Recommendation 4: The Huangshan Mountain scenic area in Huangshan city. (National 5A scenic area)

Best time to go: Oct to the end of Nov.

Location: Huangshan city, 69km away from Tunxi district, where the Huangshan municipal government is located.

Autumn is the most colorful season at Huangshan Mountain. Standing on top of the mountain, tourists can enjoy a panoramic view of Huangshan Mountain’s lustrous golden season picture.

A hot spring spa is something one cannot bear to miss if one travels to Huangshan Mountain in autumn. Containing high-level bicarbonates, spring water in the region has magical medical effects for illnesses of digestion, the nerves, the heart, metabolism, and the skin. Nothing is better than taking a spa bath and a sip of high quality tea after climbing all the way to the top.

Tourist tips:

1. Tickets in Nov are 115 yuan/person.

2. Huangshan Mountain scenic area has a high temperature difference, so wear warm clothes.

3. Bring a raincoat instead of an umbrella with you for the changeable weather, since holding an umbrella is more dangerous on the mountain.

4. A comparatively thorough tour to Huangshan Mountain takes two days, so book a room in a hotel on the mountain beforehand.

5. Specialties in the scenic area include: Huangshan Mao Feng tea, stone fungus, lentinus edodes, dried bamboo shoots, Chinese brackens and kiwis.

6. Accommodation: There are not so many hotels on the mountain and the room price is much higher than those at the mountain’s feet. Usually a standard room’s busy season price is 1,180 yuan per day, and the off-season price is lower. Hotel rooms in Tangkou town (at the foot of the mountain) charge 200 to 400 yuan per day. There are also many hotels of different levels at different prices in Huangshan district near the mountain’s north gate. Or you can choose to book a room in Tunxi district, where the Huangshan municipal government is located only 60km away from the scenic spot. Hotels in Tunxi provide better facilities and services at even lower prices, about 200 yuan/day.

Self-driving route: Hefei-Tongling-Huangshan expressway--the Huangshan Mountain scenic area. You can exit the expressway at any of the four exits: Taipinghu, Huangshan downtown, Tanjiaqiao, and Tangkou. (300km)

By Audrey and Chen Zhilin