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Mount Huangshan

  The main tourist destination is Mount Huangshan itself. From the Yuping Cable Car/Mercy Light Temple entrance the "Western Steps" lead up for about 14km over spectacular terrain. Allow 6-7 hours for the ascent. At present (2006) Lotus Flower Peak is closed for track maintenance. If you are fit and have a good head for heights the steep ascent to Celestial Capital Peak is rewarding. From the Yungu Cable Car carpark the ascent by the "Eastern Steps" is easier, taking as little as 2-3 hours. If you choose to descend by the Eastern Steps you can extend the hike by including the Nine Dragon Waterfall area (Jiulongpu) for an additional charge. Huangshan is most famous for its sun rise and sea of cloud at dawn. However, all these wonders are subject to weather condition. In off seasons, Mount Huangshan can be extremely foggy in the morning. Approach your hotel or hostel counters for some travel tips in this area, normally they are very experienced locals.
 

Hongcun

Hongcun, Water village. Hongcun is slightly prettier than Xidi, but much more crowded; if pressed for time, you do not need to see both villages. Some very nice restaurants and rustic inns you can stay in (preferable to Tunxi)
 

Qiyun Mountain

Qiyun Mountain (Mt. Qinyun), located in Xiuning County of Anhui Province, is a sacred holy Taoist mountain. It got the name because on the mountain, there is a rock as high as the clouds. Qinyun Mountain faces Mt. Huangshan and covers an area of 110 square kilometers. It is a tourist resort featuring Taoist culture, Danxia landforms, and inscriptions on precipices, and thus, it enjoys the titles of National Geopark, National Forest Park, and National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit. Here, the rocks are lofty, peaks are as broad as the sea, tablets and carved stones are scattered here and there, and Taoist temples are interspersed among the trees.
 

Shexian

Shexian is a county located at the southern foot of Huangshan Mountain in the upper reaches of the Xin’an River, spectacularly surrounded by mountains and streams. Tangyue, known as the ”The Town of the Arches”, is the best place to view residential architecture and memorial arches from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Arches are made of fine wood or stone, created as a memorial or just for decoration only. There are thousands of arches scattered around Tangyue. In particular, there are 7 fine examples of stone arches in the town, three from Ming dynasty and four from Qing dynasty. Besides the arches, there are many elegantly constructed ancient residential houses and ancestral temples, unique to this area. These historical sites are described as ”the gems of ancient Chinese architecture”. It is also an excellent place to gain an insight into the social culture of ancient China’s feudal society.
 

July - August

Information not available

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