Yellow Mountain
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Summary
The Yellow Mountains is one of the most famous and beautiful mountains in China. It was enlisted as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990.
Location
The Yellow Mountain area lies in Anhui Province, Eastern China, about 300 km (200 miles) west of Hangzhou and 500 km (300 miles) southwest of Shanghai. The scenic area is about 50 km (30 miles) north of Huangshan City. All of our Huangshan Tour Packages include a tour to the Yellow Mountains.
Features
The Yellow Mountains is called Huangshan (Huang means 'yellow' and shan means 'mountain(s)') by Chinese. Outstanding natural beauty is Huangshan's number one feature. Yellow Mountain’s classic attractions could be counted as five natural wonders in the winter: the imaginatively named pines, oddly-shaped rocks, the sea of clouds, hot springs and winter snowscapes.
The glow of the sunrise and sunset draws the crowds to popular viewing spots. Buddha's Light (an optical phenomenon like a halo surrounding the observer's shadow, once thought to show the observer’s enlightenment) may be witnessed.
Compactness means more mountain scenery for less walking. Huangshan Scenic Area is a mountainous area of 154 square kilometers (59 square miles).The main attractions are in a corridor 6km from west to east and 12km from south to north. It’s about 500m above sea level at the south gate and the highest peak, Lotus Peak, is 1873m (6145ft) high. The 1400m+ peaks are all within 6km. The 1200m+ zone is about 10km in diameter, beyond which the mountains tail off rapidly in height. Although Huangshan is not very impressive in its dimensions, its features are extremely rugged and sheer.
There are hundreds of peaks and thousands of ravines in the Yellow Mountains, 72 of which have been named. Heavenly Capital Peak (1800m), Lotus Flower Peak and Bright Summit (1841m/6040ft) are the three major peaks, all rising more than 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) above sea level. They often have their heads above the clouds, giving them a majestic appearance. Yellow Mountain Scenic Area has two lakes, three waterfalls, 16 springs and 24 brooks all noted for their outstanding beauty.
There are only two sizeable mountain chains in Anhui, which line up from tail to head, from west to east. Huangshan represents the head of the taller eastern chain, facing east towards the Pacific. Huangshan owes its magnificent and regionally best propensity for collecting clouds to its favorable location and suitable size, making it the first to really catch moist Pacific air drifting in from 300+ km (200+ miles) away, past Hangzhou. If Huangshan was less elevated or further from the open ocean it would not act like the cloud-catching hand, peaks raised like fingers for mortals to stand on and view from, that it does.
History
The Yellow Mountains are not so called because the mountains are yellow, but because it was named after the legendary Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) in 747 AD. After that Huangshan began its ascent to fame. Many Buddhist temples have been built there and, more recently, it has become a major tourist attraction, because of its scenic qualities.
It is said that Huangshan is the place where the Yellow Emperor, the mythical ancestor of the Chinese, lived, refined precious medicines and became a supernatural being. Xu Xiake, a noted Chinese geologist in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), who visited the Yellow Mountains twice, left his praise in this quote: "You don’t need to see any more mountains after seeing 'the Five Mountains', and you don't need to see the other four mountains after seeing Huangshan".
On November 8, 1982, Huangshan was ratified into the list of Key National-Level Scenic Spots by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. In 1990, the Yellow Mountains were added to the list of World Natural Heritage Sites by UNESCO. It is now protected as a treasure for all mankind to enjoy for all time.
Activities
The most popular activity on Huangshan is hiking around to see the scenery, but there are also sunsets, sunrises and the hot springs to enjoy. There are cable cars (telphers) to take the effort out of the ascent and descent. Below is a summary of the hiking options. There are two routes up to the mountaintop hotels from the main south gate: the Yuping (Jade Screen) Telpher route and the Yungu (Cloud Valley) Telpher route. Huangshan Scenic Area can also be entered from the north. See Huangshan Maps for a map showing walking times.
