While trekking/exploring China in July of 2011, I put Huang Shan on my itinerary. Huang Shan (Yellow Mountain) is the middle mountain of a granitic massif situated about 340 km southwest of Shanghai and has a maximum altitude of about 1864 m above sea level. Huang Shan lies in a humid subtropical area with warm summers. The Huang Shan region is about 154 square kilometers in area and was included in the World Natural and Cultural Heritage List by UNESCO in 1990.

Pushing up through the mist to the south of the Yangtze river are 72 craggy peaks, known collectively as Huang Shan, (Yellow Mountain).

The vegetation of the area varies with elevation. The Mesic forest cover the landscape below 1,100 meters. Deciduous forest stretches from 1,100 meters up to the tree-line at 1,800 meters, (pictured above). Above that point, the vegetation consists of alpine grasslands. The “Huangshan Pine (Pinus hwangshanensis) is named after Huangshan and is considered an example of vigor because the trees thrive by growing straight out of the rocks. Many of the pine trees in the area are more than a hundred years old and have been given their own names (such as the “Ting Ke Pine”, or , the “Welcoming Guests Pine which is thought to be more than 1500 years old). The pines vary greatly in shape and size, with the most crooked of the trees being considered the most attractive (pictured below).

Huangshan is famous for its imposing, precipitous and fantastic view. It is characterized by its “3 Wonders of Nature”—odd-shaped pines, spectacular rocks and an ocean of clouds.

About 140Ma ago (Late Jurassic), the hot magma intruded upward along the weak zone of the crust in Huangshan.

Around 65Ma ago, the intrusive bodies in Huangshan area were uplifted intensively. With the intermittent uplifting of the crust, the underground intrusive bodies and their overlying rock suffered weathering and erosion, and were effected by various crust stresses from different directions, resulting in the formation of joints of different directions.

Pictured above, since the beginning of Quaternary (1.75Ma ago), the intermittent uplift have formed 3 levels of erosion surfaces and finally formed Huangshan Mountain of today. These intrusive bodies are different in mineral composition, degree of crystallization, particle size of minerals, capability of resistance to weathering, nature of joints and density, thus forming the beautiful and superb landscape of Huangshan Mountain.

The overlying rocks have been eroded and washed away, and the exposed granite has been weathered into ragged cliffs and untidy pinnacles. Pictured above, a Flower on the Brush Tip is one of the most impressive site in Mt.Huangshan. On the sea of pines, a rock stands out round below and sharp above with a pine tree on the tip, a natural brush pen.

Huangshan is known for its stone steps, carved into the side of the mountain, of which there may be more than 60,000 throughout the area.

The date at which work on the steps began is unknown, but they have been said to be more than 1,500 years old.

Pictured above, paths snake up among the peaks—-the route to Tiandu Feng, (meaning “Heavenly Capital Peak”), involved a trek up 1,300 steps and a tricky crossing of a ridge just (one meter) wide, with just a chain to hang on to.

The Huangshan range has many peaks, some more than 1,000 meters high. The three tallest and best-known peaks are Lotus Peak (Lianhua Feng, 1,864 m), Bright Peak (Guangming Ding, 1,860 m) and Celestial Peak (Tiandu Feng, literally Capital of Heaven Peak, 1,829 m) {pictured below}.

Many people come each year to Huang Shan, for it is the ambition of China’s huge population of 1 billion people, to visit at least once during their lives.

Over 240 cm of rain falls each year, and the mountains are usually swathed in clouds and fog. The temperature on Huang Shan, barely rises above 10 degree Celsius ( 50 degrees Fahrenheit) at best.

Huang Shan, (the Yellow Mountains) are not so called because the mountains are yellow, but because the area was renamed after the legendary Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) in 747 AD. After that Huang Shan began its ascent to fame. Many Buddhist temples have been built there and, more recently, it has become a major trekking destination, because of its scenic qualities.

It is said that the Yellow Mountains is the place where the “Yellow Emporer”, the mythical ancestor of the Chinese, lived, refined precious medicines and became a supernatural being.

Huangshan became a magnet for hermits, poets and landscape artists, fascinated by its dramatic mountainous landscape consisting of numerous granitic peaks, many over 1,000 m high, emerging through a perpetual  sea of clouds.

Huang Shan has almost all the unique features that a mountain could have. The steep cliffs, dense pine trees, stones of odd shapes, amazing cloud sea, high peaks, deep valleys and hot springs describes the secret workings of nature. It is considered by many the most beautiful location in China.