Huangshan (Yellow Mountain)

UNESCO World Heritage Site (Mixed Natural And Cultural, 1990); UNESCO Global Geopark; National 5A Tourist Attraction · Huangshan, Anhui

The mountain of classical Chinese painting: a granite massif in southern Anhui whose contorted pines, sheer pinnacles, hot springs and seas of cloud defined the Chinese landscape ideal for centuries. A UNESCO World Heritage site of 72 named peaks topping out at 1,864-metre Lotus Peak, climbed by stone staircases and three cableways, with summit hotels holding visitors overnight for the sunrise over the cloud sea. A saying attributed to the Ming traveller Xu Xiake holds that after Huangshan no other mountain needs seeing. The Welcome Guest Pine, the West Sea Grand Canyon and Bright Summit Peak are its best-known sights, and winter rime turns the pines white.

Tangkou Town, Huangshan Scenic Area, Huangshan, Anhui, China

Open daily year-round, roughly 6:30-17:30 in season with earlier last-entry for cableways; winter hours shorter and the West Sea canyon loop closed roughly Dec-Mar.

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