- Recommended tour: The Yellow Mountains Trekking With Xin'an River Hiking
The Foot of the Mountain - Hot Springs and Waterfalls
The hot springs, some waterfalls and low level scenic walks can be found 40 minutes walk (or a short taxi ride) in from the main gate at the south of Huangshan. There are several hotels in this area, in whose grounds are the hot springs. The hot springs are a great place to go to relax the muscles after a day or two’s hiking on the mountain.
South Route 1: The Yuping Telpher to Bright Summit Ascent
The Yuping (Jade Screen) Telpher route to Bright Summit is the less recommended route up, because there’s more walking and tourists, but it gives the chance to take in the tallest peaks. Yuping Telpher’s south station is known as Kind Light Pagoda (Ci Guang Ge) Station. The telpher takes 10 minutes to take visitors up to Yuping Telpher’s north station, near Jade Screen Pavilion. This saves 1 hour 15 minutes of walking. Jade Screen Pavilion is an excellent viewing spot.
A short distance from Jade Screen Pavilion, past Welcoming Guest Pine, is Heaven’s Capital. This peak is a steep climb (an estimated 1 hour 30 minutes to-the-top-and-back diversion, not counting breaks), but the views and rock formations near the summit, not to mention fewer tourists (deterred by its steepness), make it worthwhile. The busiest place on the mountain must be around the famous Welcoming Guest Pine (between Yuping Telpher Station and Heaven’s Capital), where tourists from all over China take it in turns to have their photo taken with this well-known tree.
The route from Jade Screen Pavilion to Bright Summit is very busy in peak times, which makes the narrow paths slow going. Tour guides with megaphones interrupt the eerie stillness of the mountainside. The path offers another diversion (1 hour 30 minutes) off to the highest summit, Lotus Peak, before reaching Bright Summit. Lotus Peak was closed recently (August ‘09), due to footpath repairs and because tourist numbers were too high.
South Route 2: The Yungu Telpher Ascent
The Yungu (Cloud Valley) Telpher route begins at the south station, near Cloud Valley Temple. Yungu Telpher takes 8 minutes to reach White Goose Ridge (Bai E Feng), the north station, compared to an estimated 1 hour 45 minutes of walking. The walking option doesn’t offer much, just a pavilion and a rock called Immortal Pointing The Way, and the company of local workers manually transporting bedding and other goods up and down the thousands of steps. From White Goose Ridge the path forks right to North Sea (Beihai) Hotel, or left to Bright Summit.
The Mountaintop Loop
Bright Summit, Dispersing Cloud Pavilion, North Sea Hotel and White Goose Ridge form a loop at the top of the mountain. Bright Summit to Dispersing Cloud Pavilion (20 minutes down or 45 minutes climbing up), takes in the Flying Over Stone, a large tilting monolith. The loop goes past West Sea (Xihai) Hotel on to North Sea (Beihai) Hotel (10 minutes). The path from North Sea Hotel to White Goose Ridge (15 minutes down, 30 up) takes in a rock called Flower Growing Out Of A Writing Brush. Climb from White Goose Ridge to Bright Summit (35 minutes) to complete the loop.
West Sea Grand Canyon
From Dispersing Cloud Pavilion, there is a path out west to West Sea Grand Canyon and Nine Dragons Peak. For a more peaceful way to enjoy the scenery of the Yellow Mountains, China Highlights recommend the circuit through the West Sea Canyon, with its less frequented trails and spectacular views. Note that every year from December till April of the next year, West Sea Grand Canyon is closed to tourists because of snow and maintenance.
Eastern Routes
The peripheral routes from Flower Growing Out Of A Writing Brush go out east to Seeing Is Believing Peak (left fork, 20 minutes) past Pen Rack Peak, or (right fork) to Fairy Maiden Peak (30 minutes).
The Northern Route
From North Sea Hotel there is a path north to the north gate of Huangshan Scenic Area, the less visited side. Along this path one can see Dawn Pavilion (it is popular to go up here or to Bright Summit to see the Sea Of Clouds and the Dawn), Refreshing Terrace and Monkey Watching the Sea (a curious boulder perched on a ridge), on the way down to Pine Valley Nunnery, where one could catch Taiping Telpher back up.
