Huangshan Tour to Jingdezhen & Wangxian Valley

After breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you in your hotel lobby, and then escort you to visit the World Heritage-listed Mt. Huangshan, aka Yellow Mountain. It features ancient pine trees growing on rocks, strangely shaped stone peaks, and stunning seas of clouds, which have always been the source of inspiration for Chinese painting and poetry.
► Note: To make your mountain hike easier, it is recommended that you put your large luggage in your private car and only take essentials for tonight’s stay at the hotel on the mountain.

We’ll specially include a cable car to convey you up to the mountainside, allowing you to spend more time and energy on the mountain sightseeing. En route, you’ll feel like a bird gliding through a sea of surging clouds, while admiring the famous scene “Immortal’s Overturned Table”, where a stone looks like a table with its four legs pointing skyward.

With your guide, start your exploration at the famous Beginning to Believe Peak. To its east, many granite stalagmites of different forms rise from the earth. Those vary in height: some resemble sharp swords stabbing the sky, some take on graceful figures like fairies dancing gently, and others look like roaring beasts. It’s hard to imagine that such scenery was formed by weathering and erosion over millions of years. Look! Eighteen stone pinnacles in orderly array appear as eighteen solemn arhats worshipping the South Sea. We’ll then hike west all the way, where you’ll encounter legendary pines growing on perilous cliffs, or standing tall in deep ravines, exuding astounding toughness. Their names carry special meaning. Some are inspired by their appearance, such as the Harp Pine and Black Tiger Pine. Others are vividly personified, including the King Pine and Unity Pine. The latter has six main branches from the roots around the trunk with a dense canopy, just like six brothers embracing each other.

Top Peaks is a hidden gem, where you are more prone to admire a solar halo. Viewed from here, Flying-over Rock, leaning against nothing on the ridge, appears rickety. Moving on, we’ll soon reach the Xingzhi Pavilion, erected in memory of Tao Xingzhi, a great Chinese educator who grew up near the Mt. Huangshan. From this vantage point, you’ll surprisingly discover how firm the rock here truly is. Climb up to the Bright Summit for a stunning sunset: the crimson sun gradually sinks into the sea of clouds, and the entire mountain is ablaze with a warm, orange glow. Light mist drifts among the staggered peaks, creating an ink-wash painting in various shades of dark. Afterward, your guide will accompany you to your mountain hotel for an overnight stay.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Xihai Hotel - North Building (4 stars), Huangshan

Early in the day, your guide will gather with you at your hotel and then accompany you to watch the spectacular sunrise over the mountain. As the dark blue sky brightens in the east, the mountain tops are tinted with a faint rose red. Later, sunlight spills over the rolling clouds, glimmering like countless diamonds in gold and crimson. The sun, round and bright like an egg yolk, pops up above the horizon, bathing the jagged peaks in golden light. Fancy capturing the magnificent sea of clouds? Use a wide-angle lens plus a low shooting angle. For an atmospheric photo, try taking your silhouette in side backlighting.
► Depending on the season, we’ll escort you to the best spot for sunrise viewing: at Purple Cloud Peak in summer (Jun-Aug), at Lion Peak in spring (Mar-May) and autumn (Sep-Nov), as well as Beginning to Believe Peak in winter (Dec-Feb). 

After returning to the hotel for breakfast, we’ll travel west to the West Sea Grand Canyon. Cloud Dispelling Pavilion offers an ideal location to enjoy a breathtaking panorama of the canyon. Leaning on the rail, you can see the sight “Immortal’s Drying Boots” and another lifelike scene: the upper stone looks like a warrior holding down a fierce tiger-like rock below with one hand and raising the other in a striking posture. On our way to Lion Peak, glimpse into the famed rock formations, including “Monkey Watching the Sea” and “Immortals Playing Chess”, under your guide’s commentary. To the right of the latter stands a boulder, shaped like a prime minister in ancient robes and a black gauze cap with his hands folded behind his back. This is called “Prime Minister Watching Chess”. On our walk, you may come across clever monkeys scratching their heads or lovely squirrels eating sunflower seeds. Then, we’ll take a cableway down from the mountain.
► Note: The hiking route and sights on the mountain may be adjusted depending on the weather.

