• 1. Accommodation for Huangshan Tour
• 2. Preparation for Huangshan Tour
• 3. Tips for Winter Tour
• 4. Best Viewing Spots on Mt. Huangshan
• 5. Souvenirs & Side Trips
• 6. Other Questions & Tips
• >>More Tour Tips

Reputed as the Most Fantastic Mountain under Heaven, Huangshan Mountain (Yellow Mountain)is the place where you can find all traditional Chinese painting elements. Remember the giant scroll in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Opening Ceremony? The scroll represents the marvelous traditional Chinese paintings. In the long history of China, landscape paintings are among one of the most important. High mountains, ancient pines, bizarre rocks, and seas of clouds form the essential elements of ancient scrolls of Chinese landscape paintings. And here, in Mt. Huangshan, all of these elements come alive.

Inscribed on UNESCO's World Cultural and Natural Heritage List in 1990, Huangshan Mountain is one of China's most popular tourist destinations. Its extraordinary natural beauty and profound cultural heritage attracts people at home and abroad. With its ever changing scenes, Mt. Huangshan has also become a hotspot for photography lovers. The seas of clouds, sunrises, sunsets, oddly-shaped pines and rocks, winter snow, forests, and cliffs together make thousands of unique and spectacular scenes just waiting to be captured on camera.

Among all its beauties, the most featured ones are the "Four Wonders", including the fantastic pines, grotesque rocks, sea of clouds and hot springs.

Colorful Sea of Clouds

High in the mountain top, the "Sea of Clouds" C billions of drops of water vapor left in the atmosphere embraces the wonderland-like Mt. Huangshan. These unique clouds are always flowing and waving like the sea surf, from which comes its vivid name. The Sea of Clouds stretches as far as the eyes can see, soaking many of the mountains and turning some of the highest peaks into lonely isles of the sea.

November to February is the ideal time to grasp the magnificent view of the Sea of Cloud. The most spectacular views are in the time when the sun comes out after a rain or snow storm. If a sunrise or sunset occurs after a storm, it is even more stunning, dyeing the glistening clouds with every hue: red, orange, purple, yellow, and so on. Popular spots to enjoy the Sea of Cloud are the main peaks of Mt. Huangshan such as Lotus Peak and Bright Summit, or the Cloud Dispelling Pavilion and Jade Screen Pavilion.

Oddly-shaped Pines and Rocks

Mt. Huangshan's ancient pine trees sprout forth from rock crevices and grow in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Because the soil in the rocky area is so poor the trees are not tall and straight like most forests. Yet their sculpture-like postures became a distinctive feature after long-time standing against wind and rain. For the same reason, the rock formations have also taken on bizarre forms and shapes. Some of the more famous formations include: Dog Watching Sky, Lady Playing Piano, Upside-down Boot and Man Walking on Stilts.

Magical Snow of Winter

Huangshan Mountain is beautiful all year round, but it takes on a new look in winter when the mountain is covered by snow. Everything seems so peaceful and serene. The pure white snow of this magical winter landscape gracefully adorns the ancient pines, rocks, streams, and pools, coating them like frosting. Ice of frozen twigs like crystal sparkles and twinkles in the sunlight. The Sea of Cloud seems somehow more even mysterious. After taking in the marvelous spectacle, one just can't help but feel that Mt. Huangshan is blessed with a special grace from heaven.