Hiking in Huangshan

After spending a week in Shanghai, we left the big city and went on a three-day excursion to a city (though much more rural) southwest of Shanghai called Huangshan. Also called the "Yellow Mountain," it is an area famous for the unique peaks and cliffs of the mountain range that inhabits the region. After finally making it to town after another delayed flight, we ate dinner in the old city center of Huangshan on Friday night before heading out Saturday morning to the actual mountains where we would be spending the next two days.

The mountains in the clouds (Left)

The stone step path (Right)

Our journey started with a drive to the cable car that after only a twelve minute ride took us up through the clouds to a very high spot in the mountains. We were suddenly transported to a completely different world, where instead of hot, humid, and crowded it was cloudy, damp, and serene. The late morning fog was pretty thick, making the area feel eerie-like and mysterious. The scenery was beautiful, lusciously green with pine trees coming out of the sides of rocks. We were to stay the night at a hotel higher up in the mountains, and first had to hike one hour to get there.

Walking the paths you immediately notice the three things that this region is famous for: the pine trees, the clouds hanging to the peaks, and the jagged staggered mountains all around. After arriving at the hotel, we took another hike in the afternoon to the "Grand Canyon of the West Sea." Another hike full of climbing up and down thousands of stone stairs, the view of the steep valley below was beautiful along the way.

Have to watch where you're walking!

The view at sunset

Unfortunately, since it was summer there was an enormous amount of people on the mountain. Mostly Chinese, it felt a bit like summer camp around the hotel with people everywhere in large groups taking hikes and hanging out in the area.

The next morning my father and I braved the warnings and took the challenge of hiking one hour of straight stairs (2.5km) uphill to the Bright Summit. Though steep indeed, we didn't have any problems except the large amounts of people along the way! The views were amazing from the top; the day was exceptionally clear and we could see for miles and miles around. Unfortunately it seemed like everyone else had the same idea we did and it became quickly crowded and quickly unenjoyable, so we headed back down to the hotel and soon after to the cable car.

Finally at the Bright Summit

At night we went to the infamous cultural show of Huangshan. Showcasing what seemed like hundreds of performers, it was a mixture of musical, play, and acrobatic show with crazy costumes and a plot that didn't quite make sense. Yet, it was visually impressive with spectacular colors and acrobatics. Only pictures can really do it justice!