After that, let’s head for Emerald Valley, aka Lover’s Valley, at the foot of the mountain. Immerse yourself in a series of colorful pools, whose clear waters take on dreamy hues of blue, green, and gold under the sunlight, like emeralds scattered across the earth. Marvel at the Flower Mirror Pool, which appears to be an inverted mirror from heaven, reflecting the verdant mountains all around. Step onto a tranquil path flanked by bamboo forests, and you’ll find a huge stone inscribed with the red character “Love” amidst dappled light and shadow. 

Finally, your guide and driver will escort you to downtown and help you check into your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: AnChi Hotel, Huangshan (4 stars)

Time flies! Your 7 days Huangshan tour is halfway through. After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel lobby, and after a 1.5-hour car ride, we’ll arrive at Huangling, known as one of the “most beautiful villages in China.” From afar, the nearly 600-year-old Huangling Village clings to the mountainside with a hundred-meter (328-foot) drop. The village centers on a street over 500 meters (547 yards) long, which the locals call the “Heavenly Street”, for it is often shrouded in fog like a winding path to paradise. Here, you’ll browse teahouses, taverns, and bamboo crafts studios, each full of an old-world charm. Surrounding the street, over a hundred traditional houses fan out across the terraced slopes. Due to the terrain constraint, there are no courtyards in the villagers’ homes. Consequently, they put up wood racks on their balconies or rooftops to dry crops, giving rise to the unique “harvest drying” scene, a sight found nowhere else in China. From March to April, a vast sea of yellow rape flowers blankets the terraced fields, forming a beautiful pastoral landscape for you to appreciate. 

Afterward, your guide will escort you to your hotel. Alternatively, you can admire the stunning nightscapes of Huangling and explore more delights on your own, as ancient houses blaze with warm colorful lights, and finally walk back to your hotel by yourself. 

Meal: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Huangling Shaiqiu Meisu Hotel

This morning, meet your guide and driver in your hotel lobby, and then enjoy a 2-hour private car ride to Jingdezhen, the world-famous “Porcelain Capital”. Upon arrival, we’ll first visit Taoxichuan Cultural and Creative District, one of Jingdezhen’s most significant cultural landmarks. Taking in the iconic red-brick buildings, well-preserved coal-fired tunnel kilns, and towering chimneys, you’ll feel as if traveling back to a 1960s porcelain factory. Beyond tradition, you’ll also discover a modern vibe here, with many trendy art galleries, bookstores, and design studios. What’s more, the street stalls here are a paradise for ceramic lovers, displaying all kinds of creative products like boldly-colored earrings and elegant tea sets.

Then, let’s move on to visit the Imperial Porcelain Factory, the royal kiln site where porcelain was made exclusively for Chinese emperors for over 500 years, since 1369. Start by shooting the arched red-brick exterior of the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum, housing restored porcelain and unearthed shards. Seeing these exquisite “inferior items” helps realize how strict the standards were for ancient official kilns. Wander the deep alleys of intangible heritage, dotted with small, active workshops. You may observe a master craftsman intently shaping a lump of clay in a softly lit studio.

