Huangshan: An Ink-Wash Painting

“Normally, you would see the peaks from here!”, my guide, Jessica, said as we sat in the cable car heading to Huangshan’s summit. There was nothing around us, except a thick blanket of clouds – a total whiteout. This phenomenon is common, because the area receives plenty of rainfall, up to 300 days a year. Clouds are, therefore, an essential part of Huangshan. And the mountain range is renowned for its stunning scenery which features a jumble of sheer granite cliffs emerging through a perpetual sea of clouds.

In fact, these fantastic vistas have been immortalized in Chinese art since as early as the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907). It inspired an entire school of painting – the shui mo style, which depicts landscapes using shades of black ink. Not only painters were attracted to Huangshan, but writers also held these mountains in high esteem. Most famous was the poet Li Bai who coined this mountain range “Huangshan” in honor of Huangdi – a legendary emperor of ancient China who discovered the elixir of immortality and ascended to heaven from these cloud-shrouded peaks.

The mountaintop was smothered in clouds. It was so dense that I could only recognize the silhouette of ancient pine trees. They are endemic to Huangshan and grow straight from the hard rock face – fine examples of nature’s vigor and vitality. These trees vary greatly in shape and size, featuring gnarled and asymmetrical branches. Many are hundreds of years old and have been given names. For instance, the Yingkesong, or Guest Greeting Pine, is thought to be more than 1500 years old. Beyond those weathered pines are, however, an empty void.

Huangshan was preparing something special behind a curtain of white. I could feel it as we hiked through the clouds, meandering up, down, and across the peaks. After many flights of stairs and narrow steps chiseled into boulders, we arrived at Xihai Grand Canyon – one of the most scenic parts of Huangshan. Visibility was still low, but the dark green of pine trees and sand yellow of cliffs popped through the misty veil. At some points, I could also see rocks in peculiar shapes that seemed to be works of carving. But the imposing landscape was nowhere in sight.

“What was shrouded in the fog yesterday would be visible by now.”, Jessica assured me as we returned to the hiking trail the next morning. Indeed, the strong gust in the evening partially dispersed the clouds, revealing a spectacular landscape that seemed to be plucked out from a traditional ink-wash painting. The bright clouds accentuated the peculiar shapes of jagged pinnacles, cloaking them in mystery. I thought to myself that I could watch this scene forever.

But nature is constantly changing and its beauty is often fleeting. After the morning spectacle, clouds and fog swirled again around the soaring peaks. They then raced through the canyons, drifting like giant hot-air balloons across the landscape and swallowing everything. I stood there speechless, thinking I was seeing a mirage called Huangshan. Because at the same spot just moments ago, there was a massif consisting of monumental peaks.