Lijiang

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

The snow peak above Lijiang, up by cable car

By EvanFacts reviewed 4 October 2026

Book it with usUSD 7 per person per sight, plus the ticket at face value.

Photo (cropped and resized): 钉钉, CC BY-SA 4.0

Why it's worth the trip

On a clear day, look north from the old town of Lijiang and the snow peaks stand above the tiled roofs. The Glacier Park cable car lifts you more than a kilometre up the mountain in a single ride. It rises out of dark fir and spruce forest, over rhododendron scrub and slopes of bare, broken rock, and sets you down at 4,506 metres. The air is thin and cold, and glaciers hang from the summit ridge above you. Lijiang itself sits at about 2,400 metres, so you have climbed two kilometres since breakfast.

To the Naxi people of Lijiang the mountain is a god. They call it the silver rock and see in it Sanduo, their protector, a warrior in white armour and helmet on a white horse. One legend tells of a hunter who found a strange white stone in the snow, as big as a burly warrior but light enough to lift with one hand. He carried it down, but after resting at the foot of the mountain he could not lift it again, so a shrine was built on the spot. Sanduo's temple still stands near Baisha. Every spring, on a lunar date in late February or March, the Naxi gather there for his festival.

There are three ways to meet the mountain. The two cable cars are ticketed separately, on top of entry, so choose before you book. Glacier Park is the high one. It has the big cable car, a boardwalk above it and the ice close up, and it is the most exposed to wind and weather. Spruce Meadow is gentler. A smaller cable car takes you to a forest clearing more than a kilometre lower, still under the peaks. Blue Moon Valley lies at the foot of the mountain and needs no cable car at all, so it fits into the same day as either of the others.

Don't miss

Climb the boardwalk to 4,680 metres
From the top station a boardwalk climbs to a lookout about 170 metres higher. Take it slowly, because up here a few steps leave you breathless, and rest on the benches along the way. At the top the summit seems almost within reach. The glacier in front of you, Baishui No. 1, is the largest on the mountain, and it has been shrinking for decades as the climate warms.
Look up at the peaks from Spruce Meadow
The smaller cable car brings you to a grassy clearing ringed with old spruce, about 3,240 metres up, with the snow peaks rising straight above it. In Naxi legend it is the gateway to the Third Kingdom of the Jade Dragon, a paradise sought by lovers who were not allowed to marry. The Dongba scriptures of the Naxi priests paint it richly: red tigers to ride, silver-horned deer to pull the plough, golden pheasants to call the dawn.
Blue Moon Valley on a sunny day
Glacier meltwater runs down a valley floored with white stone, which is why the river was long called the White Water. In sunshine its pools turn a startling blue; in rain they cloud to milky white. The four lakes curving down the crescent-shaped valley are held back by low dams, and the same water helps supply Lijiang and the canals of its old town.

Fitting it in

Time to give it: Most of a day. The mountain is under an hour from Lijiang's old town by road. Glacier Park with Blue Moon Valley fills the day; Spruce Meadow with Blue Moon Valley is gentler and leaves time for Baisha on the way back.
When to go: The dry months, roughly November to April, give the best chance of a clear summit, and December is Lijiang's sunniest month. About 80 per cent of the year's rain falls from June to September, and in July the peaks often hide in cloud. In any season, wind or snow can stop the cable cars at short notice, so if Glacier Park matters, leave a spare day in Lijiang. Bring warm layers whatever the month.
Pair it with: Black Dragon Pool lies at the northern edge of the old town, on the road out to the mountain. When the pool is full and the air is still, the snow peaks hang upside down in the water behind a white marble bridge and a pavilion. It is Lijiang's classic postcard. Go on a clear morning, on the way up or on another day. On the way back, stop in Baisha, near Sanduo's temple.
Who can skip it: If anyone in your group has heart disease or high blood pressure, or is pregnant, Lijiang's official advice is to skip the Glacier Park cable car. It suggests Blue Moon Valley instead. Spruce Meadow is far lower than Glacier Park, but still above 3,000 metres. If you want empty mountains, look elsewhere: millions come each year. See the peaks from Black Dragon Pool instead. Or, if you have strong legs and a day or two, walk the high trail of Tiger Leaping Gorge, which looks across at the mountain's far side.

Questions travellers ask

Is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain worth visiting?

Yes, if you are in Lijiang and the weather is clear. A cable car lifts you more than a kilometre to 4,506 metres, where glaciers hang from the summit ridge just above you. To the Naxi people below, the mountain is a god. Give it most of a day. If altitude worries you, Spruce Meadow and Blue Moon Valley stay far lower and still bring you close.

Glacier Park or Spruce Meadow: which should I choose?

Choose Glacier Park for ice and height: the cable car tops out at 4,506 metres and a boardwalk climbs on to 4,680. Choose Spruce Meadow for a gentler day in a clearing of old spruce at about 3,240 metres, below the peaks. Each needs its own cable-car ticket, and Glacier Park has the tighter quota, so book it as soon as your date opens. We can check and book for you.

How much time do you need at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain?

Plan on most of a day; the mountain is under an hour from Lijiang's old town by road. Glacier Park with Blue Moon Valley fills the day, while Spruce Meadow with Blue Moon Valley leaves time for Baisha. If the high cable car matters, keep a spare day in Lijiang, because wind or snow can stop it at short notice.

When is the best time to visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain?

November to April, the dry season, gives the best chance of a clear summit, and December is Lijiang's sunniest month. About 80 per cent of the year's rain falls from June to September, and in July the peaks often hide in cloud. Bring warm layers in any month, since the top station is two kilometres higher than Lijiang.

Will I get altitude sickness at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain?

You may well feel the height at Glacier Park, where the cable car sets you down at 4,506 metres, about two kilometres above Lijiang. Expect to be short of breath. If you feel unwell, rest at once or get medical help. Lijiang's official advice is that people with heart disease or high blood pressure, and pregnant women, should not ride the Glacier Park cable car. It suggests Blue Moon Valley instead. Spruce Meadow, at about 3,240 metres, is much easier than Glacier Park.

Sources: Lijiang Municipal Media Centre: riding the Jade Dragon cable cars, with official health advice (2024)Yunnan Daily (via Yunnan.cn): Jade Dragon Snow Mountain scenic area, glaciers, cable car and Blue Moon Valley (2019)National Climate Center (CMA): global warming and the retreat of the Jade Dragon glaciers (2009)Guangming Daily: heavy snow closes the Jade Dragon cable cars (2025)

Booking at a glance

From our attraction-booking rules.

Full guide

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (entry and cable cars)
When tickets open
Cable cars for the next 7 days: Glacier Park daily at 20:00, Spruce Meadow at 21:00; entry up to 7 days ahead
Real name
Yes
Face value
CNY 100 · entry, plus CNY 20 eco-bus; cable cars extra: Glacier Park CNY 120, Spruce Meadow CNY 40 (2026 list)
Confirmed when you enquire: passport use
Entry and each cable car are separate official products in different mini-programs; the cable cars use real-name and face-recognition checks. The Yak Meadow cable car has been closed for rebuilding since 4 March 2026. Wind or weather can suspend a cable car, and the operator's change or refund rule then applies. We confirm the current passport steps before the written confirmation.
Checked 26 Sept 2026
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