Travel Tips in Yellow Mountain
1. The Best Time
It is hard to say the best season to visit Mount Huangshan.The peak season is from April to October every year. Spring is a good season to watch the wild plants on Yellow Mountain and enjoy the golden rape flowers near the old villages. Autumn is most loved to shutterbug and there are many wonderful places to take great shots, like Tachuan. In winter, the snow-capped mountain leads you to a fairyland.There are about 50 days in a year capped by snow. The first snow begins in the late November and the last snow may occur in the late March. Hot spring is also recommended in your Huangshan winter holiday.So ,actually Yellow Mountainis a popular scenic site which suitable to visit all the year around. But onething more important is that you should avoid the crowds during the traditional festivals like the National Day from Oct.1 to Oct.7.
2. Luggage
For the independent travelers, you could also store the luggage at the foot of the mountain. The cost is about CNY20 (US$4) for each piece. If you need to carry heavy equipments onto the mountains, your guide can hire porter for you and the cost is CNY80-120 (US$13-20) for each piece.
3. See sunrise and sunset
Sunrise and sunset over Yellow Mountain are extremely magnificent and it’s a visual feast to enjoy them. The time and places to enjoy sunrise and sunset vary on different seasons. Usually, sun rises between 05:00 am and 07:00 am while sunset happens between 17:00 pm to 19:00 pm. There are top recommended places to admire the breathtaking sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise: Bright Summit, Beginning to Believe Peak (始信峰), Refreshing Terrace (清凉台) and Dawn Pavilion (曙光亭) in Lion Peak (狮子峰), Danxia Peak (丹霞峰), Turtle Peak (鳌鱼峰), Jade Screen/Yuping Peak (玉屏峰)
Sunset: Bright Summit (光明顶), Paiyun (Cloud Dispelling 排云亭) Pavilion (in Xihai Scenic Area), Danxia Peak (丹霞峰), Flying-over Rock (飞来石), Lotus Peak (莲花峰) and Fairy Walking Bridge (步仙桥). Check more details at Huangshan Sunrise and Huangshan Sunset.
4. What to pack
Actually, we suggest you only carry an overnight bag or backpack to the top of the mountain. Just leave your suitcases and excess luggage at a hotel in the downtown city. Things pack in your bag/backpack: very comfy shoes, enough warm clothes, waterproofs, torch, sunscreen; mosquito repellant, walking poles. Purchase some bottled water and snacks before you start to ascend the mountain. Sunhat is especially suggested during summer when the UV rays are the strongest.
5. The accommodation
You could choose where to stay according to your deamnd. If you want a better accommodation with great environment and facilities, luxurious hotels in Huangshan City are your best choice. For travelers who want to explore the beauty of Yellow Mountain better, there are several hotels on the mountain available as well. Please note that the hotels on the mountain are always in a higher price. Accommodating in Tangkou Town allows you to have a close distance with Yellow Mountain. Besides, there are also some other hotels in or near some ancient villages.
6. Cableway in Yellow Mountain
(a) Yungu Cableway: Yungu Temple – White Goose Ridge Station
Ticket: 80 Yuan per person per way
Running Hours: 07:00am-17:00pm
Duration:8 minutes per way for 2566m
Sights along the way:Celestial Capital Peak, Lotus Peak, The Immortal Pointing the Way, etc.
(b) Yuping Cableway: Mercy Light Temple - Jade Screen Pavilion
Ticket: 90 Yuan per way
Running Hours: 07:00am-17:00pm
Duration:10 minutes per way for 2176m
Sights along the way:Mercy Light Temple, Holy Spring Peak, Three-Island at Penglai, Jade Screen Peak,
(c) Xihai Sightseeing Cableway: Pai Yunxi Station - Tianhai Station
Ticket: 100 Yuan per person
Running Hours: 08:00am-17:00pm
Duration:5 minutes for 893m
Sights along the way:West Sea Grand Canyon, Cloud-dispelling Pavilion, Flying Over Rock
(d) Taiping Cableway: Pine Valley Station – Red Cloud Station
Ticket: 80 Yuan per person
Running Hours: 07:00am-17:00pm
Duration: 8 minutes per way for 3709m
Sights along the way:Bright Summit, Nine Dragon Peak, Bookcase Peak, Cock Peak and Red Cloud Peak, etc.
7. Warm Reminder
West Sea Grand Canyon, Celestial Capital Peak, and Lotus Peak usually close from December to March of the following year due to the snowy weather. The guide will adjust the itinerary to cover other highlights to make the most of your time.
From October 8th, 2014 to April 30th, 2015, Yuping Cable Car stops operation for its rebuilding work. During this period, more tourists will take Yungu Cable Car, so queuing is possible. Your guide will adjust the time and schedule flexibly to avoid crowds.
If you are fit, trained and have very comfy shoes and want to hike the mountain instead of taking cableways. Please walk up the eastern steps (4 to 5 hours), which is maybe a little less scenic but far less crowded and much shorter than the steeper, jam-packed western steps. Walking down the western steps it will take you 6-7 hours. If not ,you could take a cable car, the cable car is available to make your trip to the top of the mountain easier but there are still lots of steep narrow stairs on the mountain if you plan to get the most out of you time. Please take care when climbing and trying to get the best photo opportunity.
