About Huangshan
What to see and do in Huangshan
Weather in Huangshan
Airport in Huangshan
Visa
Huangshan, is a prefecture-level city centered around the Huangshan Mountains in southern Anhui province, People's Republic of China. Its urban area was originally the city of Tunxi; this now constitutes Tunxi District. Huangshan is the southernmost prefecture-level city in the province and borders Chizhou to the northwest, Xuancheng to the northeast, and the provinces of Jiangxi and Zhejiang to the southwest and southeast, respectively. Huangshan, one of the most famous mountain peaks in China, is a popular tourist attraction. In 1990, Huangshan was listed as a World Heritage Site.
Huangshan prefecture-level city corresponds largely to the historical region of Huizhou; indeed Huangshan prefecture-level city was known as Huizhou Prefecture before 1987. The name change was made to reflect the cultural and touristic preeminence of the Huangshan Mountains.
Mount Huang, also known as Huangshan (literally "Yellow Mountain"), is a mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China. The area is well known for its scenery, sunsets, peculiarly-shaped granite peaks, Huangshan Pine trees, and views of the clouds from above. Mount Huang is a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature, as well as modern photography. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of China's major tourist destinations.
Huangshan or "Yellow Mountain" is a granite massif consisting of 36 separate peaks, rising above 1800 metres. Famous throughout Chinese artistic history, Huangshan represents the typical mountain in Chinese paintings. Frequently shrouded in mist, the many peaks appear to float on clouds and have very fanciful names such as 18 Arhats Worshipping the South Sea, Lotus Flower Peak, Celestial Capital, Paint Brush etc
Jagged granite peaks clothed in uniquely shaped pine trees create a spectacular landscape of great interest to artists and photographers. The development of walking tracks and cable cars makes this landscape accessible to most active travellers.
Over 1450 kinds of plant are found within the Park. The most spectacular tree is the unique Pinus huangshanensis which grows precariously clinging to rock faces. Many of the trees have names such as the Welcoming Guest and the Seeing-off Guest Pines. Carpinus, Cornus, Enkianthus, Fraxinus, Rhododendron and Weigelia are some of the species of flowering tree to be seen. 470 species of animal have been recorded. The most frequently seen ground animals are squirrels and small skinks.
The nearest domestic airport is at Tunxi, about an hour drive from the base of the mountain, the flight to Shanghai Pudong is less than one hour. Taxi from the airport to laojie in downtown Tunxi is RMB 20.
The nearest station is at the town of Tunxi, but the station is actually called Huangshan. There is an overnight train from Shanghai that takes about 13 hours - this is far longer than a direct bus, but it does save a night at a hotel, so it is apopular option.
Frequent direct buses run from Shanghai and Hangzhou.
Unfortunately, the town of Huangshan is not too close to the actual Yellow Mountain. Upon arrival at the train staion, airport, or long-distance bus station, the most convenient method of transportation is by bus to the small town of Tangkou. The bus ride to Tangkou takes about an hour, and offers great views of the rural Anhui Province. There are a great deal of buses located outside the train station - these should cost about RMB 18 - 20 for a one-way ticket.
Once at the Tangkou bus station, the entrance to the Yellow Mountain park is quite accessible. Travellers desiring a longer hike up the face of the mountian can embark from the town of Tangkou. For those wishing to ascend the mountain more rapidly, there are tour buses that depart from Tangkou to the cable car lifts - these are easily booked for about RMB 10.
The actual ascend starts from the entrance to Huangshan mountain. There is around 20mins bus ride from Tangkou town to the entrance (and this distance is not recommended for site seeing, if you are not interested in road construction), you can easily get a bus for RMB 13 in Tangkou town.
Much of Mount Huang's reputation derives from its significance in Chinese art and literature. In addition to inspiring poets such as Li Bai, Mount Huang and the scenery therein has been the frequent subject of poetry and artwork, especially Chinese ink painting and, more recently, photography. Overall, from the Tang Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, over 20,000 poems were written about Mount Huang, and a school of painting named after it.
