China’s most scenic mountain? — Mt Huang Shan (Yellow Mountains)
Yellow Mountains (Huang Shan) from the Anhui province of China is a UNESCO World Heritage site and also one of the places that one should visit if you have the chance to.
As Huang Shan is a series of mountain ranges spanning a vast area with many different paths leading up to the summit, do consult the locals on which is the best route for beginners. We decided on taking the cable car up the first stretch and hiking the rest of the path up to base camp. It was a right call.
At the end of the cable car ride, it felt as if we are already at the peak, with breathtaking view and mountains that seemingly stretch on forever, you can see why Mt Huang Shan is chosen as a filming location for Avatar.
As Huang Shan is a popular site not just for foreigners, it is also a popular site within China, and the trails can get quite crowded and difficult to manoeuvre during their peak season. This can get a little bit more dangerous as some of the areas did not have any railings or safety ropes, therefore, always be careful and mindful of others while making the climb.
After a 4-hour hike, we reached our hotel to check-in and offloaded our luggage to prepare for another 2-hour climb to catch the sunset. Having followed closely to the advice provided by the locals, we chose the simplest path considering the fact that our fitness level is not as good as we had imagined.Steps upon steps greeted us on the way up, with every descent, we knew there will be an even longer ascent waiting for us but it is not like we have any choice at the moment other than to push forward. Our leg muscles are burning by the time we reached as we are rushing against time to catch the sunset. I will let the picture do the rest…
After the sunset took our breath away, we lost the light as well, the sun is setting, and there aren’t any street lamps on the mountain during our descent back to our hotel. Do remember to bring a torch (with batteries, don’t be like us) for your descent as you will be surrounded in darkness on the way down.
Early next morning, we began our hike up towards Brightness Top (summit), it was another 3 hour of steps upon steps with no ends in sight, lots of uphills and downhills but the view all around us did make things easier, and before long, we reached the top.
There is a saying in China that goes like this “五岳归来不看山，黄山归来不看岳”. This is to say that after visiting the five famous mountains in China, you can give all other mountains a miss, but after visiting Mt Huang Shan, you can give the five famous mountains a miss as they cannot be compared to the beauty of Mt Huang Shan.
Having spent two days on Huang Shan, I can say that it is indeed a fantastic experience with an equally fantastic view throughout the entire climb. Give Mt Huang Shan a go if you are planning a trip to China, you will not regret it!
