December 20,2022 Post by :Ruoshui Chen
Huangshan UNESCO Global Geopark - All You Need to Know BEFORE You GoLuxury Huangshan Tours, Private Yellow Mountain Tour!
" Hi Morgen, I am back to Papua New Guinea last Sunday, clearing my e-mails and catch-up works in the last two days. My apology for the late acknowledgment of the well tailored trip to Shanghai and Huangshan. We enjoyed our trip. I would like to comment you and your team for the professional arrangement. The two (2) guides namely; Jacky in Shanghai and Libby in Huangshan had done an excellent job. Please pass-on my regards to them... Jefferson Lim" » Read More
Huangshan - 黄山 , is a breathtakingly beautiful place to enjoy. The traditional villages and natural scenic delights surrounding Yellow Mountain retain their historic attraction for visitors from around the Globe. China Culture Tour offers Huangshan Highlights tours, hiking tours and side tours from Shanghai, Hangzhou or Suzhou and these can be customized to your personal requirements.
Introduction to Huangshan-Yellow Mountain
Huangshan (Yellow) Mount, Huangshan City boasts 3 districts, 4 counties and Mount Huangshan Scenery Area, have a total area of 9,807 square kilometers and a population of 1.47 million. The history of the city dates back to 2,200 years ago. In the Song Dynasty, the name of the place changed to Hui Zhou, since then successful traders and dealers have brought glory to the region. Many wealthy executives began building lavish houses in their hometowns. That is now we can see the ancient villages of Yi County and She County.
Classic Attractions in Huangshan
Hongcun Village is located in the Yixian County of Anhui Province. It is one of the representative ancient villages in the southern region of Anhui Province. First, it was built in 1131 A.D., the village now has a history of almost 1,000 years. The ancient Hongcun villagers adopted “bionics” to the design of buildings and constructed a cattle-shaped village and man-made water system that has been called, “a uniqueness of China”. The bird’s eye view of the village resembles a large buffalo perking its head and lifting its legs. This can be said as one of the wonders in the history of construction. Today, the water system, streets, folk houses and even interior arrangements of the village are completely preserved in their primitive condition from the past.
The Best Time to Visit Huangshan
The scenery in Huangshan is a feast for the eyes regardless of seasonal changes. It has a lot to offer in any weather.
Spring: If you visit Huangshan in the spring, you’ll get a change to witness the blossoming flowers in various colors, greenish-blue budding shoots of the pine trees as well as singing birds in the extending mountains.
Summer: There is a summer resort for you to stay at to avoid the scorching heat and enjoy recreational activities of all kinds. Additionally, you’ll be amazed by the strange shape of old pine trees and sea of clouds in the summer.
Autumn: The old pine trees, grotesque rock formations, red maple trees and yellow chrysanthemums in autumn won’t fail to attract visitors.
Winter: Dancing snowflakes and frosted pine trees are charming and attractive.
In Huangshan, you can appreciate the strange shape of old pine trees and grotesque rock formations on sunny days, observe the changeable sea of clouds on cloudy days, search deep into the trickling streams and splashing cascades in rainy days, watch frosted trees on snowy days and listen to resounding echoes of the pine trees from deserted valleys in windy days.
Recommended scenic areas: Tiandu Peak, Paiyun Pavilion, Feicui Valley, Welcoming Pine Trees
Gorgeous snowscape: Although the peak time for visiting Huangshan is from April to November, many visitors regard winter as the season when Huangshan is exceptionally beauty. Winter in Huangshan lasts quite long. It starts to snows as early as in October and welcomes most of its snowfalls in December, January and February, which is the best time for you to visit Huangshan in winter.
Generally, you can appreciate the snow landscape as early as in late October. If it doesn’t snow, you can still see the frosted pine trees. Sharing similarities with snows, frosts cover trees, rocks and houses, creating a world full of crystals. The frosts have more to offer as they are whiter, brighter and more magnificent than the snows.
Winter is also the season when a sea of clouds commonly seen. Sometimes, a sea of clouds linger as long as three days. However, you should notice that Tiandu Peak and Baiyun Stream are off limits to visitors in the winter.
