YELLOW MOUNTAIN OR MOUNT HUANG (HUANGSHAN 黄山)

We were here: September 28 and 29, 2018.
Recommended number of days: 2.
My score: 4/5.

If there is anything that abounds in China, they are the mountains. There are from small coastal hills to some of the highest in the world in Tibet, but those that Chinese really like are not those of the Himalayas but those around 2000 meters high, very abrupt and steep, with many peaks formed by erosion and if possible covered in undergrowth and twisted trees growing from their peaks. These have been present in the history of China for millennia, since they belong to the great karstic zone of the south of the country, which occupies thousands of kilometers. From these mountains the 4 sacred mountains of Buddhism, the 4 sacred mountains of Taoism and the 5 great mountains for historical reasons were chosen. And then there’s Huangshan, which does not belong to any of these categories and still is probably the favorite mountain of 1300 million Chinese people:

Because it is the most beautiful. These traditional paintings and drawings, some thousands of years old, where very precipitous peaks are seen with small trees that resemble bonsai sprouting directly from the rock, are inspired from here, and the variety of landscapes, trails and viewpoints is greater in this one than in other mountains such as Mount Hua or Zhangjiajie. It is in UNESCO heritage list since 1990.
Although like the others, there are usually a lot of people, the routes are so long that it is not difficult to find idyllic areas where we will be almost alone.
There is an airport one hour short of the base of the mountain, and it is less than half a day by road or train from Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou, three cities of great importance in the country. And even then, the foreigners we will find will be punctual.

That Huangshan is accessible and beautiful does not mean that it is simple. As in the rest of the historical Chinese mountains, the maxim of “if I want to go up there, I go up”, is applied; even those who use the cable cars can not visit much without having to go up and down hundreds of steps, and for those who do not use them, the steps will be counted by thousands, with some sections so steep that we will need to use hands and feet to get around them, but the views will be worth it without a doubt. If on your trip to this country you have to choose to climb a single mountain, it should be this one.

WHAT TO SEE

SOUTHWEST ITINERARY: JADE SCREEN CABLE CAR- LOTUS PEAK – GRAND CANYON WEST SOUTH ENTRY (FAIRY BRIDGE) – FLYING OVER ROCK – WESTERN STEPS DOWN
NORTH ITINERARY: WHITE GOOSE CABLE CAR- NORTHERN SEA – GRAND CANYON WEST NORTH ENTRANCE – EASTERN STEPS DOWN