In eastern China, there is a mountain range called Huangshan, an otherworldly place where jagged granite peaks are shrouded in mist and pine trees grow out of the rock.
Located in southern Anhui province, the mountain range is both a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I left my hotel in the dark in order to arrive in time for the first cable car that whisked me up into the clouds over 2,500 feet in 8 minutes. The experience was a bit daunting, but the views extraordinary, and I was even more eager to explore the breathtaking scenery.
The mountains are named after the legendary Chinese Emperor Huang Di, the Yellow Emperor, who is the ancestor of all Han Chinese. According to legend, the beloved Emperor was a disciple of Taoist masters who sought to make immortality pills and believed that the best place to make them was in the mountains where the spirit world was near. After travelling throughout China, they chose a place then known as Yishan to make the pills. There, the Yellow Emperor took the immortality pill and road off to heaven on the back of a dragon.
Who knows if Huang Di really is immortal, but certainly the mountains have been immortalized by centuries of Chinese painters who were inspired by the mystical landscape.
To this day, the mountains continue to inspire painters, poets, writers, film makers and even photographers like me. I have always wanted to visit the Yellow Mountains of China and when something has been on your bucket list for a long time, it’s always an especially profound moment when you finally see it with your own eyes.
There are 60,000 stone steps leading the way from overlook to overlook, along the edges of cliffs, and up to the top of some of the peaks. I’ve never seen so many steps!!! For the many miles I walked each day, virtually every step was either up or down.
The day I arrived a storm had just passed through leaving behind the fog and mist I was hoping for. I didn’t realize it at the time, but when I got drenched in the rain in Shanghai, that very storm created the magical moments I later experienced in the Yellow Mountains.
As the weather changed constantly throughout the day, the mist came and went. But I had all day to get to my hotel on the top of the mountain so when I found a composition I liked, I would often just wait and watch for the sea of clouds to obscure and reveal the mountains.
After a day of walking for miles up and down, up and down, I was really glad that I only had to carry my camera gear. I whittled my belongings down to 20 pounds for porters to carry to my hotel. I saw some porters along the way, and was astounded by how many bags each one could carry. With poles draped over their shoulders, they had dozens of bags hanging on each end of the pole.
Along the way, I came across this sign which brought a smile to my face because it’s odd translation made perfect sense.
The photos in this post were all made during the day and, surprisingly, they were all made with my older camera, the Sony NEX6. When I carry my gear, I usually have one lens on each body and one extra lens, so often when I want to use a different lens, I simply pick up one camera and put the other down. But I was so enchanted by the scenery, it didn’t occur to me that if I was going to use my 18-55 for most of the shots, I probably should have switched it onto my newer A6000. But you know what, the gear truly doesn’t matter! The NEX6, even at 5 years old, is still an awesome camera.
In Part 2 of my story about Huangshan, I’ll show you some of the photos I made at sunrise and sunset, when Huangshan shows its colourful side.
Wonderful set, Anne! My grandmother was born in Anhui, and it’s a place I’d love to see someday.
Hi Jackson! I highly recommend a trip there, it was awesome!! The landscape is really beautiful and I think you’d enjoy the history too. Thanks for your visit and comments.
How very beautiful! The mountains could be the setting for a fantasy novel. Thank you for sharing such lovely photos.
So true, it would be a great setting for a novel or a movie. I believe that the movie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was filmed here – or at least part of the movie was. Thanks for your comments!
Toda su trayectoria en este escenario esta plena de magia y cada una de sus imágenes lo proyecta.
The scene is full of magic? I would have to agree with that! Thanks for your comments Irene, much appreciated 🙂
Very Nice Work. Fantastic Landscape. Looking forward to your next set. By the way, Did Ray get to go also or is he home watching the Beagle?
Hi Jon, No, Ray didn’t come. He was invited, but he didn’t want to go. I think the beagle was happy about that 🙂 She sure doesn’t like to be away from Ray!! Many thanks for your nice words about my photos!
Awesome images as always and such beautiful scenery . also enjoyed the editorial to go with the images again thank you so much for sharing always look forward to your work.
Thank you so much Les! Glad you enjoyed the writing too 😉 I really appreciate the feedback. I thought I would try longer more in-depth posts and see if people like them more than the short more frequent posts.
Simply amazing and inspiring, I can’t put it any other way, I only have one problem, my bucket list keeps getting longer from looking at your post. the next one I’m sure it’s gonna make me itch again.
Thanks, Anne for sharing these breath taking landscapes, I feel like I’ve already there.
Hey Angelito! I have the same problem, my bucket list always gets longer! There’s so much to see and experience in this world. It’s a good problem to have 🙂 Thanks for saying my work is inspiring, that truly means a great deal to me. I appreciate your comments.
Gorgeous photos of a fantastical landscape! That cable car ride looks exhilarating (scary). Do you know the name of those trees?
Hi Suzy, Many thanks for your comments 🙂 Yes, those are Huangshan Pines. They are different from other pine trees in that they don’t grow in soil, they took root in the cliffs. Here’s more info if you’re interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_hwangshanensis
Thank you, Anne, for the name of the pines and the link to more info, which I went to and enjoyed learning more about them. I found this website, too, and discovered that some of the trees have names, such as the Black Tiger Pine:
http://www.chinahighlights.com/huangshan/yellow-mountain/oddly-shaped-pines.htm
Oh, by the way, that sign is terrific. Letting fly one’s green mood is a great way to be!
I agree 🙂 I believe that many of the trees and peaks have names in Huangshan, but there are too many to keep track of! Thanks again for your comments.
Great post and images, Anne! Truly an exotic location I’d like to visit some day.
Thank you very much Russ! Yes, I would highly recommend this place. It definitely takes awhile to get there, but it’s worth it.
Huangshan – The Yellow Mountains of China
Mountains in Huangshan National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site, China
20 YEARS AGO YOU WOULD HAVE TO HIKE TO THE TOP.
I loved the texture, siloute, landscape, fog, and sunset of these mountains.
You should have a google map of all the places you have photographed.
I only have Expo 2010, Shanghai China and Bejing-Temple of Heaven Area on my site,but I enjoyed the River of eroded mountains, Mountain Rice Terraces, Xian Ancient Capitol with Ceramic Figures, Forbidden Palace, Summer Palace, and Great Wall..
Enjoy my photographs of the mountains of Peru, caution there are many.,
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Daniel lawrence, Photoshelter, Peru
daniellawrence.photoshelter.com
Hi Daniel, Hiking to the top would definitely be a challenge, and one that would take a long time. A rewarding one though. No matter how you get to the top, it’s rewarding 🙂 It sounds like you have done a lot of travelling in China. I have been to Peru also, but that was back in the film days and I haven’t digitized any of my photos from there. I didn’t hike to Machu Picchu either! I went on part of the Inca trail, but took the train most of the way. Thanks for your visit and comments!
Dear Anne,
Thanks for showing and sharing these lovely photos.
You make these crags and peaks look like they’re part of another, magical world. Well done!
Regards
Hi Dayalan, Thank you so much, I tried my best to convey the magical feeling of the place in my photos. Sometimes it is hard to make that emotion come through. Glad you enjoyed them!