Huangshan
Introduction
Huangshan is a prefecture-level city in southern Anhui Province, named after the famously scenic Yellow Mountains that cover much of its vast geographic expanse. The city takes its name from the Chinese words for Yellow Mountain, and the range is the reason most travellers come.
The urban core was originally the city of Tunxi and is now called Tunxi District; locals still say Tunxi to distinguish the centre from the wider prefecture, which also takes in three urban districts and four counties. Expect the mountains and the town to feel like two different places.
Before you go
Huangshan is a granite massif of 36 peaks rising above 1,800 m, and its jagged granite peaks clothed in uniquely shaped pine trees have inspired Chinese painters for generations and shaped the design of many traditional Chinese gardens. The landscape is frequently shrouded in mist, so the peaks appear to float on clouds, and many carry fanciful names such as 18 Arhats Worshipping the South Sea, Lotus Flower Peak, Celestial Capital, and Paint Brush. Walking tracks and cable cars make the landscape accessible to most active travellers.
Because the mountain stands 1,800 m above sea level, it can be cold at night, and the upper parts freeze periodically in winter, leaving some paths slippery with ice, especially in the morning; the more dangerous paths are generally closed in these conditions, and vendors on the mountain sell cheap snow spikes that attach to your shoes. For over 200 days a year the top is in clouds and the scenery is hidden, though with only partial cloud cover the mountain is utterly spectacular. If you have the flexibility, plan to stay for several days or adjust your dates according to the weather forecast. Overnight, valleys around the mountain tend to collect clouds, especially after rain or snow, producing the "cloud sea" that is one of the mountain's famous scenic highlights. Watch out for ice in winter, and do not make eye contact with the monkeys.
Getting there
Huangshan is served by two railway stations. Huangshan North railway station handles high-speed trains from Beijing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Nanchang, Qingdao, Shanghai and other cities across eastern China, and is expected to grow into a larger hub as lines radiate out in several directions. Huangshan station, in the town of Tunxi, serves sleeper trains from many major eastern Chinese cities; an overnight service from Shanghai via Suzhou and Nanjing takes about eleven hours, longer than a direct bus, but it saves you a night in a hotel and gets you in with a full day ahead for the mountain, with similar timing on the return.
Huangshan Tunxi International Airport sits about an hour's drive from the base of the mountain, and the flight from Shanghai Hongqiao takes under an hour. Taxis from the airport to Laojie in downtown Tunxi are notorious for refusing the meter and quoting inflated fares, so be ready to bargain and to wait out rejections until the other passengers have gone. Frequent direct buses also run from Shanghai and Hangzhou; from Hangzhou they go either to Huangshan City, nearly two hours away, or straight to Tangkou at the mountain's tourist distribution center. Buses to Tangkou are less regular, so phone the bus station for a timetable. Buses back from Tangkou leave mid-afternoon and are closely spaced, which means the second bus is usually empty and the first may "break down" in Tunxi until the second catches up.
Getting around
Before you plan any journey, grasp that "Huangshan" means two different places: Huangshan City (historically Tunxi), the urban base in the valley, and the mountain itself, which sits some distance away. The main gateway town at the foot of the mountain is Tangkou. Most of your transport decisions will revolve around bridging that gap and moving between the stations, Tangkou, and the cable cars.
From the airport, train station or long-distance bus station, the usual route to the mountain is a bus to the tourist distribution center at Tangkou; the ride takes about an hour and passes through rural Anhui scenery. Outside Huangshan station there are plenty of small buses to Tangkou that leave frequently. From Huangshan North station, walk to the bus terminal on your right as you enter the station, where larger, less frequent tourist buses depart for the mountain — these can fill up hours in advance, the ticket desk may have long lineups, and nearly all booking is handled through a clunky, Chinese-only WeChat plugin, so allow extra time. A taxi from the airport to Tangkou is an option, with the fare depending heavily on your negotiating skills.
- Tangkou is quite walkable, and taxis are available to scenic spots around the foot of the mountain.
- A shuttle runs from Tangkou roughly every twenty minutes to the Hot Springs Area and to the two southern cable cars, the Yuping Cable Car and the Xinyungu (New Cloud Valley) Cable Car.
- You cannot go directly to the mountain entrance by taxi — only the National Express buses are allowed into the scenic area.
- Trails up the mountain start near each of the two southern cable cars, but leave from different bus stops, so check which one you want before boarding.
- The Taiping cableway ascends the north side of the mountain from Huangshan District; it is readily accessible from Huangshan North station but harder to reach from Tangkou, Tunxi and the other stations.
- Lotus Peak and Celestial Capital Peak are each typically open for five years at a time while the other closes, so check which is accessible during your visit; less-popular and more dangerous trails, including Celestial Capital Peak and the routes up from the north and northwest, are normally closed in winter.
