In the 400 years that have since passed, Xu's opinion still holds good. Huangshan is a representative Chinese mountain, and topographic symbol of China, along with the Yangtze and Yellow rivers. The Chinese saying goes, "No ordinary mountain is worth seeing after a trip to the Five Sacred Mountains; No other Sacred Mountain compares to Huangshan."

Natural Heritage

Huangshan's abundant natural heritage encompasses two world natural heritage sites, two national scenic areas, five national forest and geological parks, two national nature reserves, one national historic and cultural city, one key national protected street, 56 national and provincial protected cultural units, and over 4,900 cultural relics. There are numerous ancient bridges, pagodas, pavilions, temples and archways.

The sea of clouds is a Huangshan wonder.

"Huangshan is the most spectacular mountain range I have ever seen," was the comment of one UNESCO official. Huangshan in southern Anhui Province is close to the Yangtze River Delta, and is one of China's top ten scenic areas. Travelers have likened vistas from Huangshan's 72 peaks to a fairyland on earth. It is most famous for its odd-shaped pines, rock formations, sea of clouds and hot springs.

Pine trees on Huangshan grow on steep cliffs, mountains tops, and near strangely shaped giant rocks. Most are several hundreds years old. The most famous, such as the Guest Welcoming Pine, the Guest Seeing-Off Pine and the Leading Pine, are more than a thousand years old.

Peculiarly shaped boulders are another Huangshan characteristic. They resemble animals, objects and people and, set against a background of precipitous mountains and giant trees, make striking and impressive views.

There is a Chinese saying, "There has been a sea of clouds in Huangshan since ancient times." Huangshan is most well known for the sea of clouds that swirl around its mountain peaks. This is a most impressive sight after rain or snowfall, and at dawn and dusk when the clouds are tinged with sunglow, giving the impression of a wonderland.

Huangshan's hot springs and their therapeutic trace elements are beneficial to the health whether drunk or bathed in. Why not try both?

Cultural Heritage

Climbing Huangshan offers a wealth of fantastic natural scenery. There are also many cultural sites that are a legacy of its long history and rich cultural heritage.

Hui (short for Anhui Province) Culture is one of the three regional cultures of China, along with those of Tibet and Dunhuang, and is rooted in Huangshan. Hui Culture encompasses philosophy, economics, history, medicine, arts, and science. The Chinese Who's Who lists some 40,000 pre-Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) names of notable people, over 800 of whom came from Huangshan. Anhui merchants dominated commercial circles for two to three hundred years, leaving their descendents great fortunes and rich cultural heritages.

Xidi Village in Yixian County is site of typical Hui residences. Built in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), the village covers 16 hectares of land and has a history of more than 900 years. Over 300 distinctively Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasty residences are preserved here.

Hongcun wood carvings.

Tunxi Old Street, where the Huangshan municipal government is located, is a 1,273-meter-long pedestrian business street dating back to the Ming Dynasty. The old shops along it are all well preserved, and vividly evoke images of Ming and Qing dynasty business districts.

Hongcun Village, 65 kilometers from Tunxi Old Street, has a similarly long history. Its most distinctive feature is its ingeniously designed water supply system. There are about 140 Ming and Qing residences in Hongcun Village. Its magnificent Chengzhi Hall is known as the folk Palace Museum, as it best represents the Hui architectural style of marble floors, black tiles, red lanterns, and elaborate wood-carvings. Hongcun is known by the nickname Cow village, because a hill at the western end of the village resembles a cow's head, two big trees at the village entrance its horns, a stream running past each door its intestine; a half-moon shaped pond its stomach; and four bridges over the stream its legs. The village is considered an architectural marvel.

Busily sketching artists are everywhere.

Development and Conservation

Despite the huge numbers of visitors to Huangshan, it maintains an ecological balance, and has a reputation as natural zoo and botanical garden.

Ecological conservation has been re-enforced with the building of Wild Monkey Park in the Huangshan Ecological Tourism Zone. The park is a reserve for the Huangshan short-tailed monkey, an ape species unique to Huangshan.

The only city in China with two world cultural heritage sites, Huangshan bases its economy on tourism, which accounts for almost half of its GDP. The Huangshan municipal government is planning to put cultural advantages to economic use by widening the scope of Huangshan tour itineraries to ancient villages and scenic spots in southern Anhui Province.

Children in Hongcun Village extend a welcome to visitors.

As Huangshan is close to the Yangtze River Delta, the Huangshan municipal government is actively melding the area with the Yangtze River economic delta and Zhejiang economic belt. Wang Qimin, the top leader of Huangshan city, recently signed tourism cooperation agreements with 15 cities in the Yangtze River Delta, combining the tourism resources of Huangshan with those of Shanghai and Hangzhou in order to offer new travel routes. This means that tourism organizations in one region may send tour groups to other contracted areas, thereby pooling tourism resources. Travel agencies in one region will also be allowed to establish branches in other contracted areas and use a unified ticket system that will open a more direct transportation route. Cooperation will be strengthened in information exchanges and in tourism product research, development and sales. These measures have helped Huangshan establish closer links with the Yangtze and Zhejiang economic belts as well as provide more opportunities for tourists.

Inconvenient transportation used to inhibit travel between the Yangtze River Delta area and Huangshan. Huangshan Airport is now expanding and more highways such as the Anhui-Hangzhou Expressway are under construction, which means the journey from Huangshan to Hangzhou will soon be shortened to two hours and that from Huangshan to Shanghai to four hours. The Huangshan municipal government is currently working on a complex four-hour highway ring road connecting with Shanghai to the east, Wuhan in Hubei Province to the west, Hefei in Anhui Province to the north, and Nanping in Fujian Province to the south. It will bring Huangshan to the next stage in its tourism and economic development.

Tourism Information Places and Times to Watch Sunrise Places: Shuguang (Morning Glory) Pavilion; Qingliang (Cool) Platform; Shizi (Lion) Peak; Danxia (Red Cloud) Peak; Shixin (Beginning-to-Believe) Peak; Qishi (Chess and Rock) Peak; Gongyang (Merciful Light) Mountain; Guangming (Bright Light) Peak; Bai'e (White Goose) Range; Shisun (Stone Bamboo Shoot) Peak; Yuping (Jade Screen) Peak; Lianhua (Lotus Flower) Peak and Tiandu (Celestial Capital) Peak. Times: Spring and winter: 5:30 to 6 am;   Summer: 4:40 to 5:10 am;   Autumn 4:50 to 6:20 am. Best Time to View Sea of Clouds The best visibility is between November and the following May after rain or snow fall, and clouds are most colorful at dawn and dusk.