Snowy Paradise: A 2019 Huashan Hiking Trip

Memories seem to drift away like sand in the wind...

Yet, at some moment, I picked up this precious memory – my 2019 Huashan trip, so deeply impressed upon me that I wrote this forgotten travelogue! Huashan’s snow is unlike the rough, hard snow of Northeast China – it’s soft, blending perfectly with the mountain into an incredibly dreamlike scene. It calls to you; it makes you ache; it stirs something bittersweet inside… I’m now a high school student at a key city school, but that trip happened right after my third-year middle school mock exams. I never thought I’d snag a train ticket, yet I actually got a hard-seat one, by the window too – I was so excited! The day of my last exam, ignoring my tired body, I packed up and rushed to the train station!

A quick itinerary:

Day 0: Shanghai Station – Huashan Station

Day 1: Huashan Station – Huashan scenic area – West Peak

Day 2: West Peak – East Peak (sunrise) – West Peak – South Peak – East Peak – Huashan scenic area – Huashan Station – Xi’an

Day 3: Xi’an – Terracotta Warriors – Great Wild Goose Pagoda – Bell and Drum Towers – airport – Shanghai Hongqiao

Day 0 (Jan 17) Shanghai Station – Z252 → Huashan Station

Once I left home, I could hardly sit still on the subway, wishing to arrive at Shanghai Station instantly. When I boarded the train, my journey truly began!

At 15:52 the train departed. Direct express trains are really fast – 45 minutes to Suzhou. Two guys got on later, and I chatted happily with them. Saw the sunset at Wuxi.

After Nanjing Station, I lay down to sleep. To my surprise, I fell asleep within minutes – probably still exhausted from the exams.

Day 1 (Jan 18) Huashan Station – foot of Huashan (Yuquan Temple) – West Peak

Waking after 5 a.m., I felt full of energy, convinced I could take on Huashan alone. The train reached Huashan Station at 6:13 a.m.

The train windows were fogged up – maybe because the south is more humid than the north.

It was still pitch black. After saying goodbye to the two guys, I planned to walk using GPS to Yuquan Temple at the mountain’s foot. Eventually I shared a taxi; a woman who got on at Nanjing had a soft sleeper but hadn’t slept all night. I secretly gloated: “Heh, I spent less and slept better than you!” Then I had a meat-filled bun (ròujiāmó) at a restaurant near the entrance. Honestly, it was the most delicious I’ve ever eaten – maybe I was just hungry. This place might have been Wuyue Restaurant – highly recommended!

At 7 a.m. sharp, the real Huashan challenge began! Right after entering the scenic area, I met a cool hiker – called him Brother Li – and we decided to climb together. The path started flat, but soon steps multiplied and I was panting heavily. With Brother Li’s encouragement, I pushed myself again and again, finally conquering the steepest slope to North Peak.

At North Peak the sky was overcast; sunlight hid behind clouds. A huge peak stood proudly ahead, leaving me with a strange melancholy, as if a knife were gently cutting my heart – maybe it stirred memories of past hardships.

Brother Li and I continued up. The steps were less steep but more perilous! Behind us and on both sides were bottomless cliffs. I couldn’t help thinking of the Huashan plank walk suicide case – a life wasted, and the psychological scar left on other tourists. When we reached Wuyunfeng, it began to snow. The first snowflake landed before my eyes; I thought it was a feather until more and more fluttered all around. “It’s snowing – it’s finally snowing!” I was overjoyed. For a southerner like me, seeing snow is rare. Now I truly understood what northerners mean by “snow like fine down.”

At 12:30 we reached West Peak. After parting with Brother Li, I checked into a 8-bed dorm. I was the only one there, so I grabbed two extra quilts and bundled up – very warm. Without the quilts, the room was bitterly cold (no heating).

It’s so freeing to be alone in a room.

West Peak, Huashan – the wind howls.

Right behind was the cliff.

Dinner was instant noodles from my backpack, mixed with hot water, same as on the train. Food on the mountain is extremely expensive; I highly recommend buying supplies at the foot beforehand, where it’s cheap. That evening I filled a plastic bottle with boiling water, hastily screwed on the cap (the bottle crumpled but I didn’t care), and stuffed it into my sleeping bag to keep warm through the night.

Day 2 (Jan 19) West Peak – East Peak (sunrise) – West Peak – South Peak – East Peak (Sparrow Hawk Turn) – Wuyunfeng – foot of Huashan – Huashan Station – Xi’an Station

I woke at 5:50 to catch the sunrise. Since it had been mostly cloudy the day before, I wasn’t optimistic. But stepping outside, I desperately hoped to see stars – a sign of clear skies. And there, above me, was a sky full of stars! Thrilled, I rushed toward East Peak. Walking the plank path with a flashlight, I was startled by a sudden loud computer startup sound – turns out it was the mountain’s broadcasting system. When I reached East Peak, the sunrise observation deck was closed due to snow. I ignored that, climbed over the railing, and trudged through snow to the very top. The sky was still dark, stars clearly visible. The wind was a cruel butcher’s knife, savagely cutting at my face. I shivered uncontrollably, wishing I could return to that warm bed – but impossible now. A twinge of despair crept in; time seemed to slow to a standstill…

Then I lifted my head and saw a tint of red on the eastern horizon. “Oh! That’s a sign of hope!” Venus and Mercury hung bright in the eastern night sky, and Sirius blinked directly overhead.

