Wondrous Huangshan: A Universe in One Mountain, Twelve Hours of Zen
Do you know where Huangshan lies?
During the Cambrian period 600 million years ago, it was once a vast ocean.
After millions of years of crustal movement and nature’s sculpting,
it became the mountain peaks that now reach into the clouds.
With clouds and mist as companions, pine-covered peaks standing tall, wild and untouched,
the unique Eastern aesthetic of landscape is
perfectly embodied in Huangshan.
A year later, at the start of summer, I climbed Huangshan again.
Though it was an ordinary journey packing a bag for a distant place,
it became a journey of self-discovery.
You may have seen or stayed in many hotels, but do you know that at Huangshan, a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site, there are hotels near all the attractions where you can watch sunrise and sunset? What is their butler service like? By a stroke of luck, at Huangshan's Beihai (North Sea), I had the opportunity to set aside my tourist identity and become a Huangshan local, working as a butler for a day at Yunji Mountain Lodge, experiencing a day in the life of a Huangshan person.
Arriving here, I first handed over basic work content and matters with the head butler of Yunji, changed into the butler's uniform, and my butler time officially began! As a boutique guesthouse at Huangshan Beihai, Yunji follows a bamboo and wood structure both in architecture and room design, simple and natural. Full underfloor heating and solid wood furniture ensure comfort and warmth even on the mountaintop. BOSE speakers, and a leg massager thoughtfully placed in the room to relieve tired legs from mountain climbing—every seemingly casual corner reflects Yunji’s careful consideration.
As a newly appointed butler, I learned basic bed-making and room item arrangement. All these little details were something I never appreciated as a tourist. Being able to make guests feel at home through the placement of various items and facilities in such a modest guesthouse space was my biggest takeaway from this task.
To fully experience the life of a Yunji butler, we had lunch with the head butlers in the staff canteen. Simple vegetables, meat, and egg soup—plain but delicious. The head butlers chatted with us about trivial matters in life and work, making me feel as if I truly blended into this environment and became a real Huangshan local.
After lunch and a short rest, we set off to the Cloud Valley Cable Car to welcome the guests checking in that day. On the way, the butler accompanying me said that such a warm pick-up service gives guests a sense of “ceremony.” I kept thinking about what this ceremony really is. I think it might be an attitude—as a butler, it is meticulous care for the guests. Doing your best to meet guests' needs, tailoring services to their “food, clothing, living, and travel,” creating a homey feeling for every unique guest.
In fact, the sense of ceremony in life is like this: enjoying flowers in spring and listening to rain in autumn. If the wind blows outside, gently close the window, pick up a book, and warm yourself inside. If the sky is overcast, enjoy a cup of hot tea with the grey sky and watch the fish. Treat every ordinary detail with care, and the sense of ceremony in life will naturally come.
The one-day experience passed very quickly. After we sent the guests to Yunji Guesthouse, our work as intern butlers for the day was completely over. From setting off to Cloud Valley Cable Car to picking up the guests, it took about two to three hours, with over forty minutes of walking on steps alone. Although I helped carry luggage and backpacks, on the way back, someone kept talking to me about his impression of Huangshan. As a butler, I warmly introduced him to the latest activities and sunrise/sunset guides. When I heard him say, “Your Yunji butlers are really great,” my physical fatigue instantly vanished.
I remember when I came to Yunji last year, I was a guest. That was my first contact with Yunji, and my first impression was deep. I recall that Huangshan Yunji: the character “亼” means “to enter and one,” three united, shaped like three united, anciently the same as “集” (gather). The name “Yunji” comes from: first, it was a happy dwelling place for ancient wanderers who loved clouds; second, it is an excellent viewing spot for the sea of clouds at Huangshan; third, it is a main gathering place for Huangshan tourists; fourth, it wishes that Huangshan Yunji guests come like flowing clouds and feel at home.
A year later, coming here again, gathered with a new group of friends due to our love for Huangshan, “Those with the same aspirations are not separated by mountains and seas.” Now I think the guesthouse choosing the name “Yunji” is truly wonderful. Not only do tourists gather here because of their love for the guesthouse itself, but also every butler and every guest connect by fate on this blessed land. And I, as an intern butler with a new identity, had a dialogue with my past self as a tourist. Over this year, there has been growth and change. This unique butler experience not only deepened my impression of Huangshan but also gave me a deeper understanding of the meaning of travel. Perhaps on my next trip, I won’t just visit scenic spots and take tourist photos; instead, I’ll make the hotel a travel destination and experience different scenery from a more humanistic perspective.