Recommended scenic areas: Qingliang Terrace, Shixin Peak, Yuping Mansion, Guangming Peak, Feilai Rock Formation, Shuangshan Hot Spring
Climate: It rains a lot in Huangshan, so cloudy days are predominant. Its annual average temperature is 7.8℃ with most of its rainfalls from April to June. In the hot spring area that is 630 meters above the sea level, the average temperature in the summer is 25℃ and the average temperature in winter is above 0℃.
The Culture of Huangshan
The Hui (short for Anhui) culture is rich and profound. It’s one of China’s three regional cultures, particularly Tibetology, which is the study of Dunhuag and study of Anhui. It covers fields including philosophy, classics, history, medicine, science and arts.
Intangible Cultural Heritages in Anhui
Huangmei Opera
Huangmei Opera came from Huangmei, Hubei Province. It was originally known as Huangmei Tune or Caicha (tea-picking) Opera. It is now popular in Anqing City in Anhui Province, and Huangmei County in Hubei Province.
Safety and Healthcare
Sight-seeing: Sight-seeing while walking can easily distract your attention. So, to avoid injury you should follow these rules: no walking while sight-seeing and no sight-seeing while walking, along with not lingering.
Outpatient services are available in Beihai Hotel and Yuping Mansion. Stretchers are also available if you have difficulty walking down the mountain. If an emergency should happen, there is a hospital at the foot of the mountain.
Tips for Traveling
Due to historical reasons, three similar names came into being after the founding of the city, particularly the City of Huangshan (Tunxi), Huangshan District (Taiping County) and Huangshan Scenic Area (Tangkou). It’s necessary for you to distinguish the three names below:
The City of Huangshan was called Huizhou in the past. It is called Tunxi today, it’s the political and cultural center of the whole city. It is also the south gate into the city.
Shopping in Huangshan
Huangshan was a prefecture of Huizhou in the past. Thus, it boasts time-honored culture and tradition of doing business. Meanwhile, they enjoy favorable natural conditions. As a result, visitors to Huangshan cannot miss the local handcrafts or healthy specialties.
When it comes to souvenirs, the primary choice for you are Maofeng tea leaves as well as inks and ink stones (two of the four stationary treasures of the Chinese study), which enjoy a nationwide reputation.
Recreation in Huangshan
Recreational activities in Huangshan vary. Apart from enjoying the hot springs, experiencing the temple fairs by the rivers and going on a cruise in the local-style boats, you can also enjoy local special night activities have to offer, particularly to the local Hui opera performances in the newly-opened Xiangming Opera House.
A Brief Introduction to the Local Delicacies
Huangshan dishes are a part of Anhui cuisine. Anhui dishes are characterized with frying, stewing, steaming and arts of blending. They attach great importance to the time of cooking and promote original tastes. Generally, people add a lot of oil to dishes. The dishes are also rich in color.
Visitors to Huangshang should definitely taste the local special dish “fragrant mandarin fish,” which is blended with fresh or dried bamboo shoots.
You can taste local delicacies in Yanxi Street and Tunxi Old Street in Tangkou Town or in Mt. Huang.
Luxury Hotels in Huangshan
Crowne Plaza Huangshan Yucheng
Crowne Plaza Huangshan Yucheng is an international hotel in charge of InterContinental Group. Located at the heart of downtown Huangshan, the hotel is next to Xin’an River. It has enticing scenery and a favorable geographic location. It’s only a 5-minute drive to the old downtown and 15-minute drive to the airport.
Tailor-make Your Huangshan - Yellow Mountain Tours
Mt. Huangshan – The Most Famous Tourist Attraction in Huangshan
Mt. Huangshan – The Most Famous Tourist Attraction in Huangshan
Of all the notable mountains in China, Mount Huangshan, to be found in the south of Anhui province is probably the most famous. It was renamed Mt. Huangshan in 747AD in recognition of the legendary Huang Di, who was the reputed ancestor of the Chinese people and who made magic pills for immortality here.
