Two-Day Classic Tour of Huangshan
After browsing travel guides for Huangshan on Ctrip, I had a clear plan for this trip. Huangshan's Lotus Peak and Heavenly Capital Peak are open on a rotating basis; this year, Lotus Peak is open. The classic two-day route for Huangshan is to take the cable car from the South Gate to Cloud Valley Temple, then hike to the summit, stay overnight, and on the second day climb Lotus Peak and descend from the front mountain, taking the cable car from Yuping Tower to the base.
At the end of the year, the Huangshan cable cars undergo rotational maintenance. During this period, the Cloud Valley Temple cable car is being serviced, so we could only go up and down via the front mountain. When I booked the tickets, the Huangshan weather forecast predicted rain almost every day, but I thought the weather on high mountains is unpredictable, so I held onto hope. However, on our first day at Huangshan, we saw thick fog and a light drizzle, with low visibility. The peculiar pines and strange rocks appeared hazy, and the distant view was a vast expanse of white—the scenery on the mountain was nearly invisible. My heart instantly sank to the valley. But then I thought, winter is the season of chilling winds and fading greenery, so I decided to simply treat it as a casual visit. At 5 p.m., we arrived at the White Cloud Hotel where we were staying. The hotel staff told us that based on real-time monitoring of Huangshan weather, it was expected to snow lightly tonight, and tomorrow we might see rime ice, a sea of clouds, and even a chance of sunrise. At that moment, our weary spirits ignited with hope again. When we arrived at Bright Summit at 6 a.m., a faint light was already appearing on the horizon, and the peaks shrouded in the sea of clouds were dimly discernible. We waited silently in the cold wind, anticipating the sunrise at 6:44 a.m. Gradually, the sky brightened, and a red glow spread slowly across the horizon. However, because the clouds were too thick, we missed the moment the sun leaped up. By then, it was fully light, and we could clearly see the rolling sea of clouds below, while distant peaks appeared and disappeared. The branches of the trees were covered with ice crystals, sparkling and translucent like jade trees and silver flowers—the rime ice scenery arrived unexpectedly. As the temperature rose, the ice crystals fell with a rustling sound, revealing the lush green of the pines and cypresses. The peculiar pines displayed myriad postures, and the strange rocks stood majestic and magnificent. On the way down after crossing Lotus Peak, we were even lucky enough to see a Buddha's halo. No wonder Xu Xiake once said: 'Among the famous mountains within and beyond the seas, none can compare with Huangshan in Huizhou. After climbing Huangshan, there are no other mountains in the world—the view is beyond compare.' This trip to Huangshan truly felt like good fortune, like a dream journey. Facing the incomparably beautiful natural scenery, we felt grateful, thankful for all that heaven has bestowed.
Itinerary: November 28th: Arrived at Huangshan North Station by high-speed rail at 10 a.m., took a bus to Tangkou in the Huangshan Scenic Area, stored luggage at the foot of the mountain, had lunch, then transferred to the scenic area shuttle to the cable car. The Yuping Tower cable car took about ten minutes to reach Ciguang Pavilion, then we toured along the route and stayed overnight at White Cloud Hotel.
November 29th: Went to Bright Summit early in the morning to watch the sunrise, returned to the hotel for breakfast, then climbed Lotus Peak and descended from the front mountain to Ciguang Pavilion, where we took the cable car down to the foot of the mountain.
Tips: The weather on the mountain is unpredictable. We bought raincoats and gloves at the foot of the mountain—these were very useful for climbing, protecting hands when gripping ropes or rough rocks.
