Huangshan Scenic Area
黄山风景区
A UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site known for its Four Wonders: twisted pines, strange rocks, sea of clouds, and hot springs. Watch the sunrise at Guangming Peak and see the Welcoming Pine from Yuping Tower.
Huangshan Scenic Area covers about 160 square kilometers. Its core area is divided into the front mountain, with Yuping Tower, the Welcoming Pine, Tiandu Peak, and Lotus Peak, and the back mountain, with Yungu Temple, Shixin Peak, North Sea, Lion Peak, and the West Sea Grand Canyon. Guangming Peak, at 1,860 meters, sits in the middle. It is the hub connecting the front and back mountains and the classic spot for sunrises and sunsets. The Welcoming Pine stands in front of Yuping Tower. It is about a thousand years old and is the symbol of Huangshan. Lotus Peak is the highest summit at 1,864 meters. Tiandu Peak and Lotus Peak alternate in opening, with Tiandu Peak typically opening roughly once every five years. Lotus Peak is currently open. A classic two-day itinerary: On day one, take the scenic area bus from the South Gate at Tangkou to Yungu Temple, ride the Yungu cable car up the mountain, visit Shixin Peak, North Sea, and Lion Peak, and stay at a hotel near North Sea or Guangming Peak. On day two, get up early to watch the sunrise at Guangming Peak, then walk through the West Sea Grand Canyon (where you can ride the popular little train), past Feilai Stone, Aoyu Peak, and the Hundred-Step Cloud Ladder to Yuping Tower to see the Welcoming Pine. Then take the Yuping cable car down to Ciguang Pavilion. Admission: 190 yuan in peak season (March to November), and 150 yuan in off-season. The Yungu and Yuping cable cars cost 90 yuan one way (75 yuan in off-season). The scenic area bus from Tangkou to Yungu Temple or Ciguang Pavilion costs 19 yuan one way. Opening hours during peak season are about 06:30 to 16:30. Note: tickets and cable cars must be booked with real-name registration through the Huangshan Tourism official platform mini-program. Mountain hotels are expensive and scarce, so book at least two weeks ahead. It is 8 to 10°C cooler on the mountain than at the foot, so bring a jacket. There are many steps on the trails, so wear non-slip shoes and bring trekking poles. On rainy or foggy days, do not attempt dangerous sections such as Tiandu Peak. Do not feed the monkeys.
Opening hours
Peak season 06:30–16:30, off-season 07:00–16:00 (cable car runs slightly shorter hours)
Nearby sights
- Flying-over Rock
- Lotus Peak
- Shixin Peak
- Xihai Grand Canyon (West Sea Canyon)
- Lion Peak & Qingliang Terrace
- Tiandu Peak
- Furong Valley
- Huangshan Hot Springs