Wu Yue (/woo-yhwere/) is the collective name given to the 5 top important mountains, namely Mt. Taishan (/teye-shan/泰山) in Shandong province, Mt. Hengshan (/hnng-shan/恒山) in Shanxi province, Mt. Huashan (/hwah-shan/华山) in Shaanxi province, Mt. Songshan (嵩山) in Henan province and Mt. Hengshan (/hnng-shan/衡山) in Hunan province. Here goes the proverb, you won't want to visit any other mountains after seeing Wu Yue, but you won't wish to see even Wu Yue after returning from Mt. Huangshan. This saying may give you some idea of the beauty and uniqueness of Mt. Huangshan. Mt. Huangshan scenic spot is featured with hiking, outdoors, adventures, natural scenery, photography, ancient culture, architecture, and relaxing.
Sunrise in the Yellow Mountain Sunrise in the Yellow Mountain
Chinese: 黄山 Huangshan /hwung-shan/
Location: Huangshan District, Huangshan City, Anhui Province
Opening Hours: 6:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Admission: CNY190 in peak season from Mar. to Nov.; CNY150 in shoulder season from Dec. to Feb.
Recommended length to visit: 2-3 days
Best time to visit: All the year round
Hightlights - the Four Wonders
Unique Pines
There are hundreds of rare pine trees in Mt. Huangshan scenic spots, which are particularly hardy, seeming to twist directly out of the smooth rock. Many old pines were named according to their appearance or some legend about them. Greeting-Guest Pine is the most well-known pine in Mt. Huangshan, as well as in China. As one of the landmarks of Mt. Huangshan, it's like a man in a respectful greeting gesture by the path, stretching out for about 10 meters (33 feet) from the sheer cliffs. Lots of Chinese hang a poster of Greeting-Guest Pine in their living rooms or restaurants as decoration to welcome their guests. It also represents a tough and tensile, lofty, and unyielding character.
Greeting-Guest Pine Greeting-Guest Pine
Odd-Shape Rocks
Odd-shaped stones can be seen almost on every peak of Huangshan Mountain. All these rocks get their names not only from the appearance but also from legend, such as Monkey Stone. Among such many odd rocks, Flying-Over Rock is one of the most famous in the Yellow Mountain. The 12-meter- (39-ft-) high rock tilts on a huge rock ledge. The contact area is very small which seems that the rock flew from the far heaven. That's the reason why it got the name "Flying-Over Rock".
Flying-Over Rock Flying-Over Rock
Seas of Clouds
Seas of Cloud contribute much to the marvelous ethereal atmosphere of the Yellow Mountain, making the peaks look like the islands seen from the sky. The whole mountain is enveloped in the misty clouds and it's as pretty as a huge ink-wash painting. You would be lucky to see this rarely seen scenery as it only occurs about 50 days a year. November to May is the best time to appreciate it, especially after rainy or snowy days, at sunrise or sunset. There are hundreds of peaks and thousands of ravines in the Yellow Mountain, but five seas of clouds are named: North Sea, South Sea, East Sea, West Sea, and the Heavenly Sea (in the middle). The three tallest peaks are Celestial Capital Peak with 1,800m, Lotus Peak with 1,873m, and Bright Top with 1,841m, which are also the best locations to see the stunning seas of clouds.
Seas of Clouds Seas of Clouds
Amazing Hot Springs
As one of the four wonders, the Hot Springs in Mt. Huangshan enjoys a nationwide reputation. It was discovered and tapped more than a thousand years ago. Gushing forth from the foot of Ziyun Peak, it has never run dry during the most severe droughts nor over flooded during excessive rain. The Hot Springs keep an average temperature of around 42℃ (105℉) averagely all year round. Taking a bath in hot spring while appreciating the wonderful natural landscapes will not only refresh your body and mind but also relax you from the fatigue of hiking. There is a tale that Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor), the earliest ancestor of the Chinese nation, used to refine his elixir in Yellow Mountain for he bathed in the hot spring and he rejuvenated and became young.
