I spent two nights on Mt Huangshan (staying at the decent Shilin Hotel) and would recommend. Would also recommend avoiding busy holiday seasons and weekdays, as even mid-week in October the top of the mountain was rammed with tour groups. I chose to walk up (the Eastern Steps) and down (Western) and did the West Sea Canyon on my day in between. It took me somewhat less time than advertised, with distances also shorter than advertised on the signs around the place, but all walks are strenuous as it's basically all stone steps. The scenery is spectacular though and it's worth the time and effort, and even the crowds! Lotus Peak was especially busy - if you want to do that, go early. I was up there by 9.30am and still queued for about 40 minutes to reach the summit from just underneath it, and going down the queues ran well down the mountain. Food on the mountain is passable but limited and pricey. There's no hot water for instant noodles (to deter people from bringing them) so self-heating meals are popular, although I believe these are also technically discouraged. I got to Huangshan by train from Hangzhou; caught the onward bus from Huangshan North train station to Tangkou; and then, after leaving my bag in the bus station (15 RMB per day) another bus up to the mountain. It was all fairly straightforward but there is limited English signage.

I just spent 1.5 days in Huangshan City, so I seized this opportunity to pay a visit to Mt.Huangshan and an ancient water town - Hong Cun Village. To be honest, it is not enough to visit Mt. Huangshan but you can just enjoy the highlight of this magnificent place. We took Yungusi Cablecar up the mountain and Yuping Cablecar down, Locus Peak is the highest mountain, the steps are so steep that you should be caution when you climb up. The sceneries are so amazing , I lost my words for such a beautiful place. There are several hotels on the top of Mt. Huangshan, maybe is a good choice to stay for one night to enjoy the sunrise in the morning, but the price is not friendly. It takes approximately 40 - 60 minutes from Mt. Huangshan to Hong Cun village, just a typical water town in China, half day will be enough. One of the most famous dish in Anhui is called stinky fish, be careful to taste it, I don't like it at all.

Upcloud Shuguangli Villa(雲亼·曙光里) is a hidden gem located near the Yungu cable car station up on Huangshan China. It's a small boutique hotel with rustic villas fully equipped with modern in room facilities like automated Japanese toilet seat and floor heating. It was was like staying in a serene and luxurious mountain village. The staff were very helpful and gave us good tips on what to do and where to hike. Highly recommended for a quiet retreat.

Why is this place not on more itineraries for China tours? It is stunning. The Chinese people certainly value it, judging by the number of Chinese tourists, but on the day I was there, there was only one other visibly non-Chinese tourist on the mountain. Of course, you do need reasonable weather (it rains a lot here), and we had perfect weather. I was with a tour run by Laurus travel out of Vancouver (very good tour company for China) and with a guide from Huangshan (William Hu - excellent and recommended). We took the gondola up (not sure which one - there are four from different starting points), then walked for the entire day on the top of the mountain. In the morning it was clear, which gave great views; in the afternoon some fog rolled in, which made everything mysterious. It was beautiful either way. The trails are in very good condition, although there is a lot of up-and-down. As long as a person doesn't have hip or knee problems, it should be doable by anyone in fair condition or better - you don't have to be a long-distance hiker, just do what you can. It will be worthwhile. There are eating places on the mountain. We ate at a place with a buffet lunch, which was fine. I think you could do this on your own, as there is quite a bit of English-language signage and good maps at intersection points. However, having a guide to sort out things like paying for the gondola tickets certainly makes things easier. Also, he knew the mountain intimately and could recommend routes to take. This requires a return visit sometime. The entire mountain covers a large area, with four gondolas to various points in the mountain. We covered less than half of it in one day, although we walked about 12 km.

We spent an afternoon climbing up the mountain on a relatively clear day and witnessed many magnificent sceneries. On our trek downhill the next morning, however, it was rainy and foggy, so we had very limited views, even though some of the heavily fogged mountain images were still very pretty. Huangshan is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful mountains on earth. We may go back to experience more of its beauty in the future.