Dailuoding sits on a small bump in the ridge directly opposite Taihuai, reached by 1,080 stone steps cut into the hillside or, less penitentially, by cable car from the riverbed. The climb is steep but not long — most reasonably fit walkers manage it in under an hour. At the top is a modest temple compound built up in the Ming dynasty, with a main hall, a few side shrines, and a wide terrace that gives the single best view of the central Taihuai valley.
The view is the reason most visitors come. From the front terrace the whole monastic complex is laid out below — the bell-shaped Great White Pagoda, the long axial roofs of Xiantong, the imperial yellow tiles of Pusading — with the five terraces of Wutaishan rising behind. Climb in the late afternoon for the warmest light, but be ready for sharp drops in temperature as the sun sets over the western ridge.