Hot Spring in Huangshan Hot Spring in Huangshan
Highlights - the Main Scenic Areas in Mt. Huangshan
Yellow Mountain can be divided into 6 main areas:
Beihai Scenic Area (North Sea Scenic Area),
Songgu Scenic Area (Pine Valley Scenic Area)
Yungu Scenic Area (Cloud Valley Scenic Area)
Yuping Scenic Area (Jade Screen Scenic Area)
Baiyun Scenic Area (White Cloud Scenic Area)
Hot Spring Scenic Area
Stone Monkey Watching the Sea Stone Monkey Watching the Sea
Best Time to Visit Mt. Huangshan
We generally recommend to tour Mt. Huangshan scenic area from April to November within the peak season with the comfortable climate. But actually, each of the four seasons on Huangshan Mountain has its distinct beauty and respective natural landscapes. See more on: How to Plan a Trip to Yellow Mountain / Huangshan
Spring (March - May): Fresh greenery, blossoming wildflowers and bird singing
Summer (June - August): Fresh greenery and blossoming wildflowers
Fresh greenery and blossoming wildflowers Autumn (September - November): Colorful trees, gray rocks, red maples and yellow chrysanthemums
Colorful trees, gray rocks, red maples and yellow chrysanthemums Winter (December - February): Snow-white mountains and frosted pines.
It won’t disappoint you any time during the year to take a trip to the Huangshan Mountain. Remember to avoid Chinese public holidays such as the National Day from Oct 1 to Oct 7, for a less crowded sightseeing environment.
Spring in Huangshan Spring in Huangshan
Transportation to Huangshan from Nearby Cities
You’re suggested going to Huangshan City first by plane, train or bus. Then take a bus from the city to the Yellow Mountain which takes about 1 hour.
From Shanghai (400 km)
By Air – the fastest way: 1 hour; daily departure from and to Shanghai.
By Bullet Train – the popular way: 3 hours; There are totally 14 bullet trains available from 8 am to 7 pm, 2 trains departing from Shanghai Railway Station and 12 from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station.
By Long-Distance Bus (the economy way but not recommended): 6.5 hours; 2 direct buses departing at 08:37 am and 09:37 am from Shanghai South Bus Station, and 1 direct bus departing at 07:40 am from Shanghai (Main) Bus Station.
From Hangzhou (230 km)
By Bullet Train (Recommended): 1.5-2 hours; There are over 25 bullet trains available from Hangzhou East (Dong) Railway Station to Hangzhou North (Bei) Railway Station, running from 6:50 am to 9:30 pm.
By Bus: 4 hours; 1 direct bus from Hangzhou West (Xi) Bus Station at 09:50 am and 1 direct bus from Xiaoshan Bus Station at 07:20 am.
The Bullet Train The Bullet Train
From Nanjing (350 km)
By Bullet Train (Recommended): 3-5 hours; There are 5 bullet trains available from Nanjing South (Nan) Railway Station to Huangshan North (Bei) Railway Station, running from 7 am to 4:20 pm.
By Bus: 5 hours; 2 direct buses to Huangshan City and 2 to Mt. Huangshan Scenic Area, running from 7:30 am to 3:40 pm.
Nearby Attractions
Hongcun (/hong-tswnn/) Village
Hongcun Ancient Village, close to Mt. Huangshan Scenic Area and about 70 km the northwest of Huangshan City, is a very photogenic village in Yixian County. It has landed a place in the World Heritage List for its long history, beautiful scenery and well-preserved buildings dating over 900 hundred years. Walking through the narrow streets, you can visit many historic residences with antique furniture and beautifully carved wooden doors and archways. Famous attractions include Chengzhi Hall, Southern Lake (Nanhu) Academy, Moon Pond, etc.
Huncun Village Huncun Village
Tunxi (/twnn-sshee/) Old Street
If you arrive in Huangshan too late to go to Mt. Huangshan Scenic Spot, there are some decent hotels to choose from. Located in the downtown Huangshan, Tunxi Old Street is a well-preserved ancient and bustling pedestrian shopping street. It offers visitors the chance to take in the ancient architecture and maybe buy some tea or other local products from the shops that line the streets.
Tunxi Old Street Tunxi Old Street
Related Tours
Huangshan UNESCO Global Geopark - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
This is my second time I visited Huangshan. Allow me to share my experiences with you.
