The next morning we awoke at 4am to begin our trek to a choice lookout where we would be watching the sun come out. It was pitch dark and we were guided by only two hea
dlights that members of our group had. It would be over a 1 hour hike up winding paths before we would reach out lookout. Our guide had arrived late for picking us up so by the time we reached our destination it was already fairly packed full of other tourists waiting for the sun to peak out. Just as our luck would have it, another cloudy day. It shouldn’t really be a surprise to us as we were told the clouds form on these mountains over 200 days of the year. It was still a nice start to the day, so no complaining on our part.
Following a nice simple breakfast we would begin our trek back to the tram where we would view numerous
more famous rock formations, cliffs, and trees. Often while walking along the path we’d come across some people who had paid to be carried around the mountain in sedan chairs by two porters. I suspect there may have been some buyer’s remorse as a few of the people looked a bit embarrassed by the indulgence. There’s something about having two men carrying you up a large flight of stairs on a mountain top and through a crowd of tourists that just seems a bit over the top (unless it’s really necessary of course).
After a couple more hours of wandering around the mountain top we finally reached the tram and headed down. From here we would be heading to a local village. We weren’t really s
ure what to expect here, but we were pleasantly surprised by what we discovered when we arrived at Hongcun Village (宏村). Hongcun Village has a history of over 900 years and has been passed down for generations throughout the Wang Clan. It was famous for having a number of scenes for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon filmed here. As we arrived through the gates we came upon a picturesque small lake with a stone arched
bridge going across the center, we learned this was the opening scene from the movie. Along the bank were numerous young painter students set up all along the bank practicing their talents. The village is said to resemble that of a buffalo with two 600 year old trees representing horns, a lake as its belly, and even irrigation streams are its intestines. We’ve really come to appreciate the imagination of the Chinese culture. The tour was fantastic and made for some great history lessons and amazing pictures.
It was a long couple days, so I had recommended the group to check out a local hot springs spa ( 黄山醉温泉). I have been to hot spring spa before and was looking forward to a night of relaxation. But as high as our expectation
s were for this place, they didn’t come near touching what we actually encountered. The entrance fee was equivalent to approximately $25 CAD. Inside this spa was an infinity pool on top of the hill over looking the spa area, over 50 different kinds of hot springs, complementary fruits and snacks, free Internet service, and even late night live entertainme
nt. We must have stayed there for about seven hours just relaxing and getting out every need looked after. The highlight for me was the Garra rufa fish or as more commonly known as the Doctor Fish. They are these tiny fish swimming around in a giant spring that when you climb in they would come up and begin to eat the dead skin off your body. It’s a little weird at first, but once you get accustomed it begins to feel like a little massage and your skin is left feeling incredibly smooth.
The next morning we would be heading back to Shanghai, but not before a detour for a river cruise along Xin'anjiang River （新安江）. The river looked like a mirror, completely reflecting a
ll of the hills and villages we encountered along the way. We were treated to a couple stops where we would tour the local villages. In the last stop we were even treated to a show from local performers what included singing, dancing, and acting. Even our boat guide was pulled up on stage to sing a duet with the show host as well as me to perform a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony. It was a weekday so we were the only people in the audience but that only made for a more enjoyable and personal experience. Following the show we would head back on the boat as we sail back towards our van an onwards back to Shanghai.
dlights that members of our group had. It would be over a 1 hour hike up winding paths before we would reach out lookout. Our guide had arrived late for picking us up so by the time we reached our destination it was already fairly packed full of other tourists waiting for the sun to peak out. Just as our luck would have it, another cloudy day. It shouldn’t really be a surprise to us as we were told the clouds form on these mountains over 200 days of the year. It was still a nice start to the day, so no complaining on our part.Following a nice simple breakfast we would begin our trek back to the tram where we would view numerous
more famous rock formations, cliffs, and trees. Often while walking along the path we’d come across some people who had paid to be carried around the mountain in sedan chairs by two porters. I suspect there may have been some buyer’s remorse as a few of the people looked a bit embarrassed by the indulgence. There’s something about having two men carrying you up a large flight of stairs on a mountain top and through a crowd of tourists that just seems a bit over the top (unless it’s really necessary of course).After a couple more hours of wandering around the mountain top we finally reached the tram and headed down. From here we would be heading to a local village. We weren’t really s
ure what to expect here, but we were pleasantly surprised by what we discovered when we arrived at Hongcun Village (宏村). Hongcun Village has a history of over 900 years and has been passed down for generations throughout the Wang Clan. It was famous for having a number of scenes for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon filmed here. As we arrived through the gates we came upon a picturesque small lake with a stone arched
bridge going across the center, we learned this was the opening scene from the movie. Along the bank were numerous young painter students set up all along the bank practicing their talents. The village is said to resemble that of a buffalo with two 600 year old trees representing horns, a lake as its belly, and even irrigation streams are its intestines. We’ve really come to appreciate the imagination of the Chinese culture. The tour was fantastic and made for some great history lessons and amazing pictures.It was a long couple days, so I had recommended the group to check out a local hot springs spa ( 黄山醉温泉). I have been to hot spring spa before and was looking forward to a night of relaxation. But as high as our expectation
s were for this place, they didn’t come near touching what we actually encountered. The entrance fee was equivalent to approximately $25 CAD. Inside this spa was an infinity pool on top of the hill over looking the spa area, over 50 different kinds of hot springs, complementary fruits and snacks, free Internet service, and even late night live entertainme
nt. We must have stayed there for about seven hours just relaxing and getting out every need looked after. The highlight for me was the Garra rufa fish or as more commonly known as the Doctor Fish. They are these tiny fish swimming around in a giant spring that when you climb in they would come up and begin to eat the dead skin off your body. It’s a little weird at first, but once you get accustomed it begins to feel like a little massage and your skin is left feeling incredibly smooth.The next morning we would be heading back to Shanghai, but not before a detour for a river cruise along Xin'anjiang River （新安江）. The river looked like a mirror, completely reflecting a
ll of the hills and villages we encountered along the way. We were treated to a couple stops where we would tour the local villages. In the last stop we were even treated to a show from local performers what included singing, dancing, and acting. Even our boat guide was pulled up on stage to sing a duet with the show host as well as me to perform a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony. It was a weekday so we were the only people in the audience but that only made for a more enjoyable and personal experience. Following the show we would head back on the boat as we sail back towards our van an onwards back to Shanghai.
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