Welcome to Anhui Province !
Area : 139,000 square km
Population : 60.7 million
Capital : Hefei
Sorry but I did not visit this province yet ! For the time being, the only information are the trains' schedules from Huangshan, the famous but busy mountain...
Backpacker's Tips : Carlos Xavier (Dec
04)
«
I would like to share to other backpackers some advise
about Huang Shan:
1- Stay in Tangkou. The accommodation is much cheaper then those that
can be found in the hot springs or in some parts of the mountain;
2- Take ALLWAYS a raincoat with you and perhaps a light pullover . I
forgot to take mine and I was overcharged a lots. When I arrived at
Tangkou the weather was just fine and few hours later at the top of the
mountain it was really cold with thick fog;
3- The Cable car close quite early so if you are going to see the
mountain in the afternoon, prepare yourself for a long way back in the
VERY sleepery steps.Doing those steps down at night without a torch and
under heavy rain wasn´t a piece of cake. I and my travell companions fel
down a couple of times;
4- If it is foggy don´t go up because there isn´t anything to be seen
and it is easy to get lost;
5- I met in this place one of the most sincere, helpful and GOOD persons
that I have seen in those years travelling throughout this planet. His
name is Mr.HU and he is a local chinese who speaks fluently English. I
met him precisely when I was arriving from a nightmare bus travel from
hangzhou. He approach me and I thought that was one more tout, but I was
mistaken. He helped me in finding a single room at a very good price.
Buying clothes(without any commission) and get a taxi, bus tycket,find
internet, mail etc , etc etc. This men is so honest that I felt like
helping him and his family so I gave him 150 Y. He refused the money
saying that if I want help him I could go and eat in his restaurant.
Well I went there and I paid a normal price for eating wonderful froggs
cooked by his wife.Believe me persons like him are a rarety, he restored
my faith in mankind . His address is beside XIAO YAO HOTEL in Tankou and
mobile139-56264786. His full name is HU ZHENG LIE. A wonderful persons
indeed.
6- Don´t expect the buses departure in time. My was late 45 minutes and
was picking up every single person arround the villages until was ful,
despite being called a express bus to Shanghai.
7-The bus trip to Shanghai is easy to make despite the distance.»
Tunxi & Huangshan, by Roshani Kothari (June 01)
"Huangshan is definitely very beautiful for its mountainous landscapes, bamboo forests, waterfalls, and other natural beauty.
Things to See & Do: Take the cable car up the mountain, and hike at the top. It can be very crowded, so it is worth paying extra and go in the special cable car that most foreign tourists take.
Things I liked: Tunxi: the old market street; Anhui province, villages-Xidi, Hongcun & Nanping (where Judou was filmed) are excellent for seeing old architecture and a slower pace of life. It is also a nice place to find things that look like antiques. Nine dragon waterfall is very beautiful. The hike up to see it is also nice, as it goes through some bamboo forests.
Things I didn't like… We didn't find a nice, open air place to enjoy the hot springs. There are indoor bathtubs where water from the hot springs come in, but that just isn't as exciting…The throngs of tourists can be quite annoying sometimes.
Advice: Besides the mountain, there are many interesting places in the vicinity. It is worth it to arrange a tour to Huangshan and the Anhui villages through CITS office in Tunxi, which includes an English speaking guide, taxi and hotel.
Confirm with them in writing specifically which places you will be visiting. Do not pay the full amount of the tour from the beginning. Pay half up front, and half at the end of the tour."