A cultural travel guide to the world
The Welcoming Guest Pine on Huangshan

Home / China / Landscapes & culture

Huangshan (Yellow Mountain)

黄山风景区 · Huangshan, Anhui, China

Photo: memes · CC BY-SA 3.0

'After the Five Sacred Mountains, you'll never want to see another mountain' — the origin of Eastern landscape aesthetics.

Know before you go

  • Smoking and fire are strictly banned on the mountain
  • don't climb over railings or carve on the famous pines and rocks
  • the sea of clouds brings changeable weather, so follow the park's announcements.

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

The traveller Xu Xiake is said to have written: 'After the Five Sacred Mountains you won't want to see other mountains; after Huangshan you won't want to see the Five Sacred Mountains' — summing up its standing. Its 'four wonders' of strange pines, odd rocks, seas of cloud and hot springs, along with the Welcoming Guest Pine, form the archetypal imagery of Chinese literati landscape painting. Huangshan was among the first national scenic areas in 1982 and became a mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Site in 1990.

Local customs

  • The people of Huizhou value education and are shrewd merchants
  • Hui cuisine in Tangkou town at the foot of the mountain (stinky mandarin fish, hairy tofu) is worth trying. The carrying-pole spirit of Huangshan's porters is a quality locals deeply respect.

Religion & beliefs

  • Huangshan has many old temples (such as Ciguang Pavilion) and Taoist remains in the mountains
  • keep quiet when passing temples.

Etiquette

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Red lineSafetyChina

China: don't get physical in a dispute

  • Walk away from an argument and call the police if needed
  • Pushing, shoving or fighting

Whoever starts it, taking part in a fight can bring a fine or detention, and the injured party usually demands compensation.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: China travel advice

Red lineEveryday mannersChina

China: carry your original passport

  • Foreign visitors should carry their original passport
  • Carrying only a copy or photo of your passport

Police make random ID checks and do not accept printouts; if you cannot show your passport, you may be fined or detained.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: China travel advice

Don’t DON'T

  • Smoking and fire are strictly banned on the mountain
  • don't climb over railings or carve on the famous pines and rocks
  • the sea of clouds brings changeable weather, so follow the park's announcements.

Locals appreciate DO

  • Anhui people love Huangshan Maofeng tea and rich, dark Hui cuisine
  • climbers urge themselves on with 'you're not a true hero till you reach the Welcoming Guest Pine'.

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Winter is best for seas of cloud and rime but bitterly cold, so bring plenty of warm clothes
  • book mountaintop hotels in advance
  • a two-day trip (up the front, down the back) with cable cars and walking is easiest
  • check tickets and cable-car fares on the official website — visitor numbers are capped and booking is required in peak season.

Eat nearby

What to eat nearby

Must-try

  • Stinky mandarin fish (chou guiyu)
  • Maodoufu (hairy tofu)
  • Huangshan shaobing (sesame flatbread)

Fermented mandarin fish, mao doufu, Huangshan shaobing, stone-ear mushroom chicken stew (mountain delicacy, at licensed restaurants), braised pork with dried bamboo shoots

Where to eatRestaurants in Tangkou town at the foot of the mountain, Tunxi Old Street (Huizhou cuisine at Diyilou and others), hotel restaurants on the mountain
Dining etiquetteDon't pick or eat wild mushrooms or greens
Typical price per personCNY 60–100 below the mountain, CNY 120–200 on top
TipsSupplies on the mountain are carried up by porters, so prices are high — set your expectations; bring your own snacks and carry rubbish down.

Prices are typical rates as of October 2026, not exact quotes; CNY equivalents are approximate where exchange rates fluctuate.

Stinky mandarin fish (chou guiyu)
Stinky mandarin fish (chou guiyu)
Zheng Zhou · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photos

Photos

The Welcoming Guest Pine on Huangshan
The Welcoming Guest Pine on Huangshan
memes · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sea of clouds and rime ice on Huangshan
Sea of clouds and rime ice on Huangshan
祝鱼贵 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Huangshan's dramatic peaks
Huangshan's dramatic peaks
Chi King · CC BY 2.0
Sources & verification notes

Wikipedia：Huangshan

More in China

Also nearby

All of China →
The Li River near Yangshuo

Landscapes & cultureGuilin, Guangxi, China

The Li River, Guilin

'The river is a blue silk ribbon, the hills are jade hairpins': fishing lights are the last memory of fishing life on the Li River.

The Jiuzhaigou valley

Landscapes & cultureAba, Sichuan, China

Jiuzhaigou

A 'fairy-tale world' of emerald lakes and terraced waterfalls, a highland paradise of Tibetan and Qiang culture.

Zhangjiajie's quartz-sandstone pillars

Landscapes & cultureZhangjiajie, Hunan, China

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

3,000 stone peaks rising from the ground — the model for Avatar's floating mountains.