Friday, April 23, 2010

Huang Shan (Yellow Mountain)

China’s natural landscape continues to impress me. I mentioned before that I didn’t think I’d be doing so much hiking in China, but I’m very glad I am. I just got back from hiking Huang Shan and even with the hoards of tourists, it was quite nice.

To get to the top, my guidebook said it would take two and a half hours using the shorter but steeper eastern slope. I was able to do it in one. The mountain, unlike the ones back home, has a giant summit with many sub peaks. Once I was at the top, I started exploring all the different areas. Many have interesting names like “Begin-to-Believe Peak” or “Cloud-Dispelling Pavillion.” The latter was quite interesting as clouds/fog really did disappear after reaching this point. The scenery is just fantastic, with little spruce trees jutting out of the most peculiar places!

The plan after was to head back down a different and longer way, the western steps. However, as I headed in that direction, I got into an unbelievable crowd of people. I have never experienced anything like it. Imagine Johnston Canyon times a hundred, maybe more. I could only move as the crowd moved. I got increasingly frustrated and soon abandoned my plans to see the rest of the mountain and just wanted to get back down.

I took the gondola down, where I had an interesting experience. I shared it with five others, all domestic tourists and they all wanted to get a picture of me. I’m not sure what it was, maybe the shaved head and my beard. In the past, traveling through southeast Asia, people have been fascinated by my beard. Most Asian people are unable to grow one.

On the bus back to Tunxi I had a really pleasant conversation with a guy from Singapore. He helped me find the right bus, then we talked about other places we traveled to. He has been to the Canadian Rockies and even had a drawing on him of Mount Rundle. It made for an enjoyable bus ride.


More Photos from Huang Shan:















7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Marko - really like your photos as always and I found pretty neat the inspiring names given to the mountains... ie: "Begin to Believe Peak". Perhaps we need to start renaming some of the peaks in the Rocky Mountains :-) Enjoy the rest of your trip.

Veronique

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Marko, you should be very lucky having the chance to hike and see such beautiful and fantastic sceneries. My pen is inadequate to describe all these natural beauties.
Move forwards, time is too short,
AARMAAN

Marko said...

Veronique, apparently the names sound even better in Mandarin.

Aarmaan, I did not plan to do so much hiking, but I'm really glad I have been. Some of these places have really surprised me. I thought these places only existed in paintings.

Alexandra said...

Stunning scenery!

You have shared some amazing pictures and stories from the hiking you have been doing in China. My own preference is looking at photos of scenery like you saw on this day instead of city-scapes. Although, I suppose the history and culture lessons are learned by sticking closer to the beaten paths.

Thank you for allowing us to experience China through your eyes!

Andra

Unknown said...

apparently the names sound even better in Mandarin. yeah, i think so, i really have no clue what it will be in Mandarin by English name "Begin to Believe Peak".

Huangshan is a place I want to go for a long time and didnt get to go yet. How do u find the hiking in China? I find it is totally different experience from the hiking in Canada.

Excepting from the different shape of the mountains, the Canada one are natural, while most of mountains in China comes with lots of culture and histories.

How is the weather there right now? is it getting hot now?

Luckily u went to guilin early. There is a flood there by heavy rain.

Siulau Darba said...

Thank you for this blog.
___________________________

darbas uzsienyje

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