Main Ascending Trail (Red Gate to South Gate of Heaven)

The main ascending trail is the reason to come to Mount Tai. The path is continuous stone steps from the Red Gate palace at the mountain base to the South Gate of Heaven near the summit — 7,500 steps, 7.5 kilometres, 1,400 metres of ascent. Along the way: the Red Gate Palace, the Wan Xian Tower (Ten Thousand Immortals Pavilion), the Middle Heaven Gate at the halfway point, and the Zhong Tianmen cable car station for those who prefer to let machinery do the upper section.

The standard approach for Chinese pilgrims is to start after midnight and climb through the night, reaching the summit for sunrise — a tradition that predates the current staircase by millennia. The dawn over the clouds, when they are present, justifies the ordeal. Rent the military surplus padded jackets from the stalls near the summit; the temperature drops dramatically and the wind is fierce even in summer. The climb takes 4–6 hours at a comfortable pace; coming down by cable car is more pleasant on the knees.

things to do sight
A story
The stone-paved trail from the Red Gate at the mountain base to the South Gate of Heaven near the summit runs 7.5 kilometres and rises about 1,400 metres. At the Red Gate, you pass through the first ceremonial arch; the Zhong Tianmen (Middle Heaven Gate) marks the halfway point where most tourists take the cable car. The Shiba Pan — the Eighteen Bends — is the final brutal section of nearly vertical stone stairs before the South Gate. Confucius climbed this trail; so did 72 emperors.