In Beihai Scenic Area, there is also the Huangshan Shilin Hotel, backed by Lion Peak at an altitude of 1630 meters. We also experienced the butler activity here. Unlike other hotels, Shilin Hotel is a photography-themed hotel. As a photography enthusiast, I have a special feeling for this place.
Little lion sculptures can be seen everywhere, lively and full of spirit.
The butler here has a very nice name—Little Lion. As Little Lion butlers, we need to welcome guests in front of the hotel’s iconic lion sculpture, lead them to visit our photography gallery, appreciate the wonderful works photographed by photographers in Huangshan over the years, and then guide them to check in.
Coming to Huangshan, you definitely want to watch the sunrise. And with its absolute geographical advantage, Huangshan Shilin Hotel’s Little Lion butlers also have a special service: taking guests to Beihai to watch the sunrise in the morning. The hotel rooms are equipped with thick jackets, and it takes just over ten minutes to walk to the sunrise spot—both convenient and thoughtful. In addition, the hotel holds photography sharing sessions in the evening, where local photographers share excellent works and shooting tips, patiently guiding tourists on mobile photography techniques. Such a stay experience is truly a great value.
You may have seen many travel guides for Huangshan, with detailed descriptions of food, clothing, accommodation, and main attractions. But for me, Huangshan offers more than that. This time, I want to start from the twelve two-hour periods of Huangshan, to let you experience the myriad Zen of Huangshan.
| First • Seeing Mountains as Mountains |
People often say that a trip to Huangshan without seeing the sunrise is incomplete, because the sunrise at Huangshan is not just the sun emerging from the mountaintop, but the magnificent golden dawn slowly rising from the dreamy sea of clouds. So we put on coats before 4 a.m., stepped into the faint morning light, and waited at Monkey Gazing at the Sea, quietly waiting for that first light. The twelve two-hour periods of Huangshan begin here.
There are many spots to watch sunrise in Huangshan: Yuping Tower for the front sea, Cooling Pavilion for the back sea, Paiyun Pavilion for the west sea, Bright Summit for the sky sea. Besides, spring and winter have the highest probability of sea of clouds. You can ask the hotel butler for the specific sunrise time. In short, a perfect Huangshan sunrise is rare and not to be taken for granted. Around 5 a.m., the sky was not clear; thick clouds obscured the distant sunlight, lingering. Just as everyone was feeling dejected, thinking we had missed it, the distant sky gradually brightened. The sun slowly rose until it reached a thin patch of clouds, and suddenly golden light spread, illuminating the layered peaks.
Although the sea of clouds was not as grand as we had hoped, I heard that many people climb Huangshan six or seven times without seeing a decent sunrise. At this moment, the golden radiance before me made me feel incredibly lucky. I picked up my camera and snapped away—the faint sea of clouds, the indigo peaks, the awakening Huangshan pines, the azaleas bathed in morning light—not wanting to miss a single detail of the beginning of a day at Huangshan.
When everything before me was enveloped in golden light, for the first time I truly felt the charm of the word “dreamlike” in “Dreamlike Huangshan.” Then I understood why literati and painters through the ages have been so captivated by it, and why Xu Xiake could utter such extreme praise: “Having climbed Huangshan, no other mountain is worth seeing.” Because Huangshan deserves it.
Waiting for sunrise always feels long, but the moment the sun leaps out of the clouds, in an instant everything in the world seems to open its sleepy eyes; flowers bloom, clouds scatter, and everything changes from hazy obscurity to clarity and warmth.
Walking down from Monkey Gazing at the Sea for about ten minutes, you can see another famous spot at Huangshan Beihai—Brush Pen with Blooming Flower. The golden morning light outlines the beautiful mountain shapes, and the nearby leaves seem to sparkle as if lit up. Layers of mountains alternate between reality and illusion, creating a dreamlike Huangshan that is more than that.
