Gyermekvasút - Railway Children in Budapest

On the outskirts of Budapest , through the beautiful Buda hills , stretched railroads are short and narrow called Gyermekvasút , which in Hungarian means " Railway Children " ( Children's Railway ) . But Gyermekvasút not a toy train as it is commonly found at amusement parks . This is the original railway line with original station , the original diesel locomotives that pull carriages of the original , and runs on a schedule that is real. "Children " here instead of passengers. They are railroad workers .

Children's Railway managed and run mainly by children of pre-adolescents aged between 10 and 14 years, under adult supervision, of course. Only machinist and maintenance of equipment carried by an adult. All other work, from checking and issuing of tickets, signal operation, make announcements and to provide information to passengers, performed by children dressed in official uniforms neatly and complete with all the appropriate equipment.

Children's Railway is a relic of the communist era, was built during the Young Pioneers movement (Young Pioneers) is in its heyday. Young Pioneers is the Communist Party's youth movement, similar to the Scouting movement in the Western world, in which young people learn social skills of cooperation and attended the summer camp publicly funded. Young Pioneers is the first Scouts of the Bolsheviks before the October Revolution of 1917. Many scouts, however, reject the communist and fought in the ranks of the White Army and interventionists against the Red Army during the Russian Civil War of 1917-1921. After communism can control the whole country, Pramukadiberantas system and replaced with the Young Pioneers organizations with different ideologies to really educate children with communism.


Children's Railway, sometimes also called the Pioneer Railway, is a project of the Young Pioneers in which adolescents and children learn professions railways. They were established throughout the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe where communism is present. First opened in Gorky Park, Moscow, in 1932. While in Budapest, Gyermekvasút, opened in 1948. At the time the Soviet Union broke up, there are more than 50 railroads and more in the Eastern Bloc. Many Pioneer Railway is still used today serves as the railway heritage and tourist attractions. In addition to Budapest, also can be found in Minsk, Dresden, Berlin, Belarus, Tbilisi and some other cities.

Gyermekvasút in Budapest is a railway line along 11.2 km and passes through seven stops, all of which are popular recreation spot. To work on Children's Railway, children underwent four months of training and exams in all areas of railway management before receiving a one-year license.

Children work once or twice a preformance two weeks, so that they can customize with their school schedule. They even have allowed for the current school does not work on the railroad. Working on Gyermekvasút is a privilege, which is highly desired by young children Hungary.

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The lights of Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district

Princes.in - The lights of Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district remain undimmed. Wild parties at Club Bunny, Wild Cat, Crazy Horse, Cockeye and other ‘broad-minded’ establishments simply carry on this week, just as they have done for decades along the notorious Lockhart Road.

No matter that high overhead — on the 31st floor of the J Residence tower — a grisly investigation continues. So what, the thumping music along this lurid strip of bars seemed to suggest, if two Indonesian prostitutes have been butchered?

The women can be replaced: hundreds more very young and very poor Asian hopefuls will arrive in the former Crown Colony in the coming weeks to seek their fortunes in the booming sex trade.

What the Cambridge-educated banker Rurik Jutting has allegedly done is simply to confirm what the locals have always believed: most gweilos (or foreign devils) in Hong Kong are crazy.

What drives them crazy? The fact that easy money can be made compared to the opportunities that have to be chiselled out in the higher pressured, highly competitive and more regulated money markets in London and New York.

With such substantial rewards, the expatriate gweilo sensualist can indulge himself — they are almost always men — in the dizzying variety of cheap sex, drink and drugs on offer with no fear of the repercussions or opprobrium that such excesses would invite back home.

Cocaine-fuelled Jutting, a former university rower, simply seems to have gone a few ghastly steps further.

When the Union flag was hauled down in 1997, many thought that Hong Kong was finished as an international financial hub.

Indirect rule from Communist Beijing would surely ruin this hyper-capitalist, neo-colonial party, the analysts predicted.

The Square Mile rejects who had decamped to the tropics — the so-called FILTH or ‘Failed In London, Try Hong Kong’ — would no longer have the powerful advantage of their birth.

Many expats did leave. But the predicted downturn did not happen. Today, Hong Kong is a powerhouse because it is a gateway to the Chinese mainland and so offers a potential slice of the profits from the incredible expansion of that country’s economy.

You can make a lot of money very quickly. It is estimated that Jutting was on £350,000 a year, including bonus. Not bad for a twenty-something bachelor.

