On the first day of the new year, I invited my friends to climb Huangshan (Yellow Mountain). Apart from my love for outdoor activities, I thought that climbing a peak would be a fresh and wonderful start to the year.
Many of my friends thought that Huangshan would be closed in winter, but it’s quite the opposite. Not only can you climb the mountain during this time, but you can also enjoy the snow, soak in hot springs, watch the sea of clouds and rime, and most importantly, there aren’t many tourists.
This was my first time climbing Huangshan, and choosing to do it in winter was quite fortunate, as it’s the only season when the “Five Wonders of Huangshan” (peculiar pines, strange rocks, sea of clouds, hot springs, and winter snow) can be perfectly presented.
Just before we went, it had snowed, and as far as the eye could see, the pure white snow was cleverly combined with the pines, rocks, clouds, and springs, as if draped in a pure white veil. During our climb, we also saw many cute “snowmen” made by fellow hikers.
Due to the cloudy weather, although we missed a magnificent sunrise, we saw a stunning sunset glow and glistening icicles on the mountain, as if we had entered a fairyland. Even though it was cold, it was worth it.
Moreover, from December 20th to January 20th, the ticket prices, cable car fares, and hotel rates in Huangshan are all at off-season prices, offering not only a great experience but also the best value for money.
Today’s article is a comprehensive guide to visiting Huangshan in winter. If it’s your first time going to Huangshan, you must check the guide carefully, otherwise, you might climb for half a day and still be in the clouds without seeing the scenery, which would be a waste.
In addition, many friends in the background have asked me to recommend places suitable for winter travel near Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, and Huangshan is a good choice.
First, let me explain the relationship between Huangshan City and Huangshan Scenic Area, as many people can’t tell them apart.
Huangshan City is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Anhui Province, consisting of three districts (Tunxi District, Huangshan District, and Huizhou District), four counties (Xiuning County, Yixian County, Shexian County, and Qimen County), and one Huangshan Scenic Area.
Self-driving is the most convenient way to get to Huangshan. It only took us three hours from Hangzhou, so friends based in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai can directly choose this mode of transportation.
You can take a high-speed train to Huangshan North Station, and there are direct buses to Huangshan Scenic Area after exiting the station, which is very convenient.
Huangshan has a Tunxi International Airport, located not far from the city center, and there are also buses to Huangshan Scenic Area during the day.
There are many scenic spots of various sizes in Huangshan City, and there are some distances between them. If you also plan to visit the nearby Hongcun and Xidi villages, you can also directly rent a car or charter a car upon arrival.
How to tour Huangshan Scenic Area
Huangshan has long been known for the saying, “After returning from the Five Great Mountains, one no longer looks at mountains; after returning from Huangshan, one no longer looks at the Five Great Mountains.” Moreover, coming in winter is definitely a scenery-limited experience. The peculiar pines, strange rocks, sea of clouds, hot springs, and winter snow can all be fully displayed at this time.
Internal transportation in Huangshan
The south gate of Huangshan is the main entrance to the scenic area, located in Tangkou Town. Self-driving friends can directly navigate here, and there are parking lots nearby. After entering the scenic area gate, you need to take a scenic bus at the transfer center to reach the foot of the mountain.
As for the price, from the transfer center to Yungu Temple (the back mountain entrance) / Ciguang Pavilion (the front mountain entrance), it’s 19 yuan per person;
From the transfer center to the hot spring scenic area, it’s 11 yuan per person; From the hot spring scenic area to Yungu Temple (the back mountain entrance) / Ciguang Pavilion (the front mountain entrance), it’s 8 yuan per person.
Cable car transportation 🚠
There are four cable cars in Huangshan Scenic Area, namely Yuping Cable Car in the front mountain, Yungu Cable Car in the back mountain, Taiping Cable Car, and Xihai Grand Canyon Sightseeing Cable Car. Currently, it’s the off-season, and only Yuping Cable Car and Yungu Cable Car are open.
Yuping Cable Car goes from Ciguang Pavilion, which is the front mountain of the south gate, to Yuping Building. The cable car ride takes about 15 minutes, and the ticket price is 75 yuan in the off-season and 90 yuan in the peak season.
