Choose your Dianchi and Western Hills day

Choose Longmen (龙门) for cliffside shrines chiseled into vertical rock and an expansive viewpoint over Dianchi (滇池). Choose the shoreline for an easier stroll, open water views and winter gulls. Combining the mountain and the lake by cableway gives a satisfying day trip without turning every temple into a rush.

Half day or full day?

Tree-shaded steps along Dianchi Lake in Haigeng Park
Photo by wanghongliu
  • Shoreline half day (2–3 hours): Pick Haigeng Park (海埂公园) for tree-shaded waterside paths, or Haigeng Dam (海埂大坝) for winter gull watching. These are two distinct spots along the eastern shoreline. This is your best pick if steep stone stairs do not suit you.
  • Mountain and cableway half day (4–5 hours): Climb through the Longmen cliff shrines, use the internal transfers, and glide over Dianchi on the cross-lake cableway. Add your journeys from and back to central Kunming. Start in the morning so you complete the cliff circuit before afternoon queues build up.
  • Full day (6–8 hours): Combine the mountain shrines, the lake-crossing cableway, a relaxed lunch and a slow walk along the Haigeng shore. You can also explore hillside forest temples like Huating Temple (华亭寺) and Taihua Temple (太华寺).

Understand the two separate cableways

The scenic area features two distinct cableways that serve very different routes:

  • Dianchi cableway (滇池索道): This long cableway crosses the lake between the lower station at Hubin Road (湖滨路16号) and the hillside hub near Nie Er Tomb Square (聂耳墓广场). It operates normally and provides the scenic link between the water and the mountain.
  • Longmen ropeway (龙门索道): This is a separate, short mountain chairlift higher up on the cliffs between Nie Er Tomb Square and the upper rock garden. Its equipment upgrade is ongoing. Do not count on it running; visitors currently use the electric shuttle carts and walking stairs to access the Longmen circuit.

Support buses cover the other elevation changes: the eco bus (环保大巴) connects Gaoyao Visitor Centre (高峣游客中心) at the mountain base with Nie Er Tomb Square, while open-air electric carts (电瓶车) shuttle passengers between the square and the Longmen entrance gate. Neither replaces the walking paths: the cliff carving section itself must be explored on foot.

The recommended mountain-to-lake route

Visitors on stone steps beside a shrine in the Longmen area of Kunming’s Western Hills
Photo by Hermann Luyken

Starting on the mountain side and descending across the water is the smoothest way to run this day trip:

  1. Take Kunming metro Line 3 to Xishan Park station (西山公园站). Walk to the adjacent Gaoyao Visitor Centre (高峣游客中心). The pedestrian dining lane Chama Flower Street (茶马花街) sits right outside and is a practical spot for breakfast, water and snacks.
  2. Board the scenic area eco bus to Nie Er Tomb Square (聂耳墓广场). Transfer to the electric cart heading to the Longmen ticket checkpoint.
  3. Walk the signed one-way cliffside loop through Longmen (龙门). The trail traverses rock tunnels, carved caves and the hanging Sanqing Pavilion (三清阁), opening directly onto cliff drops over the water. Steps are narrow and uneven; take your time on the stairs.
  4. Take the electric cart back to 聂耳墓广场, then board the Dianchi cableway (滇池索道) downhill across the lake to the lower station at 湖滨路16号.
  5. Step out onto the shore. Choose Haigeng Park (海埂公园) for a lakeside walk or Haigeng Dam (海埂大坝) for seasonal gull watching; use the exact destination for your next transfer.
  6. For your return into central Kunming, take a taxi or connect to metro Line 5: use Yuhucun station (渔户村站) from the park area, or Yinghai Road station (迎海路站) from the dam area. Line 5 interchanges with Line 3 at Wuyi Road (五一路站).

You can also do this in reverse by starting at Hubin Road (湖滨路16号), riding the Dianchi cableway up the mountain, seeing Longmen, and taking the eco bus down to metro Line 3. Choose the reverse direction if your accommodation is on the lake side or you want to visit the shore first.

Choosing the right joint ticket

Combined tickets are sold under names like 滇池索道联票 or 西山景区联票 in the Meituan app or mini-program. These online adult prices were published on 23 September 2026 and checked on 13 October 2026, in CNY per person:

  • Joint Ticket B (CNY 110 adult): Designed for the one-way transit route. Includes one-way Dianchi cableway, Longmen admission, round-trip electric carts inside the cliff area, and one-way mountain eco bus between Gaoyao and Nie Er Tomb Square. This matches the recommended mountain-to-lake itinerary.
  • Joint Ticket A (CNY 135 adult): Designed for travelers basing themselves entirely on the lake side. Includes round-trip Dianchi cableway, Longmen admission and round-trip electric carts, but no eco bus.

Booking rule notice: When booking this offer through the Meituan app or mini-program, orders placed before 09:30 are valid for same-day use, while orders placed after 09:30 become valid the following day. If booking on the morning of your trip, complete your online purchase early. At a counter, choose the services you need; its offers may differ from the online joint ticket. Low-season rates (in June and September) drop to CNY 90 for Ticket B and CNY 105 for Ticket A.

Lakeside highlights: parks and winter gulls

Visitors and flying gulls on the broad promenade of Haigeng Dam beside Dianchi Lake
Photo by N509FZ
  • Haigeng Dam (海埂大坝): A wide, raised promenade stretching along the water, best known for the thousands of black-headed gulls migrating from Siberia. The main gull season runs from November through March. Vendors along the dam sell small bags of gull feed.
  • Haigeng Park (海埂公园): Located at Dianchi Road No. 1318 (滇池路1318号), this park offers shaded lake walks. Renovation began on 26 August 2026: some sections are fenced, while unfenced sections remain open and free. Haigeng Dam remains open. If arriving from metro Line 5 via Yuhucun station (渔户村站), expect a 25-minute walk (around 1.9 km) or take a quick taxi to the gate.

Forest temples and side routes

Red entrance gate and stone steps at Huating Temple in Kunming’s Western Hills
Photo by XuasdYX

For a full day focused on forest paths and Buddhist temples, choose Huating Temple (华亭寺) and Taihua Temple (太华寺) and shorten the lake walk. Near the square, Nie Er Tomb and Memorial Hall (聂耳墓、聂耳纪念馆) introduce the composer of China’s national anthem. Lingxu Pavilion (凌虚阁) is an optional extra ascent for a higher view.

Practical advice

Wear walking shoes with reliable rubber tread, as wet stone steps along the cliff paths can be slippery. The lakeside and cliff edges are exposed to mountain sun and brisk breezes; pack sun protection and a windbreaker. Check operating hours upon arrival: the operator’s regular schedule published in April 2025 is 09:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and until 17:30 on weekends; ask for today’s final boarding time at your first boarding. To navigate local bus stops and metro stations, check our maps and travel apps guide before setting out.

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