“Destined Solitude”
Over the past two years, I've visited several places, each time with many feelings. As the journey progresses, my state of mind deepens. Walking and reflecting, I thank time for its company and the beautiful scenery for cleansing my soul. Everyone I meet and everything I encounter on the road is a gain, a kind of broad-mindedness.
The scenic spots, whether near or far, big or small, famous worldwide or quietly beautiful, all are experiences on the road: the ancient and diverse culture of Yunnan's ancient towns, the sound of the tide at Pigeon's Nest in Beidaihe, family time at Dongjiang Bay in Tanggu, a pleasant short trip to Cheshenjia in Jizhou, carefree fun at Tiger Mountain in Hebei, and the ease of Xinglong Mountain in Chengde.
Famous mountains and great rivers have always been my goal. I had long planned a trip to Mount Emei, but I was tied up with chores and couldn't spare too much time. Taking advantage of this squeezed three-day holiday, I decided to go to Mount Huangshan first, to experience the beauty that makes one say, "After returning from Huangshan, one does not need to look at other mountains."
Just go. "There are two monks at the border of Shu... The rich monk could not reach it, but the poor monk did." Whether mediocre or clever, only by moving can one reach the destination. Check itineraries, make plans, apply for annual leave, book tickets, book hotels—all these arrangements were done in half a day. After all, hesitation is the biggest taboo in travel. We were a duo, and decided to hike from Ciguang Pavilion, climb to Baiyun Hotel on the first day and stay overnight, then tour the back mountain on the second day, take the cable car down from the back mountain at noon, and return by high-speed rail at 3:30 PM.
In June, Mount Huangshan had continuous drizzle, and the air smelled of clouds and mist. We set out from the hotel at 7:30 AM. The hotel sent a car to take us to the South Gate transfer station, where we transferred to the scenic area shuttle to Ciguang Pavilion. If we were taking the cable car, we could get off there, but since we were hiking, we had to transfer to another shuttle to reach the trailhead. Note that the scenic shuttles don't leave immediately; you have to wait for people or the scheduled departure. We were unlucky and spent over 40 minutes just waiting for the bus. Also, a tip: There is a bus from Huangshan North Station to Mount Huangshan, costing 30 yuan for a 50-minute ride, departing on schedule. It arrives at the Tourist Distribution Center, which has many budget chain hotels. Our hotel was not nearby; it was a 40-minute walk, but fortunately the hotel sent a car to pick us up. Back to the main story: It was drizzling intermittently all day, making the climb much harder. As a northerner, I had never experienced the plum rain season. Luckily, the rain gradually lightened. If you go to Huangshan in this month, be sure to check the weather. If there is precipitation, bring rain gear and shoe covers—as many sets as the number of days you'll be on the mountain.
The whole climb went basically as planned. Although the rain added a hazy beauty to Huangshan, it didn't delay our schedule. We reached the Welcoming Pine just a little over 3 hours later. We rested briefly there and continued upward. We were lucky: Lotus Peak, which had been closed in the morning, opened after noon. It took us less than 1.5 hours to go up and down Lotus Peak, exceptionally smooth, with few people and significantly improved weather. After descending, we passed the Hundred-Step Ladder and met an old man patrolling the mountain. We chatted for about 10 minutes. I was very grateful for his encouragement and for meeting him, because without him we wouldn't have seen the sea of clouds later. When we climbed Aoyu Peak and turned around, tears suddenly welled up. Huangshan did not disappoint our efforts—the sea of clouds appeared. At that moment, I felt that the fatigue of the day was worth it; just this one glance satisfied all our efforts. Stunning, moving, surging, fulfilled—we felt all these so fully. It was as if we endured the 6-hour high-speed train ride, insisted on climbing up from the hardest front mountain, and encountered those who encouraged us, all for this one view. Everything is the best arrangement, so just accept it. We arrived at Baiyun Hotel around 4 PM. A tip: Baiyun has Area A and Area B. It's best to book Area A because the restaurant is there. Area B requires at least a 10-minute walk. The hotel is decent overall, but I have two complaints: First, there was no butler service as advertised. Second, the room key card wouldn't open the door, and we had to go back and forth to the front desk. Eventually, a room attendant found that the door lock battery was dead. That deserves a bad review—climbing is tiring enough, and then making guests go up and down stairs repeatedly. On the plus side, the food was good and tasty, and the room amenities were very comprehensive.
The next day we didn't gamble on seeing the sunrise. After a free breakfast at 6:30, we set off at 7:00. We visited attractions like Flying Stone, Monkey Watching the Sea, and Dreaming Pen Blossom. Time was limited, so the Western Grand Canyon had to be saved for next time, haha! Although it drizzled on and off, it didn't affect our mood at all. Especially at Monkey Watching the Sea, we waited a long time but the clouds didn't disperse, so we came down from the viewing platform. Then a gentleman ahead (thanks!) called us back, and we managed to see it. That moment was truly like a fantasy. I marveled at the spirit of heaven and earth—how could it be so lifelike? The stone monkey was so vividly shaped, and with Huangshan's vegetation and sea of clouds, even artificial carving could hardly replicate it. Later, as the weather improved, we speeded up our tour. We punctually took the back mountain cable car down at noon as planned. After descending, we bought some local specialties, returned to the hotel to pick up our luggage, and took a taxi back to the high-speed rail station.
Huangshan was the first southern mountain we climbed, very different from northern ones. The trip went smoothly overall, but there were various incidents: hotel location, signage at the distribution center, vehicles between attractions, and hotel service. I hope the Huangshan scenic area can further optimize! Next year, we plan to go to Mount Emei in Sichuan. Monkeys, wait for me!
June 2021