Yungu Cable Car goes from Yungu Temple, which is the back mountain of the south gate, to Bai’e Ridge. The whole journey takes about ten minutes, and the price is 65 yuan in the off-season and 80 yuan in the peak season.
Remember the operating hours of the cable cars to avoid missing the last one.
Off-season operating hours: Monday to Sunday and minor holidays 7:20-16:40.
Peak season operating hours: Monday to Friday 6:20-17:40, Saturday, Sunday, and minor holidays 6:00-17:40.
Huangshan ticket prices
You can book tickets on major apps, with an off-season price of 150 yuan, and 75 yuan for the elderly and children.
There are many combo tickets for admission, cable car, and scenic bus. You can determine your route and directly buy these for convenience.
One-day tour route in Huangshan
Due to time constraints, I took the one-day tour route. Those with limited time or who don’t want to stay overnight on the mountain can directly choose the one-day tour.
We went up from the front mountain and down from the back mountain, which is not a route I recommend, as you’ll see fewer sceneries.
The itinerary starts by taking the cable car up to Yuping Scenic Area, starting the climb from Yuping Building (Welcoming Guest Pine), passing through Hundred Steps Ladder – One Line Sky – Baiyun Hotel – Aoyu Peak, and finally reaching Bright Summit, then walking down along the Yungu Cable Car route.
The scenery seen on this entire route is relatively limited, and apart from the winter snow, there aren’t many highlights.
I recommend going up from the back mountain and down from the front mountain, as this route allows you to see far more strange stones and peaks than going up from the front mountain. For example, you can see six of the top ten famous pines in Huangshan, such as Beginning-to-Believe Peak, Brush-Writing-Flower, Monkey Watching the Sea, and so on.
I’ve also written out the route for you: Take Yungu Cable Car up the mountain – Beginning-to-Believe Peak – Refreshing Terrace – Lion Peak – Bright Summit, and finally take Yunping Cable Car down the mountain.
The tour time for this route is just right, and it won’t be too tiring after climbing.
Huangshan Two-Day Tour Route
Taking advantage of the two-day tour route, let me tell you more about the scenery worth seeing in Huangshan, so you can have a good idea in advance.
DAY 1:
Scenic Area South Gate → Yungu Temple → Bai’e Ridge → Beginning-to-Believe Peak → North Sea → Lion Peak → Flying-from-Afar Rock → Bright Summit
After arriving at Yungu Temple from the scenic area’s south gate by shuttle bus, you can choose to hike up the mountain from here (about 3 hours) or take the Yungu Cable Car.
The first stop is Bai’e Ridge, which is the best place to view the sea of clouds in East Sea. I recommend arriving early in the morning when you can see the magnificent spectacle of the misty sea of clouds.
Next, you can walk from Bai’e Ridge to the nearby Beginning-to-Believe Peak. The famous “Black Tiger Pine” in Huangshan is located on the route from Bai’e Ridge to Beginning-to-Believe Peak.
North Sea is considered the hinterland of Huangshan and a gathering place for tourists. From Bai’e Ridge, follow the mountain road to North Sea and then to Lion Peak, where you’ll find fantastic peaks and rocks along the way, making for quite a spectacular view.
From a distance, Lion Peak looks like a giant lion lying prone. Oh, by the way, this is also a perfect spot for watching the sunrise and sea of clouds.
If you miss the sunrise and sea of clouds, remember not to miss the two wonders of “Monkey Watching the Sea” and “Brush-Writing-Flower,” which are also near Lion Peak.
Continue walking from Lion Peak, and you’ll pass by Flying-from-Afar Rock, a stone that has been eroded by weathering over thousands of years yet still stands miraculously.
The last stop of the first day is Bright Summit.
Bright Summit is one of the three main peaks of Huangshan and the second highest peak. It’s also a great place to enjoy the sunrise and sunset.
Near Bright Summit is Bright Summit Hotel, which can be an option if you want to stay overnight on the mountain.
If the weather is good, you can enjoy the sunset in the evening, look up at the starry sky after dinner, and see the rising sun and surging sea of clouds right outside your door in the morning, making for a pretty good experience.
DAY 2:
Bright Summit → Heavenly Sea → Aoyu Peak → Jade Screen Peak → Ciguang Pavilion
The second day’s itinerary is relatively more relaxed because the Tiandu Peak and Lotus Peak are closed in winter, so you can skip these two scenic spots directly.
