4 Days Family, Wander off the wonderland

Upon your arrival, you will see your private tour guide waiting for you and your family at the arrival hall with your name written on a sign. Surely your kids are excited about this expedition. Then, you will take a private transfer safely to Huangshan Scenic Area. The drive is about 1.5hour, you may want to look at the scenery outside or chat with your tour guide before reaching the scenic area. Today’s journey is a good opportunity to train your kids’ stamina and perseverance as there will be hours of hiking up the mountain.

Shuttle bus at mountain foot will transfer you to Yungu temple. A short walk from the temple, ascent the mountain with cable car from Yungu Cable Car Station, after 15 minutes, you will arrive White Goose Ridge New Station. Travelling by cable car not only save your energy and time but also provides you a stunning view of the area. Now, the hike starts from here. Through staggering peaks, passing twisted pines and voila, you are at the Beginning-to-Believe Peak! It has an altitude of 1683meters, a good spot to see the sunrise, and a major bottleneck for most visitors. A panorama from the peak is a lovely perspective. Take some rest, have enough water and let’s move on. On the way to Lion Peak you will pass many natural master piece. Weirdly twisted pines and exotic granite formations --- a recurring motif in Chinese paintings. While appreciating the brushstrokes of this unseen artist, see if you can spot the Black Tiger Pine and ‘Flower Blooming on a Brush Tip’ stone on your way. Passing the Refreshing Terrace, a good spot for viewing the sea of clouds, here comes an absurd rock--Stone Monkey Watching the Sea. This rock is said to be look like a monkey sitting on the mountain gazing over sea of clouds. Many peaks will inspire your imagination. The peak may look like a monkey for some and a bird for others. What makes the rock fascinating here is that you get to see different things from different angles. Share your thoughts with your kids and ask them what they see along the way using their imagination.

Finally check in at Xihai Hotel, and restore your energy for the next day’s journey. It is crucial to take enough rest as you will need wake up early the next day to catch the sunrise. If there is sufficient time, you may want to bring your family member to Cloud Dispelling Pavilion, which is a 7minutes walk from the hotel, for breath-taking view of sunset.

• Hotels: Banyan Tree Huangshan, Huangshan Beihai Hotel, Huangshan Shilin Hotel

Lion Peak is selected from spring to autumn and Purple Cloud Peak is for summer and autumn only. Please take noted that if you are traveling in winter, you only can catch the sunrise at bright summit and Beginning-to-Believe Peak.

Are you ready for today’s exciting journey? First, we will see the sunrise on either Lion Peak or Purple Cloud Peak. In order to catch the sunrise, you will need to wake up at around 5-6am early in the morning. Slowly, as dawn breaks over a very different landscape, luminous spectacle of sea of clouds envelope the region. However, sea of clouds is a reward only to luck visitors. Hope you are the lucky one to get this extra bonus! Don’t be dishearten even if you miss the sea of clouds this time, it is also a great opportunity to hike around the summit area for more breath-taking views.

Your kids must be hungry by now. Let’s return to the hotel for breakfast before continue your journey to first ring of West Sea Grand Canyon. As chirping of bird echoing the valley you will experience an unearthly views as you hike along the path. A good opportunity for your kids to examine the oddly-shaped stones, flora and fauna and learn more about the granite formation of Huangshan. If the weather is humid, ghostly puff of mist will settle over the mountain, filling the canyon with fog. Spend some time at the West Sea Grand Canyon before descent the mountain by Yungu cable car. On the way, you still can view the spectacular and gravity-defying rocks from another perspective. Driver will transfer you safely to Pig’s Inn Bishan, a boutique hotel at Yixian. It is inside a Qing dynasty home masterfully restored by Shanghai artist Li Guoyu. Experience the extravagant villas before recharge yourself for local life experience tomorrow. More exciting experience awaited you ahead!

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Pig's Heaven Inn Bishan

Our next stop is Hongcun, a UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Old stone bridges, white-washed ancient buildings and black slate roofs, ringed by low-lying hills, Hongcun was once a trading town of Tunxi. It can date back to the Song dynasty (around 1131 AD), even though many of the architectures you will see here are from Ming and Qing dynasty. Up till now, locals here still practise a traditional way of life. Sometimes, you can see local residents washing clothes and vegetables in Yuezhao Lake sets in the centre of the town. To better infuse yourself with the charms of Hongcun, take a stroll through its alleys and lanes, appreciate Hongcun’s ancient buildings as your guide tell you the history and story about Hongcun. This is a fun way for your kids to know about the local custom and culture.

A short stop at Hongcun, and then we will move on to another village nearby—Nanping. It is a highly photogenic village that has yet been completely restored. By the time you reached Nanping, it’s around lunch time. We will spend rest of the day in Nanping. There is no better way to know the way of life of Huizhou people than to experience it yourself. Far from urban cities, kids can pick fresh vegetables from earth, which is different from putting the already picked vegetables into their trolleys in supermarket. Besides, you can experience traditional rural lifestyle, such as getting water from old well, wheelbarrow driving, and prepare your own lunch using traditional kitchen utensils and stoves. This experience may be once in a life time. After lunch, you can stroll around the neighbourhood and experience a moment of tranquillity there. From March to April, there will be waves and waves of Cole flower in the shallows, adding a pop of colour to the scene of white-washed buildings and black slate roofs. The residences there are similar yet different from those in Hongcun. At the end of the day, you will go back to Tunxi and check in at Crowne Plaza. Tomorrow we will be going for a cultural immersion trip.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Crowne Plaza Huangshan Yucheng

Today, you will have the chance to learn about the culture, historical development of Xin’an medicine and to make your very own incense pendant at Huizhou Huangshan Cultural Museum. These pendants are mostly made from sandalwood incense or agalwood incense and use plant-extract binder to put them into shapes. Incense pendant has some similar function as perfume, which is to give off an aroma. The difference is that it promotes blood circulation, nourishing the heart and soothing our nerves. Very popular among Huizhou merchants and officials during Qing and Ming dynasty, it is suitable for woman and man of all ages. At the end of this journey, you will be transferred by our private driver to catch your train or flight to your next destination. Hope this journey is engraved in your memory.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,