Our trip today will culminate in a visit to the China Ceramics Museum. As the largest of its kind in the country, it provides the optimal window on the development of ceramic art across various periods. Pay your special attention to one of its highlights - the Blue and White Meiping Vase with Peony Scrolls, unearthed in 1959. It has a small mouth, short neck, tapering shoulder, and round base, resembling a graceful, noble lady. Its body is adorned with delicately painted peonies with layered petals - some budding, some fully blooming. The peony scrolls twine gracefully around the vase, exuding vitality and energy. Also check out the popular ceramic sculpture “Speechless Buddha”, originally named “Meditating Arhat”. With his drooping eyelids and tightened lips, he seems to convey a helpless, weary mood, much like people under work pressure nowadays. After the visit, your guide and driver will escort you to your hotel.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Fenghuangliuyuan Garden Hotel, Jingdezhen

After breakfast, receive friendly greetings from your guide and driver at your hotel, and start by visiting the Ancient Kiln & Folk Customs Museum, home to 13 typical kilns from different eras. Let’s explore the three most distinctive ones: The Gourd Kiln comprises two chambers - a small front part and a large back one, making it resemble a gourd. The Dome Kiln, shaped like a semicircle or steamed bun, features a more compact design with a single firing chamber. Set against the mountainside, the Dragon Kiln is semi-continuous, renowned for its long, narrow body like a mighty dragon. Also, expect to enjoy a special music show, where performers play classic folk music like Jasmine Flower by porcelain flutes and chime bells. With their silvery, melodious timbres, these ceramic instruments offer you an unforgettable cultural experience. 

Next, we’ll dive into the Jingdezhen Sculpture Ceramics Factory, which evolved from an old industrial area 70 years ago. As an epitome of the ceramic industry, it allows you to catch a glimpse of the complete industrial chain from clay shaping to firing and final sales. Compared to Taoxichuan Cultural and Creative District, it feels more like a huge, bustling ceramic marketplace. Getting lost in its main street, you’ll feast on a dazzling variety of fine ceramic handicrafts such as fridge magnets, hand strings, and tableware. When wandering into the quieter alleyways, you may have the chance to learn the stories behind some of the creations from the owners of those more refined studios.

Finally, your guide and driver will escort you on a 2.5-hour drive to Shangrao, and check into our well-selected hotel located inside the Wangxian Valley. Enjoy a wonderful night embracing the dreamlike night views without even leaving your hotel room. Or you can venture out for a leisurely walk on your own to savor the dreamlike valley up close, with bright neon streets, lively crowds, and glowing ancient architecture.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Xiansu Hotel, Wangxian Valley

This morning, your guide will await you in your hotel lobby and then accompany you on a leisurely walking tour of Wangxian Valley, a wonderland straight out of a Chinese martial arts  novel, complete with cliffside ancient buildings, cascading waterfalls, and mist-veiled mountains. 

Here, behold the Three-Tiered Waterfall, where water cascades down cliffs and gurgles through tier after tier of naturally formed stone steps, as if specially coming down to greet visitors. Shafts of sunlight shine on the currents, refracting into a riot of colors. For shutterbugs, using a slow shutter speed may easily capture the waterfall’s silky, flowing texture. We won’t let you miss the Moon Embracing Bridge, one of the best sites to appreciate the antique houses studded in the famous 110-meter-high (360-foot-high) White Crane Cliff. On the Hundred Sailboat Bridge, take in various distinctive arched stone bridges and clear flowing streams nearby, along with the distant, lush green mountains. Along the slabstone-paved lanes, you’ll also come across a tempting array of must-try local snacks, such as refreshing winter melon tea, kudzu juice, grilled chicken legs, and sweet-sour five-eye fruit. Besides, prepare to enjoy a lot of traditional performances, including fire breathing, Nuo exorcism opera, and ancient Chinese instrument shows. The scenic area is also dotted with ancient sites like the Hu Family Ancestral Hall and the Yang Mansion, where you can admire  the intricate details of traditional architecture up close. Moreover, workshops are offering immersive experiences in China’s intangible cultural heritage, such as tie-dyeing. Your guide will show you around them to your interests.

As your 7-day private Huangshan trip draws to a close, your guide and driver will see you off at Shangrao high-speed railway station after a 1-hour-plus drive. Frequent bullet trains connect Shangrao with popular cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, and Hangzhou. Should you wish to extend your trip to these cities, please contact us anytime to customize your exclusive itinerary.

Meal: Breakfast