Two guys from Suzhou turned up – they had climbed all night to reach the summit. I truly admired them! Chatting with one of them made me feel less cold. The sky gradually brightened, the east shifting from red to yellow. I leaned forward and realized ropes marked the edge of a sheer abyss, seemingly bottomless. A sudden reverence for Huashan washed over me. I set up my tripod for a time-lapse. A red glow spread across the horizon, then a crimson sun slowly rose, mingling with mountains and clouds into a breathtaking scene! At that moment, I was so moved tears streamed down my face.

That rosy light illuminated South Peak behind me. The snow’s magic revealed itself – though cruelly cold, when illuminated, this view was something you could only see after enduring hardship!

I stayed lost in this paradise until I checked my watch and reluctantly left. After breakfast (same as last night’s dinner), I packed, checked out, and headed back to South Peak.

Viewing West Peak from South Peak.

Standing on South Peak, I finally grasped the phrase “gazing down upon all mountains from the top”. The opposite peaks resembled camels, or fingers – nature’s masterpieces, truly wondrous!

Looking down at Sparrow Hawk Turn.

At East Peak, I paid 30 yuan to experience Sparrow Hawk Turn – a huge climbing route where you descend ropes, similar to a giant ladder, all the way to the Chess Pavilion. Harnessed up, the path was extremely perilous. My hands trembled as I lowered myself, but I persevered. Reaching the Chess Pavilion, I truly felt suspended in the air, surrounded on three sides by mountains and bottomless cliffs, just like at the observation deck. Terrified, I snapped only a few photos before leaving.

At 12:45 p.m., I began descending along the same trail. Passing Wuyunfeng, I had some snacks. Looking back, I saw West Peak from another angle – incredibly majestic, its summit seeming to block out the sky. The frozen waterfall opposite looked like a hanging jade ribbon, astonishingly beautiful.

All the way down, West Peak grew taller behind me, then farther away. Finally, I reached Yuquan Temple at the foot of the mountain.

I took a bus to Huashan Station, then a train to Xi’an Station.

Day 3 (Jan 20) Xi’an Station – Terracotta Warriors – Great Wild Goose Pagoda – Bell and Drum Towers – airport – Shanghai Hongqiao

At 7 a.m., I caught the first bus to the Terracotta Warriors and arrived quickly. After breakfast, I waited a bit and then toured the museum.

Terracotta Warriors Museum.

Back downtown at noon, I visited the Great Wild Goose Pagoda.

Then I took the subway to the Bell Tower and strolled around the Bell and Drum Towers I’d seen four years earlier – still steeped in ancient charm…

Finally, I took the subway to Xi’an North Station, transferred to an airport bus, and flew back to Shanghai Hongqiao. Xi’an Xianyang International Airport.

Here are some Huashan practical tips:

1) Getting in and out

- There are Huashan Station and Huashan North Station, with many trains. You can also go to Weinan Station and take a shuttle bus to the scenic area.

- The scenic area has two main gates: the main gate, closer to both train stations, is for bus access up the mountain; the west gate (Yuquan Temple) is far from the stations – best to take a taxi (under 20 yuan).

2) Internal transport

- Hikers only have one trail from Yuquan Temple to the summit.

- There are two cable cars: West Peak (expensive but less walking) and North Peak (cheaper but more walking).

- Scenic-area buses depart from the main gate to either North Peak or West Peak cable car stations.

- If you don’t want the North Peak cable car, you can take the “Wisdom-Conquering Huashan Path” – many very steep steps that lead down to the bus station. There is no trail from West Peak down to the bus station.

3) Gear for night climbing/overnight stays

① headlamp/flashlight ② gloves ③ down jacket ④ some snacks (food on the mountain is overpriced) ⑤ hiking shoes ⑥ towel

4) Accommodation options

Location:

1. Rule out North Peak first – definitely don’t choose it. It’s far from East Peak, prices aren’t low, and facilities are terrible.

2. Wuyunfeng (Wuyunfeng Hotel): budget-friendly, though a bit of a distance to East Peak (not too far). Views of nearby West Peak are spectacular! Worth considering.

3. East Peak (Dongfeng Jintian Mountain Villa): priciest, but closest to East Peak, Sparrow Hawk Turn, and the Plank Walk in the Sky – best location! If budget allows, consider it.

4. West Peak (Xifeng Jintian Mountain Villa): mid-range price, sometimes same as Wuyunfeng; not far from East Peak and convenient to South Peak. Best value – highly recommended!

Facilities:

1. Options range from shared dorms (120–190 yuan) to private rooms (800–2,000+ yuan). Prices surge during holidays.

2. All mountain lodgings lack private bathrooms/showers. Public toilets are available and clean.

3. Rooms have no heating, so a sleeping bag is highly recommended for warmth.

4. Due to conditions, hygiene may be lacking – neat freaks should be cautious.

5) Reference map

Behind every success may lie countless dangers and hardships. On this journey, I deeply experienced Huashan’s peril and the biting cold of waiting for sunrise. But I persevered and welcomed the stunning sunrise! In life, when we face difficulties and risks, if we summon courage and confront them, fear will disappear, and success will be near!