Climbing Huangshan on the May Day Holiday
In China's best-selling elementary school textbook 'Chinese', there is an article titled 'The Strange Stones of Huangshan'. Its beautiful and vivid writing makes young readers desperately want to experience it in person. Our little reader had been catching fish at Yuliang Dam the day before, but upon hearing that there were still tickets available for Huangshan the next day, insisted on going.
We set off from She County at 6 a.m., and about 45 minutes later arrived at the Tangkou Huangshan Transfer Center parking lot. We then took the Xinguo Bus Line (fare 19 yuan) to enter the mountain from the South Gate. Passing through Tangkou Town, I couldn't help but marvel at the tremendous changes over the past decade—both sides of Tangkou Bridge are now dominated by chain hotels. The mountain road has many switchback turns, so young readers prone to motion sickness need anti-nausea precautions.
We got off and walked to the Yungu Temple Cable Car Station. Don't hesitate—the cable car is the only choice for most people; professionals can skip it. After exiting the cable car at Bai'e Ridge, you can either go to Bright Summit as a token effort and return, or challenge yourself by completing the full loop. Our route was: Shixin Peak - Black Tiger Pine - Beihai - Xihai Hotel - Cloud-Dispelling Pavilion - First Loop & Second Loop - West Sea Grand Canyon - Internet-Famous Mini Train - Tianhai - Bright Summit - (gave up Lotus Peak) - Hundred-Step Ladder - Greeting Pine - Yuping Cable Car Station - descent. This can be considered a classic route. The Internet-famous mini train is the West Sea Grand Canyon cable car. Since the weather was clear and Huangshan had not a wisp of cloud or mist, it didn't look as ethereal, but spending 100 yuan for 2 minutes on the 'most expensive train in China' was an interesting experience.
Along the way we saw many scenic spots: the Immortal Pointing the Way, the Brush Tip Blooming with Flowers, the Flat Peach Stone, A Thread of Sky, and more. Our little reader was very happy. Special reminder about the Hundred-Step Ladder: if you are going in the opposite direction to ours, it might be quite intense. We were climbing up, so the nearby cliffs and nearly vertical stone steps could be ignored, but if you are going down — I have a fear of heights and don't want to think about it.
Aoyu Peak was closed, but Lotus Peak was accessible (open until 16:00, so you must plan your time well). Unfortunately, by the time I climbed there, I had already 'offered my knees' to Huangshan—my will was there but my body wasn't, so I felt a bit regretful. By the way, for those who don't usually exercise, it's advisable to buy a trekking pole—it's better than being carried out in a sedan chair... When I reached Bright Summit, my knees couldn't take it anymore, so I bought an adjustable trekking pole for 40 yuan—a fair price. Also, water on the mountain costs 10 yuan, ice cream 25 yuan, and noodles/rice are pricier at 75 yuan. These are all carried up by porters on shoulder poles, one load at a time. I happened to see a porter carrying 200 jin (100 kg) of bed sheets to Xihai Hotel, moving faster than us.
Bright Summit and Greeting Pine were two crowded spots, especially the commercial area halfway up Bright Summit, where you can replenish supplies and buy souvenirs. Bright Summit is the second highest peak of Huangshan and houses a weather station; Lotus Peak is the highest. In my opinion, Bright Summit is better viewed from a distance.
After completing the loop, we reached Yuping Cable Car at around 5 p.m. Why is it called 'Yuping'? You'll understand when you get there. The scenery along the two cable car lines is strikingly different—this reflects the variety and multifaceted nature of Huangshan. Then we took the shuttle bus out of the mountain to the final stop. Our little reader said she was very tired but very happy; the adult reader complained that her legs hurt badly. The next day, the little reader was still bouncing around, while the adult reader didn't want to get out of bed.
Climbing Huangshan on a clear day is relatively comfortable, but you miss the dreamy feeling of mist and clouds. It's more suitable for a safe family trip. Due to the epidemic this year, the number of visitors was much lower; on the day we entered, there were fewer than 10,000 tourists, and there was no queue anywhere—a very good experience.
A decade has passed, and Huangshan remains Huangshan, but I am truly getting old...
