【Location】Huangshan District, Huangshan City, South of Anhui Provice
【Type】 World Heritage Site
【Rank】 ★★★★★
【Recommended Time to stay】2 Days
【Opening Hours】6:30-17:00

The Huangshan Scenic Area extends about 40km from north to south and 30km from east to west. As an important national scenic area, Huangshan was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990 and as a result, the park is very well kept and amazingly enough in china, a no-smoking zone is strictly enforced.

There are 72 peaks in total with Lotus Peak, Brightness Apex and the Celestial Capital Peak being the three major ones, all towering above 1800m. Although 1800m might not seem too awe-inspiring at first, the sheer steepness of the peaks and sense of remoteness one gets when on Huangsha coupled with frequent “weak knees” will make you think otherwise. As you initially ascend the mountain, you will come across stunted pine contorted into curious shapes. What’s more amazing is that these gnarled trees sprout from rocks that are just as oddly shaped. Eroded by wind and time, the rock formations, together with the stunted pines growing off them, have long been the muse of many painters and poets. The gnarled trees and craggy rocks are the subject of numerous traditional Chinese paintings and poems and have become a recognized symbol of Huangshan. If you see such a painting, chances are Huangshan was the inspection for the work. Even wondered what it would be like to float on a sea of clouds? At Huangshan you can or at least get a close approximation. The sea of clouds in Beihai scenic area is ever-changing and unpredictable; one moment you’ve got the picture-perfect shot of a twisted pine on the next peak and in the next, it has disappeared, engulfed in a swirl of mist and clouds. Resulting from the “ now you see it , now you don’t “effect, a certain surreal quality develops which can make you feel rather like an immortal.

There are hot springs at the foot of Huangshan, at Purple Cloud Peak. For those aching after a strenuous but unforgettable climb, this opportunity should be utilized to pamper those tired and aching legs and feet. First tapped over a thousand years ago, the clear waters remain at a constant 40°C year round and can be used for drinking and bathing, though not at the same time and from different pools. Special therapeutic baths and swimming pools have been built around the natural  springs.
There are two main ways of getting to the top of Huangshan, by foot or by cablecar. A recommended route is to take the cablecar up, ascending from the east side of the mountain to reach Beihai, stay overnight at the summit and catch the magical sunrise, then descend by foot down the western side of the mountain.

Today Huangshan has become a world-famous tourist attraction. With its convenient facilities: three cable ways, one five-star hotel, three four-star hotels and four three-star hotels on the top, all the paths paved with flat stones, it lures millions of visitors both from home and abroad. Seeing is believing. Welcome to Mount Huangshan.

★ Top 5 Scenic Spots in Huangshan

1, Begin-to-Believe Peak
On the eastern side of Huangshan close to the summit, is the Begin-to-Believe Peak. It’s probably the most visited peak in Huangshan due to its deep chasms and classic Huangshan scenery. Along the way you might notice many locks clasped around the chain railings--these locks are meant to represent everlasting love. Couples romantically fasten their locks and throw the key off the peak, thereby cementing their relationship.

2, Flying Rock
Flying Rock in the western part of the summit area is a huge pear-shaped rock 10m high perched precariously on top of the peak. Steps leading to the top of the peak have one dubious looking handrail allowing the brave to really experience being on top of the world if your eyes dare to stay open.

3, The Brightness Apex
Along the central axis of the mountain is the Brightness Apex, at 1840m, this is the second highest peak on Huangshan which is separates the physically challenging western side from the more gentle eastern side. This is a good place to contrast the two faces.

4, Lotus Peak
On the western side Lotus Peak is Huangshan’ s highest peak. Surrounded by a group of lower peaks, Lotus Peak looks like a lotus flower in full bloom. The top of the peak offers panoramic views of Huangshan though sore and wobbly legs are also inevitably part of the deal.

5,The Celestial Capital Peak  
The Celestial Capital Peak faces Lotus Peak in the west. At 1829m, it’s the steepest peak, but a stone stairway is cut into the near vertical cliff face and those wanting to venture up, much of it on all fours, are aided by heavy chains hammered into the rock face. This stone stairway can easily be spotted from afar as a thin white line creeping up to the summit. It should be noted that during winter this peak may be closed. Even so, just looking at the peak is mind-blowing enough to give anyone vertigo.

Cableways in Huangshan Mountain
Taking a cable car in the Mt. Huangshan can save a lot of energy, especially for those who are not good at climbing mountain but want to see the beautiful scenery of the mountains. There are in total of 4 cableways open to tourists so far (2015). You may choose the one that meet your need according to your trip schedules.

• Taiping Cableway in Yellow Mountain
Taiping Cableway in Yellow Mountain runs from Pine Valley Convent to Songlin Peak. The upper station of it is located on Songlin Peak, on the right side of Cloud-Repelling Pavilion in Xihai Scenic Area, and the lower station is sited in Pine Valley Convent in Pine Valley Scenic Area. This cableway is the longest reciprocating passenger ropeway in Asia. It has a total length of 3,709 meters, with a drop height of 1014.5 meters. There are six stents along the cableway. Three of them have a height of up to 64.5 meters. The largest span of them is 1,513.6 m. The carriage capacity of it is 101 people. It takes about 8 minutes to get to the terminal station.

