Enjoy the Winter Beauty of Yellow Mountain: A Different January

Before the restrictions were lifted, I planned to visit Yellow Mountain in winter. I thought I could go at the end of 2022, but various controls were in place. The sudden surprise was that in December, things really opened up, so in January I arranged a trip to Yellow Mountain.

We took the high-speed train to Yellow Mountain. There happened to be a rental point for Mou Hai at the Huangshan North Station, so we rented a Sagitar from them. Thus began a seamless self-driving trip.

Upon arriving at Yellow Mountain, we saw a milk tea shop called 'Huangshan Not Rolling'. I'm already tired of involution, so I decided to have a cup of milk tea. Starting the day with milk tea felt like an instant connection.

This milk tea shop is very famous, and many locals come here. I checked on a food delivery app and saw that their sales are quite high. Their most famous item is actually hand-made lemon water, but I don't like lemons, so I stubbornly chose milk tea—it was very good. Sipping milk tea and chatting, isn't this what life is about?

With some time left, we first strolled around Liyang In Lane. I don't know why it has this Chinese-Western name. The lane itself was quite nice, and there weren't many people when we visited. We walked and stopped, enjoying the scenery along the way.

This place was great for a walk. We continued until the sky darkened, and the sunset's glow fell on the buildings, creating a hazy atmosphere. I absolutely love this feeling of sunset.

Later, all the shops lit up. I've always wondered why ancient towns across China all hang red lanterns. At night, when all these lanterns light up, it looks stunning. After that, we saw Jia Family Mansion. We went in for a look. The courtyard was quite large, but we didn't stay long before leaving. Then we saw Zhenhai Bridge. I had been here in 2019, when the bridge was still very narrow.

Due to a flood, the bridge was destroyed. Later, it was rebuilt, widened, and reinforced. However, the current bridge design no longer allows bicycles or electric scooters. Standing on the bridge, the view was also very beautiful.

After that, we had some snacks on Tunxi Old Street. The first thing we tried was Mao tofu. Mao tofu is incredibly delicious. We asked the vendor to add chili, giving it a strong spicy kick—so satisfying.

Then, with the sunset still strong, we witnessed an extremely beautiful sunset. My friend said it felt like it had been ages since we last saw such a sunset. It was so enchanting that we didn't want to speak.

Tunxi Old Street at night is also gorgeous. We plunged into the endless night, walking on. To get an early start for Yellow Mountain the next day, we drove back to Huangshan District at night. Back at the hotel, after all that walking, everyone was exhausted and quickly fell asleep.

The next day, we woke up very early. We finished breakfast before 8 a.m. and drove directly to Taiping Cableway. The cable car at Taiping Cableway is quite interesting—it's a large cable car, somewhat similar to the Yangtze River Cableway in Chongqing. Many people ride in one car, and it gets towed up the mountain.

Standing in the cable car, the surrounding scenery was beautiful. The only downside is that the cable car passes by a pylon. When it hits the pylon, it jolts, which is quite uncomfortable.

Photos taken from the cable car. Sunlight pouring down like this—light scattering everywhere, shining on every leaf. The snow on the distant peaks had not yet melted, but since we arrived a bit late, we didn't see the snow-covered pines. I suppose that after the past few days, the snow on the pines was either blown off by the wind or had melted.

After getting off the cableway, I recommend heading straight to the restroom. Apparently, there are no restrooms for the next hour or so of the hike. There are two routes up Yellow Mountain; we chose the left side to ascend. The scenery along the way was particularly beautiful.

There are many pine trees here that stand tall and straight, as if reaching into the clouds.

During the climb, make sure to take breaks. Look at these steps—they seem endless. We adhered to the principle of walking for a while and resting for a while. After all, while traveling is great, our lives are also important.

Also, because the snow hasn't melted, the temperature is relatively low, and there are occasional patches of snow on the steps, so be careful when walking. Later, we saw Flying Stone. Flying Stone is a famous spot. Originally, it was part of a larger rock. Through repeated ice wedging, it eventually became this stone pillar.

We passed many small scenic spots along the way. When we reached Buddha Palm Peak, the tour guide said it looks like a Buddha's hand, but I really couldn't see it. Of course, I'm not questioning Buddha Palm Peak—it must be my viewing angle, since everyone knows 'sideways it becomes peaks, head-on it becomes ridges'.

From this angle, we could see Bright Summit. Bright Summit has dining facilities. So if you're good at time management, I suggest arriving at Bright Summit around noon. You can have lunch and rest there. Also, many people stay overnight here, which I think is a good option. After lunch, rest a bit and wait for sunset.

From Bright Summit, the view of Yellow Mountain is also beautiful. Look at the distant peaks—endless, with continuous mountain ranges everywhere, and clouds surrounding the peaks. Isn't this what 'riding the clouds and mist' means? Stretches of sea of clouds, absolutely stunning.

We didn't stay overnight at Bright Summit. After reaching the summit and resting for a while, we descended. Compared to the ascent, I think the descent is easier. However, when encountering so many steps, it gets tiring, and there was a section where my feet felt like lead.

On the way down, we bought ice cream. This ice cream is specially made for Yellow Mountain, shaped like the Welcoming Pine. Almost everyone who bought ice cream did the same as us: took a few photos before eating. I also bought similar ice cream when visiting Yellow Crane Tower and the Mogao Caves.

Travel Journal Table of Contents: 1. First Encounter with Yellow Mountain: An Instant Connection with Milk Tea 2. Day 2: Unforgettable Yellow Mountain Trip

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