Mount Huangshan (Part 4) Yuping Scenic Area

📍 Huangshan · 👁 2125 reads

After breakfast at Guangmingding Mountain Villa on the second day, we began to explore the front mountain of Mount Huangshan, which is the Yuping Scenic Area.

The Haixin Pavilion in front of Baiyun Hotel, from where we set off to climb Aoyu Peak.

Aoyu Peak: The foremost of the 36 minor peaks of Mount Huangshan. It features the scene of "Aoyu Carrying a Golden Turtle." There are two routes to Lotus Peak: the left path goes through Yixian Tian (A Thread of Sky), and the right path goes through Aoyu Cave.

A distant view of Guangmingding and Baiyun Hotel from Aoyu Peak.

A rare red leaf.

From this direction, you can bypass climbing Aoyu Peak to reach Baiyun Hotel, but the path is a bit longer.

In the distance is another route up Aoyu Peak—Yixian Tian (A Thread of Sky).

On the cliff at the northwest foot of Lotus Peak. Not far from "Lian Geng" (Lotus Stem), there are two massive rocks—one shaped like a turtle and the other like a snake, lying parallel. Over 100 steep stone steps chiseled into the cliff pass between these two rocks and descend. Viewed from the opposite Aoyu Cave, the stone steps hang over a deep abyss, like a long ladder leaning against the cliff, often shrouded in clouds and mist, making it extremely perilous. This is the "Hundred-Step Cloud Ladder." The turtle and snake rocks guard the entrance, hence the name "Turtle and Snake Guarding the Cloud Ladder."

Scenery of Mount Huangshan (ascending Lotus Peak)

Tiandu Peak opposite Lotus Peak.

Scenery of Mount Huangshan (ascending Lotus Peak)

View from Lotus Peak. The white path above goes from Aoyu Peak, passing through Aoyu Cave or Yixian Tian, up and down the mountain. The path below bypasses Aoyu Peak and goes directly to Baiyun Hotel without climbing it.

Elevation point of Lotus Peak.

Scenery of Mount Huangshan (descending from Lotus Peak)

Scenery of Mount Huangshan (Lotus Peak)

Scenery of Mount Huangshan (descending from Lotus Peak)

Most tourists climbing up are those heading for Lotus Peak from the direction of Yupinglou.

Scenery of Mount Huangshan (descending from Lotus Peak)

The path from Yupinglou to Lotus Peak is a single lane barely wide enough for one person.

Scenery of Mount Huangshan (descending from Lotus Peak)

Here, when I say the path up and down Lotus Peak, it refers to the direction I took. If you climb Lotus Peak from the Yupinglou side, the up and down directions would be reversed.

Key cultural relic protection stele.

Elephant Trunk Rock is located to the right of Yupinglou. A huge rock crouches like an elephant, with a stone pillar jutting up like a trunk, hence the name Elephant Trunk Rock. The trunk rises high—what else does it resemble? It is also called "Mount Huangshan Male Stone."

Welcoming Pine: Located east of Yupinglou, it is the symbol of Mount Huangshan. The tree is about 10 meters tall, with a diameter at breast height of 64 cm, a ground diameter of 75 cm, and a branch-free trunk height of 2.5 meters. From the middle of the trunk, two large side branches extend forward, each up to 7.6 meters long.

Farewell Pine: Located to the right of Yupinglou. It died in the winter of 2005. A replacement pine was later found on the right side of Yupinglou. This is a photo taken during my last visit.

Arriving at Yupinglou took half a day, and the Huangshan tour basically ended. It was just past 11 a.m. If you don't take the cable car down, you can walk down the mountain. The walk to the scenic shuttle station takes about an hour and a half, and the scenery along the way is very beautiful. You also pass by Ciguang Pavilion at the foot of the mountain. If you take the cable car down, you would need to walk another 15 minutes uphill to reach Ciguang Pavilion, so I didn't go to visit Ciguang Pavilion. To sum up my experience on Huangshan: if you are physically fit, starting with the earliest cable car and moving quickly, one day might be enough, but you might not make the last cable car down. If you choose to visit either the West Sea Grand Canyon or Lotus Peak, the cable car down might still be possible. Be sure to go up via Yungu Cable Car and come down via Ciguang Cable Car, as this involves much less uphill hiking. If you plan for two days, staying overnight on the mountain gives you plenty of time. I took my time, stopping to take photos along the way, and it took me less than a day and a half. If your legs are good, you must climb the main peak, Lotus Peak. Lotus Peak and Tiandu Peak open alternately every five years. Climbing Lotus Peak from the Aoyu Peak direction, even I, a nearly 70-year-old with knee pain, didn't find it too strenuous. I discovered that the summit was reached before I knew it.

Mount Huangshan (Part 4) Yuping Scenic Area image 1

Mount Huangshan (Part 4) Yuping Scenic Area image 2

Mount Huangshan (Part 4) Yuping Scenic Area image 3

Mount Huangshan (Part 4) Yuping Scenic Area image 4

Mount Huangshan (Part 4) Yuping Scenic Area image 5

Mount Huangshan (Part 4) Yuping Scenic Area image 6

Mount Huangshan (Part 4) Yuping Scenic Area image 7

Mount Huangshan (Part 4) Yuping Scenic Area image 8

Mount Huangshan (Part 4) Yuping Scenic Area image 9

Mount Huangshan (Part 4) Yuping Scenic Area image 10

Mount Huangshan (Part 4) Yuping Scenic Area image 11

Mount Huangshan (Part 4) Yuping Scenic Area image 12

View original · Copyright belongs to original author

Need removal or takedown? Submit DMCA notice

Mount Huangshan (Part 4) Yuping Scenic Area

Plan your Huangshan trip