The area has also been a location for scientific research because of its diversity of flora and wildlife; in the early part of the 20th century, the geology and vegetation of Mount Huang were the subject of multiple studies by both Chinese and foreign scientists. The mountain is still a subject of research; for example, in the late 20th century a team of researchers used the area for a field study of Tibetan Macaques, a local species of monkey.
Mount Huang is a common tourist destination in China, with at least 140 sections open to visitors. The foot of the mountains is linked by rail and by air to Shanghai, and is also accessible from cities such as Hangzhou and Wuhu. As of 1990, there were over 50 kilometers of footpaths providing access to scenic areas for visitors and staffers of the facilities; today there are also cable cars that tourists can use to ride directly from the base to one of the summits. Throughout the area there are hotels and guest houses that accommodate overnight visitors, many of whom hike up the mountains, spend the night at one of the peaks to view the sunrise, and then descend by a different route the next day.
The Huangshan Pine (Pinus hwangshanensis) is a pine native to the mountains of eastern China, in the provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang; it is named after the Huangshan Mountains in Anhui, from where it was first described.
It is an evergreen tree reaching 15-25 m in height, with a very broad, flat-topped crown of long, level branches. The bark is thick, greyish, and scaly plated. The leaves are needle-like, dark green, 2 per fascicle, 5-8 cm long and 0.8-1 mm wide, the persistent fascicle sheath 1 cm long. The cones are broad squat ovoid, 4-6.5 cm long, yellow-brown, opening when mature in late winter to 5-7 cm broad. The seeds are winged, 5-6 mm long with a 1.5-2.5 cm wing. Pollination is in mid spring, with the cones maturing 18-20 months after. It is closely related to Japanese Black Pine (P. thunbergii), differing from it in the slenderer leaves, brown (not white) buds and broader cones.
Huangshan Pines typically grow at moderate to high altitudes on steep, rocky crags, and are a major vegetation component in the exceptional landscapes of eastern China. Many specimens are venerated for their unique rugged shapes, and are frequently portrayed in traditional Chinese paintings.
The hotels, restaurants, and other facilities at the top of the mountain are serviced and kept stocked by porters who carry resources up the mountain on foot, hanging their cargo from long poles balanced over their shoulders or backs.
What to see and do in Huangshan
An entry fee of RMB 200 applies(Off-season entry fee is RMB 120, e.g. early December), a 50% discount is available for students with IDs and seniors. If you take the tram to the top, it costs RMB 80 each way. Prices for food are about twice as high on the top as they are on the bottom. (prices as of May 2007)
From the town of Tangkou, at the foot of the mountain, a shuttle service operates every 20 minutes to the Hots Springs Area; Yuping Cable Car and Xin Yungu (New Cloud Valley) Cable Car. Tangkou is quite walkable but taxis are available to scenic spots around the foot of the mountain. Taxi from Tangkou to the Cable car is RMB 50.
The main tourist destination is Mt Huangshan itself. From the Yuping Cable Car/ Mercy Light Temple entrance the "Western Steps" lead up for about 14 Km over spectacular terrain. Allow 6-7 hours for the ascent. At present (2006) Lotus Flower Peak is closed for track maintenance. If you are fit and have a good head for heights the steep ascent to Celestial Capital Peak is rewarding. From the Yungu Cable Car carpark the ascent by the "Eastern Steps" is easier, taking as little as 2-3 hours. If you choose to descend by the Eastern Steps you can extend the hike by including the Nine Dragon Waterfall area (Jiu Long Pu) for an additional charge.
Huangshan is most famous for its sun rise and sea of cloud at dawn. However, all these wonders are subjected to weather condition. In off seasons, Mt Huangshan can be extremely foggy in the morning. Approach your hotel or hostel counters for some travel tips in this area, normally they are very experienced locals.
In Tunxi, the most cited tourist destination is Laojie (old street with lots of souvenir shopping). This street is over commercialized and has little to offer over the more authentic ancient towns nearby (hongcun, xidi - both on the UNESCO World Heritage list). But it is near the airport and train station, and can be entertaining if you need to kill time before leaving town. There is a decent looking hostel called Huangshan Koala International Youth Hostel at No. 266; across the street is a large restaurant with examples of the food so you know what you are ordering. Not high cuisine, but not bad, and predictable! At the other end of laojie, Ying Yang (western style cafe) can be found at No. 44.
