Granite peaks, twisted pines and seas of cloud, with hotels on the summit and old Huizhou villages an hour or two away.
Granite peaks, twisted pines and seas of cloud, with hotels on the summit and old Huizhou villages an hour or two away.
The Yungu cable car (¥80 one way) climbs the east side in about 8 minutes. From the top station it is about 30 minutes on foot to Beginning-to-Believe Peak (Shixin Feng), with the first close views of granite pinnacles and pines.
A deep gorge in the West Sea area with a trail cut along its cliffs, about 5–6 hours for the full loop. A small sightseeing rail car (¥100 one way) saves the climb back out. It closes for winter maintenance, usually from December to mid-March.
Guangming Ding, at 1,860 m the second-highest peak, a short walk from the summit hotels and the usual place for sunrise. Lion Peak and Refreshing Terrace (Qingliang Tai), near Beihai, are the other early-morning viewpoints.
Celestial Capital Peak (Tiandu Feng) reopened in 2024 after a five-year rest; its path is steep and exposed, and in busy periods it needs its own real-name booking. Below it, beside the Welcoming Guest Pine, the Yuping cable car (¥90 one way) takes you down the front of the mountain.
A Huizhou village of white-walled houses around Moon Pond and South Lake, listed by UNESCO with Xidi in 2000. Buses from Huangshan North take about 1.5 hours and stop at Xidi on the way.
A merchant village set among hills along three streams, with narrow lanes and houses known for their carved gables and interiors. It pairs easily with Hongcun on the same day.
Mandarin fish cured in salt for several days, then braised; it smells strong, but the flesh is tender.
Tofu fermented until it grows a soft white mold, pan-fried golden and eaten with chili sauce.
Bamboo shoots from the hills of southern Anhui, stewed with ham and mushrooms.
A green tea grown on the slopes around the mountain, named for its downy tips.
Huangshan, the Yellow Mountain, is a granite range in southern Anhui known for sheer pinnacles, pines that grow straight out of the rock, and the sea of cloud that fills its valleys on many mornings. The scenic area has paved stone trails, cable cars and hotels on the summit, so you can see the high peaks without serious climbing, though there are still thousands of steps. Hongcun and Xidi, two old merchant villages with white walls and dark tiled roofs, lie in the countryside nearby.
It suits travelers who want one big landscape between cities. Most come from Shanghai or Hangzhou on the high-speed line, and Nanjing South is about 2.5 hours away by train.
Take a morning train to Huangshan North (our high-speed train guide covers booking), then the bus to Tangkou and the shuttle to the Yungu cable car. Ride up before noon, walk to Beginning-to-Believe Peak and the Beihai area, and check in at your summit hotel. If you have the energy, walk part of Xihai Grand Canyon in the afternoon.
Get up in the dark for sunrise at Bright Summit or Lion Peak, then walk across the summit toward Tiandu Peak and go down on the Yuping cable car. Sleep in Tangkou or in Hongcun, and give the third day to Hongcun and Xidi before the train back from Huangshan North. Set up Alipay before you go for tickets, buses and meals; the paying in China guide explains how.
Checked on 29 October 2026. Opening times and ticket rules change; confirm on the official site before you go.
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