If you’ve ever seen a traditional Chinese ink painting with jagged mountains disappearing into the clouds, twisted pine trees clinging to cliffs, and tiny villages beside reflective lakes, you've seen a depiction of Huangshan (literally in Chinese - huang: yellow, shan: mountain).
In fact, hundreds of millions of people (maybe billions) have seen Huangshan without even realising.
That’s because a towering painting of the famous mountain hangs in the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, acting as the backdrop for when visiting foreign dignitaries visit and shake hands with the Chinese leader.
So, it’s quite a famous place amongst natives, not so much amongst foreigners.
But it should be. And this Weekend Escapes guide is here to help you navigate the city. What to do, the best places to go, what to eat, and where to stay. Let’s get started.
Huangshan
The mountain itself is of course the focal point. It’s majestic.
The most beautiful of Chinese mountains, according to many.
But that’s not all the city is famous for.
I mean, yes, the city is named after the mountain, but it’s so much more than that, and it’s history is rich.
Ever seen ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’? Well if so, you’ve seen a small slice of Huangshan too. Those beautiful flying kung-fu scenes over the quaint villages on water?
Shot right here.
But lets start with the mountain, because that’s what usually comes to mind when people mention Huangshan.
Getting here is easy. From Shanghai, 2.5 hours on the train into Huangshan North Station, and then a 45 minute shuttle bus to the base.
Staying here is also easy, there are nice hotels for cheap (see below), or you can even stay on the mountain.
Tickets to access Huangshan are admittedly a little steep, around $40 - $50 depending on how many cable cars you use (entrance fee is $26 of that), because trust me - you’re gonna need to ride at least a few to navigate the sprawling expanse of jagged peaks.
But this cash goes towards the maintenance and upkeep of the area (which is a UNESCO heritage site by the way), so that’s a big plus.
Official tickets: https://www.trip.com/t/lIz53QlSMW2
The Mountain
So, you’ve arrived at the mountain.
There are many different routes to get to the top, some more difficult than others, but you can choose this yourself – there’s no right or wrong way to do it. Just take it easy, bring lots of suncream, and water and snacks are a good bet too as food is a little scarce.
If you’re more adventurous and able-bodied, there is a peak that is reasonably dangerous to climb, so they only open it to the first 3000 sign-ups per day, it’s called Tiandu Peak.
But whichever route you take, you’re going to be met with jagged granite cliffs collapsing 6000ft into seas of fog, twisting pine trees ‘showing you the way’, and endless mountain layers stretching into far the distance.
Cinematic.
Seasonally, the mountain is the kind of place you wanna keep going back to, and I’ll explain why.
Spring is a great time to visit, autumn too. The sun is out, but there’s enough of a constant pleasant breeze to make the hike enjoyable.
But visiting during winter completely changes the atmosphere. It’s common for the mountain to see lots of snowfall, and it transforms into something that feels almost otherworldly.
The Villages
The Yellow Mountain isn’t the only UNESCO heritage site in the area – the surroundings are of equal cultural and historical significance.
That’s because southern Anhui (the province in which Huangshan sits, and one of the richest in China) is home to some of China’s best preserved ancient villages, dating back at least 800 years.
Here visitors can get a glimpse into traditional Huizhou architecture. Whitewashed walls, black-tiled roofs, intricate wood carvings, and narrow stone alleyways that have remained remarkably unchanged for centuries.
This is where the trip evolves into something more than just hiking.
Huizhou Architecture
The area overlapping the villages was historically known as Huizhou, and it has one of the most recognisable traditional architecture styles in China.
During Ming and Qing dynasty era’s, Huizhou merchants became some of the wealthiest traders in China, and would choose to spend their wealth building elaborate family compounds and ancestral halls.
These days, 3 major villages remain as proud examples of this period.
Village 1 - Hongcun
Hongcun is the idyllic village you see in Chinese water paintings.
It’s probably the most famous, and for good reason too.
I first visited Hongcun back in 2022, and it’s authentic beauty blew me away.
As is common in Jiangnan (Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, & parts of Anhui & Jiangxi), the village is built around a network of canals and reflective ponds, and the architecture is pretty special.
Compared to villages 2 & 3 - Chengkan and Xidi - Hongcun is a little busier and more touristy, but its still number 1, and if you’ve only time to visit a single village, I would probably pick Hongcun.
Village 2 - Chengkan
Chengkan has recently surged in popularity, and for good reason.
It’s quieter, less commercial, and over 1000 years old. But wait until 6:45pm, and wow.
Every day at this time, the village transforms.
Locals carrying glowing fish-shaped lanterns march through the narrow Huizhou alleyways.
Fisherman on canopy boats (called wupeng) float through the canals setting off fireworks.
It’s chaos. Good chaos.
These lanterns are part of Anhui’s intangible cultural heritage, with the fish representing prosperity, abundance, and good fortune.
Village 3 - Xidi
Xidi is the third village of southern Anhui, yet it too, is a UNESCO site.
Again, it’s less touristy than Hongcun, beautifully preserved, filled with grand courtyards and stone paved lanes, but seems more classical and historical than Chengkan. This is the quietest of the bunch.
Food
Of course, we need to mention the food.
Anhui cuisine is one of the Eight Great Cuisines of China 八大菜系 (alongside Sichuan, Cantonese, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Hunan) and is typically associated with mountain ingredients, herbs, bamboo shoots, slow braising, and earthy flavours.
Walking through the streets, you’ll likely find hairy tofu and lots of Chou Gui Yu – stinky mandarin fish – although the taste is much better than the sound.
Where to Stay
Staying in Huangshan is easy, thanks to its breadth of options at great price points.
If you want to stay on the mountain, it can be around $175 per night, depending on what time you book. Huangshan Bai Yun Hotel is beautiful, and very highly rated.
https://www.trip.com/t/PWFY7bTKnU2
If you want to stay at the gate of the mountain, you can find lots of 4 star homestays rated 9/10 for around $40 a night.
https://www.trip.com/t/QKSFUnVKnU2
If you’d prefer to stay nearer Hongcun, around an hour from the mountain, you can find lots of nearby homestays at around $40-$60.
https://www.trip.com/t/A0Hxt6zSMW2
Or if Chengkan is more your vibe, there are chain hotels as well as homestays for a similar price.
https://www.trip.com/t/Xq42EHxSMW2
Thanks for reading, forward this to a friend who you want to visit Huangshan with!