On Huangshan, most tourists choose to stay overnight at one of several hotels in the Beihai region of the mountain to watch the sunset & sunrise.
Don't miss nearby Zhuhai (gorgeous valley covered with a bamboo forest, RMB 30 entry), as well as Hongcun and Xidi (water villages, RMB 80 entry each). Hongcun is slightly prettier than Xidi, but much more crowded; if pressed for time, you do not need to see both villages. All 3 also have some very nice restaurants and rustic inns you can stay in (preferable to Tunxi). Buses don't run at night though, so if you want to go after 5, get a cab for RMB 100 - RMB 200.
An English language map is available in Tangkou and is worth purchasing as signage can be confusing. Many local couples buy padlocks and inscribe their names on them, then lock them to various places on top of the mountain. Others buy medals commemorating their successful summit of the peak.
Being characterized by the four wonders, namely, odd-shaped pines, craggy rocks, sea of clouds and crystal-clear hot springs, Huangshan Mountain in east China's Anhui province is one of China's top ten best scenic spots. It covers an area of 1200 square kilometers (463 square miles) with a well developed scenic area of 154 square kilometers (60 square miles). Mount Huangshan is celebrated for having all the significant features of mountain scenery. Widely recognized as the No. 1 Mountain under heaven, it features numerous imposing peaks (77 exceed an altitude of 1,000m), forests of stone pillars and evergreen sturdy pines; other features include grotesquely-shaped rocks (many of which are individually named, such as "flying-over rock"), waterfalls, pools and hot springs. Because of its mists and clouds, natural scenery in the area changes beyond prediction. Xu Xiake, a noted Chinese geologist and traveler in the Ming Dynasty, praised Huangshan Mountain as the best of all mountains.
Huangshan Mountain is a marvel: within an area of 154 square kilometers there is a crowd of peaks, 72 of which have names indicating the shapes they resemble. Lotus, Brightness Top and Celestial Capital are the three major ones, all rising above 1,800 meters above sea level. The mountains are a body of granite, often with vertical joints. Erosion and fracture contributed to shape the rocks into huge columns, giving rise to lofty peaks and deep ravines. When it is cloudy theClick to Enlarge pinnacles loom in mists as if they were illusionary, while the sun is shining they unfold in all their majesty and splendor. Huangshan Mountain changes its color and appearance with the alternation of seasons. In spring blooming flowers decorate the slopes in a riot of color and fill the valleys with fragrance; in summer you see verdure peaks rising one upon another and hear springs gurgling merrily. Autumn dresses the mountains in red and purple as maples and some other trees are blazing-red; winter turns them into a world of frost and ice with silver boughs and rocks everywhere. Here in Huangshan, pines and rocks are intimately involved with each other, almost every rock has a pine tree growing out of the crevice, and every tree has tortuous and gnarled roots and branches.The still sea of snow-white cloud can suddenly begin to roll and toss, rise or fall, gather or disperse while the peaks emerge and disappear in the clouds like isles in the ocean.
So from ancient times it has been frequented by tourists seeking their mystery and admiring their scenery. They come to the conclusion that the fantastic pines, the grotesque rocks, the sea of clouds and the hot springs are the four major attractions of the Yellow Mountains. As a matter of fact there are marvels almost everywhere, especially in the following scenic areas: Wenquan (Hot Spring), Yupinglou (Jade Screen Tower), Xihai ( West Sea), Beihai (North Sea), Yungusi (Cloud Valley Temple) and Songgu'an (Pine Valley Nunnery).
