Huangshan Things to Do

1 more image

There are nine sections to this waterfall, hence the name. If you only go as far as the rock where everyone have their picture taken, you will have missed the upper sections. To continue further up, take an unmarked trail to the left and continue to hike some 15 mins and you will see the top of the waterfall. The unmarked trail was pointed out to me after I asked a guide if there was more to the waterfall.
Admission fee: 42 yuan.

The hostel (zhaodaiso) called a cab for me to get there for 15 yuan. I took the local blue bus back (1 yuan) after telling the cab driver not to wait for me (they were pestering me to sample tea in a back room which I felt really uncomfortable doing). After visiting the waterfall, I walked down to where a group of old folks were sitting in front of their farm houses .......turned out I had just missed the local bus and so ended up spending 40 mins or so chatting with these friendly farmers.

Everyone seem to want to have their shots taken to show their friends back home.

Easier for me, as I was mainly taking pictures of scenery but still have to avoid bumping each other's camera or each other off the slope.

Because of the crowd waiting in turn to take pictures of all the famous sights with legendary names of characters formed by mountain tops, rocks, clouds and trees.

With names like:
"Rock that flew"
"Monkey overlooking the sea"
"Lotus Flower Peak"

Depend on weather, you may get a chance to witness this much talked about experience of seeing the red sun shooting out above the clouds in Huangshan.

Check with your tour guide and hotel, there is a predictability factor of the chance of seeing sunrise and expected time of sunrise.

So plan the time of the year of your trip if this is a must.

You have to do a 10-20 minutes short hike up the steps to site of watching sunrise in the dark and so bring a torch light if your hotel does not supply one. Remember you may be too tired in waking up if you have been hiking the previous day.

I woke up just in time to catch sunrise around my hotel.

Depending on your time and fitness level, you can hike all the way or part of the way, taking cable cars.

There are two directions, the back or west which is steeper and more dramatic and the front or east. The back or west has cable car for half of the journey and the front or east has cable that goes all the way.

So if you cannot walk well, take the front cable car up and down and you can still enjoy the walk along the top of the mountain. If you can walk, there are sedan chairs but it can be a bit scarry as these old male carriers have to keep the momentum of moving fast avoiding other tourists.

Most important is to not to push yourself too hard. Stop frequently to enjoy the view.

Hiking most of the way or part of the way to Huangshan is an exhilarating experience.

Only thing is that traffic is both ways and you have watched for other hikers.

Highly recommended
Back/West Route:
Going up: I hiked 15 minutes to the cable car station. Then hiked another 4 hours to the top.

Front/East Route:
Going down: I hiked 15 minutes to the other cable car station. Then waited for all those who hiked down.

1 more image

Its scientific name is Pinus Hwangahanensis. This legendary pine tree is still alive and welcoming guests to Huangshan. It is so famous in China that a security guard ranger is permanently stationed at its side like a soldier to protect it from the crowds of tourists who jostle for best posing position as well as watching at night through severe weather conditions.
Special people who get paid to go around estimating the age of trees have guessed that this one is over 800 years old.
Every Chinese tourist who visits Huangshan wants their photo taken with this tree. In the second photo, you can see calligraphy on a nearby rock praising the wonderful scene.

I wouldn't say this is the best picture one could get out of Huangshan, hardly! But this is MY picture & it's what I could get with that kind of weather.
It's also one which I had to brave a lot of effort & courage to get. So, it's special to me.

When I was standing right there & then, I remembered the cold, the wind & the fright!
Yes, it's scary to stand at the edge on a windy day & to look down & wonder how far one could fall.

In fact, I heard there were many who committed suicide there because of relationship problems (from a chinese guide whom I met on the train).
The irony of it all, there's nothing to protect you from falling, not many railings along the trails!
In fact, I witnessed one such fright... a child nearly fell!

A lot of times, ignorance is bliss.
That's the case for me for Huangshan.
It's an unforgettable hike but a very dangerous one.
I was crazy enough to go hiking solo!!!

What was on my mind then?
1 step at a time & I'll be there.
Never look back, just ahead.

Why do I have to do it?
Because I've never done it. It's innate, it's a challenge. It's that which later formed my courage for heading to Tibet, Iceland, Scandinavia & South America.
It's that which grows! That's it, it's growth!
& I needed that badly at that moment in time :-)))

The second highest peak, Brightness Peak is known as the point to watch the sunset and sunrise.

I didn't think it was worth the wait though. But then most tourists have the whole day so they mind as well end the day or start the day seeing the sun.