Huangshan, which translates as “Yellow Mountain” is a site of breathtaking natural beauty. Flagstone-lined trails run up the mountain and along the ridge line taking walkers from one spectacular panorama to the next. Vistas contain all the elements of a utopian traditional Chinese ink painting: granite tusks pierce swirling mists; a waterfall cascades into a stream by which in a clearing stands a pavilion beneath the shade of some pine trees. This paradisiacal vision of humans living harmoniously in nature can be contemplated here.

Not far from the mountain are some of China’s best-preserved Southern Song and Ming Dynasty (1127-1644) villages. But, you may better recognize them from the Hollywood feature “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”. The merchant houses in these ancient villages are examples of the very finest southern rural architecture, which went on to influence the whole country. The style is unique through its emphasis on fengshui or geomancy, incorporating principles of sustainability within their structure centuries before the concept existed in the west. As with the mountain, the villages are to be enjoyed in a very beautiful context. They are found on verdant valley floors between bamboo-lined, steep-sided hills.