In the early part of the nineteenth century, Mogan Shan (Mògàn Shān, 莫干山) became a popular and exclusive retreat for the Shanghai elite. Today the bamboo clad slopes rising from Zhejiang plain are regaining their reputation as an escape from the noise of traffic and jackhammers and strenuous pace of the Shanghai lifestyle.
Part of the Tianmu Mountains, Mogan Shan is 60 km (37 mi) from Hangzhou and 200 km (124 mi) away from Shanghai (roughly a 3 hours drive). The village is now home to over 40 guesthouses, villas and hotels. Mogan Shan is an ideal place to catch some much-needed fresh air during weekend away from the city. The key is to book good accommodation in advance and to pack proper supplies for your stay—enough for late summer evening barbecues and wine.
Mazes of paths cross the slopes where you might stumble upon old, deserted villas. In the past several years, abandoned 1920s-30s villas have been restored into visitor accommodations and the place has generally started to pick up. But don't expect hopping nightlife—the best you're likely to get is a bit of karaoke. At the same time, the place is not so popular as to be overrun with tacky hotels and you can still bargain for a hotel room for RMB 180. Few foreign tourists come out this way. Just to note: you'll have to pay RMB 80 for a pass to get into the Mogan Shan Scenic Area. If you leave Mogan Shan and come back by the road on any day after the day you bought the ticket, expect to have to purchase a new ticket unless you can convince the guys on the gate to let you in. Be sure to bring your ticket with you wherever you go on the mountain and if you leave and intend to return the same day.
History
Like many places in China, Mogan Shan is historically steeped in legend. As the story goes, when the swordsmith, Ganjiang, arrived in the mountains, he cast and forged two swords for the Emperor of Wu. One of the main tourist spots in the area is called Sword Pond, which is supposedly the spot where the swords were made.
A little over a century ago, foreigners stumbled upon the cool, leafy breezes of Mogan Shan, where at the time rooms and houses were rented from locals. Not too long after, the news got out and a mixed batch of gentry, missionaries, foreign diplomats and businessmen pooled about 50 bucks and bought the mountain top for their own exclusive hideaway. They then set up shop in a European manner with villas, holiday homes, public halls, tennis courts, outdoor pools and churches. Many of these villas and houses have been turned into hotels and guesthouses which are operating today. Servants would often be seen shouldering their colonial masters on sedan-chairs up the mountain in the late afternoon.
By 1910, three hundred Brits and Americans had summer homes on the hill. The village had its own governing committee who decided who qualified for the exclusive enclave. Even Shanghai's notorious 1930s underworld who were running the city just as much as the foreigners spent the summer here. Mogan Shan was once a favorite spot of Du Yuesheng, Shanghai's opium gangster king of the 1930s. The villa that once belonged to Du Yuesheng is a now a hotel with a decent pub. In 1949 with the rise of the communist party, the foreigners left the mountain and their villas were given to different work units from Hangzhou and Shanghai.
During the post-colonial era, the village was host to such big name visitors as former premier Zhou Enlai who met with Chiang Kai Shek in one of the villas to strategize on how the Communists and Kuomintang could work together against the Japanese. Chiang Kai-shek built himself a massive house on the mountain top. Mao Zedong is believed to have once had a power-nap in a building which is now commemorated in the spartan Mao Museum. The main attraction of this museum is the bed where allegedly slept.
Climate
Mogan Shan's most comfortable weather occurs from March to June and September to November. Frequent rain interrupts the days from mid-June to early July. July and August bring hot and humid weather, with daily temperatures regularly soaring well above 30 º C (86 º F).
The warm days continue through September as the nights begin to cool. Winter is damp and chill, with average temperatures lingering around 0 º C (32 º F), though it rarely snows or freezes. Spring and fall see a number of blue-sky days.
Zhejiang guide | Mogan Shan flights (Hangzhou)
Mogan Shan hotels (Deqing) | Mogan Shan on the China Travel Blog
Mogan Shan has over 3000 rooms available in over 40 establishments on the mountain including villas, guest lodges and hotel chains. You can get anything from a simple bed to luxurious suites at the Radisson with massive balconies and prices range between one hundred and a couple thousand for a room. Or you can even rent an entire house. Prices are negotiable, but English is rarely spoken.