‘There was a time when second-rate bankers and accountants would end up in Hong Kong because they could not get good work in the UK,’ says a British multi-millionaire private equity investor, who started his career in the former colony.

‘People got jobs out there on the basis they had decent qualifications and could speak English. But that is not the case now.

‘If you are young and talented in the financial services sector then you would want to work in Hong Kong because it is a place where capitalism is celebrated and you can make serious money.

‘The downside to that is the easy availability of drugs and women. It is a place where you can quickly go on a downward spiral in your private life if you lose your moral compass.’ Author John LeFevre, who also worked as an investment banker on the island, agrees. This week he described in graphic detail the debauchery he witnessed among the island’s expat banking set.

‘What happens when you take a young Briton and throw him into an alternate reality, a world largely without any restraints and an industry with a set of deviant moral benchmarks?’ he asked.

‘For some people, and maybe for Rurik Jutting, things fall apart.

‘To a large extent, expat bankers in Asia can do whatever they want. As an overhang of colonialism, they tend to get treated better than the locals.

‘They can start food fights in the five-star Mandarin hotel overlooking the harbour, flee the scene of a car crash or take their pants off and run around Lan Kwai Fong’s trendy bars in the business district.

‘And if they get so out of control that they get banned from three bars in one night, then the cops will just take them home.

‘My sense of reality and entitlement got so warped in Hong Kong that when I would go home to visit my family, my mother suggested I walk around a supermarket to acclimatise myself and “be less of an a*******”.’

This sense of Western entitlement and heightened hedonism has long existed in the territory, which became a British colony in 1842 as a result of the First Opium War.

By the 20th century, the whole island with its red pillar boxes, English-style racecourse and districts named after queens and other imperial figures, was run by British expats for British expats.

‘Apart from being the last stronghold of feudal luxury in the world, Hong Kong is the most vivid and exciting city I have ever seen,’ James Bond author Ian Fleming wrote on his first visit in 1959.

He had arrived shortly after the huge success of a novel which for better or worse came to define Hong Kong’s louche image in Western imagination.

The World Of Suzie Wong by Richard Mason told of how a young British artist arrived on the island and fell in love with a beautiful teenage Chinese prostitute.

Fleming certainly approved. Indeed, his account of his visit to Hong Kong opened with the words ‘Is more better now, Master?’ — asked by a ‘dimpling masseuse’.

He alluded to the ‘25 registered nightclubs where 8,000 hostesses plied their trade’. Today, there are many more of both.

Such encounters in these places are an integral part of expat business, according to author John LeFevre. So, too, is drug-taking.

‘When I moved to Hong Kong, the first thing one of the outgoing hedge fund sales guys gave me was the number of his drug dealer,’ he says.

‘He told me: “Look, I don’t really know you, but trust me, you’ll need this for your clients.”

‘And everyone knew it when Drug Dealer Joe’s not too subtle Toyota Supra sports car would show up in front of ICBC Tower (where Jutting’s former employer, investment bank Merrill Lynch, is based) for a delivery.

‘It’s often not even a matter of choice. A colleague was chastised by our boss for not attending an important client’s stag party trip to Manila in the Philippines: “You have a pregnant wife at home, so what?”

‘I think it was the itinerary titled A Weekend Of Debauchery that scared him off.

‘And he paid a price for not indulging — getting fewer trades than his more willingly deviant counterparts at other banks.

‘One time I went to a dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, where an investment banking colleague showed up with two prostitutes and proceeded to hold a contest to see which of them could keep their hand on the famously hot plates the longest.’

Expat female colleagues were not wanted in these situations, says LeFevre.

At one evening with clients to mark the closing of a business deal, the boss indicated the party would be going to a karaoke bar, which provided drugs and prostitutes.

The female bankers present were ordered home by text message. A happily married male colleague who wanted to leave was told to stay because the deal depended on it.

‘Thirty or 40 girls in skimpy dresses, each wearing a tag with a number on it, were paraded,’ says LeFevre.

‘From there, it doesn’t take long for the process to get started: “I’ll take number 12 and number 34.” Or “Dibs on 11.” And “Don’t be greedy; just get two.”

‘At the end of the evening, the madam presented a bill that appeared to have been issued by a restaurant rather than a brothel — and therefore was claimable on business expenses.’ This arrangement still continues, according to a current Hong Kong banker who is a former colleague of John LeFevre.

‘Walk two minutes from Rurik Jutting’s apartment block and you’re in the world of Suzie Wong,’ he says.

