant Hills

Anyone who recommends autumn destinations will not leave Fragrant Hills out. There are many reasons for this.

First, Fragrant Hills boasts the most beautiful red maple leaves in Beijing. Second, it has numerous connections with historic figures. For example, Chairman Mao used to live in a villa on the mountain. Third, this mountain is well developed. It has chairlifts, well-built roads as well as trails for adventure hikers. This area is ideal for people of all ages.

Last but not least, Fragrant Hills is easily accessible as it’s located 20 kilometers northwest of Beijing.

How to get there: People can either drive there themselves by taking Sihuan, or the 4th Ring Road at Sijiqingqiao and follow the road signs, or take buses such as 331, 360 and 714.

*Phoenix Mountain

It's a mountain that has amassed quite a few titles. It's called the "green lungs of Beijing", referring to its fresh air. It's said that Phoenix Mountain's oxygen negative ion density is 150 times that of downtown Beijng. The mountain is also called "small Yellow Mountain" referring to its dense vegetation, unique rocks, grand hills and legendary springs. Phoenix Mountain's third title is "Little Western Mountain of Beijing", as it's just 33 kilometers from Tian'anmen Square.

How to get there: Take Badaling Highway, and it takes about 30 minutes from Beijing's Madianqiao, on North Third Ring Road to Fenghuanling.

*Lingshan

Lingshan is Beijing’s highest mountain at 2,303m. Its high altitude encourages various vegetation growths, with its range of temperate and cold zones. People going to Lingshan can find cloves, birches, roses and canary creepers. Yet it is best known for its boundless meadow, a scenery commonly found in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region or Inner Mongolia, but quite rare in Beijing. Thousands of flowers of various colors mingle with green grasses for thousands of miles.

Thanks to its abundant vegetation, Lingshan also houses many wildlife species. It is the only natural breeding pasture for Tibetan yak, Xinjiang fine wool sheep and Xinjiang Yili horses. Visitors can come here to ride wild horses.

How to get there: Take the 109 National Highway, and follow the road signs.

*West Mountain Badachu

As an old Chinese saying goes, “A temple is crucial to mountains, as it houses the mountain's soul”. For people on a pilgrimage, we recommend West Mountain Badachu.

Badachu, or “eight spots” in English, has eight temples. The first two are located at the foot of the mountain, a third is higher up, the next three are half way up, a seventh is at the summit, and the last one is on top of the mountain opposite. These eight temples were built at the beginning of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and many emperors have visited them.

Badachu Park is similar to the Summer Palace, also serving the royal family as a summer and autumn resort. Compared with well-developed Fragrant Hills, Badachu is far superior in its simple and natural beauty.

How to get there: Go west at Hangtianqiao to Jinyuanqiao. Take Badachulu Road at Yangzhuang Donglu and head north.