Climbing Mount Huangshan in Spring, Checking in at Hongcun's Ink Wash Painting
"On the third day of the third month, the mountain grass is lush." No matter how popular the "Spring Mountain" song craze is, the song itself is truly beautiful. We naturally couldn't let this good time go to waste, so in March we came to climb Mount Huangshan.
Since we were already here, we couldn't just climb the mountain and leave. We also arranged a trip to Hongcun and its surroundings.
For this trip, we rented a car from Yihai Rent-A-Car, picking it up at the Huangshan High-Speed Rail Station. The rental wasn't expensive either. We had previously joined a small event on their official account and snatched a discount coupon, saving another few dozen yuan, which felt great. Friendly tip: If you have travel plans, you can check their events in advance. There are occasional events where you can stock up.
After picking up the car, we drove directly to the area around Mount Huangshan and stayed at Baiyun Hotel that evening to make climbing the next day more convenient. On the first day, we first strolled through Tunxi Old Street and Tunxi River Street. The old street and river street are adjacent but have completely different styles. The old street looked very familiar, a standard feature of tourist cities, a pedestrian street with a uniform style. The river street was trendy, with bars, performances, game rooms, and many young people.
Many of Huangshan's wonders depend on the weather and luck. To increase the odds, we spared no expense and stayed one night on the mountain. By the time we arrived at Baiyun Hotel in the evening, a light drizzle had started. The butler said the probability of seeing the sunrise and sea of clouds the next day was 45%. If we wanted to take a chance, we'd have to leave for Guangmingding at 5:30 AM to claim a spot.
The sky was overcast, the clouds thick, and we didn't see the sunrise. But we didn't feel disappointed; that's just how travel is. It was freezing at the summit. We couldn't take it anymore and went back to the hotel for a nap first. When we woke up, it was almost nine, so we quickly ate breakfast, dawdled around, and started descending around 10 AM. The fog in the mountains was incredibly thick, giving a mystical, cloud-riding feeling—cue "Palace of Cloud Palace's Rhythmic Sound"!
About the cable car: After getting off the car, we quickly boarded the cable car. If you're not afraid of heights, it's recommended to sit facing the mountain's foot—the view is stunning. Since I suffer from chronic acrophobia, I sat facing the uphill side the whole time.
When we reached the summit, we saw tripods of various heights set up opposite the cable car line. We quickly turned around and spotted the long-awaited Huangshan sea of clouds.
Lucky for us, we fully witnessed the moment the mist dispersed. The sunlight dispelled the thick fog of the previous days, revealing the clear scenery of Huangshan. "Wearing Xie Gong's clogs, I ascend the azure ladder." Shixin Peak was the first major peak we encountered after coming up from the Cloud Valley Cable Car.
When we arrived at Beihai Hotel, we hesitated about whether to go see "Monkey Gazing at the Sea." We met some tourists returning from there who said it only took 30 minutes round trip. With the thought "since we're already here," we set off for Monkey Gazing at the Sea.
"It looks exactly like in the textbook!" I don't know how many times I exclaimed that. The mountain path from Beihai Hotel to Monkey Gazing at the Sea wasn't rugged. If you have enough stamina, it's recommended to go. After seeing Monkey Gazing at the Sea, we headed toward Guangmingding. The journey from Monkey Gazing at the Sea to Guangmingding took about an hour or so.
The wind was still strong, and we only stopped to refuel after reaching the rest area at Guangmingding. That day, we carried three bottles of water and one thermos up the mountain, but ended up drinking only one bottle and the thermos. The other two bottles were unnecessary and a burden.
The steps down from Aoyu Peak were very steep. I was almost crying and screaming the whole way down. Luckily, it was the off-season and there were few people around; otherwise, I would have embarrassed myself all the way up Huangshan. Before reaching the Greeting Pine, we encountered the sea of clouds on the front mountain. "The clouds are dark, as if about to rain; the water is vast, as if giving off mist." My friend said, "I no longer think those landscape painters are making things up." We had originally assumed that ink wash landscapes were impressionistic, but they turned out to be completely realistic.
