Table of Contents
Huangshan
By plane
- 29.7322118.25433 [dead link]黄山屯溪国际机场, TXN).The nearest domestic airport is at Tunxi, about an hour's drive from the base of the mountain. The flight to Shanghai Hongqiao is less than one hour. Taxis from the airport to Laojie in downtown Tunxi should be ¥30 but are notorious for asking much higher prices and refusing to run the meter. If you bargain at the airport be prepared for rejections and delays until all other fellow passengers are gone. on Wikidata")updated Dec 2018 | )
By bus
add listing Frequent direct buses run from Shanghai and Hangzhou. The buses from Hangzhou run either to Huangshan City (nearly two hours away) or direct to Tangkou at the mountain's tourist distribution center. The buses to Tangkou are less regular, but easy to catch if you phone up the bus station and get a timetable. Buses back from Tangkou leave mid-afternoon, but are closely spaced such that the second bus is usually empty. In these circumstances, the first bus may "break down" in Tunxi until the second bus catches up.
Fees and permits
An entry fee of ¥230 applies (off-season entry fee is ¥120, e.g. early December), and a 50% discount is available for students with IDs and seniors. If you take the tram to the top, it costs ¥80 each way, and you'll need ¥19 each way for the shuttle bus to reach the lifts or trailheads on the south side of the mountain. Prices for food are about twice as high on the top as they are at the bottom.
Get around
add listing From the town of Tangkou (汤口镇, Tangkouzhen), at the foot of the mountain, a shuttle service operates every 20 minutes to the Hot Springs Area; 30.104118.16545 Yuping Cable Car and 30.1237118.18896 Xinyungu (New Cloud Valley) Cable Car. Tangkou is quite walkable but taxis are available to scenic spots around the foot of the mountain. You cannot go direct to the mountain entrance by taxi: only the National Express buses are allowed into the scenic area. There are trails up the mountain that start near each of the two southern cable cars, but leaving from different bus stops. A third cableway, the 30.1749118.15597 Taiping cableway, ascends the north side of the mountain from Huangshan District. This is readily accessible from Huangshan North station, but more difficult to reach from Tangkou, Tunxi and the other stations
Trail closures
- Lotus peak and Celestial Capital peak are each typically open for five years at a time while the other closes. In 2019, Celestial Capital Peak reopened.
- Less-popular and more-dangerous trails, including Celestial Capital Peak and the trails up from the north and northwest, are normally closed in winter.
See
add listing [* HuangshanThe main tourist destination is Huangshan (Yellow Mountain). 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. 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 parking lot, 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 (Jiulongpu) for an additional charge. The paths are all stone steps that can make your legs rubbery after a while. Remember: a long descent is not that much easier than an ascent. Huangshan is most famous for its sun rise and sea of cloud at dawn. However, all these wonders are subject to weather conditions. In the off-season, Mount Huangshan can be extremely foggy in the morning. Approach your hotel or hostel counters for some travel tips in this area; they are typically very experienced locals.updated Nov 2019 | )
- ZhuhaiBuses do not run at night though, so if you want to go after 5PM, get a cab for ¥100-200.).Do not miss this nearby gorgeous valley covered with a bamboo forest. Some very nice restaurants and rustic inns you can stay in (preferable to Tunxi).¥30.
Do
add listing Ciguang Pavilion (慈光阁, Mercy Light Temple), past the Yuping cablecar, while the 30.122118.18782 "eastern steps" start just below the Yungu cablecar. In the north, a trail starts from the base of the Taiping cableway, at the Songgu Forest (松谷禅林) entrance. The far more obscure but very scenic route from the 30.1348118.12463 northwest entrance via the Fairy Bridge starts at the end of a small local road. The northwest entrance has no bus service and no taxis, is not near any village, and its parking lot is usually completely empty, so ascending via this route requires a taxi and descending requires planning your transportation in advance. It is also sometimes closed in winter. Once on the top of the mountain it is possible to do a few walks. Highly recommend is the walk through the West Sea, for its stunning scenery. This area is also accessible by a funicular railway from the top (¥100). The connection between the Fairy Bridge and West Sea is closed (2018). Note that the trails on the mountain are generally industrial-scale stone or concrete walkways, wide and flat, with railings, often lighting, and a crew of workers to clear off snow, garbage, and leaves. This is not a trek through the wilderness. One of the famous attractions at Huangshan is its hot springs, located above Tangkou.
