Can I reach the South Peak of Mt. Hua without having to take a more dangerous route?

Yes, you can reach south peak without dangerous route. There are safety routes you can choose.

If you taking the cable car, trust me, there is no dangerous section in hiking among peaks.

Among peaks, there is no cable car available, and the route is easy. Don’t worry, you are ok with that.

Allright, thanks!
And what should I do if I wanted to hike up the mountain, see all the peaks and go back down with a cable car, which route can I take?
How many routes can I choose from to hike up and where do they take me?
And how long would that take us?

There are two routes to go up the mountain. One is the normal route, which start from Yuquan Temple. In this route you will fully feel the charm of the mountain. And the first peak you will arrive is the Middle Peak. It needs about 5 – 7 hours. Another is the route of Zhiquhuashan. One needs to take shuttle bus (for free) from the Tourist Center to reach the entrance. There one may needs about 2-3 hours to go up, and one will first arrive in the North Peak. The time mainly depends on your body condition.

Most people would choose the normal route (from Yuquan Temple), which takes longer time but have better views. Thus the route should be Middle Peak – East Peak (Sun rising) – South Peak – West Peak. From the West Peak, you can take the cable car to go down. It needs about 20 minutes. Highly recommend you explore the cable car. The mountain view from the cable car is really splendid.