‘Hostess bars are the norm throughout Asia. At the top end, a group of the most beautiful women you’ve ever seen (though many tend to look the same after having plastic surgery) will sit beside you, wipe the condensation off your glass and maybe feed you fruit.

‘Cocaine is abundant, too. Of ten guys on a trading floor, probably a minority do coke, but they do a lot. It’s in Hong Kong in a way it never seemed present in London.’

So, it seems a lingering sense of gweilo privilege remains. ‘Yes, but that is not limited to investment bankers,’ he says.

‘Lawyers, accountants, teachers, whomever it may be, will arrive in town and suddenly find themselves in a plush pad with a pool and a live-in maid.

‘Colonial pretensions quickly follow. I once heard it described as “second-class people living first-class lives”.’

While several expat financiers this week spoke of the slow but inevitable marginalisation of Westerners by wealthy local and mainland Chinese, it’s the British and Americans who still provide much of the custom in the Wan Chai party district.

Today, this red light area is seedier and arguably more dangerous than ever before, with gangs from Nepal and West Africa battling the Chinese Triads for supremacy.

The old tricks are still in evidence. Rip-off prices are charged to spend ten minutes in friendly chat over a drink with a bar girl, typically from the Philippines.

Her job is to get the customer drunk and make him pay upwards of £400 for sex

Competing with these women, who work on fixed contracts for bars controlled by gangsters, are freelance prostitutes from Indonesia and Thailand, who stalk the street looking for clients. They charge much less.

The Mail has learned that a bar on the strip is where drug dealers and bankers meet, even during lunch hours in the working week.

Those seeking illegal substances simply go behind a curtain at the back of the premises to get their fix.

It seems these ‘business activities’ are tolerated by the notoriously corrupt Hong Kong police.

Along Lockhart Road in the early hours, Western expats could this week be seen arm in arm with one or sometimes two Asian bar girls, on their way to the short-stay sex hotels or their own apartments for a night of sin with a modern day Suzie Wong.

This is known locally as ‘the walk of shame’. For two young Indonesian girls, it ended in their horrific deaths. But Wan Chai parties on regardless.

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Must-Try Cuisine in Hong Kong

With so many dishes to choose from in Hong Kong restaurants, you could spend 30 minutes or more flummoxed by the vast array of options. With that in mind, we have whittled things down to what we, as local experts, think are the 15 top dishes to sample when dining in Hong Kong.

 

Congee

This meaty broth has long been a staple of Chinese dining. For the Cantonese people, this dish provides them with a blast of warmth and a quick source of energy that they need to start their day. There are many types of congee and many things that are used to supplement it, meaning the dish will vary from place to place, but one thing remains the same – its tastiness!

Noodles

Noodles are another staple of Chinese cuisine and the country adores them like Europeans do pasta. This foodstuff is also highly symbolic to the Chinese, in that it represents long life, so will always be cooked up at birthdays or festivals or other celebrations. There is a near infinite amount of noodle-based dishes, from broth to vegetables to meat, and you will find them across the whole gastronomic spectrum, from street stands to gourmet restaurants in Hong Kong.

Fried Rice

Like noodles, fried rice (‘yang chow’) is a cornerstone of Chinese food. This humble dish is now enjoyed across the globe, and for most East and South East Asians forms an essential ingredient of their day to day diet. Also like noodles, fried rice can be served with pretty much anything, so the possibilities are endless.

Chinese Hotpot

This delicious, steaming broth is perfect for a cold winter’s day. It is warmed over fire and comes in a variety of flavours and types. You can have it sweet, sour or spicy, and add all different kinds of ingredients, such as vegetables, chicken, pork, beef or seafood.

Chinese Hotpot

Pot Luck Seafood
This slightly dubiously named offering is a delectable example of how local and international cuisine in Hong Kong has fused, creating a dreamily delicious dish. More of a feast, it consists of crab and fish balls, king crab, maw fish and a rare breed of sea snail called abalone. Add to all this an assortment of fresh vegetables from Japan, and you’re left with a plate of food that not only tastes divine, but looks it, too.

Shrimp Balls

These little nuggets of heaven are handcrafted using Vietnamese tiger prawns. They are beloved for being soft, juicy and chewy all at once, and of course for their mouthwatering flavour. We recommend sampling them at Hop Hing Hotpot, a restaurant in the Jordan district which serves up possible the best shrimp balls in Hong Kong.

Xiao Long Bao Dumplings

One of the highlights for any foodie on holiday in Hong Kong, these scrumptious delights are served in bamboo steamers, which carry anything from four to eight dumplings. The dumplings are unique for their thin flour skin, which encases pork or chicken broth, and they are served with shredded ginger and vinegar.