Buy
add listing An English-language map is available in Tangkou. 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. 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, and others). But it is near the airport and train station, and can be entertaining if you need to kill time before leaving town. The Laojie is a great place for buying high quality red, black and green tea at reasonable prices. Also worth a try is the tea tofu.
Eat
add listing Food options are limited on the mountain. There are (expensive) restaurants in all the hotels but it is hard for a solo traveller to find cheap food. There are several small grocery stores selling snacks & drinks. Stinky tofu of a particularly stinky variety seems to be popular as well. On top of the mountain in peak season, water was ¥6-10, beer ¥10, meat sticks 3 for ¥10, instant noodles ¥10, cucumbers 2 for ¥6.
- Laojie Diyilou老街第一楼),249 Laojie (老街249号).Bright, tastefully decorated restaurant with examples of the food so you know what you are ordering. Not high cuisine, but not bad and predictable!¥50-70 per person.
Drink
add listing Take plenty of water as the price rises steeply on the mountain (up to ¥10 per 600 ml bottle). Local beer, such as Huangshan Beer (黄山啤酒), costs ¥10-20.
Sleep
add listing On Huangshan, most tourists choose to stay overnight at one of several hotels in the Beihai region of the mountain to watch the sunset and sunrise. All hotels on the mountain are extremely expensive (a bed in a shared dorm is likely to cost more than ¥300/night), and note that several close in winter. In Tangkou there are a lot of cheap hotels available for around ¥80. There are also some options in Tunxi.
On the Mountain
add listing Note that there is a well-staffed police station on the mountain, and if you try to check into a hotel there without all your identity documents perfectly in order, you should expect to spend several hours enjoying that police station's hospitality while you explain yourself.
- 30.144118.16551 Beihai Hotel北海宾馆).Expensive hotel on top of the mountain, central to many of the sights and convenient for sunrise.Doubles ¥700-9700, dorms may exist at the ~¥300 level..updated Nov 2019 | )
- 30.1454118.16512 Shilin Hotel狮林大酒店).Popular with photographers, and practically covered in spectacular photos of the mountain.¥900-3,000 for doubles, ¥200-300 for dorms.updated Nov 2019 | )
- 30.1253118.17013 Yupinglou Hotel玉屏楼宾馆).Near the top of the Yuping cableway and the western steps. No view of sunrise.Doubles ¥600-2500.updated Dec 2018 | )
- 30.1395118.16494 White Goose Hotel白鹅山庄).Between the Yungu cableway and Guangding summit (Bright Top), this is usually the cheapest (and lowest-rated) hotel on the mountain, and may offer deals if you travel at an unpopular time. As of March 2021, they were not accepting foreigners.Doubles ¥600-2500, dorms ¥100-250.updated Mar 2021 | )
Tangkou and Tunxi
- Huangshan International Youth HostelTangkou.Their food is not very good, but the rooms are cheap and clean with warm water and western toilets. They arrange various tours which are generally good.From ¥100 to ¥300 for a private room in peak season.
- Huangshan Old Street International Youth Hostel266 Laojie.Based in Tunxi. Decent looking hostel. Great at helping organise transport to Huangshan area and accommodation on the mountain
Stay safe
Watch out for ice in winter, and do not make eye contact with the monkeys.
Go next
- Chengkan Ancient Village呈坎村)An ancient village showing the Yin-yang theory of traditional Chinese Philosophy).Chengkan Village is the top attractions of Huangshan famous for its splendid architectural complex in the Huizhou style. The former residents of Chengkan Village are quite special. The memorial of Chengkan Village is also towering and full of traditional culture.updated Nov 2019 | )
- Hongcun宏村)Buses do not run at night, so if you want to go after 5PM, get a cab for ¥100-200.).Water village. Hongcun is slightly prettier than Xidi, but much more crowded; if pressed for time, you do not need to see both villages. Some very nice restaurants and rustic inns you can stay in (preferable to Tunxi).¥80.updated Nov 2019 | )
- Xidi西递)Buses do not run at night, so if you want to go after 5PM, get a cab for ¥100-200.).Water village. Some very nice restaurants and rustic inns you can stay in (preferable to Tunxi).¥80.updated Nov 2019 | )
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