“Woowww,” I heard my dad marvel at least twice or thrice in the Huangshan Mountain Range—yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site—“this is goorrrgeous.”
This was one of the areas, our tour guide informed us, where Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was filmed. It’s also the frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature along with modern photography. It’s kind of like China’s Rocky Mountains, but with more fog and less snow.
We were very fortunate on this day that no only was there no fog to obscure the vistas of jagged mountains covered by flattop trees, and also, no rain. The tour guide was expecting the latter so he even advised us to bring our umbrellas, but by the time we had gotten out of a cable car (kind of like an oversized ski gondola) that went from a shuttle rendezvous point to a point in the Huangshan Mountains higher up, there were clear skies with only a smattering of cotton ball-like clouds.
Our time in this region included an evening of wandering through Tunxi Ancient Street in the heart of nearby Huangshan City, which was interesting as well—especially for people watching and window shopping. We also visited a purveyor of goods made from bamboo. But the highlight was definitely being in the entirely unpolluted air of the Huangshan Mountains. After all, my dad wasn’t being hyperbolic when he exclaimed it was goorrrgeous.
Lantern above Tunxi Ancient Street.
A dog came to visit this couple eating near Tunxi Ancient Street.
Shining shoes on Tunxi Ancient Street.
Woman on a scooter with a purple umbrella riding on Tunxi Ancient Street.
Tunxi Ancient Street.
A shop on Tunxi Ancient Street.
A dog lying on Tunxi Ancient Street.
Ceiling detail inside a restaurant in the Huangshan Mountains.
Trees near a tourist stop on the way to the cable car up the Huangshan Mountains.
The Huangshan Mountains.
Hiking into the Huangshan Mountains behind another tour group.
My mom and dad.
My mom with the Huangshan Mountains in the background.
Flags flying in the Huangshan Mountains.
The Huangshan Mountains.
Me and my mom by a popular tree in the Huangshan Mountains.
A tour group with colorful hats in the Huangshan Mountains.
A building in the Huangshan Mountains.
Felix Wong in front of the "five fingers" in the Huangshan Mountains.
Stone fence.
The "five fingers" framed by a stone fence.
Roof detail of a hotel housing the Wansongyuan Restaurant in the Huangshan Mountains.
Older woman in front of a stone rock.
Following tour group participants into the Huangshan Mountains.