There is plentiful rainfall in Huangshan Mountain. Therefore there are thick forests. Owing to the peculiar terrain, the Huangshan Mountain's climate is marked by a vertical change, and the vertical distribution of vegetation is also distinctive: plants on the summit, on the middle levels and at the foot belong to the frigid, temperate and subtropical zones respectively. There are more than 1500 species of plants, of which trees comprise one third. So the Huangshan Mountain occupy an important place in China's botanical research. Here you will find century-old pines, firs, gingkgoes, actinidia, Chinese torreyas and camphor woods, remnants of the glacial era. A number of trees are celebrated on account of their age, grotesque shape, or precipitously perched position. Mount Huangshan abound in flowering plants; many of them are rare ones, such as Huangshan Rhododendron, magnolia as well as azalea, camellia, plum, lily, orchid, and so on. It has a rich store of medicinal herbs; more than 300 kinds are found here; the notable ones being glossy ganoderma ginseng, Chinese gold thread rhizome and Chinese cinnamon. Maofeng tea of Huangshan is well known at home and abroad.
Huangshan Mountains also provide the natural habitat for a wide variety of fauna. Among the animals there are monkeys, goats, deer, pangolin and squirrels. There are rare birds such as the red-billed leiothrix, the silver pheasant, the octave-tone bird and the oriole, all good singers. The red-billed leiothrix (called "love birds" in Chinese) are so lovely that they have become favorites of foreign tourists and are exported by pairs. Besides, chukkar(stone frog) from the streams is good to make delicious dishes with.
Hot springs scenic area
The nationally famous hot springs of yellow mountain were tapped more than a thousand years ago. Gushing forth from the foot of Purple Cloud Peak, the spings have never run dry in severe drought or overflowed under torrential rainfall. The high temperature waters have long been heralded for their therapeutic effects in treating metabolic, digestive, nervous, cardiovascular and motorial system disorders. Its clear waters remain at 42`C all year round and can be used for drinking and bathing, for whose purpose baths and swimming pools have been built.
Huangshan Hot Spring, which, during their long history have also been called: "Ling Spring", "Tang Spring", and "Vermilion Spring", is celebrated for its natural, fresh clean water. MT.Huangshans is the watershed of the Yangtze and Qiantang Rivers. This geographical positioning is responsible for the cultivation and development of the 36 large canyons. Huangshan is also famous for waterfalls, such as: "Inverted V Falls (Renzi Falls)", the "Hundred Feet Waterfall", and the "Nine Dragons Waterfall".
Six hundred and thirty meters above sea level, the Hot Spring has a large tourist complex, including the Yellow Mountain Guest house, Taoyuan Hotel, Xuanyuan Hotel, the Hot Spring Bath, the Hot Spring Swimming Pool, a Postal and Telecommunications Building, as well as various villas and shops. The scenic area straddles the Peach Blossom Brook that flows between Purple Cloud Peak and Peach Blossom Peak. Across the brook are the Purple Cloud Bridge, the Scenery Watching Bridge, the Famous Spring Bridge and the White Dragon Bridge. Scattered around are the Fish Watching Pavilion, Falls Watching Pavilion, Peach Blossom Land Pavilion, and the Falls Watching Tower. Here one can watch Hundred Feet Spring and Inverted V Falls as well as Celestial Capital Peak, Lotus Peak, Cinnabar Peak, Purple Cloud Peak and Purple Rock Peak. Going up along the brook, one will see such scenic spots as Roaring Lion Rock, Dragon Head Rock, Tiger Head Rock, the Red Well, Intoxicated Rock, Sword Testing Rock as well as Green Dragon Pool, White Dragon Pool, Three Folding Spring and Ringing String Spring. Upon departing from hot springs, visitors can either make the arduous ascent further up into the mountains, or take the less strenuous route back down from the hot springs.
Tunxi Ancient Street is a well-preserved mercantile street with the architectural styles of the Song (960-1279), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties located in the center of Tunxi old city. The group of architectures alongside the street followed both the Song Dynasty style and the traditional Hui (Anhui Province) folk residences style, presenting the charm of ancient towns in the southern lower reaches of the Yangtze River. More than ten famous old shops are situated here, including Tongrende, opened about 120 years ago in the Qing Dynasty, is the most remarkable one. Many other stores here deal primarily in folk artworks such as traditional Chinese paintings of the Hui (Anhui Province) sect, miniature gardens, root-carvings, prints and inscriptions. Today Tunxi Ancient Street, the folk art corridor in China is popular with movie and television companies since its scene of dense traditional commercial atmosphere, some experts believe the ancient street resembles the famous Song Dynasty painting, 'The Upper River during the Qing Ming Festival'.
