We have been assisting students from all over the world as they make their initial journey to Wudang Mountain. We can assist you and offer advise on how best to made with your travel plans.
Below, you will find answers and guides through the most common pathways that students arrive here at the China Wudang Mountain Kung Fu School. If you have any further questions about travelling to Wudang feel free to contact us at wudang.kungfu@outlook.com
Travel Preparations
Making plans to travel to China and to Wudang Mountain requires only a few things. Most important, you will need a passport, a Chinese visa, flight tickets, and any clothing and items that you wish to bring.
Visa Information
All persons intending to enter The People’s Republic of China from outside countries must first have a valid passport (with at least 6 months validity) and a Chinese visa (most likely a tourist visa). We can help you with obtaining your Chinese tourist visa by providing you with an official invitation letter to hand in with your tourist visa application. Any other circumstances or special needs for visa application can be communicated to China Wudang Mountain Kung Fu School via e-mail by wudang.kungfu@outlook.com
Tourist visas can be extended here in Wudangshan Town for up to one year. After one year, foreigners are required to leave the country in order to apply for a new tourist visa. Most students who stay for more than one year simply travel to Hong Kong, Taiwan, or a neighboring country to do so.
*A SPECIAL NOTE*
Most likely when you apply for a Chinese visa, they will direct you towards applying for a tourist visa. There are occasions, however, that you will be directed towards applying for a student visa. In some instances this is fine. Although be aware that just because you are traveling with the end goal of ‘studying’ in China, this does not necessarily mean that you will or will be able to apply for a student visa. The main thing that we can provide in its place is an invitation letter. Some embassies will not accept this and will require the JW202 Form.
It is best to go into your local consulate or visa service center and clearly explain your situation as well as provide all of the required documents. They will use their own discretion as to whether you will apply for a tourist or student visa. We have students who arrive with either one. Travel once you receive the visa is identical. Just a note to be aware of as you begin if this is your first trip internationally or to China.
Vaccinations
When To Travel?
This is a very common question that comes up in making travel plans to China Wudang Mountain Kung Fu School. The weather in each season can be a big determining factor for when you want to train. While we do train all year round, we also train outdoors as often as possible. We do have indoor training facilities, but nothing beats a good practice in fresh air. You can find more information about training continues throughout the year on Daily Training page.
As far as traveling to Wudang Mountain, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, when the peak seasons are. For the Wudang Mountain Kung Fu Academy, our most busy time of the year in summertime from about the middle of May to the middle of August. This is when we ask that when you apply and make reservation for classes you do it at least three to six months in advance to ensure that place is available for you to join the school. Other times of the year, there’s generally plenty of space for travel plans, you can apply and make reservation for classes one to two months in advance.
Secondly, maybe you want to take a look at peak seasons for travel for Chinese citizens. During Chinese National Day (from October 1 to October 7 every year) and Chinese New Year (or the Spring Festival, this time of year fluctuates each year, with the typical time period being around the end of January to beginning of February), the travel points in China are very busy, thay may affect your plans. You need to purchase all your tickets well in advance.
If you have any questions or need helps, feel free to send us an email to wudang.kungfu@outlook.com
Getting To Wudang Mountain
You need to purchase the tickets on your own. There are many different routes to take to get to Wudang Mountain. From your home country, we recommend you to travel over Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou. Cheaper flight tickets and hotels than from your home country can often be found on this travelling website. From there, there’re 2 ways to get to Wudang Mountain.
By Plane
The nearest airport close to the academy is Wudangshan Airport (IATA: WDS, ICAO: ZHSY) and the pickup service costs is $30. There are a few flights daily to major ports like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing.
By Train
The nearest train station to our school is Wudangshan West Train Station/武当山西站, it will takes about 25 minutes from Wudangshan East train station to the Tourist Service Center of Wudang Mountain. Shiyan East Train Station/十堰东站 or Shiyan Train Station/十堰站 is farther and it will takes about 1 hour to Tourist Service Center of Wudang Mountain. Pick up service from Wudangshan West train station costs $15; from Shiyan East Train Station costs $35.
You can book train tickets from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Wuhan (all major international airport locations) on a daily basis with trains departing at all times of the day. There are two ways to buy a train ticket. You can just take your passport at the train station when you arrive and buy the ticket straight at the station, most likely you will just have to wait a few hours and then you will be on your way. However, this method will not work during Chinese national holidays where train tickets are completely sold out several weeks in advance.
The other option is to book a ticket in advance online, you can book on https://www.trip.com (the biggest Chinese traveling website) or on china-train-ticket.com. You can also ask a Chinese friend or the academy to help you book the train tickets. If you book a ticket in advance make sure you have at least 4 hours from your plane lands until your train departs. It takes time to get from the airport to the stations, and at the stations you need to collect your ticket at a ticket office where the line very often is long and you need to check in for your train up to 30 minutes before your departure.
Other Travel Tips
1. Make sure that you keep the Wudang Mountain Kung Fu School updated on your travel plans in case of changes. This will also ensure that someone is waiting at the train station or airport to pick you up, if requested.
2. Be aware of the Great Firewall of China. Some social media sites, like Facebook and YouTube, are blocked. If you wish to setup a VPN, it is best to do so prior to your travel.
3. Travel according to the seasons. While cloths can be bought in Wudang, larger size shoes can be more difficult to find. Make sure you come prepared with proper footwear and clothing.
4. When travelling, be sure to keep an eye on your belongings. Keep your passport, money, and other valuables on your person at all times.
Things that you may consider taking with you but that are not necessary are things like an international phone, electronic adapter if necessary, clothing that is appropriate for the season (you can purchase training clothes tailor made locally), any electronics that you will use during your trip (be sure to remember the chargers!), and possibly things like sunscreen as we spend a large portion of training outdoors (you can buy this locally but the Asian skin tone and preference may be different for international students).
Looking forward to see you here soon!