When I saw Huang Shan(Yellow Mountain),
I saw the Chinese paintings in tangible substances.

■ by Ada Wong

Although Huang Shan is not one of the Scared Mountains,
it is definitely the most beautiful.

Huang Shan - Anhui Province, 501 km (315 miles) SW of Shanghai.

If you climb one mountain in China, let it be Huang Shan (Yellow Mountain). Located in southern Anhui Province, and inscribed on the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage List in 1990. Huang Shan, with its 72 peaks, is China's most famous mountain for scenic beauty. Having no religious significance, the mountain is known instead for its sea of clouds, strangely shaped rocks, unusual pine trees, and bubbling hot springs – four features that have mesmerized and inspired countless painters and poets for over 1,500 years.

Huang Shan is enshrouded in mist and fog 256 days a year, while snow covers the mountain peaks 158 days a year. Trails are usually packed with hikers from May to October, so April is often cited as the best time to visit. Local tourism authorities, however, like to boast that each season highlights a uniquely different aspect of Huang Shan, and have taken to pushing Huang Shan winter tours, when hotel, restaurant, and ticket prices are at least lower. Whenever you visit, allow at least 2 days for the mountain and another day or two for the attractions around Shanghai.

Ada Wong and her friend Doris Cheung - Sept 05 at Huang Shan

According to the legend, Huang Shan was the place where the ancient king “Huang Di” used to study. The main scenery of Huang Shan is comprised of two lakes, three waterfalls, 24 creeks, and 72 peaks. Among them, the “Tiando Peak” is extremely steep, with a flat top surrounded by dancing clouds. It was nicknamed the “Gathering Place of Fairies.” The “Welcoming Pine” is the most well known of the 'Ten Pines of Huang Shan'. It looks like a vivid dragon. After thousands of years, this pine tree is still full of life in welcoming everyone to this tourist attraction. The cloud of sea in Huang Shan can be divided into the 'Yellow Sea', 'Sea of Heaven', 'Front Sea', 'Back Sea', 'West Sea', and 'North Sea'. The source of Huang Shan's hot springs came from the 'Zhusha Peak'. The temperature of the hot spring is about 42 C year round.