Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone tickets run 145 RMB (low season) to 169 RMB (peak), plus 30 RMB for the electric buggy. Hours: 8:00am-5:30pm, last entry 4:00pm. Arrive right at the 8:00am opening — before 9:30am, almost every site is empty; tour groups roll in after 10. The park stretches about 3km north to south; plan 4-5 hours combining walking and the buggy.
Must-sees: ① Bu'er Gate (entrance, photo op); ② Gold and Jade Guanyin (world's first gold-and-jade Guanyin statue, over 100kg of gold); ③ Nanshan Temple (main temple for worship and incense); ④ Guanyin of the South Sea (108m, three-faced, unmissable); ⑤ Cihang Pudu Garden (landscaped). You can take an elevator into the lotus petals of the sea Guanyin — free, but expect queues.
Vegetarian food: Yuanqi Lou inside the park is the signature experience (80-120 RMB/person à la carte, 98 RMB buffet). Most popular dishes: Luohan Zhai (arhat vegetables), vegetarian fish, and "Beggar's Pork" (soy-based, almost indistinguishable from the real thing). À la carte recommendations: vegetarian char siu buns, vegetarian roast goose, vegetarian Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Peak dining is 11:30am-1pm — go before 11 or after 1. Nanshan Village outside the park has cheaper farmhouse vegetarian food but plain flavors.