The two places that come very highly recommend are the following:
Mogan Shan Lodge was the original guest accommodation on the mountain and still is one of the favorite places to stay. The place is managed by the wife of the first foreigner to live on the mountain in fifty years.
Naked Retreats has an number of houses and bungalows varying in size. Some of their houses can sleep groups of up to 24 people. While not being the least expensive places to stay in town, these bungalows are very popular so be sure to book in advance. Naked Retreats is well-known for being eco-friendly and promoting environmental awareness.
Zhejiang guide | Mogan Shan flights (Hangzhou)
Mogan Shan hotels (Deqing) | Mogan Shan on the China Travel Blog
The village has a number of restaurants and places to get a good breakfasts to prepare for a day of hiking. The best places are generally attached to guesthouses. Many guests to the area like to self-cater and use their kitchens for barbeques.
Moganshan Lodge has the best coffee in town and a good terrace, good breakfasts, home-cooked western dinners.
The local Chinese restaurants specialize in Zhejiang's culinary delights, though they all also serve northern Chinese cuisine catering to Shanghai residents and their love of a bit of sweetness.
Zhejiang guide | Mogan Shan flights (Hangzhou)
Mogan Shan hotels (Deqing) | Mogan Shan on the China Travel Blog
To and from Mogan Shan
Train
Mogan Shan Railway Station on the Xuancheng-Hangzhou railway line is located in Wukang Town of Deqing County. The railway is about 30-minute drive from Mogan Shan Scenic Area. There are direct trains from Jinhua, Hangzhou, Tongling, Shenyang, Taiyuan and Baoji.
Bus
There are buses from Huzhou Bus Station and Hangzhou North Bus Station to Wukang of Deqing County, which is not far from Mogan Shan Scenic Area. It only takes one and a half hours from Huzhou and Hangzhou to Mogan Shan.
Zhejiang guide | Mogan Shan flights (Hangzhou)
Mogan Shan hotels (Deqing) | Mogan Shan on the China Travel Blog
For the size of it, Mogan Shan is not doing bad for the number of little cultural attractions. Obviously they are not going to be able to compete with anything from Shanghai, but if you want to spend a couple hours in between hiking and get a bit of the area's history, there are at least a few things to check out.
Museums
The Mao Museum
This is supposedly the spot where Mao took a nap once. Although rumor has it that he spent the night here, other rumors suggest that he just took a power nap. Either way, Mao did once spend a bit of time here, how many hours he snoozed for can be left to debate. Not far from the main road of Yin Shan Jie on the hilltop, is the Mao Museum. The museum is pretty bare and the main attraction is the bed where Mao slept.
White Cloud Castle (Baiyun Hotel)
The Baiyun Hotel was once the residence of a Kuomintang foreign minister, Huang Fu and where Chiang Kai-shek spent a few days on his honeymoon with Song Mei Ling, in 1927. It was also here in this museum that Chiang Kai-shek and Zhou Enlai supposedly met to discuss how the Kuomintang and the Communists might cooperate against the Japanese.
Scenic Areas
The Sword Pond
This pond is one of the main attractions and is part of the whole legend about the origins of the village. It was here the the sword smith cast and forged two swords. The Sword Pond is surrounded by walking paths and is set amongst trees, slabs of rock and little pagodas.
Qingcaotang Tea Plantation
Qingcaotang Tea Plantation is the only local plantation above 700 metres in elevation. The elevation adds flavor and value to the leaves. A pound of tea leaves costs RMB 500. The guy who runs the place, Mr. Pan, is happy to take visitors around and show them the process of tea making. If you book in advance you can also arrange to have lunch served there at the old villa.
Luhuadang Park
This place embodies the Victorian ideal of beauty, faux nature, which in these rustic surroundings seems a bit unnecessary. It is heavily manicured and a bit too perfect in its orderliness, but a nice place to visit nonetheless. While in the past the foreigners built their gazebos, they have now put in mini pagodas, in the fashion of the day. Sculptures are scattered about the grassy clearings and between the shrubberies.
Qingliang Ting
From this pagoda, there are some really lovely views across the hillside and down to the plain below. If you happen to be here on a misty day, keep in mind that you are not going to see too much.
Zhejiang guide | Mogan Shan flights (Hangzhou)
Mogan Shan hotels (Deqing) | Mogan Shan on the China Travel Blog