Visit Mount Emei in Winter - Weather, Scenery, Packing List & Tips

"There are many fairy mountains in Sichuan, but no one can be parallel with Mt Emei" Li Bai, the great poet of ancient China, praised Emei in his writing. In winter, Emei Mountain is a chilly but beautiful season to visit Mount Emei and the ticket price is a lot cheaper than the peak season with fewer tourists. It looks like a dreamy fairyland. From the snow scenery at the top of Emei Mountain to the steaming hot spring at the foot. It is a mountain of "ice and fire", which is truly fascinating.

As a professional travel agency that is exactly based in Chengdu (only 156km to Mount Emei, 2.5h by car), here we have provided you with some useful information about Mount Emei in winter, such as the weather, scenery, packing suggestions and travel tips to help you better plan a Mount Emei trip.

Mount Emei Weather in December, January and February

Mount Emei is generally snow-covered and very cold in winter. It is also humid and cloudy and the relative humidity is over 85%. The average temperature of Mount Emei in December is between -10°C / 14°F and 3°C / 37°F; in January is between -9°C / 16°F and 2°C / 36°F, and in February is between -11°C / 12°F and 8°C / 46°F. The chart below shows the day by day temperature of Mount Emei from Dec, 2019 to Feb, 2020.

❉ Tips: The temperature at different altitudes in Emei Mountain scenic spot varies a lot. Generally, the difference between the top of the mountain and the foot of the mountain is about 14℃ / 57°F. Therefore, it is necessary to bring extra clothes to keep warm (there is also a coat renting shop at the top of the mountain).

Mount Emei Temperature from Dec, 2019 to Feb, 2020 (Measured at the foot of the mountain)

☃ Mount Emei Sunsrise and Sunset in Winter

What to See & Do in Mount Emei in Winter

Winter is the best time to enjoy the snow of Mount Emei with snow activities from mid-December to early March. Though it is very cold, the scenery is even more beautiful and the ticket price is cheaper with less visitors.

Enjoy the Stunning Snowscape of Mount Emei

In every December, the snow falls in Emei Mountain. The snow falls and covers Emei Mountain. The scenic sites have changed their tune to the purified white, especially spots over the altitude of 1300 meters. Most of the time, because of continuous snowfall, and the climate on the mountain, the snow will be well preserved for months. The scenery is intoxicating and rare in southern China. You may encounter many different temples along your way to the top, some of which may hold the Spring Festival celebrating activities like striking the bell for new year's blessing. Besides the snow scenery along the way, you are also recommended to watch the cloud sea and sunrise and sunset in winter at the top of Mount Emei.

☀ Sunrise in Winter: Jinding (Golden Summit) is the best place to enjoy the sunrise of Emei Mountain, especially in winter with fewer people blocking your sight. It is extremely magnificent when the weather is good. To watch the sunrise, you may need to stay at Jinding one night in advance and check the weather forecast first.

☁ Cloud Sea: Winter is the season that you most possibly to encounter the cloud sea. Especially in the evening, the floating cloud sea is like a white sea. In the distance, Gongga Mountain and Wawu mountain are presented with golden silhouettes, like the fairy mountain island floating in the water, which has an indescribable beauty. The best time to watch the cloud sea is from 9:00 to 10:00 in the morning or from 15:00 to 17:30.

★ Recommended Mount Emei Tour:

☛ 2 Days Mount Emei Leisure Hiking Tour from Chengdu

☛ 3 Days Mount Emei Winter Tour with Skiing and Hot Spring Experience

Golden Summit in Winter

Cloud Sea & Golden Elephant

Snow Fun at Mount Emei Ski Resort

Besides enjoying the snow from afar, Emei Mountain also offers places where you can have snow fun. The ski resort near Leidongping provides skiing, snowmobiles, snow tire, and other entertainment options. You can take a bus directly from the bottom of the scenic spot to Leidongping ski resort. Among the vegetations, you can see a snowway with an average slope of 9 degrees, 300 meters long and 30 meters wide, which can accommodate 300 people to ski at the same time; a cross-country road with a slope of 15 degrees, 200 meters long and 20 meters wide; a primary ski practice area for beginners. To be able to experience multiple ice and snow fun, the ski resort also has three wide snow tracks and dog ski paths, as well as a field for popular snowmobiles.

