Huizhou Tour: Hiking
Gantang Town, Huangshan – An Ideal Place for Mountain Hiking
Huangshan, with its unique landforms and scenery, proudly ranks first among the Five Great Mountains. Located in southern Anhui, with a pleasant climate, convenient transportation, simple folk customs, and the opportunity to taste local specialties, it has become the best leisure travel destination year-round. Due to sustained popularity, large numbers of tourists flock here on weekends and holidays. To avoid exceeding the scenic area's capacity and ensure visitor safety, Huangshan has implemented a real-name reservation system, limiting daily visitors to a set number.
Through long-term promotional campaigns, the iconic Huangshan Welcoming Pine has become a must-visit spot for most tourists. The vast majority of tourists and tourist buses congregate at Tangkou Town at the southern gate of Huangshan, taking the cable car from Ciguang Pavilion direction at the south gate to reach the Huangshan Welcoming Pine – this is the most crowded route. Tangkou Town is located in a narrow valley at the southern foot of Huangshan, with limited space. Both sides of the valley are lined with numerous hotel buildings, and there is only one road, leading to heavy traffic and a strong sense of congestion. Since the majority of Huangshan tourists flood into Tangkou Town and then transfer to scenic area shuttle buses at the south gate to enter the mountain, ticketing, ticket checking, and security at the south gate are often packed. Visitors have to endure winding queues before boarding the shuttle bus, and then wait patiently in line again for the cable car. The entire ascent consumes a lot of time and energy, dampening the enthusiasm for the tour.
Most tourists crowded at the south gate may not know that Huangshan has other mountain trails and cable cars, which can offer a more relaxed, enjoyable, and convenient experience for hikers.
In addition to the south gate, Huangshan has three other routes from the north, west, and east, with the same ticket price. The north gate and west gate routes both pass through Gantang Town on the northern flank of Huangshan, where tourists are scarce, making them an ideal choice for those who fear crowds and want to save time on the ascent. Gantang Town is the seat of the Huangshan District government. It is flat and open, with a prosperous town center and complete facilities. The town's historical sites are well preserved, and its scale far exceeds that of Tangkou Town. It is over 40 km from Tangkou Town at the southern foot of Huangshan, and visitors driving from the north side of Huangshan can rest here in advance.
Except on certain holidays, you can drive through Gantang Town and follow the winding mountain road for more than ten kilometers directly to the north gate parking lot. The road is well-paved, passing through dense forests with few vehicles, allowing you to fully enjoy the pleasure of driving. After purchasing tickets at the north gate, take a shuttle bus for just 2 km to the entrance, where you can either take a large cable car or hike up the mountain trail. Fewer tourists go up via the north gate, so transfers and cable car rides are smooth. Through the large glass windows of the cable car, you can appreciate the steep rocky landforms. Upon reaching the summit, you are near the West Sea Grand Canyon, which offers magnificent views. Alternatively, you can hike up along a shaded mountain path for about 5 km. The steps are relatively gentle, with few hikers and no porters. Although the scenery is not particularly picturesque, it is an excellent initial choice for calming the mind, cleansing the lungs, strengthening the heart, exercising the legs and waist, and building physical strength and endurance.
The west gate of Huangshan is located in Jiaocun, Gantang Town, and is somewhat remote. You can drive through Gantang Town or take the high-speed rail to Huangshan West Station, which is closer to the west gate, before heading there. It is closed in winter due to weather conditions. Recently it has been expanded, but since there is no cable car, there are still few tourists, and all are hikers. Ticketing and transfers are convenient. The west gate hiking trail is a Y-shaped mountain path within the West Sea Grand Canyon, nearly 10 km in total. It passes seven stone bridges built in different periods spanning the canyon streams. The first graceful and towering arched stone bridge you step on has experienced over 400 years of wind and rain. As you ascend step by step, the scenery gradually improves. Looking back, you can see unique wonders. At about halfway, there is a small bridge with a fork. Turning right at the bridge leads to the direction of Buxian Bridge. The steps are narrow and steep, often requiring hands and feet, but the scenery is the most majestic and spectacular, and it is also the most challenging trail on Huangshan. Reaching the summit leads to the direction of Haixin Pavilion, suitable for descending via the south gate. Continuing along the left mountain path at the fork leads to the West Sea Grand Canyon rail station. When you reach the rail station, you have completed two-thirds of the ascent. You can take the railcar up the canyon to the summit. If you continue on foot, you face the physically demanding second and first loops of the West Sea Grand Canyon, where the steepness and narrowness of the steps increase significantly, with the right side being steeper than the left. Along the way, you can see distant landmarks of Huangshan: the spherical Bright Summit and the adjacent pointed television tower. Reaching the summit is Paiyun Pavilion, near the cable car transfer point at the north gate, convenient for descending here.
The east gate, newly built in Tanjiaqiao, has been completed. It is spacious and well-equipped, with a cable car only, but it is not yet in operation, and there is no hiking trail.
If your goal is hiking and physical exercise, or if you are revisiting Huangshan to avoid the crowded south gate and explore the northern part of the Huangshan summit, choosing the north gate or west gate is best. As a hiking enthusiast from Nanjing who often comes to climb on weekends, Gantang Town is naturally the first choice. Not only does it shorten the journey and avoid crowds, but it also offers more freedom and a higher quality of accommodation and dining, whether by cable car or on foot.
After multiple experiences, impressions, and comparisons, the Beiyi Xiaozhu hotel, located just 400 meters after exiting the expressway at Gantang Town, has become my only choice for accommodation and dining in Gantang Town. Beiyi Xiaozhu is a guesthouse backed by a bamboo grove hill, with a unique overall layout. Each room has a different structure and layout, bright, spacious, clean, and with a very homely atmosphere. The owner and customer service staff are warm, cordial, and attentive, making you feel fully at home and comfortable upon check-in. In the lobby, you can taste the high mountain new tea freshly picked by the owner couple from among the Huangshan clouds. It has a rich, smooth fragrance. Interestingly, even if drunk before bed, it has almost no effect on sleep. For dinner, you can enjoy specialty dishes personally cooked by the owner, such as stinky mandarin fish, small wild fish, spring chicken, fish head soup, old chicken soup, Huangshan hairy tofu, seasonal organic vegetables grown by the owner couple, and more. Sip the owner's homemade mulberry wine and feel slightly tipsy – truly a soul-soothing pleasure. The nights are quiet, the air fresh. Accompanied by beautiful birdsong, you wake up to a generous self-service breakfast prepared by the owner couple in the lobby. The variety is so extensive that even luxury hotels would be ashamed. For guests arriving by high-speed rail at Huangshan West Station, or those climbing Huangshan via the north or west gates, the owner graciously offers to drive them to and from the hotel.
Huangshan's Gantang Town: you can both quietly enjoy warm and cozy dining and accommodation, and immerse yourself in the refreshing beauty of the scenery. How wonderful!
