Huangshan Travel Guide, How to Plan a Trip to Yellow Mt.

When you talk about Huangshan, there are two concepts. One is Huangshan City, which is located in the southern region of Anhui Province. Another is Huangshan Mountain, which is located in the municipal territory that is 64 kilometers away from the city center.

A brief history

Huangshan (Yellow) Mount, Huangshan City boasts 3 districts and 4 counties, and Mount Huangshan Scenery Area has a total area of 9,807 square kilometers and a population of 1.47 million. The history of the city dates back to 2,200 years ago. In the Song Dynasty, the name of the place changed to Hui Zhou, and since then successful traders and dealers have brought glory to the region. Many wealthy executives began building lavish houses in their hometowns. That is now we can see the ancient villages of Yi County and She County.

Top attractions, what to see in Huangshan

In Huangshan City, we can find two UNESCO-approved World Heritage Sites as followed: Mount Huangshan and Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui; Xidi, and Hongcun. Here, below are the descriptions on the official site of UNESCO:

“Huangshan, known as 'the loveliest mountain of China,” was acclaimed in art and literature during a significant part of Chinese history (e.g. the Shanshui mountain and water style of the mid-16th century). Today, it holds the same fascination for visitors, poets, painters, and photographers who come on pilgrimage there. It is renowned for its magnificent scenery made up of many granite peaks and rocks emerging out of a sea of clouds.”

“The two traditional villages of Xidi and Hongcun preserve to an extent the appearance of non-urban settlement types that largely disappeared or was transformed during the last century. Their street plan, architecture, design, and integration of houses with comprehensive water systems are unique existing examples.”

• More attractions in Huangshan you might be interested

Today, Huangshan City is built as a transportation hub in southern Anhui Province. Roads at the national and provincial levels, railway, and air routes connect past isolated mountainous areas to the rest of the world. A highway connecting Huangshan and Hangzhou was recently completed, which makes the drive only 3.5 hours to get there. From Shanghai, tourists can choose to take a flight or overnight train to Huangshan.