Walk from Bright Summit to Heavenly Sea, where you can enjoy different wonders of the sea of clouds. This area also has many plants, making you feel like you’re browsing an encyclopedia of plants and learning a lot.
Aoyu Peak is also one of the wonders of Huangshan. From the outside, it looks like the shape of a giant turtle, hence its name. There is an Aoyu Cave here that tourists can pass through.
Whether you’re on the front or back mountain, Aoyu Peak is a must-pass spot. If you’re tired, you can also take a short break here.
The last stop of the tour is Jade Screen Peak. The Welcoming Guest Pine, Seeing-off Guest Pine, and Looking-for-Guest Pine that we’ve seen in our Chinese textbooks since childhood are all in this area, and you can see them along the way, so I won’t go into much detail here.
However, please be sure to pay attention to safety. The temperature is low these two days, and it often snows on the mountain, with black ice on the road. Try to wear non-slip shoes or put non-slip chains on your shoes, and be careful.
After visiting Jade Screen Peak, you can satisfactorily descend the mountain. If you don’t want to walk, you can take the Jade Screen Cable Car directly down to Ciguang Pavilion.
On our itinerary, we didn’t make it to West Sea Grand Canyon, Lotus Peak, and Tiandu Peak because Huangshan Scenic Area stipulates that these three scenic spots are closed from December 1st to the end of March the following year and can only be viewed from afar.
Lastly, I also recommend hiring a guide; otherwise, even if you come across scenic spots, you may miss them by mistake.
Where to Stay in Huangshan
I’ve always wanted to camp in Huangshan. After all, when I climbed Mount Hua and Mount Tai before, I stayed overnight on the mountain in a tent. I remember that Huangshan also allowed it a long time ago, but I heard that in recent years, the Huangshan Scenic Area has limited the total number of tents pitched on the summit and introduced a site reservation system.
The places where camping is allowed are North Sea Playground, West Sea Restaurant Elevated Platform, Paiyun Building Hotel Platform, Baiyun Hotel Playground, and Yuping Building Hotel. Camping is not allowed in other places.
Now, pitching tents is not allowed all year round, and we’ll have to wait for further notice.
So, if you want to stay overnight on the mountain, in addition to the Bright Summit Hotel mentioned above, there are also North Sea Hotel, West Sea Restaurant, Baiyun Hotel, Paiyun Building Hotel, Yuping Building, Shilin Hotel, Bai’e Villa, and Huangshan Paiyun Xing Travel Hotel.
Relatively speaking, the options are limited, with basic rooms only 14-16 square meters, and most hotels on the mountain are also quite old.
In addition, there is a Xiangyuan Yungu halfway up the mountain next to the cable car, which a friend had recommended before.
Now that I’ve covered the routes and hotels, let me share with you some precautions for climbing the mountain:
- If you’re bringing elderly or young friends to climb Huangshan, I recommend allowing more time, as the entire journey involves going up and down the mountain, which can be quite strenuous.
- You can prepare a hiking pole, which will make climbing easier.
- The temperature difference between day and night on the mountain is significant, so it’s recommended to prepare your coat well to avoid catching a cold.
- Check the weather before setting out, as rainy and snowy weather is not suitable for climbing. When the weather is good, you can watch the sunrise, sunset, and starry sky on Huangshan.
- There are no dining places on the mountain, only stalls selling water, steamed buns, bread, and other dry food, and the prices are very expensive. I recommend bringing more food with you.
Huangshan City is also worth a brief stop
Huangshan Scenic Area is just one of the many attractions in Huangshan City. After climbing Huangshan, you can turn your attention to the city area, slow down your pace, and stroll around, shuttling between the white walls and black tiles, feeling the long-standing Huizhou culture.
Tunxi Old Street
📍 Southeast corner of the intersection of Yan’an Road and Huashan Road, Tunxi District, Huangshan City
If you ask me where to go first in Huangshan, my answer would definitely be Tunxi Old Street. It is located in the central area of Tunxi District, actually a bit like the commercial streets in most cities, but Tunxi Old Street has more historical and Hui-style features.