The archway has long been a symbol of China. In Chinese feudal society, the government built archways for calling people to receive recognition for merit, acts of faith or filial piety, rewards for rendering service to the country. As many celebrities in Chinese history came from Huangshan City, archways were constructed in many quarters of the Huangshan area. Many years later, over 100 well-preserved archways remain. Tangyue Memorial Archways are the most representative, including three from the Ming Dynasty and four from the Qing Dynasty. Each archway has a moving story, worthy of a visit.
Xidi, a cymbiform village, and Hongcun, a cattle-like village, were ancient settlements in southern Anhui Province listed as world cultural heritage sites by UNESCO in 2000. Xidi and Hongcun Ancient Villages retain much of the appearance of the last century. The style of the street, architecture, and the development of a complete water supply are notable. Elegant residences from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the soul of Chinese traditional residences, created a logical, spicy living environment. The water system in Hongcun especially demonstrates advanced thinking.
The largest group of stone caves in China, Flower Mountain and Enigma Caves, is in the mountains along the Xin'an River, in east Tunxi, Huangshan City. The 36 stone caves left modern people many enigmas. Within the specially designed and logically structured caves you can feel the wisdom of the ancient people. How or why they were constructed is a mystery.
Mt. Jiuhua is the first mountain in southeast China to become famous for its scenery. Mt. Jiuhua, one of the four famous mountains of Chinese Buddhism, is a charming pearl in Chinese cultural heritage. Mt. Jiuhua is host to temples and wreathing incense smoke, blending natural beauty with a Buddhist atmosphere.
Shexian County, situated at the south foot of Mt. Huangshan, is a famous historical and cultural place. The county abounds in Ancient Residential Houses, memorial archways and Ancestral Temples. It is famed as Town of Arch. Most villages here show typical southern Chinese scenery featured by little bridges, murmuring streams and classical architectures.
Other attractions include Mt. Qiyun, Xin'an River, Guniu Mountain Nature Reserve and the sights of Tachuan in autumn are all worthwhile to visit.
Mt. Huangshan's climate is mild and humid, neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter, the temperature is agreeable all the year round. It is cool in summer, averaging 70 F at the North Sea Area (1,630 meters above sea) and 80 F at Hot Spring Area (630 meters above sea) in July (the hottest month). As clouds often shut out the sun, hot weather never stays long, and this makes Yellow Mountains an ideal summer resort. Mt. Huangshan lies in subtropical zones, so it's not quiet cold in winter, at least, not so cold as some people expected. The temperature ranges from 25 F to 40 F, but it's enough to result in a fantastic snow scenery and a silver world with pines and precipitous peaks covered with snow and decorated with icicles.
Weather on Mt. Huangshan is marine-like; temperatures are lower at higher altitudes. From April to June Mt. Huangshan is rainy, misty and cloudy. It is cool in summer while the average temperature of winter is above 0 C (32F). The mountain's variable weather adds a different dimension each season.
In April the average temperature on Mt. Huangshan is 10 C (50F). Flowers, trees and grass emerge, making spring among the best seasons to visit Mt. Huangshan. With warm humid air from southern parts, Mt. Huangshan steps into summer. Some places, however, such as Bright Summit Peak and Jade Screen Tower do not get a summer season. After a summer rainstorm, Mt. Huangshan becomes a world of water and rainbows above a sea of clouds. In the fall, the average temperature is 12.9 C (55.22F) in September and 11.7 C (53.06F) in October. Many tourists recommend the winter landscapes of Mt. Huangshan as the most spectacular. Winter, the longest of the four seasons, is chilly without being severe.
While weather on Mt. Huangshan is not a problem, space can be. On May Day and National Day, legal holiday for the whole nation, swarms of people travel to Mt. Huangshan, putting severe strains on accommodation and restaurants. Tourists are advised to avoid Mt. Huangshan on these holidays.
