Huangshan Mountain

Shanghai Daily: "Mercury hits 105 degrees hottest day since 1873."  For the past 25 days, we've experienced 90-105 degree heat.

Ken asks a colleague about his summer plans. He responds, "We don't plan anything, just stay inside with air conditioning on."  

To escape the heat and to see one of the top five spots in all of China, we decide to fly one hour west to Anhui Province and visit Huangshan Mountain, with our visiting friend, Lisa McNamara.  Not only is it considerably cooler, and misty, but the Chinese have done an amazing job building stairs and trails throughout these granite peaks.

With an explosion of Chinese tourism, solitude is hard to come by

Huangshan mist

We decide to take the cable car up, knowing that once we arrive, we are still going to need to walk up/down, up/down.  The many stairs and paths are exhausting and exhilarating.

Huangshan Mountains

Ken surrounded by beauty:) 

The stairs are attached to the mountain!

Lisa and Jeanie on mountain path

 Hotel on the mountain

Twisted pines, granite peaks, mountain mist

 

I lift up my eyes to the mountains- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.  Psalm 121:1-2

We spend one night at the mountain, and one night in Tunxi, a quaint town at the base of the mountain.

Lisa buys souvenirs in Tunxi          

Town of Tunxi

Lisa visits Shanghai for 10 days
River cruise on Huangpu

Shout out to July visitors!

Jody Horner visits Shanghai/Beijing
 for 7 days before flying  to Thailand

  Next Up:      

 The gardens of Suzhou, a canal town