The "cloud seas," one of Yellow Mountain's four unique scenic features.

Shanghai Daily News

The famous Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) traveler, Xu Xiake, once commented on Yellow Mountain (Huang Shan) in one of his poems: "You will find viewing another mountain no longer worthy after you visit the Five Sacred Mountains (Taishan Mountain, Hengshan Mountain in Henan Province, Huashan Mountain, Hengshan Mountain in Shanxi and Songshan Mountain). Nor will you find viewing the Five Sacred Mountains worthy after you visit Yellow Mountain."

For thousands of years, these two lines have been widely recited for not only the poem's artistic merit, but also for how correct it is in describing the exceptional beauty of Yellow Mountain, which is often referred to as "the most fantastic mountain under heaven."

We set off at 6am to climb Yellow Mountain. I had been very worried the night before, for many of my friends had warned me that my coming journey could be extremely tough.

"You may have your legs disabled for a whole week, one reason why you will refuse to climb anything else for quite a long time after you climb down from the mountain," they had joked.

Our guide was a tall and robust hill man named Yang Quanwen. He told us to eat a big breakfast, take nothing but a camera, a bottle of water and some snacks, be fully prepared to have a rough time, and last but not least, to be relaxed and see with our hearts the natural gifts offered by gods.

We chose to climb up from the mountain's front side, the part believed to be steeper, yet provides better sceneries. Our route was to follow the Yupin Ropeway to Yupin Hall (Yupin Lou), mount along the 198-step Brave Man's Slope (Haohan Po) to view Greeting Visitors Pine (Yingke Song), turn back and then, climb from the other side to the Lotus Peak (Lianhua Feng), which is 1,864 meters above sea level and is the highest of all the mountain range's 72 peaks.

We sat in the ropeway carriage. It started moving slowly in the air. Huge cliffs made of black, brown and gray stones came toward us from both the left and the right. Trees, mostly pines, soften the rugged grandeur of the mountain with their green, yellow, red and purple leaves.

Then I saw the legendary sea of clouds flowing ahead. Cloud seas, together with grotesque pines, rocks and hot springs are the four unique scenic features of Yellow Mountain.

Cloud seas are also the most fascinating, magnificent and rarest, for rains come down the mountain on almost 265 days a year.

It was a fair day with the sun shinning gently. Yang said we were lucky to meet the best weather of the year. The cliffs, pines, remote buildings and even the blue sky, when viewed through the flimsy gauze-like mists, are like creatures in a fairyland.

Located in the south of Anhui Province, Yellow Mountain covers an area of, roughly, 250 square kilometers. It was first known as Yishan Mountain (Yi Shan) in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) and changed to its current name in the Tang Dynasty (608-917 AD).

"Ancient occultists said that Huang Di (or Yellow Emperor who was a part-real, part-mythical Chinese emperor in primordial tribal times, and is generally regarded as the foremost ancestor of the Chinese people) had once gathered herbs and materials for making immortality pills on Yi Mountain.

He had succeeded in producing the pills and finally became a god in heaven,'' Yang said. "That's the origin of the name Yellow Mountain."

I wondered whether immortals once lived on those peaks or were still there. But if immortals really exist, they must not have missed the Yellow Mountain, for its attraction is irresistible.

Climbing over the Brave Man's Slope, we were welcomed by the most famous pine on the Yellow Mountain, the Greeting Visitors Pine. The Yellow Mountain pines are worth viewing for their twisting and intertwining shapes of branches as well as their thick and brilliantly green needles.

People respect them for their unparalleled tenacity of rooting in the rocks and surviving for centuries.

Wonderful feeling

I was nearly exhausted when we reached the foot of the Lotus Peak. "You can choose to climb over the peak to be a hero, or to bypass it to be a happy man," Yang said. Then he looked at me, pointing at the smooth path beside. I shook my head. I did not mean to be a heroine, but I believe that to gain the best rewards, I must first make payments.

I trekked slowly, stooping like a tortoise. The stairs were so steep that at some flights I had to grapple with all my limbs. Now I stretched out my fingers and could touch the clouds. It was a strangely wonderful feeling.

"I've been a guide on the Yellow Mountain for 30 years. All my former colleagues found the job too toilsome and quitted. I'm the last one here. I love the mountain, the plants and the people on it. I love my job," Yang told me. We sat in the clouds. His tone was flat, but there was something in his eyes that touched me.

I gained power from his words and we got going again. Soon the clouds were trampled beneath our feet.

On the peak, people were crowded together, celebrating their triumph. The sky was so near and indescribably pure. The clouds were far below, separating us from all earthly existence.

We went down the peak from the other side. Then, without a stop, we challenged the mountain's second highest peak, the Brightness Summit (Guangming Ding). Due to limited time, we had to give up its third highest peak, the Celestial Peak (Tiandu Feng), whose 10-meter-long, one-meter-wide Crucian Ridge (Jiyu Bei) stands upright at 1,770 meters high, like it is suspended in flight. Abysmal gulfs yawn at both sides of the ridge.

Then we walked to the Heaven Sea (Tian Hai), which marks the center of the mountain, and we bought refreshments there. Things sold on the mountain are much more expensive than elsewhere, since they are all carried by the hill people from the ground areas.

After lunch, we walked to the Paiyun Pavilion and flew down the mountain through the Taiping Ropeway, which is 3,709 meters in length and is the longest ropeway in Asia.

My friends were partially right. Though climbing the Yellow Mountain proved hard, I didn't feel the slightest bitterness.

I found out that nature is the greatest painter on this planet. No human words could fully express my happiness, appreciation and gratitude.

Silently, I put my hands on the window of the sliding train, trying to remember with my fingertips those leaves, rocks and colors withdrawing quickly behind. My brief trip to the Yellow Mountain was also a journey of soul purification.

Surely, I will come back.

When to go: People may visit the mountain from May to early November, since the climates are mild during this period.

Where to stay: There are hotels on the mountain, but the prices are usually high, at about 800 yuan (US$98.77) for a standard double room, and the conditions may not be quite satisfactory. To carry a tent and sleep under the stars may be a good alternative.

Tour route: I believe that the route Yang designed for us is the best choice. Climbing the Lotus Peak from its front side is recommended because the stairs at this side are very abrupt and can be extremely difficult and perilous for those going down.

Two days are necessary for touring all the major sites, including the Celestial Peak and those at the North Sea (Bei Hai) that I missed.

Guide: Yang is a considerate and warm-hearted man. He works at Shanghai Yellow Mountain Guest House under the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau, which is at the foot of the mountain and provides neat and cheap rooms for 60 yuan a person, as well as tour bus and guide services.

Tel: 021-6281-4514, 0559-851-1802