Yellow Mountain (Huangshan)
Yellow Mountain (Huangshan) is one of the most famous mountains in China and a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature. It was listed on UNESCO's World Cultural and Natural Heritage List in 1990. Nearby the mountain, the ancient villages of Hongcun and Xidi are not to be missed sites. The ancient villages of Hongcun and Xidi have both been listed on UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List.
Huangshan Highlilghts
[Lotus Peak] The first summit of Yellow Mountain - lotus peak (1864 meters) is located on the north of Yuping building and is the highest peak in the East China area. It is also the first peak of Yellow Mountains with an elevation of 1,864 meters. The distance from the lotus flower range to the Lotus Peak is 1.5 kilometers. There are flying dragon pine along the way, hanging upside down pine, some famous pine and the Yellows Mountains cuckoo. The fragrance gilt well is located on mid of the peak. You could ascend on higher ground to get a broad view of the peak; overlooking the Tanmu Mountain on the east, Mount Lushan on the west, Jiuhua Mountain and Yangtze River on the north.
The Lotus Peak is much the same as other mountain crest, with various types of locks hanging all around the wire rope; a symbol of young lovers or spouses locked hand in hand for eternity
[Bright Summit] The second summit of Yellow Mountain - Bright Summit is 1860 meters high, overthere now is most popullar location for travllers, because of the flat ground, and the natural view from the Yellow Mountain, suc as the lotus peak, captail heaven peak, turtle peak.
And also Bright summitis best place for sightseeing huangshan sunrise and sunset,so a lot of visiter go to sightseeing on early morning,and Bright summit is the central scenic area in huangshan mountain .
[Tiandu Peak / Capital Heaven Peak ] The third summit of Yellow Mountain - Tiandu (Capital heaven) Peak (1804 meters) is the "MUST SEE" if you spend any time in the park. It is a fascinating height of 1,810 meter. The climb, dangerous in the old days, is a "walk-over", with stone steps placed or hewn along the trail and iron chains to cling to. Now 43,000 steps link all the peaks and a winding path 3,800 meters long has been paved for the convenience of tourists. The peak is over 5900, is one of the steepest and most breathtaking peaks of Mount Huang. At the top of the peak is a stone carving of 4 Chinese characters "Deng Feng Zao Ji" (the highest peak), as the peak surpasses the others in the surrounding area. A traveler in old times that failed to reach the top sighed as he composed this poem:
"How I wish I could ride a crane some day to view the sea of clouds over Tiandu Peak."
The top of the peak is flat with a natural cave large enough to hold more than one hundred people. The saying goes: without reaching Jade Screen Pavilion, a panoramic view of the mountain is impossible; without climbing Tiandu Peak, your trip is not finish.
[Jade Screen Scenic Area] The Jade Screen Tower stands against the 1,668 meter high Jade Screen Peak. Originally the seat of Manjusri Temple, it is now a tourist center with complete service facilities. Around the Tower are elephant and lion shaped rocks and ancient pines. In front of the Tower there emerge to the left the Celestial Capital Peak and Ploughing Cloud Peak. On Ploughing Cloud Peak there is a rock which looks likes a squirrel jumping at the Celestial Capital Peak. Below the peak there is another odd shaped rock which conjures up a scene of an immortal getting off a sedan chair. To the right are Lotus Peak, Lotus Pistil Peak and Holy Spring Peak. Viewed from distance, the rock on Lotus Pistil Peak looks like a small boating sailing through the ocean of clouds. Beside the peak there stands a rock that resembles a peacock playing in the lotus. Standing on the terrace in front of the pine, one is greeted by a panorama of numerous peaks and rocks half hidden in the clouds. Therefore, a visit to the Jade Screen Tower has long been considered a must for a tour of the Yellow Mountains.
The Jade Screen Tower is a half way stop between the Hot Spring and the West Sea and North Sea scenic areas. Going further ahead, tourists pass the Farewell Pine and the Hassock Pine. If one looks back, an ox-shaped rock on Ox Nose Peak comes into sight. The scene is known as Rhinoceros Watching the Moon. The distance from Jade Screen Peak down to the bottom of the Lotus Ravine is about two and half kilometers. Here the terrain rises. Climbing up several hundred steps stairs, one reaches Lotus Ridge. Standing above in the right direction is Lotus Peak.
[ Grand Canyon of the West Sea / Xihai Grand Canyon ] Xihai Grand Canyon is a newly-developed scenic area open to public on May, 2001. Covering the most prime scenery of Xihai Scenic Area (Western part of Huangshan Scenic Area), it starts at Cloud-dispelling Pavilion, linking White Cloud Area at Fairy-walking Bridge, and creating a breath-taking circular sightseeing route.
Within its 25 square kilometers, there are many unique rock formations, such as Upside-down Boot, Lady Playing Piano, Dog Watching Sky, Man Walking on Stilt, and fantastic peaks; Archway Peak, Nine-dragon Peak, Double Bamboo Shoot Peak, Stone-bed Peak, Stone-pillar Peak and Pine Forest Peak, just to name a few. Lush pines abound in the area and the large historic ones have names. You become immersed in your surroundings and find yourselves in an amazing painting. Scenery keeps changing as you walk on steep steps usually clinging to precipices. Every step reveals a breath-taking view so you can just point your camera and take a perfect photo almost everywhere on the way. No wonder it's also called Magic Scenic Area.
A 4.5 km downhill walk will take you deeper and deeper in the ravine, with cliffs and peaks becoming higher and higher, arriving at Fairy-walking Bridge. It's a real Grand Canyon! In front of you from the bridge, the 3 km long steps will lead you through the White Cloud Area to the Heavenly Sea Area. It's no doubt a difficult, yet rewarding trip with so many fantastic views.