As the temperature on Mt. Huangshan is about 10 C (50 F), lower than in the flat areas, and windy, you are advised to bring a coat even in summer although some hotels do offer overcoat rentals. If you go to Mt. Huangshan in winter, bring warm clothes, preferably fleece or down. It is always wise to check the weather report the day before. For safety reasons during summer thunderstorms visitors are not allowed to hold umbrellas as the wind may catch them and cause falls down the mountain. Raincoats are preferable.
January 6 C to -4 C
February 8 C to -2 C
March 12 C to 3 C
April 19 C to 9 C
May 24 C to 15 C
June 28 C to 18 C
July 31 C to 23 C
August 32 C to 22 C
September 26 C to 18 C
October 21 C to 11 C
November 15 C to 5 C
December 8 C to 0 C
Huangshan Tunxi International Airport is an airport in Huangshan, Anhui, People's Republic of China (IATA: TXN, ICAO: ZSTX).
The Huangshan Tunxi Airport, usually referred to simply as the Huangshan Airport, is located in the Tunxi District of Huangshan City in Anhui Province, about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the downtown area of Huangshan. It is approximately 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) from the airport to Huangshan Scenic Area.
Brief Intro: The airport was built in 1958 and is equipped with a 2,600-meter (2,843.4-yard) airstrip, a 4C standard flight area, and a 48,800-square-meter (58,366-square-yard) parking apron, with eight gate positions.
The airport offers domestic flights from Huangshan to Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xian, Zhuhai, Guilin, Jinan, Hefei, Fuzhou, Xiamen and Chengdu, along with other less popular cities. The airport is also served by two regional airlines offering flights to Hong Kong and Macau.
There are no direct international flights to Huangshan Airport. Annual passenger throughput averages about 900,000 at the airport.
Facilities: Passenger facilities include two lounges-a Regional Service Lounge (of 2,200-square-meters, or 2,631 square-yards) and a Domestic Service Lounge (of 10,000-square-meters, or 11,960 square yards). The VIP areas of the lounges offer free tea and newspapers.
Airport Transportation Taxicab and bus service to downtown Tunxi are provided at the airport. For taxicab service, the base fare is RMB 5 for the first 3 km (1.9 miles) and RMB 1.5 for each additional kilometer. Bus service is provided between the hours of 07:00 and 17:30 only. Two bus lines service the airport-the No.17 and No.19.
Airlines and other destinations of Huangshan
Air China (Beijing)
China Eastern Airlines (Shanghai-Pudong)
China Express Airlines (Chongqing)
China Southern Airlines (Guangzhou)
Shanghai Airlines (Shanghai-Pudong)
Shenzhen Airlines (Shenzhen)
To be able to travel to Huangshan you need to have a valid China Visa, issue
from your local government at the China Embassy, Chinese visa fall into four types:
diplomatic visa, courtesy visa, service visa and ordinary visa. Ordinary visa
is further divided into the following 8 categories each marked with a letter:
(1) Tourist and family visit visa (L-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China
for tourist purpose, family visit or other personal affairs.
(2) Business Visa (F-visa ) is issued to a foreign citizen who is invited to China for visit, research, lecture, business, exchanges in the fields of science, technology, education, culture and sports, or attending various kinds of trade fairs or exhibitions, or short-term study, intern practice for a period of no more than 6 months.
(3) Student Visa (X-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China for the purpose of study or advanced study for a period of six or more months.
(4) Work Visa (Z-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China to work and his or her accompanying family members, or to give commercial performances in China.
(5) Transit Visa (G-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who is to transit through China on his or her way to a third country (or region).
(6) Crew Visa(C-visa)is issued to crew member performing his/her duties on board an international train, or on an international airliner, to a sailor on board an international ocean-liner or freighter, and also to their accompanying family members..
(7) Journalist Visa (J-visa)is issued to foreign journalists. J-visa has two categories: J-1 visa and J-2 visa. J-1 visa is issued to resident foreign journalists in China and their accompanying spouses and under-age children, J-2 visa to foreign journalists who visit China for temporary news coverage.
(8) Permanent Residence Visa(D-visa)is issued to a foreign citizen who has been approved by China's public security authority to reside in China permanently.
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