Mount Huangshan (Part 1) Beihai Scenic Area
Mount Huangshan Scenic Area is world-famous, located in Huangshan City, Anhui Province. Huangshan, anciently called Yishan, is named for its blue-gray peaks and rocks, giving a dark green appearance when viewed from afar. Later, it was renamed Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) because of the legend that the Yellow Emperor (Xuanyuan) once made elixir here. Representative landscapes of Huangshan include the "Four Wonders and Three Waterfalls." The four wonders are: strange pines, grotesque rocks, hot springs, and sea of clouds; some also add snow scenery as a fifth wonder. The three waterfalls are Renzi Waterfall, Nine-Dragon Waterfall, and Baizhang Waterfall. It is one of China's four World Cultural and Natural Heritage sites, a UNESCO Global Geopark, a national scenic area, a 5A-level tourist attraction, and one of China's top ten famous mountains.
Visiting Huangshan had always been my wish, but due to various reasons, it was not fulfilled until after retirement. In late 2018, the Hangzhou-Huangshan high-speed railway opened. In early 2019, I took my little grandniece to Huangshan by high-speed rail. However, she was too young, so we only took the cable car up to see the Welcoming Pine and then came down. But the desire to tour the entire Huangshan never faded. Taking advantage of a lull in the pandemic, I went up the mountain and fulfilled my wish. This time I also took a train to Huangshan. Last time, I could take a direct train from my doorstep to Huangshan North Station. This time, perhaps due to the pandemic or other reasons, the train that passed by my home was canceled, so I had to transfer in Hangzhou, arrived at Huangshan North Station, and then took a bus from the nearby tourist transport center to Tangkou Town at the South Gate of the mountain. It was already afternoon.
I stayed at the James Joyce Coffetel near the Xinguo Line Passenger Transport Center in Tangkou Town, mainly for convenient access to the scenic-area shuttle bus. When getting off the bus from the high-speed rail station, just walk about twenty meters down the steps without entering the station. If you need to enter the station or board a bus, it's farther to go around the front. Due to the pandemic, the station area was fenced off; if not fenced, this hotel would be the closest for entry and exit. During the pandemic, the shuttle bus did not stop along the way, so staying at a hotel far from the station would be inconvenient for taking the shuttle. This hotel is a national chain, with facilities and amenities just like others, quite good. It had been open for only a short time and was relatively clean and hygienic. I booked the cheapest room for over 130 yuan, which had a half-sloping ceiling. If you come, you could also stay at the Home Inn Selected (Huangshan South Gate Transfer Center), just across the street from the station entrance.
Mount Huangshan covers an area of about 1,200 square kilometers, with 88 peaks above 1,000 meters. At my age, it's impossible to visit all the main scenic spots in one day. I planned to spend two days on the mountain. I set off early the first morning, taking the Yungu Cable Car from the back mountain, heading toward Shisun Jiang and Shixin Peak, passing Beihai Hotel and Paiyun Pavilion, descending into the West Sea Grand Canyon, taking the funicular up to Guangming Peak, staying overnight to watch sunrise and sunset. The next day, I would go from Aoyu Peak to the front mountain, climb Lotus Peak, and then reach the Welcoming Pine to take the Ziguang Pavilion Cable Car down. This route involves more downhill sections, saving a lot of energy.
Mount Huangshan combines the majesty, steepness, and beauty of all famous mountains. When the Ming dynasty traveler Xu Xiake ascended Huangshan, he exclaimed: "Among famous mountains inside and outside the seas, none can compare to Huangshan in Huizhou. After climbing Huangshan, there is no mountain worth seeing in the world. That's the end!" This was later paraphrased as: "After returning from the Five Sacred Mountains, one does not want to see other mountains; after returning from Huangshan, one does not want to see the Five Sacred Mountains." Although somewhat exaggerated, Huangshan is indeed stunningly beautiful, and a camera simply cannot capture its splendor, only a partial glimpse.
Taking the scenic shuttle to Bailing Station, then walking toward the cable car station.
Huangshan Geopark Museum.
There are not many red leaves on the mountain.
