Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) Scenic Area

UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Dual Heritage Site (inscribed 1990), UNESCO Global Geopark, national 5A-level attraction; famed for the “Five Wonders” of oddly shaped pines, grotesque rocks, seas of clouds, hot springs, and winter snow, with the Guest-Greeting Pine, Bright Summit (Guangming Peak), Feilai Stone, West Sea Grand Canyon, and Monkey Watching the Sea as classic photo spots; originally named Yishan, it was renamed in the 6th year of the Tianbao era of the Tang dynasty (747) after the legend of the Yellow Emperor refining elixir here; Ming-dynasty traveler Xu Xiake climbed it twice and left the sigh “Within and beyond the seas, nothing compares to Huangshan of Huizhou,” which later evolved into “After returning from the Five Sacred Mountains, no other mountains are worth seeing; after returning from Huangshan, not even the Five Sacred Mountains”; the first stop among Chinese mountains for long-haul visitors from Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the Americas.

Getting there: High-speed rail, Huangshan North Station, then a direct shuttle to the scenic area, approx. 1 hour