Accomodation:
There are 3 areas for accomodation:
1. Tunxi 屯溪 - This is downtown Huangshan city, a regional transport hub with airport, train & bus. Most happenings here, with lots of accommodations and amenities. However, Tunix is 65 km or 1.5 hours to Huangshan Scenic Area.
2. Stay at Mountain Summit - This is highly recommended for those who wishes to view sunrise and sunset. As expected, there are limited hotels on the summit and they are much pricier.
3. Tangkou 汤口 - A little town right at the southern base of the mountain. There are decent hotels, restaurants and convenience shops here. Main advantage is you are 1.5 hours ahead of those tour groups starting from Tunxi. This is my option.
Transportation:
Depending on where you come from, my recommendation is to take the high speed train to Huangshan North Station 黄山北站. If you come from Shanghai like me, high speed train has only 2 departures to Huangshan North at 08:42hr & 1807hr. I studied the high speed train map and noted that Shangrao is a great transit point. There are many regular trains if you break the journey into 2, ie from Shanghai Hongqiao to Shangrao, and then from Shangrao to Huangshan North. Ensure you have at least 30 mins to connect the trains at Shangrao.
Upon arrival at Huangshan North station, turn left & walk 200m to Huangshan Tourism Passenger Transport Hub 黄山旅游客运枢纽 to take bus to Huangshan Scenic Area South Gate Tangkou 汤口. I managed to catch the last bus departing at 19:50hr. Bus fare 20rmb, 50 mins ride. If you arrive later, there are many taxis around.
Explore Huangshan:
Huangshan Scenic Area can be broadly divided into 3 main regions:
1. The Eastern Steps or Back Mountain 后山, served by Yungu Cable Car 云谷索道. One can hike up from the base which requires about 2 hours.
2. Western Steps or Front Mountain 前山, served by Yuping Cable Car 玉屏索道. Hiking up from base requires 3-4 hours.
3. West Sea Grand Canyon 西海大峡谷, served by Taiping Cable Car 太平索道 which is at Huangshan North Gate 西海大峡谷北入口. There is also a monorail that connects West Sea valley 谷底 to Tianhai 天海, which is in Western Steps region.
Day 0
This is primarily my transportation from Shanghai to Huangshan as mentioned above. At Tangkou, I stayed in Baichuan Hotel for this trip and Chengjin Hotel for my previous trip. Please see my separate review if interested.
Day 1 Exploring The Eastern Steps and Western Steps
There were 3 of us. We started early at 07:30 hr to beat the crowd. First, we headed to the bus station & purchased a bus ticket to Yungu Cable Car Station. Bus fare 19rmb, plus 3rmb compulsory insurance. Ensure you take the bus heading to correct cable car station. Bus ride about 20 mins, through winding road. After alighting the bus, just follow the sign to the ticketing office. We purchased the entrance ticket 230rmb and cable car ticket 80rmb. I was glad the queue was short and I was almost walking through to take the cable car. Cable car ride is about 10 mins.
We were blessed with great weather in the morning. After exiting the cable car, I could witness the beautiful sea of clouds, against the clear blue sky. We covered the Eastern Steps region for my entire morning, as follows:
Beginning to Believe Peak 始信峰 -> Black Tiger 黑虎松 -> Beihai 北海 -> Refreshing Terrace 清凉 -> Monkey Watching the Sea 猴子观海 -> Lion Peak 狮子峰 -> Unity Pine 团结松 -> Xihai 西海 -> Cloud Dispelling Pavilion 排云楼 -> Flying Over Rock飞来石 -> Bright Top Peak 光明顶, which is in the Western Steps region.
From Bright Top Peak, we headed to Tianhai 天海. At 1300 hr, we had a quick lunch at a restaurant near Baiyun hotel, which is in Tianhai area. Restaurant food is ok, except much pricer, as expected. We continued hiking the Western Steps region at 1330 hr, as follows:
Tianhai 天海 -> Turtle Peak 鳌鱼峰 -> Hundred Steps Ladder 百步云梯 -> Lotus Pavilion 莲花亭 -> Welcoming Guest Pine 迎客松 -> Base 老道口 of Celestial Capital Peak 天都峰.
