Huangshan Travel Forum

thinking of taking overnight train from shanghai to huangshan. can we take cablecar up to one of the hotels on the summit. is it worthwhile? which hotel is closest to cablecar stop. is cablecar safe? will hotels pik up at cablecar station? this inquiring mind wants to know.

If you are interested, I have detailed info in my Huangshan page:
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/18aef/f0686/

Leave most of your luggage in Huangzhou where you daughter studies/lives, take only 2 or 3-days of change clothes with you plus loitery stuff you need daily, and photo equipment etc. Nothing else, carry them in a college like backpack with you (no suitecase!). First day, when you arrive at the train station, you can either take a taxi or bus to the Cable car station.

My suggestion
If you are not fit enough, Approach A:
Day A1: start from Yun Gu Si (yun gu temple) station (back of the mountain) to bai e ling (White Goose Ridge) station then hike for several hours, you can stay at one of the hotels at the summit: Bei hai bin guan (north sea hotel), xi hai (west sea) etc.

Day A2: Then watch the sun rise next day at the qing liang jie ('refreshing teritory'), hike further to the guang ming ding (bright summit), lian hua feng (lotus peak, if you still have energy), then stay at yu ping lou bing guan (jade screen hotel)

Day A3: Climb up to tian du feng (celestral peak), same way back to the hotel, then take cable car from Yu ping lou station to ci guang si (mercy light temple) at the front mountain area, then finish the trip.

(To be continued in next)

If you are fit (we did this), Approach B:
Day B1: Combine Days A1 and A2 together, stay in yu Ping lou
Day B2: same as Day A3.

If you have an extra day, you can also hire a taxi to visit its nearby villages such as Xi Di (photos here: http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/18aef/f3427/) or Hong Cun, which are on UNESCO world cultural heritage list

Or visit Tun Xi, then catch up your train back to Shanghai/Hangzhou.

Your daughter and/or her school staff probably can help you to arrange transportation and reserving hotels.

Do NOT do many others do: stay in one hotel at the base of the mountain, and hike part of the repeatitive route to reach different part of mountain areas: waste energy/time, unless that is what you are enjoying doing.

Have a great time. We loved there. Be prepared to hike thousands of steps. The hiking path is not quite like those in USA, they are millions of steps, stone or concrete. The railings do not meet USA safety code either, so just be very careful.

The cable way looks rather safe. The one at the back (where you should take first) is a big car with 40-people capacity. The one in front whch you will take to the front of the mtn is series of smaller cars each of 6-person capacity (it said was built by a Danish company).

I do not think any hotel will pick you up at the cable car station.

One hotel in my Huanghshan page is right next to the yun gu si station. Despite its unique architecture style and location, staying there does not save time, as yun gu si should be your starting point. There is no point to hike hours and return to the origin, it simply wastes time, you should go further.

talking it over with my husband i'm afraid we must defy my daughter (in america this is very painful, especially when she is 17 yrs younger than her next brother and 21 yrs younger than our first. we have limited time and i can see that this would be a wonderful experience, but will really demand 3 days, 2 of serious travel. so now i'm going to post a question about my former plan, shanghai-suzhou-hangzhou-xian. thank you thank you.

SueLyon, that would be a much easier plan, these places are top touristy places (you may find more tranquility in lake-side-built Hangzhou). Have a great time.

too kind of u. maybe in the spring her hiking brother will just go to visit again and they can hike when the weather is better. i'll naturally keep all your xelent info. thanks again. sue