Much of my travel in China is for work reasons. For example, I may go to one city to observe teachers, and I may go to another for a conference. Ben and I try to take advantage of this travel when we can since my transportation to and from the location will be reimbursed. In one such instance, we were able to make a trip to the city of Huangshan.
Huangshan literally translates into Yellow Mountain, so English speakers might be more familiar with this name. Even so, I will refer to this city and mountain as Huangshan for the remainder of this post. Based on recommendations from friends and some research of our own, we decided to spend two nights in Xidi Village before spending two nights on top of the mountain for which the city is named.
We traveled by high-speed train to Huangshan on New Year’s Day, 2018. It took us about 4.5 hours because we had to transfer once. In the future, there will be a direct train from Shanghai, which will decrease our travel time to around 2 hours. From the train station, Xidi Village is a one-hour car ride away. We decided to use the Didi app (China’s Uber) to book a car using the “carpool” option. Essentially, this option is used when a driver has to go from the train station to your destination or nearby anyway, so the additional passenger helps pay for the gas more than anything else.
The drive to village was beautiful, with mostly winding roads and mountains everywhere. I did what I always do when in a mode of transportation that doesn’t have a bathroom; I go to sleep just in case my bladder gets irritated. The driver was pleasant and chatty, and Ben kept up the conversation while I feigned an inability to comprehend Mandarin so I could rest.
And yes, I absolutely pretend I cannot understand Mandarin when I find it convenient.
Upon arriving at the village, we bought a ticket to get inside. The place is commercialized now, but I did not mind. After all, these people needed to make a living too. Ben went up the large stairs to the ticket booth and bought two tickets for us. I waited at the bottom with the luggage. We then went to the gate where they would take our ticket, and the people checking our ticket asked where I was from.
I was preparing myself to have another one of those “Where are you from?” conversations when the person told Ben that foreigners get in at half price during this season. He then proceeded to take my ticket, walk back the few hundred meters to the ticket office, and get our money back. He did not send us to do it. He did it himself. I was so surprised. It was so nice, and it put me in a better mood to answer any awkward questions that might come up about my hair, my relationship to Ben, or where I am from.
The questions were not very awkward though, and soon enough Ben and I got my ticket and the difference in price back. We were then allowed into the village. The place we were staying was quite nice, and we were the only guests at the time. It’s a part of someone’s home, so it felt more inviting than a hotel room. We also still had the benefit of a private room and bathroom.
They say people in Anhui, where the city of Huangshan is located, are very good at doing business. This may be because of the easy way in which they talk to people. Somehow I felt more like a guest or even a distant relative than a customer no matter where I went. For instance, one day Ben and I were walking around the old village when we came across a tea shop. Ben’s dad loves to drink tea, and this city is also known for its tea. So, we decided to buy some.
We did not expect when we went in to spend the afternoon there, drinking tea (for free) with the owner. She brewed different types for us to try, and we did buy some tea for Ben’s dad during that time, but we mostly just chatted about the village. We talked about what life was like there, about the work people found in different seasons, about how the young people had mostly gone to the big cities, and how festive the Chinese New Year was when everyone came home. She told us that the only time to have a wedding in this village was during the Chines New Year, unless of course you did not want anyone to attend.
Before we left, we gave her Ben’s parents address where she would ship the tea, so we wouldn’t have to carry it around with us on our vacation. I thought that was a brilliant idea. Since we were going up the mountain in a few days, we did not want to have too many things with us.
These two days went by lazily, and Ben and I had the opportunity to just slow down, hold hands, hold each other, and talk about the things we might not get much time for otherwise. The weather was beautiful with mostly blue skies, but it was forecasted to rain for the days we would be on the mountain.
Everyone in the village said it was a pity we would be going on rainy days. There really wasn’t anything to see in such weather. But the hotels on the mountain do not allow you to reschedule for any reason, including bad weather. So, were going as planned.
I believe our experience on the mountain is best represented in pictures. However, I will say a few words first.
There is never a bad time to visit Huangshan. It’s always beautiful.
Chinese paintings make more sense once you have seen the beauty of Huangshan’s many peaks.
They say you haven’t been to the Huangshan until you have been there in every season. I feel I need to go there at least three times in every season.
Everything is cheaper when you go in the winter. In fact, I got to go up the mountain for free. Another foreigner perk available in the off-season. However, going in any season is totally worth it.
If you do go in winter, dress properly, wear appropriate shoes, and bring a knee brace. However, do not worry too much; you will not likely get cold as hiking the mountain will certainly keep you warm. (I have never sweat so much in my entire life).
Winter is the best time to go if you want the mountain to yourself. This is especially true for rainy days. The maximum number of people who can be on the mountain at one time is 35,000. When Ben and I went, there were a little over 1,100 people.
There is much to learn about life from a trip to Huangshan. One of the lessons I’ve learned is that you must have rain in order to have the Sea of Clouds.
Waking up very early and hiking a bit to see the sunrise is absolutely worth it.
Huangshan has natural hot springs. When you finish a few days of hiking, go and indulge yourself in the 20+ hot springs available at the foot of the mountain. My favorites were the red wine hot spring and the one with the fishes that eat your dead skin. I laughed so hard and for so long, I still smile when I think about it.
If it were not for these experiences, I would probably just have curled up into a ball after the miscarriage and waited for 2019. I would have said that 2018 was the worst year of my life. However, I can’t say that because I remember the sunrise and the Sea of Clouds, and it still brings light to dark places I’ve traveled this year.
The slideshow includes 4 photos from our time in the village, a photo of the line (or lack of a line) to get up the mountain, then photos of the winter wonderland we discovered due to the rain, and finally photos of the sunrise that lead to the Sea of Clouds. Ben and I literally walked among the clouds while on the mountain. There is so much wonder and beauty in nature that we must take time from our busy schedules to see.
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