Where to stay
Most travellers who want to see both sunset and sunrise stay overnight on the mountain itself, in the Beihai area, which is central to many of the sights. Be aware that all mountain hotels are extremely expensive, and several close in winter. The Beihai Hotel sits on top of the mountain, convenient for sunrise. The Shilin Hotel is popular with photographers and is practically covered in spectacular photos of the mountain. The Yupinglou Hotel is near the top of the Yuping cableway and the western steps, but has no view of sunrise. The White Goose Hotel, between the Yungu cableway and Bright Top, is usually the cheapest and lowest-rated on the mountain, and may offer deals at unpopular times. If you try to check into a mountain hotel without all your identity documents perfectly in order, expect to spend several hours at the well-staffed police station explaining yourself.
Down in Tangkou there are plenty of cheap hotels. The Huangshan International Youth Hostel has cheap, clean rooms with warm water and western toilets, and arranges tours that are generally good, though the food is not very good. In Tunxi, the Huangshan Old Street International Youth Hostel on Laojie is decent looking and great at helping organise transport to the Huangshan area and accommodation on the mountain.
Food & drink
On the mountain itself, food options are limited. The hotels all have restaurants, but they are expensive, and a solo traveller will find it hard to eat cheaply. Several small grocery stores sell snacks and drinks, and stinky tofu of a particularly stinky variety seems to be popular. In peak season on top of the mountain, expect to pay steeply for basics: water, beer, meat sticks, instant noodles and cucumbers all command mountain prices, so carry plenty of water with you as the price rises sharply the higher you go. Down in the town, Laojie Diyilou on Laojie is a bright, tastefully decorated restaurant that displays examples of the food so you know what you are ordering. It is not high cuisine, but it is not bad and predictable. For drinking, local beer such as Huangshan Beer is widely available.What to see and do
Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) is the main destination here, and hiking is the way to experience it. Four trails lead up the mountain: two from the south, one from the north, and one from the northwest. From the south, the more scenic "Western Steps" start at Ciguang Pavilion (Mercy Light Temple), past the Yuping cable car, while the "Eastern Steps" begin just below the Yungu cable car. The Western Steps climb roughly 14 km over spectacular terrain and take about 6–7 hours; if you are fit and have a good head for heights, the steep ascent to Celestial Capital Peak is rewarding. The Eastern Steps are easier, taking as little as 2–3 hours. In the north, a trail starts from the base of the Taiping cableway at the Songgu Forest entrance. The far more obscure but very scenic northwest route via the Fairy Bridge starts at the end of a small local road — there is no bus service or taxi there, it is not near any village, and it is sometimes closed in winter, so plan your transport in advance. If you descend by the Eastern Steps you can extend the hike to include the Nine Dragon Waterfall area (Jiulongpu) for an additional charge. Be aware that the paths are all stone steps that can leave your legs rubbery, and a long descent is not much easier than an ascent.
Once on top, several walks are possible; the walk through the West Sea is highly recommended for its stunning scenery, and this area is also reachable by a funicular railway from the top. Note that the connection between the Fairy Bridge and West Sea is closed. The trails on the mountain are generally industrial-scale stone or concrete walkways — wide and flat, with railings, often lighting, and a crew of workers clearing snow, garbage, and leaves — so this is not a trek through the wilderness. Huangshan is most famous for its sunrise and sea of cloud at dawn, though these depend on weather conditions; in the off-season the mountain can be extremely foggy in the morning. Hotel and hostel counters are typically staffed by experienced locals who can offer travel tips. One of the famous attractions is the hot springs, located above Tangkou. Nearby, do not miss the gorgeous valley covered with a bamboo forest at Zhuhai, where there are nice restaurants and rustic inns to stay in.
When to go
Huangshan is a high-altitude mountain, and cold nights, periodic winter freezing and frequent cloud cover shape what you can see and do. In winter the upper mountain freezes periodically, leaving paths slippery with ice, especially in the morning. The more dangerous paths are generally closed in these conditions, and vendors on the mountain sell cheap snow spikes that attach to your shoes. Nights are cold at this altitude, so plan for genuinely low temperatures.
At other times of year, the top of the mountain sits in cloud on the majority of days, hiding the scenery — though partial cloud cover can make it spectacular. Clouds collect in the valleys overnight, especially after rain or snow, producing the famous cloud sea. Staying several days, or shifting your dates with the forecast, gives you the best chance of a clear view.
Three days in Huangshan
Day one: Base yourself in Tunxi District in Huangshan City, where the old street of Laojie gives you a feel for the town before the mountains. Expect to arrive by air at Huangshan Tunxi International Airport, or by rail at Huangshan North, which links Huangshan with Beijing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Nanchang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou and China's wider network. Taxis and frequent buses are the usual ways onward, and buses run to Tangkou, the gateway to the Yellow Mountains. Overnight in Tunxi.
Day two: Head up into Huangshan itself, the range also known as the Yellow Mountains, in Anhui Province. Walking is how you see the celebrated viewpoints, among them the South Sea of clouds, the rock formations of Arhats Worshipping, Lotus Flower Peak, Celestial Capital and Paint Brush. Because the weather can turn quickly, watch the sky and carry layers. Overnight on the mountain or back down in Tangkou.
Day three: If you stayed up on the mountain, watch the sunrise before descending. Before you leave the region, allow time in Tunxi District for Laojie and its Chinese shops and food, then make your way to Huangshan North or Huangshan Tunxi International Airport for the onward leg to Shanghai Hongqiao or another city.