When the warm morning light gradually melts into the bright sunlight, it is replaced by a cheerful clear sky. The strange pines, one of Huangshan’s five wonders, are now fully visible—on mountaintops, cliffs, and crevices, everywhere Huangshan pines stand tall and firm. Some say that Huangshan’s strange rocks would not be world-famous without the contribution of Huangshan pines. The evergreen pines selflessly adorn the strange rocks through all seasons, together forming the diverse and stunning scenery of Huangshan.
As Huangshan has rain for more than 200 days a year, this clear day made us extremely happy. The distant mountains changed from the blue-black of sunrise to indigo blue, and the unique texture of granite became clearer, truly like a scattered-perspective landscape painting unfolding before my eyes. No wonder there is a unique local style of “Huangshan School” in Chinese landscape painting; Lotus Peak, Heavenly Capital Peak, Bright Summit, and West Sea are all sources of inspiration for artists. Even now, looking at Shi Tao’s “Huangshan Picture,” I seem to resonate with him, experiencing the ethereal purity among those peaks and valleys.
Walking upwards, the scenery kept changing. Strange rocks in various postures look one way from the front, another from the side or back. Sometimes a different angle reveals a different beauty.
Just as in life we meet all kinds of people, while walking on Huangshan we always encounter various strange peaks and rocks. For example, the picture below looks like a person’s profile, and the second one looks like a finger-pointing immortal. But as I passed, I heard a guide saying the rock looks like a mobile phone with an antenna on top. I smiled knowingly—even the names of rocks must keep up with the times!
Finally, I arrived in front of Yuping Tower. The Welcoming Pine, standing on a dangerous peak at 1600 meters, was lush and thriving. For countless people, it is a must-visit spot. This time, on such a fine morning, I finally saw its true face. Looking at the inscriptions on the cliff by famous figures throughout history, I couldn’t help but think of Xu Xiake’s words: “After seeing the Five Sacred Mountains, I no longer care about other mountains; after seeing Huangshan, I no longer care about the Five Sacred Mountains.”
Seeing the sea of clouds churning, the sky suddenly darkened. Mist rose, and a rain of Huangshan was coming.
/ At this moment, the mountains are still, the clouds are flowing. Clouds embrace mountains, mountains lean on clouds. I am as delighted as meeting Huangshan for the first time. Seeing mountains as mountains, seeing clouds as clouds /
The universe vast, but this one Huangshan; the world is confusing, all phenomena return to one. After the mist, accompanied by a drizzling mountain rain, Huangshan seemed like another illusion. Though I knew I was among thousands of peaks and pines, I saw no single mountain; it felt as if I had merged with Huangshan. I could only hear the rain, smell the unique mountain air, and hear the occasional birdsong.
One pine, one arhat; one pine, one practice. One rock, one monk; one rock, one prajna.
One peak, one Sumeru; one peak, one reincarnation. One cloud, one lotus seat. One cloud, one freedom.
The Huangshan pines in the rain and mist seemed like ink diffusing in the air, falling vertically before the eyes, or scattering in a swirl of mist. Using thick to break thin, between thick and thin changes in an instant. Staring for a long time, I felt I had forgotten time.
The mountain birds were not afraid of people at all, leisurely strolling on the bluestones to find food. The scene described as “Birds holding flowers fall before the blue cliff” is exactly what I saw here!
/ At this moment, seeing mountains but not seeing mountains; everything is covered by the hazy misty rain. I can only imagine the hidden scenery: a lone peak standing tall or clustered peaks—but the ever-changing mist won’t let me piece together a complete picture /
Just like “a village amid willows and blossoms,” I had no illusions about this rainy and foggy weather, but at this moment, the sun was gradually breaking through the overcast sky. The light seemed to find its direction, piercing through the layers of mist to dispel the gloom in the mountains, faintly revealing fragments of peaks. I knew a magnificent sunset awaited us.
If waiting for sunrise only brings a dozen minutes of golden surprise, then Huangshan’s sunset is a moving landscape that cannot miss a single second. We climbed up the steps, and at almost every turn, we could glimpse distant mountains through the gaps of Huangshan pines—one peak, two peaks, half-hidden, now appearing now disappearing—I couldn’t help clicking the shutter frantically.