Although the total length here is less than one kilometer, a straight street extends into three horizontal streets and eighteen alleys, which is very pleasant to stroll around.
Walking on the old street, you can see exquisitely built Hui-style buildings everywhere. You can carefully observe the delicately carved wood carvings, brick carvings, and stone carvings on the Hui-style gate towers, which are all quite unique in style.
There are also many small shops on the old street, each with its own characteristics. In addition, there are many century-old shops and shops with intangible cultural heritage, such as “Tong De Ren,” “Shi Yi Nong,” “Hu Kai Wen,” and so on. If you are interested, you can go inside and take a look.
Liyang Old Street
📍 Lixin Road, Lishan Community, Tunxi District
Liming Old Street is not far from Tunxi Old Street, and these two places can be visited together. The old Tunxi people also have a folk saying passed down from generation to generation, “Tunxi of Ming and Qing, Liyang of Tang and Song,” which shows that these two places are quite important in the hearts of the local people.
Liyang Street is divided into Upper Liyang and Lower Liyang. Walking into it, your eyes will be filled with traditional Hui-style buildings. If you change into a cheongsam and take a photo, you can easily play a time-travel drama.
There is also a small river with a perennial stream in the middle of the old street, which adds a touch of poetic charm to the street. Because of the changes of time, the ancient town also exudes a unique old street charm, which is especially suitable for walking and strolling.
Hongcun Village
📍 Hongcun Town, Yi County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province
🎫: 94 yuan
Hongcun, an old internet celebrity, needs no further introduction from me. Almost everyone who comes to Huangshan will come here for a visit. With white walls and black tiles, leaning against the mountains and beside the water, it is not an exaggeration to call it a “village in a painting.” It can be said to be the pinnacle of traditional Chinese Hui-style architecture, and you can appreciate its charm at any time.
In the early morning, Hongcun is like an ink painting, while at night, red lanterns are hung high, and the flow of people shuttles through the alleys, accompanied by the cries of small vendors, making it seem like a dream.
The entrance ticket to Hongcun is 94 yuan, which is valid for three days from the date of entry. You can also taste some specialty Hui dishes on the ancient street, such as stinky mandarin fish, hairy tofu, preserved mustard greens and baked buns, which are not expensive.
Xidi Village
📍 Xidi Town, Yi County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province
🎫: 94 yuan
Xidi is another representative work of the ancient Huizhou villages. It belongs to Yi County together with Hongcun, and they are both world-renowned for their Hui-style architecture.
However, if we talk about history, Xidi has a longer history than Hongcun, but its fame is slightly less than Hongcun. In ancient times, Xidi was mostly built by dignitaries and nobles, and now the entire village is inhabited by the Hu family and their descendants.
I like Xidi the most in the early morning and at dusk, mainly because it avoids the crowds and appears more tranquil.
Huizhou Ancient City
📍 Huicheng Town, She County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province
Everyone knows the beauty of Jiangnan, but the beauty of ancient Huizhou is also very touching. Otherwise, how could the poet write the verse, “A lifetime of infatuation, no dream of Huizhou”?
Huizhou Ancient City is the perfect presentation of ancient Huizhou. It is also one of the four well-preserved ancient cities in China, with a five-star rating for its worth visiting. Walking around inside, you can see the Huizhou government office, the mansions of Huizhou merchants, and streets and alleys with a strong sense of history.
After living in the city for a long time, I actually yearn for these old streets. Walking into them, it seems that the noisy world outside has been put on mute, and you can quietly feel the passage of time here.
On the way back, my friend and I were still sighing, feeling great about doing what we want to do in a timely manner.
For example, we went to Huangshan on a whim for New Year’s Eve. At seven o’clock in the morning, I mentioned it to my friend, and by nine o’clock, we were already on the highway. We happily set off fireworks at the entrance of Hongcun Village to welcome the New Year’s countdown, and then got up early on the first day of the new year to climb the mountain with great enthusiasm. Such precious experiences cannot be exchanged for any amount of money.
I hope that no matter how old we are, we will always have the courage to set off at a moment’s notice. After all, setting off is the most meaningful thing.
Having said so much, I have made a simple version of the Huangshan tour guide for everyone. You can save it and choose a date to set off.