After getting off the cable car, I headed toward the Beihai Scenic Area. The Beihai Scenic Area (including West Sea) is located in the central part of Huangshan, between Guangming Peak, Gongyang Mountain, Bailing, Shixin Peak, and West Sea Gate. It mainly includes Shixin Peak, Lion Grove, Qingliang Terrace, Shuguang Pavilion, Black Tiger Pine, Couple's Pine, Unity Pine, Paiyun Pavilion, and Flying-Over Stone, with over 70 visible attractions, such as Dreaming of a Writing Brush Blossoming, Monkey Gazing at the Sea, Immortal Offering Treasures, Immortal Drying Boots, Immortal Drying Shoes, Stone Bamboo Shoots Ridge, Immortal Peach Peak, and Rising Peak. The area is dominated by peaks, gathering the wonders of peaks, rocks, ridges, gullies, terraces, pines, and clouds. The ingenious arrangement of nature and the changing colors form magnificent, exotic, illusory, and perilous natural paintings, making it the scenic window of Huangshan.
The path to Shisun Jiang was blocked because the East Gate and an uphill cable car are under construction. In two years, there will be another access to Huangshan. Shisun Jiang is between Shixin Peak and Xianren Peak. On the ridge, grotesque rocks stand in disarray, like bamboo shoots after rain. There are famous sights such as "Eighteen Arhats Facing the South Sea" and "Standing Buddha Stone."
Shixin Peak in Huangshan is east of Sanhua Wu in Beihai, protruding above a deep ravine. It is one of the 36 minor peaks, with an elevation of 1,683 meters. Legend has it that in the Ming dynasty, Huang Xiyuan traveled from Yungu Temple to this peak and felt as if he had entered a painting—dreamlike yet real—and began to believe in the extraordinary beauty of Huangshan, naming it "Shixin" (meaning "begin to believe"). On the west side of the peak's waist, dense towering pine trees grow along the slope, vigorous and varied in posture. Hence the saying: "If you haven't been to Shixin Peak, you haven't seen Huangshan pines."
It is said that Li Bai, touched by the elder's sincere hospitality, intended to write a poem in cursive script as a gift in return. The elder was delighted, and the young monks hurriedly ground ink and laid out paper. Taking advantage of his intoxication, Li Bai wrote swiftly. The elder and monks stood on either side, marveling at the vigorous characters. After finishing, still slightly drunk, Li Bai casually tossed his writing brush, which turned and tumbled in the air before falling and piercing the ground. Then he bid farewell and left. When the elder saw Li Bai off and turned back, he was shocked to see that the brush Li Bai had thrown had turned into a brush peak, with the tip transformed into a pine tree standing tall in Sanhua Wu. This is now known as "Dreaming of a Writing Brush Blossoming."
On a flat-topped peak north of Lion Peak, there is a cleverly shaped rock resembling a monkey squatting, quietly watching the rolling sea of clouds, known as "Monkey Gazing at the Sea." When the clouds dissipate, the stone monkey appears to be gazing into the green fields of Taiping County (now part of Huangshan District, Huangshan City), hence also called "Monkey Looking at Taiping."
It grows by the mountain path from Beihai to Xihai of Huangshan. The ancient pine has twisted roots, five trunks embracing each other, with lush foliage forming clusters, resembling five brothers hugging each other, hence named "Unity Pine."
Stop and go until reaching the Xihai Hotel, roughly the boundary between Beihai Scenic Area and West Sea Grand Canyon. It was already 10:30. It's a good place to replenish some energy. The set meals inside the hotel are a bit expensive, but the takeaway fast food outside is acceptable. So there's no need to carry too much food when climbing Huangshan ; drinking water (cold and hot) is available from water dispensers in the scenic area restrooms.
Xihai Hotel, Zone B
Fast food kiosk in front of the hotel
Danxia Peak is located in the West Sea Scenic Area of Huangshan, northeast of Shichuang Peak, on the way from Shigu Peak to West Sea Gate. It is one of the 36 major peaks, with an elevation of 1,708 meters. Its peak wall is ochre, and under the sunset glow, it displays colorful patterns, hence the name Danxia (red cloud). It is the best spot near the hotel for watching sunrise and sunset.
Danxia Peak, because few people climbed it; I reached here and then descended.
Paiyun Hotel; this is the entrance to the West Sea Grand Canyon.
Buffet price at the hotel.