Taiping Telpher is Asia’s longest telpher (3709m long), taking up to 100 passengers at a time from Dispersing Cloud Pavilion down to Pine Valley Nunnery (Songgu An), or probably more popularly up the approximately 1000m ascent. It can be incorporated in a loop via Beihai Hotel and Dawn Pavilion. A good early morning excursion would be to set off from one of the mountain top hotels to see the dawn at Dawn Pavilion, walk down to the nunnery (an hour’s walk from North Sea Hotel) and come up by telpher (much quicker than the walk which would be more like 2 hours because of the ascent).
Huangshan Sunrises
Watching the sunrise over Huangshan is a very popular and highly recommended activity. Many people make the early morning trek up to Bright Summit, but Refreshing Pavilion (Qingliang Ting), a short walk from North Sea Hotel is also a good place. The following is the general time-table for the sunrise time on the Yellow Mountains. Each month is divided into three periods (period one from 1 to 10, period two from 11 to 20 and period three from 21 to 30 or 31), and these three periods have little different sunrise time.
Sunrise Time on the Yellow Mountains
| Month | Date | Time | Month | Date | Time | Month | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. |
1 |
07: 30 |
May |
1 |
05: 24 |
Sep. |
1 |
05: 44 |
|
11 |
07: 40 |
11 |
05: 16 |
11 |
05: 49 |
|||
|
21 |
07: 30 |
21 |
05: 11 |
21 |
05: 55 |
|||
| Feb. |
1 |
06: 58 |
Jun. |
1 |
05: 07 |
Oct. |
1 |
06: 00 |
|
11 |
06: 50 |
11 |
05: 05 |
11 |
06: 06 |
|||
|
21 |
06: 42 |
21 |
05: 06 |
21 |
06: 12 |
|||
| Mar. |
1 |
06: 33 |
Jul. |
1 |
05: 10 |
Nov. |
1 |
06: 21 |
|
11 |
06: 23 |
11 |
05: 14 |
11 |
06: 29 |
|||
|
21 |
06: 10 |
21 |
05: 19 |
21 |
06: 37 |
|||
| Apr. |
1 |
05: 57 |
Aug. |
1 |
05: 26 |
Dec. |
1 |
06: 46 |
|
11 |
05: 45 |
11 |
05: 32 |
11 |
06: 53 |
|||
|
21 |
05: 35 |
21 |
05: 38 |
21 |
06: 59 |
Travel Essentials
Getting to the Yellow Mountains
The usual way to get to the mountains is to first go to Huangshan City by bus, train or plane. There is a daily bus service from Hangzhou, making the 2.5 hour journey to the city or a 3.5 hour journey to the mountains. A train from Shanghai (K8418/K8419, 17:49-09:05) takes 15 hours, and a train to Shanghai (K8417/K8420 19:15-09:39) takes 14 hours. There is a small airport 10 minutes drive from Huangshan City and daily flights to and from Shanghai. A bus from the city to Huangshan Scenic Area takes about 1.5 hours. See Huangshan Transport.
Getting Up the Yellow Mountains
Getting up the mountains is not too difficult, despite the precipitous valleys. There are an estimated 60 000 steps and paved paths leading to all the main points of interest (a common feature on China’s popular mountains). It’s worth noting that the average July temperature is 18ºC (64ºF) and the average January Temperature is -3ºC (27ºF) on the mountain. See Huangshan Weather.
There are 3 telphers (cableways with enclosed cars) to take the time and effort out of the middle part of the climb to the summits, and minibuses that will take you as far as the telpher stations. The prices for the 3 telphers (Yungu, Yuping, and Taiping) are the same. The one way price is 105 yuan per person. Every year during the low season from November till January of the next year, the three telphers will take turn to stop operation for annual maintenance.