The upper station of the cableway is located in Songlin Peak, on the right side of Cloud-Repelling Pavilion in Xihai Scenic Area, near to the Xihai Grand Valley. So it only takes about 10-30 minutes to walk to the Beihai Scenic Area or Xihai. The lower station is in Pine Valley Convent, which is only 20 km from the central area of Huangshan City. The scenery along the cableway is very beautiful, seeing endlessly rising peaks. Taking cable ride, travelers can overlook the Bright Top, Lion Grove, Red Cloud Peak, the Monkey Enjoying the Sea View, Bookcase Peak, Nine Dragon Peak and other fantastic views. Taking a cable car in the mountain can save a lot of energy, especially for those who are not good at climbing mountain but want to see the beautiful scenery of the mountains.

• Yungu Cableway in Yellow Mountain
Yungu Cableway in Yellow Mountain runs from Cloud Valley Temple to White Goose Ridge. Yungu Cableway started to be built in December 2006, and in September 2007, it was and into trial operation. This cableway has a total length of 2666 meters, is the most advanced single-wire detachable grip hanging cableway equipment in the world. The bottom of the cableway is located in the Cloud Valley Scenic Area and the top of it reaches to White Goose Ridge. The drop height of the two ends is about 775 meters. There are a total of 69 passenger cable cars along the cableway. And each cable car is able to take at a maximum of 8 people. The running speed of it is 6 meters per second. There are a total of 14 brackets along the cableway. The maximum one-way transport capacity of it is 2000 persons/hour. Cableway offers visitors a safe, comfortable and efficient climbing condition. It just takes only 8 minutes from the bottom to the top. When the car is running through brackets, it makes passengers having a slight sense of weightlessness, but do not worry about it. Please be quite and do not make much noise when you are taking the cable cars.

Sitting in the scenic cable cars, visitors are exposed to the clouds and fog of Mt. Huangshan. Visitors can enjoy the beauty from different directions and angles. While being seat in the car, travelers can overlooks the Celestial Capital Peak, Lotus Flower Peak, Buddha Palm Peak, Dog Viewing the Moon, Immortal Drifting Sea, Cucurbit Stone, The Immortal Pointing the Way and other views. It is like floating in Wonderland, visitors can appreciate scenery slowly the cable cars. Taking the cable cars, visitors can also watch Begin-to-believe (Shixin) Peak, Guanyin Peak, Dream of Being a Successful Writer, The Monkey Enjoying the Sea View, Cool Terrace, as well as Xihai Scenic Area, Cloud-Repelling Pavilion, Red Cloud Peak Xihai Grand Valley, etc.

• Jade Screen (Yuping) Cableway in Yellow Mountain
Jade Screen Cableway runs from Merciful Light Pavilion to Jade Screen Tower in the front part ofYellow Mountain. The bottom of the cableway is located in Merciful Light Pavilion and the top of it reaches to Jade Screen Tower. It leaps over Hot Spring Scenic Area and Jade Screen Scenic Area. Celestial Capital Peak and Lotus Flower Peak are on the both sides of the cableway. And it is quite near to the Guest-Greeting Pine. Jade Screen Cableway has a total length of 2176 meters, with a drop height of 752 meters. It is an automatic cycle hanging passenger ropeway. Mainly mechanical and electrical equipment is imported from the Austrian Doppelmayr Company, with safe and reliable performance. The maximum operating speed of it is up to 6 m/sec. The one-way transport capacity of it is 1000 people per hour. Equipped with six-seater cable cars, there are a total of 40 cable cars along the ropeway. This cableway brings together the most representative views of Mt. Huangshan Scenic Area. Taking the cable cars, passengers can overlooks the Celestial Capital Peak, Lotus Flower Peak, Standing Horse Bridge, Mid-Hill Temple, The Drunken Stone, streams and other views. Visitors can also sometimes see choppy sea of clouds. This cableway is very convenient for travelers. Usually, it takes 3 hours for visitors to climb from Merciful Light Pavilion to Jade Screen Tower by foot. But now it only takes 8 minutes to get to the top.

• Xihai Grand Canyon Sightseeing Cable Car
Xihai Grand Canyon Sightseeing Cable Car is put into operation in June, 2013. The upper cable car station is located in the Stone Bed Peak (Shi Chuang Peak), with an altitude of 1706 meters; the lower station is located in the bottom of the Xihai Grand Canyon, with elevation of 1209 m. The total length of tram line is 892 meters, with a drop height difference of 497 meters. The construction of it started in April 2011 and was completed in June, 2013. The construction took 26 months. The main electromechanical equipment of the tram was imported from Austria Doppelmayr Company. The maximum operating speed of it is 8 m/s, the capacity of one-way traffic is 800 people per hour. The sightseeing cable car reflects the architectural harmony with the environment. The practical and aesthetic unity provides a safe, fast, comfortable and beautiful experience.

Good to know: In winter, three cableways of Yellow Mountain will stop operation for in turns, and the maintenance of each cableway takes about one month. So visitor must consult the relevant information before traveling for further travel arrangements.