At 2:30 PM, we finally reached the last stop of Huangshan: the Greeting Pine. I've checked for everyone—the Greeting Pine is real, not fake.
The first stop was Sixi and Yan Villages. Sixi and Yan Villages are actually two neighboring villages: Sixi Village and Yan Village. We went to Yan Village first. Yan Village was quieter, with almost no commercial activity. The rapeseed flowers were still young, with many buds and a few top blossoms slightly open. There was a small river winding around the village, and the babbling sound of the water mixed with the wind in the trees was very pleasant. Sixi Village was livelier, with rapeseed flowers in full bloom, large patches of them, very beautiful.
It was a small scenic area, easy to wander without getting tired. Although I couldn't see how it related to a rainbow, I personally liked it quite a bit. The river was wide, the water clear, and you could step on stones in the water to cross—quite fun.
On the morning we arrived at Likeng, a fine drizzle was falling. The air was filled with the fresh, damp scent of grass and the fragrance of soil. On the self-drive route, we could see the layers of dark mountains in the foreground and light mountains in the distance, like overlapping washes of ink. Dark green mountain forests were dotted here and there with bright yellowflower fields. The morning breeze blew, shaking the spring mist from the treetops into strings of cool, clear raindrops—very poetic.
Perhaps thanks to the drizzle, Likeng became my favorite spot on this trip. It combines the gentle charm of small bridges and flowing water with the mottled feel of old buildings under the east wind, refreshing the senses. At the entrance of the scenic area, you can take a bamboo raft for 60 yuan per boat. It's a very short stretch of water, only about five minutes—not worth it, not recommended.
Let's talk about Jiangwan. As a 5A scenic area, Jiangwan is noticeably better equipped. The most famous spot is the Xiaojiang Ancestral Hall, which is right at the entrance. In addition, there are some old houses in the village, all quite ancient. It's hard to imagine why Huizhou people built windows so small and houses so close together, as if they didn't care much about lighting.
Jiangling Scenic Area can be explored by self-driving. From the No. 1 viewing platform, follow the winding mountain road down to see rapeseed flower terraces. You can also hike, but it would take at least three hours. Unfortunately, the flowers in Jiangling bloom late; the higher terraces were still lush green, with more and more bright yellow appearing as we descended. Although we were a bit disappointed not to see a sea of flowers covering the mountains, my companion consoled me by saying that this color combination was more distinctive and layered.
Let me focus on Hongcun. We checked into a guesthouse inside Hongcun Scenic Area. The moment we entered the room, we felt it was totally worth it! This is what a qualified guesthouse should be like!
The owner upgraded our room for free, and the window overlooked a charming courtyard. Probably because the room had underfloor heating, it was already warm even without the air conditioning on. The bathroom was large and had separate wet and dry areas. Best of all, the price was 100 yuan cheaper than the one in Jiangling. Isn't that great? It's fantastic!
Hongcun village itself was also great to explore, with complete facilities. Since it wasn't the peak season yet, there weren't many people, making it very pleasant—highly recommended! The misty willows and painted bridges, the black tiles and white walls, the water of South Lake in the morning was so still that the reflections had almost no ripples—very beautiful.
Travelogue Table of Contents: 1. Happily Climbing Mount Huangshan 2. Must-See Attractions Tourist Information Hotel Index Attractions Index Flight Index Website Navigation Travel Index Cruise Index Corporate Travel Index Franchise Cooperation Distribution Alliance Friendly Links Corporate Gift Card Purchase Insurance Agency Agency Cooperation Hotel Partnership Destination & Scenic Area Cooperation More Partnership Cooperation About Trip.com About Trip.com Trip.com Hotspots Contact Us Join Us User Agreement Privacy Policy Business License Security Center Trip.com Content Center Intellectual Property Trip.com Group Algorithm Transparency
