Lucky to Step on Huangshan Snow, Southerners Enjoy Northern Scenery
"Northern scenery, frozen for thousands of miles, snow drifting for thousands of miles..." For southerners, snow is so precious. And our geography teacher once said: places with higher altitude have lower temperatures. I, who adore snow deeply, set my sights on Huangshan. So since I took a break from school, I kept an eye on the weather in Huangshan...
Suddenly one day, I opened the weather forecast and found that it was going to snow in Huangshan. I was almost crazy with joy. In January 2018, I went to Huangshan to see snow, but that time the weather didn't cooperate—not only was the sunrise a washout, but I didn't see a single snowflake. This time, it seemed that heaven wanted to compensate me, so I immediately booked a train ticket to Huangshan.
Summary of this trip:
D0 Shanghai Hongqiao—G7307→Huangshan North
D1 Huangshan North—Huangshan·Yuping Cable Car_Aoyu Peak_Guangmingding_Bai'e Ridge
D2 Bai'e Ridge_Guangmingding_Beihai Scenic Area_Bai'e Ridge
D3 Bai'e Ridge_Qunfeng Ridge·Flying Stone_Xihai Scenic Area_Bai'e Ridge
D4 Bai'e Ridge_Guangmingding_Yungu Temple—Huangshan North Station—G7310→Shanghai Hongqiao
D0 Shanghai Hongqiao—G7307→Huangshan North
At 6 p.m., the train departed, and my Huangshan journey officially began.
After arriving at the North Station in the evening, I found a hotel to stay in. I thought only the bus station next to the train station could take me to the Huangshan Scenic Area. Unexpectedly, the travel agency at the hotel entrance offered a shared car to the scenic area at 6:30 a.m., which was much faster than the earliest bus from the station at 8:40 a.m.
D1 Huangshan North—Huangshan·Yuping Cable Car_Aoyu Peak_Guangmingding_Bai'e Ridge
At 7 a.m., the minibus arrived at the scenic area. After getting off, I suddenly shivered with cold and worried if it would be even colder after going up the mountain.
Later, I took the cable car to Yuping Tower. The sky was very blue, pure blue. The nearby peaks were towering and steep. The cabin hung in the air, making me feel like I was flying. At that moment, my heart felt an immense sense of freedom...
At Yuping Peak, I saw a strange rock that looked like a human finger pointing to the vast sky!
Then I climbed Yixiantian (a narrow crevice), which was about 70 degrees steep. I could hear my own heartbeat. I remembered climbing Yixiantian on my 2018 trip to Huangshan, when I was alone. But that day there were many people, so when I held tightly to the railing, I wasn't as scared.
Viewing Mount Jiuhua from Aoyu Peak in the distance
Later, I climbed to Guangmingding, where the view was incredibly vast—I could see the West Sea Grand Canyon, Tiandu Peak, and Lotus Peak.
At noon, I checked into the 701 Transmitter Station Hostel. After a nap, I went to watch the sunset.
I saw "majestic mountains, soft mist brushing by; looking at the horizon, the red sun sets in the west." This was the most beautiful sunset I had seen since visiting Mount Wutai in 2018. I was almost intoxicated by the scenery until the horizon turned completely gray...
D2 On Huangshan (Bai'e Ridge_Guangmingding_Monkey Gazing at the Sea_Shixin Peak_Bai'e Ridge_Guangmingding_Bai'e Ridge)
At 5 a.m., I went to Guangmingding to watch the sunrise. Unfortunately, the rising sun was blocked by clouds and mist, so I didn't see it, but I did see the moonrise.
After breakfast, I visited Monkey Gazing at the Sea. That stone monkey didn't look like a monkey at all—it looked more like a horse's head, overlooking the world!
"The Flowering Brush"—the rock was just like a brush tip, and the pine tree was just like a flower.
Then I visited Shixin Peak and saw the deepest cliff and the largest valley I had ever seen! Truly "Ten thousand years of weathering, just for this extraordinary view; shaped by nature, incomparable; looking down into the valley, deep and distant; turning back to the peak, yet standing on this mountain"!
In the afternoon, our hostel was full of people who had come to enjoy the snow and take photos. The weather forecast showed it would snow that evening. By afternoon, the sky had already turned yellow, so snow was likely soon. I chatted with them for a long time. They came from all over the country, and every one of them was an extremely skilled photographer and travel enthusiast. One of them had even been to Africa, and one of his photographs had won third prize in South Korea. He had been coming to Huangshan every year since 2010.
Truly "There are always mountains beyond mountains, and people beyond people"! I used to think I was quite impressive, having hiked many places, even on the plateau. Today, I met many accomplished photographers. I want to learn from them. After I graduate from university and start working, I also want to learn photography. Through travel, I can carefully record the "beauty" I see.
At 5:14 p.m., it finally started snowing. I jumped up excitedly, thrilled.
As it got darker, the snow fell heavier. I walked with a few roommates to Guangmingding in the snow. It had been a long time since I last stepped on snow, and I was extremely excited. I was a bit worried that the snow would melt by tomorrow morning.
