Huangshan Mountain — Attraction in Huangshan

We visited Huangshan mountain during the Golden Week, when it get super crowded. We started from the town of Hangkou. If you happen to stay in the town of Tangkou, give local guide and driver Simon a call. We met him by coincidence. He used to be a guide and is now providing driver service, growing up in the area he took us to some very nice places nearby. And he speaks perfect English so a great help. He made some great recommendations about the best entrance to go up Huangshan in the busy days of the Golden Week. WeChat ID cjc5626316

We wanted to hike up the western steps but Simon advised us to take the lesser known North Entrance. This was indeed much more quiet, downside is that it was 1 hour drive from Tangkou, but certainly worth it. the walk up is beautiful, but be prepared: instead of hiking you find yourself walking stairs the whole way. From the north entrance it’s about 7-8 km to walk up, and the stairs get pretty steep and and some point we were quite done with it. But the views are good.

Once up on the mountain we stayed 2 nights at XiHai hotel, situated a bit towards the north. Still at the top it’s all steps up and down, don;t expect some good hiking trails to take you off the paved paths and stairs. We tried to walk the West Sea Canyon route as we were told this is less crowded. But during Golden Week, everything simply gets crowded and the small steps and paths on this route were packed. Views again are great.

For sunrise and sunset, when it’s crowded, it actually pays to find a place that does not have a perfect view. We did a sunset at the start of West Sea Canyon, where you do not really see the sun set (it sets behind a mountain) but the colors are gorgeous and the setting is so serene compared to the hot spots where there are tons of people trying to take photo’s. We did the same for sunrise and had a nice experience this way, with more peace and quiet (if this is what you like of course. For the perfect picture you best go to a top)

We stayed 2 nights on the mountain, which was really more than enough time. We had some time to relax as well, but if you are pressed for time you...

HuangShan Mountain, or the Yellow Mountains, is named after the legendary Yellow Emperor, and is famed for its scenic beauty. The mountain is plastered with breathtaking views, heart-stopping cliffs, and filled with extraordinary examples of majestic, poetically named pine trees. Do not miss the famous 'Greeting Guest Pine' as you start from the southern entrance, right off the cable car up the mountain. What the reviews did not prepare me for were:

1. Crowds...and crowds. On a hot, humid, rainy August day, there was a 60 minute walk AFTER purchasing cable car tickets, through a guest complex, before boarding. The ride itself was 12-15 minutes. Plan at least 1.5 hours' extra queue time. There are refreshments and maps available for purchase inside the guest complex.
2. The ticketing system is confusing, especially if you do not buy them through a travel agent. There are separate ticket booths at the bus interchange for the bus ride up the mountain to the lower cable car complex, at the lower cable car complex for one way trip up plus entry fee, at the mountaintop cable car complex for the one way trip down, PLUS one at the lower cable car complex for the bus ride back to the interchange. If you reach the mountaintop cable car stations after 4:30, the service may have stopped for the day, and it's a 3 hour trek downhill....
3. The rain, fog, and mist. Maybe it was my luck. But through the 5-6 hour walk from one cable car to the other, stopping by the scenic must-haves, there was maybe a total of 15 minutes clear sky, and blinding fog otherwise. Check my pictures for what these might look like
4. Yes, majestic sights. When you can see them
5. Mountaintop hotels offer a good option when time permits - it is said that a sunrise view from the top of Huangshan will never be forgotten.
6. Lots of souvenir and snack booths.
7. Mountain trail 'sedan chairs'. Or a plastic bucket seat perched precariously on two bamboo poles carried by tiny men who seem to fly at speed through narrow mountain passes and steps. Be prepared to...

Absolutely stunning mountians. So much to say. So many ways to do this mountain. Will just say what we did. Flew in from Beijing to Huangshang kinda late. Stayed in a hostel. Early morning took 1 hour bus to Huangshan scenic area. Then took another bus to the gondola base station. Then took gondola up to yuping. Checked into yupinglou hotel. Then did the Eastern peak and got back to hotel around 5pm. Got up at 5am, watched sunrise. Back to hotel to get breakfast. Then the trail down to fairy bridge and then down to the cable car and took that back up. The walked across the central peak area and took the other gondola down. The a bus back to hangshan scenic area to another hostel.

Tip:. Mountain would take a few days to see all. Keep in mind after the second day you're going to be exhausted.

Tip 2:. There are several hotels in different areas. Planning is advised.

Tip 3:. Maps and English signs are a mess or non existant. Plan ahead. We saw probably 10 different maps with different route.

Tip 4:. Major sections of the mountain will be closed every 3-5 years for renovations. Check which peaks are open and closed.

Tip 5:. Most gondolas and cable cars close somewhere between 4-5pm. Don't get stuck walking down late after being exhausted.

Tip 6:. Lots of reviews says bring lots of food and water. I found this to be wrong. We saw a fair amount of food vendors, mainly at or near hotels selling corn on cob and Snacks and water and food relatively cheap. No need to light around 3kg of...