Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) 黄山Huángshān

Why go to Huangshan (Yellow Mountain)

Huangshan is a cluster of sheer granite peaks topped with pines that grow sideways out of bare rock. Cable cars lift you from the foothills to the summit area, where stone stairways link the viewpoints and mornings often bring a sea of cloud pooling between the peaks. Spend a night on the mountain to see both sunset and sunrise.

The story

The mountain was renamed in the Tang dynasty in honour of the Yellow Emperor, the legendary ancestor said to have sought immortality here. The Ming traveller Xu Xiake is credited with saying that once you have seen Huangshan, there is no need to see any other mountain.

What to see at Huangshan (Yellow Mountain)

• Welcoming Pine 迎客松: The mountain's emblem, a pine more than a thousand years old that grows horizontally from the cliff near Jade Screen Peak, its branches reaching out as if to greet guests; it is one of the most photographed spots on the mountain.
• Bright Summit 光明顶: At about 1,860 m, the second-highest point and a junction between the front, back and West Sea areas, with 360-degree views and a classic place for sunrise or sunset.
• Beginning-to-Believe Peak 始信峰: A cluster of crags and well-known pines in the North Sea area; the name, 'beginning to believe', is said to come from the view that wins over sceptics.
• Refreshing Terrace 清凉台: A cliff-edge terrace favoured for sunrise and the sea of clouds; the Monkey Gazing at the Sea rock is also in the North Sea area.
• West Sea Grand Canyon 西海大峡谷: A deep gorge of sheer granite walls with a path along its edge and a rail cable car. It closes for winter maintenance, usually from early December to mid-March, so check dates in the cold months.

How to visit Huangshan (Yellow Mountain)

Most visitors enter by the South Gate near Tangkou, using shuttle buses to the Yuping or Yungu cable-car stations; the Taiping cable car on the north side is another way up. A common one-day route goes up by one cable car and down by the other, passing the Welcoming Pine and Bright Summit and the North Sea area. A day trip is tiring and rushed, while a night on the summit lets you see sunset and sunrise and add the West Sea Grand Canyon at a gentler pace.

How to get to Huangshan (Yellow Mountain)

Huangshan North station has high-speed trains from Shanghai, Hangzhou and Hefei. From there, buses take about an hour to Tangkou, the gateway town, where shuttle buses continue to the cable-car stations.

Where to stay

Stay in Tangkou at the foot of the South Gate for early access and plenty of guesthouses, or in a summit hotel for sunrise; Tunxi offers more choice and is the better base if you also want Hongcun and Xidi.

What to eat

• Huangshan sesame cakes 黄山烧饼: Baked sesame-crusted cakes stuffed with preserved greens and pork, found in Tangkou and around Tunxi.
• Stinky mandarin fish 臭鳜鱼: Brine-fermented mandarin fish, braised until tender; the best-known Huizhou dish.
• Hairy tofu 毛豆腐: Tofu left to grow a soft white fuzz, then pan-fried and eaten with a spicy dip.

Tips for visiting Huangshan (Yellow Mountain)

• Book a summit hotel well ahead; sunrise from Bright Summit (Guangming Ding) or Beginning-to-Believe Peak is the reason to stay up top.
• Pack light: there are thousands of steps, and many of the supplies up top still go up on porters' shoulders.
• Bring a warm layer and rain gear; the summit is far colder and wetter than the valley, even in summer.

Nearby

• Hongcun Village 宏村 20 km
  A merchant village planned in the shape of an ox, mirrored in its own pond
• Xidi 西递村 30 km
  A quieter UNESCO twin of Hongcun: flagstone lanes, merchant houses and a Ming archway
• Mount Jiuhua 九华山 50 km
  A Buddhist sacred mountain where 99 temples cling to granite peaks and mist
• Qiandao Lake 千岛湖 100 km
  A drowned mountain valley of 1,078 forested islands, an hour by train from Hangzhou
• Wuyuan Villages 婺源 100 km
  White-walled villages among yellow rapeseed in spring and red chillies in autumn

Also within 30 km: Nine Dragon Waterfall 九龙瀑 (under 10 km), Emerald Valley 翡翠谷 (under 10 km), Furong Valley 芙蓉谷 (under 10 km), East Huangshan Resort (Huangshan Tea Farm) 东黄山度假区 (10 km), Cheng Ancestral Hall, Xingcun 兴村程氏宗祠 (20 km), Xu Ancestral Hall (Dunmu Hall), Jincun 歙县许氏宗祠 (20 km).

Trips with Huangshan (Yellow Mountain)

• Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan in eight days 8 days · Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan City

On the map

Open Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• UNESCO World Heritage
• Wikipedia (Chinese)