Songyang Academy: tickets, hours and how to visit
A Song-dynasty academy under 4,500-year-old cypresses.
Songyang Academy at a glance
A Song-dynasty academy under 4,500-year-old cypresses. Plan on 1 hour. here, plus half an hour either side for entry, security and parking.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tickets | CNY 30. |
| Opening hours | 08:00–18:00. |
| Time needed | 1 hour. |
| City | Dengfeng, China |
What to see
Three things carry this sight. If you are short on time, do them in this order.
- The two 4,500-year-old cypresses"General" and "Second General", still growing
- The lecture hallSong dynasty, where Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi taught Neo-Confucianism
- The stele corridor100+ stones, some from the Tang
Tickets and booking
How the ticket works, and what foreigners usually get wrong.
Before you buy
- Price. CNY 30.
- Booking. The cypresses are the reason to come — they were planted, by local reckoning, before the Shang dynasty, and one of them is propped up with a steel brace. The buildings are largely rebuilt; the trees are not.
- Payment. Most Chinese sights take WeChat Pay or Alipay only. Cash works at staffed windows but not at self-service machines; a licensed guide can pay on your behalf and settle with you at the end of the day.
Getting there and when to go
At the foot of Songshan, 10 minutes north of Dengfeng city, 15 minutes from Shaolin.
08:00–18:00.. The first hour after opening is the quietest — tour groups arrive around 09:30. Late afternoon gives better light but the main viewpoints start clearing people out, so shoot early if that is your priority.
Public transport reaches Songyang Academy, but connections and waiting times add up. With luggage, older travellers, or two sights in one day, a car and driver removes the guesswork.
The one thing that goes wrong
Dengfeng local note
- The cypresses are the reason to come — they were planted, by local reckoning, before the Shang dynasty, and one of them is propped up with a steel brace. The buildings are largely rebuilt; the trees are not.
Pairing Songyang Academy with
These are usually on the same day or the same trip.
Songyang Academy: questions travellers ask
Is it worth it after Shaolin?
How old are the trees really?
How booking works — three steps, itinerary before price
No deposit to get a plan, and nothing is locked in before you agree.
Send the brief
Dates, party size, how you arrive and what you want to see around Songyang Academy.
Get a route and a price
We order the stops by location and traffic, then quote per car per day with fuel, tolls and the driver included.
Confirm and travel
Only after you accept the route and the price do we assign the car and guide.
