Mount Hua's Granite Spine

One of China's five sacred Taoist mountains, Huashan is a cluster of five granite peaks an hour east of Xi'an by high-speed rail. It's famous for sheer drama — near-vertical stair sections, knife-edge ridges, and the notorious plank walk: a footwide line of boards bolted to a cliff face (harnessed) below South Peak. Take the cable car to North Peak to save your legs, then ridge-walk between the peaks; East Peak is the classic sunrise spot. It's a long, strenuous day — go in good weather, bring layers, and start early to beat both crowds and cloud.