Kuocang Mountain (Shenxianju) Granite Peaks Trail

The Kuocang Mountain Granite Peaks Trail explores the Shenxianju area of the Kuocang Mountain National Geopark in Xianju County, Taizhou, famous for its dramatic sheer granite cliffs and pinnacle formations. Access is by bus from the Xianju county bus station directly to the Shenxianju scenic area entrance, where a ticket is required. The loop covers about 10 kilometres with 550 metres of cumulative elevation gain over 5 to 6 hours, following a mix of constructed stone stairways, narrow cliffside catwalks bolted to the rock, and short scrambling sections between granite pinnacles, which push the overall difficulty to hard despite the moderate distance. Exposure is significant on the cliffside sections, where the path runs along sheer drops with safety railings, and there is little shade once above the tree line among the exposed granite peaks. Key landmarks include the Consort Peak and Purple Cloud cliffs, the glass-floored skywalk section bolted to a rock face, and the Shenxianju cable car station that offers an alternative descent for tired hikers; the skywalk viewpoint is a common turnaround for those not continuing the full loop. Rest platforms with vendors appear at the main viewpoints, but there are no water sources on the exposed ridge sections themselves.