Back in December, I had the amazing opportunity to travel with my wife and our friend Senai to the famed 黄山 (Yellow Mountain). We had planned to make this one of our must-see trips while staying in China, due to its relative proximity to Shanghai, as well as being close to Hongcun (宏村), another beautiful UNESCO heritage site in the Anhui region.

There were a number of options getting from Shanghai to Huangshan; A 6 hour bus ride, an overnight sleeper, and a daily flight. We choose the sleeper since none of us have ever tried it, and the price was quite reasonable (~$40 per person)

The sleeper turned out to be an excellent option, as it was a very comfortable way to travel for the price. We arrived in Huangshan city in the next morning, ready for adventure.

To ensure our trip goes smoothly and safely, we enlisted the help of Lee, a local guide who has been guiding travelers around the region for 3 years. He arrives to the station on time with a private van, and whisked us away to the base of Huangshan, 1 hour away. It wasn’t very long before we were at the gates. It was worth noting that as foreign travelers, we were allowed to drive directly to the cable car, while most Chinese nationals would have to take a special bus that goes up the mountain periodically.

Taking a cable car up the side of the mountain, it is immediately apparent to me why the chinese have this saying:

黃山歸來不看岳

Which roughly translate to “Once you come back from Huangshan, you needn’t see other peaks”. The entire mountain is surrounded by an immense range of rocky and irregular mountains, each jutting up to form a dramatic component to the whole view.

Senai also took the chance to become a model for GoPro:

To be continued! Thanks for reading!