★ Recommended Mount Emei Tour:

☛ 3 Days Mount Emei Hiking Tour from Chengdu

Thaw Yourself in the Hot Spring

In winter, when you get back to the foot of Emei Mountain after the chilly hiking, enjoying the open-air hot spring can be a good choice. Here are two recommended places for hot springs, namely Hongzhu Hot Spring and Lingxiu Hot Spring. Hongzhu hot spring is a part of the Hongzhushan Hotel. It used to be Chiang Kai-shek's official residence in Emei Mountain, so the Hongzhu forest hot spring has a quiet and private environment. There are 28 hot spring pools, which are surrounded by vegetations. You are suggested to go to the Lingxiu Hot Spring, which includes open-air hot springs and indoor private hot springs club, etc. You can always switch freely between warm water and hot water pools.

★ Recommended Mount Emei Tour:

☛ 4 Days Classic Leshan Giant Buddha & Mount Emei Tour from Chengdu

What to Wear & Pack for Emeishan Winter Trip

• What to Wear: It is very cold in Mount Emei, especially at night and high altitude area. The temperature keeps dropping down from the mid November, and it is recommended to wear overcoats, sweaters, winter coat, woolen jacket, gloves, down jacket and scarfs to keep warm, and a pair of hiking shoes or snow boots. As you are hiking upward to the top, you need wrap yourself with more warm-keep clothes. You can even bring a vacuum cup to fill it with hot water.

• What to Pack: Besides the Weather-appropriate clothing and the necessities such as your passport, visa, credit card, etc. you also need to pack some essential hiking gears: Hiking backpack, Hiking boots or shoes, Navigation (map, compass), Sunglasses (for snow blindness protection), First aid, warm paste, Knife or multi-tool,Necessary Food and Water Package for the emergent situation, Extra Food and water (optional, purchasable on the mountain but a little pricey with limited choices), Extra clothes for high altitude area and nighttime.

How to Plan Your Mount Emei Tour

A Mount Emei tour usually starts from Chengdu, and combine visits to both Leshan Giant Buddha and Mount Emei. You can set out for tour at morning from your hotel in Chengdu, then drive about 2.5 hours to Leshan City to visit the Giant Buddha (about 2hrs), then go to stay a night at the foot of Mount Emei. After that, you can spend one day to visit the highlighting part (Leidongping to Golden Summit), or 2 days to hike from Wannian Temple to Golden Summit, or 3 days to have an in-depth hiking from Qingyin Pavilion to Golden Summit. Eco-bus and cable cars can be used to save energy if you want. After Mount Emei tour, you can transfer back to your hotel in Chengdu, or directly to the airport/train station to continue your trip.

★ Recommended Mount Emei Tours:

☛ 2 Days Mount Emei Leshan Giant Buddha Smart Tour

☛ 3 Days Mount Emei Classic Walking Tour

☛ 3 Days Mount Emei Leisure Hiking Tour from Chengdu

If you plan to spend more days travelling, you can try some popular panda volunteer programs, go to the wonderland Jiuzhaigou, see the Leshan Giant Buddha, or expand your trip to Beijing - capital of China, Shanghai - modern metropolis, and Xian - time-honored ancient capital to have a deeper understanding of China.

★ Recommended Tours including Mount Emei:

☛ 7 Days Sichuan Discovery Tour (Chengdu / Leshan / Emei / Chengdu / Jiuzhaigou)

☛ 6 Days Leshan, Mount Emei & Panda Volunteer Tour

If you have more questions about a Chengdu trip, please feel free to contact us. We are specialized in customized tours according to your interests, budget, traveling time, etc. Just tell us your needs, and we will provided you with a satisfactory tour.

Mount Emei Scenery