The Annual Temperature on the Top of the Yellow Mountains
| Temperature | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May. | Jun. | Jul. | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average (ºC or ºF) | -3 or 27 | -2 or 29 | 3 or 37 | 8 or 46 | 12 or 53 | 15 or 59 | 18 or 64 | 17 or 63 | 14 or 57 | 9 or 48 | 4 or 39 | -1 or 31 |
| Highest (ºC or ºF) | 1 or 33 | 2 or 36 | 6 or 43 | 11 or 52 | 15 or 59 | 18 or 64 | 21 or 69 | 21 or 69 | 17 or 62 | 12 or 54 | 7 or 45 | 3 or 37 |
| Lowest (ºC or ºF) | -6 or 21 | -5 or 23 | -1 or 31 | 5 or 41 | 9 or 48 | 13 or 55 | 15 or 60 | 15 or 60 | 12 or 53 | 6 or 43 | 1 or 34 | -4 or 25 |
Footwear
Decent comfortable trainers with a cushioned sole (with a change of footwear in case they get soaked) should be sufficient in summer. Waterproof walking boots/ snow boots are recommended in the winter when there is likely to be snow. The steps may be treacherously slippery in the winter and some areas are restricted access for safety reasons.
What to Pack
Pack for mountain walking and a day or two’s stay at mountain hotels. A day or two is all that should be needed to explore the mountain thoroughly. The rest (cases, etc.) should be left at a hotel in Huangshan City or at the bottom of the mountain. We recommend waterproofs, layers of warm clothes, a windproof lightweight layer, a change of clothes, high calorie snacks, plenty of drinks, a map for reference and a camera. In summer use sun protection as it is easy to get burnt on the mountain. Pack waterproof bags for anything that shouldn’t get wet and put it all in a backpack. In winter dress for -10ºC, plus wind-chill and snow.
Nearby Attractions
Tunxi Ancient Village
If you arrive in Huangshan City too late in the day to go to the mountains, there are decent hotels in the city and Tunxi. Tunxi is a town/district and a county adjacent to and effectively forming the south of the city of Huangshan. Tunxi, the old town in the centre of Huangshan City, is famous for ink production. Visitors can see a historic factory where ink tablets and seals are produced. A stroll down the main streets of Tunxi gives visitors the chance to take in the ancient architecture and maybe buy some tea or other local products from the shops that line the streets.
Hong Cun
Other attractions in Huangshan Prefecture include Hong Village (1.5 hours by bus from the city). Hong Cun, literally Spacious Village, is famous for being the set for Jiang Yimou’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. It is a beautiful ancient village frequented by painters capturing the blend of water, willows and ancient architecture on canvass. Walking through the narrow streets one can visit many historic residences with antique furniture and beautifully carved wooden doors and archways.
The Tangyue Memorial Arches
There are also the Tangyue Memorial Arches (40 minutes from the city), the largest collection of these tall Chinese-style stone gateway and roof structures in the world.
Tachuan Village
Tachuan Village is considered to have one of the best autumn scenes in China. It boasts numerous ancient giant trees, such as Chinese tallow trees, maples and camphor tree. In Autumn, when the tree leaves turn multi-colored, creating a gorgeous sight, attracting many visitors and photographers.
Related Links
- World Heritage Sites in China
- Famous mountains in China
- The most beautiful places in China
- Huangshan Tour Packages
- Contact us for a customized tour
How to Get there?
In front of the Huangshan City Railway Station, there are buses setting for the foot of Mt.Huangshan(Tangkou). There is one bus every five minutes by day. It takes about one and half an hour to take a bus. The fare of a ticket is 13 Yuan.
I''ve sent you an email to you. please check it.
Dear Hannah Ginton,
It takes about 6 hours by bus from Shanghai to Huangshan. It costs about US$22 per person. The bus will take you to the foot of the Mt. Huang. And then you can take the cable car to get to the top of the mountain. About the bus ticket, you can ask the staff of your hotel, maybe they can purchase it for you.
Hi Sharron, thank you for visiting our web site and your interest in our services. My name is Nora Ou. I am a travel advisor at China Highlights. It is my pleasure to assist you in planning your trip to China.
I see you are planning to visit the Yellow Mountain next year. Here I’m happy to offer you some information about your concerns.
1. Weather: The average temperature during March and April is 3ºC-8ºC (37ºF-46ºF). It would be chilly on the mountain. Warm coats and down jackets are needed.
