Yellow Mountain, or
Huang Shan in
Mandarin, is not a specific peak, but rather a long
mountain range in Southeast
China, about 120 miles southwest of
Nanchang. It contains as little as thirty and as many as seventy-two
peaks, because the definition of a
peak is
vague in
Chinese.
Huang Shan is renowned for the beauty of its landscape, being the inspiration of many great Chinese artists in the past. Classic asian art is significantly different from Western art, focusing more on the expressive brush-stroke rather than color and detail. The rugged peaks of the Yellow Mountain, the strange rock formations, and eons-old pine trees growing on the side of the peaks, when mixed with the sea of clouds hovering at mid-level, leaves the imagination of the visitors to roam freely. Chinese impressionism, if you will.
I went there two summers ago, and it is truly a sight to behold. A fine misty fog was covering the mountains that day, and the rocks were suggestive of different creatures at rest. The trees were old and graceful. It was a picture straight out of a classic Chinese landscape painting.
The peaks of the Yellow Mountain Range are not very tall, but the scenery is truly breathtaking. The peaks used to be hazardous, being steep and slippery, but a series of small, cleverly hidden steps have been carved into the side of certain peaks to allow tourists to visit. Sitting at the peak watching the sunrise break over the mountain range through the mist ranks as one of the greatest experiences in my life.