Longhushan in Two Days: the Danxia Cliffs and the Hanging Coffins

Longhushan is part of the China Danxia property inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2010 - the same red sandstone landform you see in the dry west, in a wetter, greener version. The cliffs run along the Luxi river and the color is the whole point: iron in the stone, oxidized red, with vegetation on every horizontal surface.

The coffins are why the site is known. More than two thousand years ago people of the Guyue culture placed their dead in caves and on ledges high on these cliffs, and a couple of hundred of them are still there. Nobody knows how they were lifted, and that is not a mystery-tourism line - proposed methods range from scaffolding to raised water levels and the argument is still open. There is a daily demonstration of one reconstruction, which is worth watching and worth watching sceptically. The other half of the day is Taoist: Shangqing and the Celestial Master's mansion are the seat of the Zhengyi lineage, whose hereditary masters have held the title since the Han, and the complex is working rather than museumified. Day two is the raft.

• Part of the China Danxia UNESCO World Heritage property, inscribed in 2010
• Hanging coffins in cliff caves, over two thousand years old and still unexplained
• A daily demonstration of one reconstruction - worth watching sceptically
• Shangqing town and the Celestial Master's mansion, held by the Zhengyi lineage since the Han
• The Luxi river by bamboo raft, with the coffin ledges seen from below
• Elephant Trunk Hill and the red sandstone islands
• Yingtan half an hour away, on the high-speed line

• Accommodation for 1 night at a 4-star or equivalent hotel, twin share, with daily breakfast
• Meals as listed in the daily itinerary (breakfast at your hotel, plus lunch and dinner as listed in the day-by-day itinerary below)
• Private air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver throughout
• English-speaking local guide (Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian or Japanese on request)
• All entrance fees for the sites listed, including shuttle buses, eco-buses and cable cars where the site requires them
• Local handling and coordination service throughout the programme
• Bottled water (2 bottles per person per day) and audio headsets where group size requires them
• Travel accident insurance for the duration of the tour

• International air tickets and any domestic flights not listed in the itinerary
• China visa or visa-free entry documentation fees
• Meals not specified in the daily itinerary and all beverages/alcohol
• Tips for guides, drivers and hotel staff (suggested USD 8-12 per person per day)
• Personal expenses: laundry, telephone, minibar, shopping
• Optional activities and any item not listed under Price Includes
• Single-room supplement if a traveller requires a room alone
• The 'Searching for Longhushan' evening show, if added
• The Xianyan via ferrata and glass walkway, if added
• The park shuttle beyond the standard route

Published: October 2026 — prices and itinerary reviewed on this date; later updates are shown in the revision note below.

Please read the notes below before you book. The park is large and the sites are far apart - we use the shuttle rather than walking between them. The raft runs in the morning, before the wind gets up.

Q: How did they get the coffins up there?
A: Nobody knows. That is the honest answer, and it is not a gap in the guide's knowledge. Proposed methods include timber scaffolding, stacking earth against the cliff, rope systems from above, and a period when the river ran higher than it does now. Archaeologists do not agree, and the daily demonstration you will see is one reconstruction rather than the answer.

Q: How old are they, and who put them there?
A: More than two thousand years old, placed by people of the Guyue culture who lived along this river before the region was absorbed into the Han world. The practice of cliff burial appears in several parts of southern China and mainland Southeast Asia, and Longhushan has one of the largest surviving concentrations.

Q: Is the raft suitable for children and older travellers?
A: Yes. The Luxi is flat water and the raft is stable bamboo poled from the stern; there is nothing to hold on to except a seat and a life jacket. It runs about forty minutes. The only requirement is being able to sit still and get in and out from a low platform.

Q: What is the Celestial Master's mansion, and is it a tourist attraction?
A: It is the residence of the hereditary Zhengyi Taoist masters, a lineage that has held the title since the Han, and it is an active religious site as well as a visited one. That combination is the interesting part: you see ritual being performed rather than re-enacted.

Q: How much walking is there?
A: Less than the size of the park suggests, because the shuttle covers the distances between sites. Within each site there is stair work - the coffin viewing platforms and the walk up to the mansion in particular. Expect four to five kilometers across two days, with the option to cut the stairs.

Q: When is the best time to come?
A: Spring and autumn. Summer on the red rock is hot and the cliffs hold the heat; winter is mild and quiet. The raft runs year round unless the river is high, in which case we substitute the upper walkways.

Q: Do I need a visa for this trip?
A: Most travellers do not. China's unilateral visa-free scheme now covers 50 countries for stays of up to 30 days, and the 240-hour visa-free transit scheme covers travellers from 57 countries entering through 65 designated ports. If you enter on 240-hour transit at Nanchang Changbei, note the stay area that applies to Jiangxi: you may move within Nanchang and Jingdezhen only, not the whole province. Check your nationality against the National Immigration Administration list before you book flights, because the scheme is reviewed and extended periodically.