Mount Huangshan, or Yellow Mountain, towering between Hangzhou City and Wuhan City, on the southern side of Yangtze River, is one of the most famous scenic spots in China, and perhaps the world.
With a circumference of 250 kilometers, it consists of 72 distinct peaks, the highest being Lotus Flower (Lianhua) Peak (1,800 meters). Yellow Mountain enjoy all the advantages of other well-known mountains in China -- it is as lofty as Mount Taishan, as precipitous as Mount Huashan and as charming as Mount Emei. The light mist shrouds its peaks is just like that occurs at Mount Hengshan and the rain season waterfalls are like those of Mount Lushan. Xu Xiake (1586-1641), a well-known geographer of the Ming Dynasty, was completely intoxicated by the beauty of Yellow Mountain and highly praised its landscape in these words: "It is not worth seeing other mountains if you have been to the Five Great Mountains in China; and it is not worth seeing the Five Great Mountain if you have been to Yellow Mountain."
The pines with different gestures on the steep cliffs, the rocks with their strange contours, the sea of mist and clouds, and the hot springs -- these are the four wonders of Huangshan. Many of the pines on the mountain have their roots deeply growing in rock crevices; the famous Greeting Guests (Yingke) Pine is representative of these hardy trees. The temperature of the mountain's hot spring-water is around 42 C throughout the year. Clear and sweet, the water is ideal for drinking and bathing.
Tourists should not miss a visit to North Sea, (Beihai), West Sea (Xihai), Celestial Capital (Tiandu) Peak, Jade Screen (Yuping) Tower, and Cloud Valley (Yungu) Temple, which are among the prettiest sights on Mount Huangshan. Cool (Qingliang) Terrace is the best place for watching the sunrise and the clouds.
Huangshan's charm has drawn many distinguished travelers, including poets, writers, and painters of various dynasties and tourists continue to flock to this legendary mountain all the year round.