Red Sun Rises Amidst Peaks, Unique Pines Born in the Sun — Huangshan Sunrise on a Huangshan Trip
This is the Huangshan sunrise! I am absolutely beside myself with excitement! All the cold and anticipation are cast aside; only the beauty before my eyes is the best compensation for us.
Looking around, rays of rosy clouds painted the sky like a splendid oil painting. In an instant, a ball of fiery red leaped out, soared into the sky, like a phoenix reborn from nirvana, constantly changing colors. First a faint red, then a brilliant orange, and finally a magnificent gold. The sun leapt out from the peaks and strange rocks veiled in mist. At that moment, the whole Huangshan was immersed in gorgeous colors, overflowing with elegance, dazzling and breathtaking.
Waiting was a long process, but from the moment a faint red appeared in the sky to when the sun completely broke free from the clouds, it was only about ten minutes. Yet for those ten minutes, we flew a thousand miles and waited two days and two nights. Just like at Mount Tai, when we discussed the itinerary with the travel agency, they didn't recommend staying two nights. But really, we had to stay two nights. Without two nights, how could we see such a wonderful sunrise? How could we have a whole day to hike the West Sea Grand Canyon?!
How could one not go to see the Huangshan sunrise? How long we had waited for it! But whether we could see that magnificent sunrise really depended on luck. The first morning, we got up very early. In order to get a good vantage point, we always left earlier and returned later than others. Finally, we found an ideal spot on Bright Summit (Guangming Peak). A few of us squeezed together, staring blankly to the east.
Waiting for sunrise required great patience. The sun would never give up its principle and break through the clouds just because of your earnest waiting. So, even though we kept our hopes alive, even though we never gave up waiting, even though we were shivering in the cold September morning, the curtain still didn't open. The sun still didn't make its grand appearance. The way down the mountain was so reluctant and helpless.
The second morning, our intention to see the sunrise remained unchanged. We got up early again, not missing any opportunity. We walked into the night with quick steps; the mountains were still asleep, only a few beams of flashlight cut through the darkness, trembling as they moved upward. After changing several spots, we finally settled on a platform that we deemed the best. So we sat down in the cold wind, facing the distant horizon, waiting, waiting... Finally, our perseverance paid off; the curtain finally opened, and the show began.
One thing worth mentioning: our luck still wasn't good enough, or perhaps our good luck was envied by heaven. My friend's memory card, which was full of the splendid Huangshan sunrise pictures, fell off the cliff at the Monkey Gazing at the Sea viewpoint. In his excitement, he actually wanted to climb down the cliff to retrieve the lost beauty, but we stopped him in time. Indeed, what a beautiful sunrise it was, but it could only remain in our memories.
