Mount Huangshan, with its vast sea of clouds, towering peaks, gnarled pines, oddly-shaped rocks and intriguing legends, has become a symbol of the beauty of Chinese landscapes. Bathing in the first rays of the morning sun at Mount Huangshan and capturing the beauty and majesty of the mountain with your lens will surely be a memorable experience.

-- “Hiking Huangshan” four-day tour

Highlights: Tunxi, “Charm of Hui Culture” show, Mount Huangshan Scenic Area, Mount Huangshan hot spring, Lucun Village, Hongcun Ancient Village, Zilu Temple.

D1: Arrive at Tunxi District in Huangshan City. Walk around the district by taking the following itinerary: Riverside Tourist Area → walk along the Xinan River → Century Square → Guodiao Bridge → Huangkou Bridge → Yuanyi Shopping Mall → Wenfeng Bridge → Liyang Waterscape Street → Old Grand Bridge → Tunxi Ancient Street. After the walk, you will get a totally different impression and understanding about Tunxi District. You will watch the “Charm of Hui Culture” show in the evening to learn about the folk customs and history of Hui culture.

D2: Take a bus after breakfast to Mount Huangshan Scenic Area. Start your hiking at the Scenery Watching Bridge of the Hot Spring Scenic Area and follow this itinerary: Scenery Watching Bridge → Cliff inscriptions “大好河山 (Splendid Landscape)” → 人-shaped Waterfall → Mercy Light Pavilion → Standing Horse Bridge → Jade Screen Peak → New Lotus Path → Hundred-step Sky Ladder → One Line Sky at Turtle Peak → Turtle Peak → Bright Top → Flying-over Rock → Cloud-Dispersing Pavilion → Lion Peak

D3: Watch the sun rise early in the morning. Continue the tour of Mount Huangshan following this itinerary: Refreshing Terrace → Dawn Pavilion →?Flower Growing out of a Writing Brush rock → Shixin Peak → Stone Bamboo Shoot Peak → White Goose Peak → Magpie on a Wintersweet (a rock resembling a magpie and a nearby pine resembling a wintersweet) → Cloud Valley Temple → Scenery Watch Bridge. You can enjoy a hot spring bath at the Hot Spring Scenic Area to relieve you of your fatigue.

D4: Take a bus after breakfast to Lucun Village of Shexian County, where you will fully experience the profound Hui culture with Hui-style architecture all around and find out what local villages were like during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Stroll around the village, following this itinerary: Hongcun Ancient Village → Qishu lake → Zilu Temple (enjoy vegetarian food and tea for lunch). Return to Tunxi District after lunch. Trip ends.

-- “Huangshan photography” three-day photography tour

Highlights: Huangshan District, Mount Huangshan Scenic Area, and Tunxi Ancient Street.

D1: Arrive at Huangshan District in Huangshan City and have lunch at Huangshan Xuanyuan Hotel. Enter Mount Huangshan Scenic Area through the northern gate and take the Taiping Cableway to the Pine Forest Peak. The photography itinerary is: West Sea Grand Canyon → Cloud-Dispersing Pavilion → Fly-over Rock → Bright Top. Return to the North Sea Scenic Area at dusk.

D2: Shoot the sunrise early in the morning. After breakfast, take pictures of spectacular scenic spots at the North Sea Scenic Area such as the Dawn Pavilion, Shixin Peak, and the Stone Bamboo Shoot Peak. After lunch, head to the Sky Sea, the Turtle Peak, the Hundred-step Cloud Ladder and the Jade Screen Scenic Area for shooting.

D3: Climb to the newly-opened (April 2014) top of the Celestial Capital Peak to shoot scenery of Mount Huangshan. Take the Yuping Cableway to descend the mountain after lunch. Return to Tunxi District in downtown Huangshan. Stroll along the Tunxi Ancient Street (dubbed a “lively version of the famous painting ‘Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival’”) and enjoy the beautiful Mountain and River Gallery on Xinan River. Afterwards, return to the hotel or make your own plans.

Tour supplier: Huangshan Zhonghai International Travel Service Management Comapany