Huoshan

Home to Baimajian, the highest peak of the Dabie Mountains, with the Foziling and Mozitan reservoirs and Wanfo Lake, and tea gardens of Huangya tea everywhere — western Anhui's go-to spot for summer escapes and autumn foliage.

Huoshan County lies in southwestern Lu'an, Anhui, in the heart of the northern slopes of the Dabie Mountains. Baimajian (1,777 m), the main peak of the Dabie Mountains, sits on the county's southern edge at the border with Yuexi. Over 80% of the county is mountainous. On the upper reaches of the Pi River, the Foziling and Mozitan reservoirs string together the gorges south of the county town; to the east are Wanfo Lake in Shucheng and Dongshisun in Jin'an District, and to the southwest are Tongluozhai and the hot-spring towns around Shangtushi and Taipingfan. This is also the home of the famous Huoshan Huangya tea and Huoshan dendrobium, and tea gardens and bamboo forests cover nearly every valley.

The climate is mild and humid. April is the season for new Huangya tea and azaleas; in June–August the mountains are more than 5°C cooler than Hefei, making them a summer retreat for people from central Anhui; the Dabie Mountains' autumn foliage is best from late October to mid-November. In winter Baimajian may be covered in snow and ice, so watch for mountain road closures.

Getting there: the Hefei–Wuhan high-speed railway and the Hefei–Lu'an intercity line reach Lu'an, and the county town has its own station (Huoshan Station); driving from Hefei takes about 1.5 hours. The county town is about 15 km from Foziling and about 60 km by mountain road from the Baimajian Scenic Area, while Wanfo Lake is about 40 km east of town, so you'll need to drive or hire a car to link them up. Suggested 3 days: one for the Baimajian summit, one for the Foziling and Mozitan reservoir route, and one for Wanfo Lake plus Dongshisun; with extra time, stay in the hot-spring town of Shangtushi.

Note: mountain roads are full of hairpin bends, so watch for landslides and rockfalls in the rainy season; guesthouses fill up on weekends during tea season, so book ahead.

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