2. Hotel: The best hotel now of the mountain is Beihai Hotel Huangshan ****. Please note the facility of hotel on the mountain could not be compared with the standard star-rated hotel in big cities like Beijing.
3. Tour: Most of our clients would spend one whole day on the mountain and spend another day in the attractions near the mountain. Usually clients would take cable car to get on the mountain to save time and strength. After getting off the cable, you will still need to walk on steps on the mountain for 1-2 hours.
4. Attractions near Yellow Mountain:
Tunxi Ancient Village, Hong Cun and The Tangyue Memorial Arches.
I’ve arranged a private tour for you covering Yellow Mountain and attractions nearby. Please reply me at nora@chinahighlights.net if you are interested in the tour.
Tom, The most popular cable car for regular tourists is Yugu line at the back hill of Yellow Mountain, it takes 8-10 minutes (CNY81 per person one way, CNY162 for roundway) carrying passengers from Yungu Temple to Baie Ling. Passengers still need climb for almost 1 hour to reach Beihai or other hotels at the top. I searched only one bus from Shaoxing to Huangshan Tunxi Bus station every day(CNY140 per person, lasting from 4-4.5 hours). (You need take taxi from Tunxi Town to Yellow Mountain Scenic Area (40 minutes, CNY100)
Karen
Hi, Linda.Thank you for your question. We couldn’t find any information about newly built hotels on Huangshan right now. There are few choices of hotel on the Huangshan scenic spots and they are all built years ago. Here is the some information about hotels we recommend.
Xihai Hotel (4 star): It was opened in 1999 and was under redecoration from Nov. 15, 2010. It will be re-opened by October, 2011. The Xihai Hotel is located at Xihai Scenic Area in Huangshan Scenic Area, closed to the Lion Peak. It is 79km away from the City Center, 100km away from the Huangshan Railway Station and the Huangshan Tu nxi Airport.
Beihai Hotel (4 star): Opened in 1958 and decorated in 2008, the Beihai Hotel is located in the Beihai Scenic Area, surrounded by mountains and pine trees. The following scenic spots are all within your reach: The lion peak, Fresh Breeze Terrace(Qingliang tai), Bai'e Peak and Believe Peak (Shixin feng), etc.It is 60km away from the city ccenter, 65km away from the Huangshan Railway Station and 75km away from the Huangshan Tunxi Airport.
Paiyun Hotel (3 Star): Opened in 1996 and redecorated in 2008, the Baiyun Hotel is located at the corn of Baiyun Scenic Area with 1700 sea level, adjacent to the Haixing Ting, closed to the Guangming Ding, Lotus Peak and so on. It is 60km away from the City Center, 100km away from the Huangshan Railway Station and the Huangshan Tunxi Airport.
China Highlights specializes in customized China tour. We can design a Huangshan Tour to meet your unique requirements. We also offer Day Trips, Transfer Service and Hotel Booking in Zhangjiajie. If you are interested in our service, please feel free to contact me at nora@chinahighlights.com.
Hi,
This is Coco, from Chinahighlights, and it is my pleasure to help you.
Yellow Mountain is a must see in Huangshan. Yellow Mountain’s classic attractions could be counted as five natural wonders in the winter: the imaginatively named pines, oddly-shaped rocks, the sea of clouds, hot springs and winter snowscapes. West Sea Grand Canyon, Jade Screen Pavilion,Nine Dragons Peak...are the popular scenic spots on the mountain. You can see more here:http://www.chinahighlights.com/huangshan/yellow-mountain/.
If you need, we can tailor one day Yellow Mountain hiking tour for you. Your guide will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you back to the hotel after the tour. Please advice your start tour date and your hotel information( if you have not book a hotel yet, wew can book for your also).
best wishes,
Coco
- Yellow Mountain and Hongcun Village Tour from US$ 398
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Travel Stories
- Snow Scene at Huangshan (the Yellow Mountains)
Posted by: Mia Yang Dec. 06, 2011 - Tunxi Old Town, Huangshan City, Anhui Province
Posted by: Gavin Sep. 05, 2011 - Hong Village (Hong Cun), Huangshan, Anhui Province
Posted by: Gavin Aug. 10, 2011