After more than half an hour of climbing, we finally reached Bright Summit just before the grand sunset, an excellent spot for viewing. Besides, Paiyun Pavilion, Flying Rock, Monkey Gazing at the Sea, Lion Peak, etc., are also places to watch sunset. However, due to limited capacity, Bright Summit is the best choice. At that time, the western peaks were already wrapped by the sea of clouds; many tourists had been waiting here for a long time to witness the sunset of the number one wonder mountain.
The golden sunset shone on the stele of Bright Summit, while distant Lotus Peak was also bathed in golden light, like a golden lotus in full bloom. Everything seemed like the most wonderful gift from nature after the rain. I inevitably took a photo with the Bright Summit stele, and my mood was as refreshing as the clearing clouds.
Here it came—the golden sea of clouds began to churn; exclamations of awe rose from the crowd. Among the peaks, it seemed as if a flood dragon was stirring the sea, magnificent and ever-changing. The sunlight slowly turned from golden to orange-red, then to purple-red with the glow of dusk. The sea of clouds was also dyed in colorful patterns—cool tones nearby, warm tones in the distance. The nature-crafted colors were beyond words.
The sun kept descending, and light darted back and forth through the clouds. One moment it shone golden, piercing through clouds, then diffused within the clouds, until it completely fell into the endless sea of clouds and disappeared.
The sun gradually set. People still stood on the platform, watching the sunset sink into the sea of clouds until it vanished from sight. The sky darkened, changing from bright orange to deep blue. Yet many were reluctant to leave, gazing for a long time, not sure what they were looking at. I was one of them. Watching everything change in an instant, I felt so small—only able to admire and revere, marveling again and again at the wonders of nature.
The entire grand sunset lasted maybe just over an hour, but for me, time seemed to have passed for a long, long time, like shadows stretching at dusk. On this day at Huangshan, from dawn to dusk, I witnessed clear skies, rain, mist, sunrise, and sunset. The shift from a tourist to a mountain dweller seemed like returning to the starting point after the Earth’s rotation—my self-exploration also returned to the origin. At this moment, Huangshan was as deep and dark as before sunrise, but it was the depth after a full day of changes—more accepting and inclusive than the reckless light born from chaos.
Taking advantage of the remaining twilight, we hurried down the mountain. When we returned to our lodging, a full moon hung in the sky. Through layers of pines, the bright moon was as pure as water. In my heart, I suddenly remembered that night on October 12, 6th year of Yuanfeng: “The courtyard was like water, transparent and bright; water plants, algae and aquatic weeds intertwined—those were the shadows of bamboo and cypress. Which night has no moon? Where are there no bamboos and cypresses? But there are few idle people like the two of us.”
As Liu Haisu said, “Huangshan is my teacher.”
For me, it is the same.
Huangshan, from the Sinian period 800 million years ago,
through a long history of marine transgression and marine sedimentation,
and countless farewells to ancient species,
has cultivated into its current form.
Though only twelve two-hour periods,
it is still the vigorous, thriving life that has endured millennia.
One flower, one world; one tree, one life.
One blade of grass, one paradise; one leaf, one Tathagata.
All things and I are gathered by causes and conditions.
Let go of everything—in a single thought, Huangshan is again that mountain.
Travel Notes Directory: 1. Foreword — 2. Opening — A Different Huangshan Trip 3. [Mao Hour] Daybreak. At the Dawn 4. [Chen Hour] Breakfast Time. All Things Awaken 5. | Realization • Seeing Mountains Not as Mountains | 6. [Si Hour] Mid-morning. Reading Time 7. | Complete Realization • Seeing Mountains Still as Mountains | 8. [You Hour] Sunset. The Setting Sun 9. [Xu Hour] Dusk. All Things Hazy 10. [Hai Hour] Rest. Peaceful Sleep 11. Postscript — Travel Information Hotel Index Guide Index Ticket Index Website Index Travel Index Cruise Index Corporate Travel Index Franchise Cooperation Distribution Alliance Friendship Links Corporate Gift Card Purchase Insurance Agency Agency Cooperation Hotel Joining Destination and Scenic Area Cooperation More Cooperation About Ctrip About Ctrip Ctrip Hotline Contact Us Career Opportunities User Agreement Privacy Policy Security Center Ctrip Content Center Intellectual Property Trip.com Group Algorithm Disclosure