It was already 1530 hr when we were at the base. I checked with the locals and realised the Yuping cable car station 玉屏索道 stops selling ticket by 1630 hr. It was too late to hike up Celestial Capital Peak. As such, we decided to climb the next day. we then headed to Yuping cable car station, bought the ticket, 90rmb, 10 mins ride down. Finally, we took the bus back to bus station, fare 19rmb.
Day 2 Exploring Celestial Capital Peak 天都峰 & West Sea Canyon 西海大峡谷
At 7:30 am, we headed to the bus station, purchased ticket (19rmb) to Yuping Cable Car 玉屏索道. Note bus ticket is exactly the same, just ensure you are heading to Ci Guang 慈光 (Merciful Light) instead of Yungu.
After cable car ride, we had to repeat the hike first to Welcoming Guest Pine 迎客松 -> Base 老道口 of Celestial Capital Peak 天都峰. Climbing the peak was challenging as the steps were steep. I was glad I brought along gloves, as I needed to hold on to the side ropes and chains for safety as well as pulling myself up. We took about 40 mins to climb to the first peak. Be extra careful at the top, as one is walking along the narrow ridge. We spent about 20 mins resting as well as taking lots of photos. We hiked another 10 mins to the higher peak and spent another 20 mins there. Hiking down is much easier, though tough on the knees. I recommend to walk sideway down for safety and less strain for the knees. 30 mins is sufficient to get down to the base.
After Celestial Capital Peak, we headed to Tianhai and took the monorail down to West Sea Grand Canyon. This is the most expensive ride, 100rmb for 4 mins, what day light robbery! Monorail ended at the canyon valley 谷底. From then on was a long, steep and challenging uphill climb, covering the Second Ring 二环, then First Ring 一环 and finally arriving at Pai Yun Pavilion 排云亭. We were the only ones climbing uphill, as other travelers were going downhill. We spent 2 hours to complete this hike. FInally, we took the Taiping cable car 太平索道, ticket 90rmb, down to the base of the mountain.
There was no more bus back to town around 1620 hr. As such, we took a tout cab, 120rmb for the 3 of us. Cab took more than an hour to bring us back to Tangkou, really worth it compared to the monorail. This ended our 2 days hike in Huangshan. We enjoyed the views and was thankful for beautiful weather.
Some tips and additional comments after my trip:
1. Entrance ticket is valid for 3 days. As such it is recommended to visit 2 full days if time permits.
2. Food and drink are expensive at the mountain top. For the budget conscious, suggest to pack your own picnic lunch, snacks and lots of water. Else travel light but pay more for food and drinks.
3. As mentioned earlier, the cable car stations stop selling ticket after 1630 hr. Hence time yourself and ensure you do not miss the last cable car, unless you plan to walk down. By then, you may have problems taking the bus back to town.
4. Toilet facilities are available in the scenic area but bring along tissue papers.
5. As English is not commonly used, have all your places, hotels, train/bus stations, etc printed in Chinese to facilitate asking for directions.
6. Maps and direction signs, with English translations, are placed at many spots, hence it is quite easy to navigate around. However, there are some split points without direction signs. Always ask around if not sure.
7. The crowded areas are the Tianhai, Beihai and Welcoming Guest Pine. If you walk 100m away, the noise level drops drastically.
8. For West Sea Grand Canyon, I strongly recommend to do the opposite direction as mine, ie take a cab to Taiping cable car station, take cable car up. Then it is all downhill starting from first ring to second ring. Finally take the monorail up to Tianhai, which is in Western Steps region.
9. If you are generally fit, I highly recommend to hike up Celestial Capital Peak. The reward is an awesome view of the surroundings if the weather is good.
10. If you have only 1 day, I suggest that you cover the more popular and beautiful Eastern Steps and Western Steps regions.
11. I took a photo of Huangshan map, with Chinese and English names, altitude and estimated time to cover certain sections. I have posted here, which may be useful for your planning.
If you find this post helpful in planning your trip, kindly click "Helpful". Thanks so much.
