Huangshan Off The Beaten Path

Visitors used to have to get a special permit to visit these Huizhou villages, but now you just need to pay an entrance fee to go inside these villages, notably Hongcun and Xidi, in the Yixing county.

Entrance fee for Hongcun village is 80 yuan. This well-preserved centuries old village is unique. What's so special about Hongcun is that the village was designed by a feng shui master to resemble a cow. The tour guide will explain which part of the village is the anatomical equivalent to the cow and you will need some imagination to link the two. For example, the two old trees at the entrance to the village represent the horns, the four bridges the legs, the bodies of water the stomach, etc., etc.

This rock is famous of its shape like a Chinese writing bristle. Its name is 'Meng Bi Sheng Hua' ('Dreamed Pen of Fine Essays'). The name came from a Chinese story: a young man traveled to the capitol for the 'official exam' (Court official selection system), he dreamed that he had such a magic pen enables him to write all fancy essays at the exam and he beated all his rivals.

The peaks in Huangshan area are actually pinicles. The hiking paths are built in a way that you have to get up and down all the time (thousands of steps!) for an 8-hour hike as we did. If you want to go to peak C from A, and B is in between, you have to walk up to top of B and down then up to C. There is no way you can bypass B, the paths were not built that way, and there was no room to build such a path either. Not every peak is climbable such as this 'Sword Peak'. You can only see it from afar.

Pine trees growing out of peer rocks, does not seem there is any soil around them. Many pine trees are of various shapes, some look like a fan, some of the truncks look like 'dragon'. Chinese are good at imagination naming the mountain scenes. So they name those pine trees 'Fan' or 'Dragon'. There are so many fairy tales about each peak (the most famous here, 72 peaks).

Many times, some people would find themselves on a scary stairways like this.

This particular one is about 50 degrees steep, the first one we ran into. Much steeper ones are ahead. This place is called 'one string sky', means you can see only a thin line width of sky when look up. Be very careful, use the hand railing if you are afraid.

The most dangerous thing is not the steepness, but when other people rushing down recklessly. The local people of course are not afraid of anything, they run down very swiftly. If you are afraid, watch your steps, do not look down far in the valley.

It is relatively easy to hike in Huangshan area, as long you are physically fit. Not safe for young children unless you tie your children up onto you.
Steps were either carved out of the rocks or built up with cement (carried up by local people - cheap labor). The hike is straneous, sometimes very dangerous by at least by USA safety codes. The rule is: when observe do not move, and vice versa. Especially in heavy foggy days when the beautiful clouds surrond you and make you feel like in a fairyland, induldge yourself, but be careful.

This photo shows the width of the now newly built main paths compare to the 1-foot wide path made of loose rocks used before on the right. The rock steps on the mountain can be very slippery when wet. The steps somehow was carved inclining outwards instead of inwards, so extra attention is needed.

There were 3 cable routes which can save some time and effort, we took two of the major ones. Of course what you see from a cablecar might be very different from what you see hike from below - either way has its merits.

The Cloud Valley Hotel (Yun Gu Shan Zhuang). We did not stay in this hotel. We wished we had. While we were waiting to the cable ride to go up, we walked around in this hotel. This is a very good architecture design incorporating the traditional Chinese architecture philosophy, the local Hui style, and modern comfort. It is located at the beginning of the Yun Gu Cable station. So it is a good starting point. If you need detail information, Lonely Planet tourbook has it, or write to me, I will find out for you. We do not know the quality of service though.

The last difficult part to get to the Celestial Capital Peak: the Carp Back Rock. It is a very narrow 1-2 feet wide piece of rock, standing high above, with 1,800m valley on either side. Everyone warned you how scary it was, so you all psyched up for a scary thing. Your legs turn jello, your heart beaps, you are almost fainted when your hands reach the nylon cables. You wish you could just close your eyes and walk very carefully on top of it. But then you want to see how scary it is anyway, you look, not that bad, if there is none else pushing you. Sure after you even walked back onto it to have your 'heroic' photo taken, you are not afraid of it at all any more! Some people even stand on its railing poles making all kinds of 'cool' postures!