But I had no idea that this was just the beginning!
D3 On Huangshan (Bai'e Ridge_Guangmingding_Flying Stone_West Sea Grand Canyon_Monkey Gazing at the Sea_Bai'e Ridge)
"Sunset over the West Sea, snow falls from the sky; drifting with the wind into the night, filling the air; dawn breaks, the whole mountain is covered in white; rime ice hangs like ribbons, like a heavenly palace." When I walked out of the hotel, I was stunned. I had never seen such beautiful snow scenery!
Flying Stone in the night
Beautiful and touching jade-like snow flowers
Risking my life, I climbed onto the Flying Stone and saw an endless sea of clouds. At that moment, my soul felt incredibly peaceful. The pain and pressure I had once felt were released at this moment!
Looking up at the awe-inspiring Flying Stone
Then I headed to the West Sea Grand Canyon. Further down, the path was closed.
Seeing the almost vertical cliffs, I was deeply shocked!
I returned to the hotel for a nap, then went to Monkey Gazing at the Sea to enjoy the snow scenery.
Looking at the snow-covered monkey, I thought of Sun Wukong under the Five Elements Mountain in "Journey to the West," covered with snow in winter.
The frozen lake surface had a unique charm
D4 Bai'e Ridge_Guangmingding (Sunrise)_Bai'e Ridge_Yungu Temple—Huangshan North Station—G7310→Shanghai Hongqiao
In the morning, when I walked out of the hotel, I saw a starry sky. I was very excited—finally there was hope of seeing the sunrise!
The morning star in the east
Finally, the sun came out. After waiting for nearly an hour in minus 15 degrees Celsius, my hands had lost all feeling. The sunlight shone on my hands, bringing a special warmth. I suddenly understood a truth: no matter how cold the day or how long the night, there is always a moment of sunlight and warmth. This reminded me of the polar nights caused by Earth's revolution and the obliquity of the ecliptic—indeed, even the polar night has the moment when dawn comes.
Descending the mountain, looking back at the Guangmingding I had walked on
Soon I reached Yungu Temple, then took the scenic area shuttle bus and then a coach back to Huangshan North Station. Finally, I boarded the high-speed train, successfully concluding this in-depth four-day trip to Huangshan!
㊀ Intercity transport:
1. Regular trains stop at Huangshan Station; bullet trains stop at Huangshan North Station (if you can take a bullet train, do so—it's convenient to take a shuttle bus from the station).
2. If the train takes too long and you need to fly, you can fly to Huangshan Tunxi International Airport, then take the airport shuttle and transfer to a coach.
㊁ Local transport:
1. If you arrive by regular train at the old railway station or by plane at the airport, it is recommended to take a taxi or bus to Huangshan Coach Terminal, then transfer to a coach to the scenic area (Xinguoxian Huangshan Scenic Area Bus Station).
2. If you arrive by bullet train at North Station, it's much easier—just buy a coach ticket directly to the Huangshan Scenic Area (Xinguoxian Huangshan Scenic Area Bus Station).
㊂ Transport within the scenic area:
1. You must buy a ticket for the scenic area shuttle bus from the entrance (Xinguoxian Huangshan Scenic Area Bus Station) to Yungu Temple / Ciguang Pavilion.
2. From Ciguang Pavilion / Yungu Temple, you can hike up or take the cable car plus hike. If you take the Ciguang Pavilion route, the hiking distance will be very long.
3. If you are short on time, not staying overnight on the mountain, and hiking the entire way, it is recommended to go round trip from Yungu Temple.
4. From 2019 to 2024, Tiandu Peak is closed and inaccessible.
1. In terms of location, it is divided into the front mountain, the summit, and the back mountain. The front mountain has Baiyun Hotel, Yuping Tower Hotel, etc.; the summit has Guangmingding Mountain Villa; the back mountain has Bai'e Mountain Villa, 701 Transmitter Station, Xihai Hotel, etc.
2. If traveling alone, it is recommended to stay in a multi-bed room at the 701 Transmitter Station or Bai'e Mountain Villa.
3. If traveling with a group: the best location is Guangmingding Mountain Villa with high cost-effectiveness; the highest comfort is Baiyun Hotel and Xihai Hotel; (before Tiandu Peak reopens) Yuping Tower Hotel is not recommended due to its remote location and high price.
⑶ Travel time:
1. Suitable for all seasons, but fog is common most of the time.
2. To see snow (December to February), check the weather forecast carefully; it is recommended to arrive at the foot of Huangshan on the morning of the snow day.
⑷ Sunrise strategy:
Mainly rely on the weather forecast, because the southeast monsoon warm and humid air currents in the Huangshan area are frequent and unstable, so it is not closely related to the season.
The success of this trip was built on the foundation of the failure of my previous Huangshan trip. Whether it was the snow scenery or the sunrise, I got to see both as I wished. So failure is not a pity; try again, and maybe you will succeed!
