Surprise in the clouds

Traditional fermented mandarin fish is served at a restaurant in downtown Huangshan.  [Photo by Hu Yongqi/China Daily]

If you go

Travelers from Beijing have three choices to reach Huangshan:

Direct flights: Air China files from Beijing to Huangshan every night. The two-hour flight is the fastest way to get there. But be wary of cancellations caused by bad weather.

Train: Travelers can take a six-hour high-speed train journey to Huangshan.

Planes, then trains or buses: Travelers can also fly to Hefei, the capital of Anhui, or Hangzhou, the capital of neighboring Zhejiang province, and then take high-speed trains or buses to Huangshan.

Sampling a bit of the past HU YONGQI

During our trip, we stayed in ancient structures near Huangshan Mountain.

The city of Huangshan used to be called Huizhou, which contributed one of the two characters of the province's name, with the other one borrowed from the former provincial capital Anqing.

Back in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Huizhou's merchants traded in tea, salt and scissors.

With the wealth they accumulated, these merchants then started to erect residences, schools and workshops with white walls, black roofs and wooden interiors.

Today, many hotels continue this style, exemplified by those in downtown Huangshan and the Hongcun ancient village in Yixian county.

Located downtown, the Mozhutang Hotel used to be the residence of a scissors traders.

In its big yard, trees provide shade making it a perfect place for tea-drinking or Chinese chess matches.