To complete this circular trip, you will climb up another 0.7 km to Bright Summit (1860m and second highest peak of the Yellow Mountain). Then continue down 1 km to a huge rock known as Flying-Over Rock, and finally 1.5 km further down will take you back to the Cloud-dispelling Pavilion.
This spectacular circular route is a good option for the energetic physically fit tourist. A better option for those who are not used to strenuous activity would be walking a small section of it rather than missing it altogether.
This very secluded and fantastic scenic area known as the Grand Canyon of the West Sea is becoming more and more popular. It's a must see destination for tourists, even though being a newly opened area you may not find much other reference material in English.
[ Xihai Scenic Area / West Sea Scenic Area ] Descending Brightness Apex, one comes to the West Sea /Xihai scenic area via a newly opened tourist route. A mystical Rock Flying From Afar first comes into sight, with a huge 10 meter high rock weighing 600 tons standing on it. Passing several peaks nearby, visitors arrive at the Cloud-dispelling Pavilion where one commands an excellent view of the unfolding scene. There stand in front of the pavilion a sea of variously shaped peaks that inspire all sorts of fairy imagination.These architectural wonders of the nature turn the whole West Sea into a natural art gallery. When the sun sets, the whole valley basks in a myriad of sun rays, becoming a famous scene of the Yellow Mountains. Equally impressive is the 1,712 meter high Rosy Clouds Peak behind the Cloud-dispelling Pavilion. Standing on the peak, one can watch the sun rising above the cloud and Rock Flying From Afar and Nine Dragon Peak in all their grandeur.
The West Sea, long known as the Mystery Valley for the many clusters of peaks and the fathomless depth of the valley, has been opened up as the White Cloud Stream Scenic Area. The seven kilometer long newly paved staircase extends from the Hook Bridge Nunnery inside the West Gate of the Yellow Mountains, across the bottom of the valley, and reaches the newly built Heavenly Sea Pavilion at the Heavenly Sea. Tourists may go to Qianxun Falls via the Hook Bridge Nunnery and the Shy Spring. The highest falls in the Yellow Mountains, Qianxun Falls have a drop of 140 meters, and is ice free all the year round. The falls thunder can be heard at Swan Rock near the brook and one can also have a near look on the "Immortal Walking on Stilts". Passing the Dropping Spring and the Lucky Cloud Bridge, one comes to the Dispelling Cloud Pavilion. Then, a twisting path leads one through Immortal-walking Bridge and to the Goddess Flower Bed and finally to the Central Sea Pavilion at the Heavenly Sea. On the way, one can watch pines in all kinds of odd shapes.
[ North Sea Scenic Area / Behai Scenic Area] The Beihai Scenic Area is just a few kilometers away from the Cloud-dispelling Pavilion in the Xihai Scenic Area, with the Yellow Mountains Xihai Hotel on the way. The Beihai Hotel is located near the Lion Peak, at an altitude of 1,630 meters above sea level.
In the Dawn Pavilion in front of the hotel, one may enjoy the beautiful scenery of Beginning-to-believe Peak and Goddess Peak as well as the Stalagmite Bridge that inspire imagination of various fairy scenes. To the right of the hotel is the Flower House. In front of it is the Sunken Flower Valley with many rocks of fantastic shapes in it. Turning left from the hotel and passing the Unicorn Pine leads one onto the Refreshing Terrace and Lion Peak. Reaching out from the cliff and facing the valley in three directions, the terrace is an ideal place for watching sunrise and the sea of clouds. Atop the Cooling Apex of Lion Peak, one can look down at the rocks on Pingding Hill which is famous for resembling a scene of a monkey watching the sea. Below Lion Peak is the Ten Thousand Pines Forest which sends out constant pine soughing. Turning right from the guesthouse, while viewing various ancient pines on the way, one crosses the Immortal Bridge and ascends Beginning-to-believe Peak. Here, a magnificent view of stalagmites unfold itself.
[Hongcun Village ] Hongcun, evolved in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, is a village in Yixian county, located near the southwest slope of Yellow Mountain. The village, covering the territory of 30 hectares, has a great fame for her water-supplying system. The bird view of village's shape is like a resting buffalo: A nearby hill (Leigang Hill) is interpreted as the head, and two trees standing on it mark the horns. Four bridges across the Jiyin stream can be seen as the legs and the houses of the village form the body. Inside the "body", the Jiyin stream can be seen as the intestines and the lakes -such as the "South Lake" (Nanhu) - as the stomachs. It was inscribed into the list of the World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000.
Hongcun is also the location where the famous Chinese film "Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon" was shot.
[Xidi Village ] Xidi is a village in southern Anhui province. The most attracting characteristics of Xidi are her perfectly well preserved 124 civilian houses, which were built one after another in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. At the entrance of the village, your attention will be caught by a magnificent memorial archway, which was built in honor of a celebrated official in mid-Ming Dynasty. Inside the village you will find that all the houses were built with one common feature: the wood-bricked structures with two storeys, elaborately carved beams, and colorfully painted pillars. The designs of the wood carvings are all originated from Chinese legendary stories and ancient routine practice.
[Tunxi Ancient Street] At the foot of the Mt. Huangshan, in the bend of Xin´an River, lies the beautiful mountain town called "TunXi ". The "Tunxi Ancient Street" can be found in this old city. The street starts in the west at Zhenhai Bridge, a stone arch bridge built during the Ming Dynasty, and ends in the east at the "Memorial Archway." Its total length is about 1.5km and the sides of the street are laid with slab stones.. |