Roasted Suckling Pig

This traditional Chinese dish is all about the crispy, yet succulent, skin roasted to perfection. When bitten, an impeccably tender and juicy meat is revealed in all its glory. Its flavor and fragrance comes from the spices rubbed onto the skin of the pig before roasting, and the whole thing culminates in a refreshing, explosive and ultimately addictive taste. Yum!

BBQ Pork Rice

This has long been a Cantonese favorite, acting as something of a comfort dish for meat-lovers. Also known as ‘Char Siu’, it consists of strips of seasoned, boneless pork, and provides an appetizing combination of sweet and savory. It is typically served with egg and sometimes there are other choices of meat.

Peking Duck

This classic Chinese dish can be served in a variety of ways, and all are delicious in their own right. Firstly, the duck can be served shredded, ready to be wrapped in small pancakes with a splash of black bean sauce and a sprinkling of spring onion and cucumber. The second approach is to serve the skin of the duck separately, daubed with a touch of sugar to balance out the strong flavor. And lastly, duck breasts can be cooked whole and served with various condiments, and accompanied with fried rice.

Dumplings

Egg Tart
This is one of the most widely known – and loved – desserts in Asia, and has its own deeply-rooted following in Hong Kong. It is an attractive little treat with an outer pastry crust filled with rich custard. This popular snack is served at most dim sum restaurants, but one of the best places to sample it is the famous Hoover Cake Shop, located at 136 Nga Tsin Wai Road, in the heart of Kowloon.

Shiu Mai

This is a pork or, more vaguely, meat dumpling, which is a regular feature on the menus of most Chinese restaurants and dim sum eateries. It is one of the more common Chinese dumplings, but to sample the best of the best, you’ll have to head to Guangdong Province. Here, you’ll find a version brimming with pork, diced shrimp, black mushroom, spring onions, ginger, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and chicken stock.

Chicken Feet

Many people not native to China may balk at the thought of even looking at a plate of chicken feet. They might question how something that must have come into contact with so much dirt and rubble from the ground could be eaten. But don’t worry, because this delicacy is deep-fried after it is thoroughly cleansed, and boiled, and what’s more, the chickens used are battery hens, so they don’t even go outside! After the aforementioned treatment, the feet are stewed in a scrumptious black bean sauce. This process allows the cartilage of the chicken feet to soften until the required tenderness. Lastly, with a good deal of concentration, the little bones are spat out in that delicate manner that is said to be made famous by grandma cooks in dim sum restaurants throughout China. Some chefs tend to skip the deep-frying process altogether, in favor of stewing the chicken feet in sweet abalone sauce, which leads to a more wholesome, texturized treat.

Barbecued Pork

Known locally as ‘Siu Yuk’, this lovely dish is comprised of no less than five layers of pork, beginning with a salty, spicy bottom layer, then alternating stratums of succulent pork and fat, and all topped off with some crispy pig skin. An ideal sample should be moist rather than greasy and exude some sweetness and smokiness. This dish is best eaten with sharp yellow mustard to accentuate the existing textures and flavors.

Cha Siu Bau

This is one of the lesser known but equally delectable delicacies of Chinese cuisine. It is basically a pork sandwich. But the pork is barbecued and the outlying bun is soft and fluffy. Also, it is best eaten with a sweet sauce that is poured into the bun that blends flavorably with the sauce that the pork was initially cooked with.

Shiu Mai

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10 Romantic Restaurants in Hong Kong

When we get used to have our partners in lives, we just take everything for granted and neglect the importance to keep romance alive. In fact, you don’t really have to have a special occasion to host a romantic dinner.


All you need are a small plan, a few good words, a little passion and a fancy restaurant.
Sometimes we were so fully occupied by the needs of the outside world and not enough time and focus left over for our loves. We all fail the promises we made together at the early days of love, when strong emotions are still dominating. Replaced by routines and commitments, we do need ways to keep the fire burning and show how much we truly care about each other.

So pick up your phone, make a booking, and do a warm surprise now!

Ambrosia Oyster 
If street night view is how you define romantic, this is definitely a right place for you. Through French windows, you can enjoy the 270-degree view of Tsim Sha Tsui including neon signs, traffic, pedestrians, residential buildings, sky and more.

Pearl on the Peak
Located at the top of Victoria Peak, Pearl on the Peak offers 270-degree city night view. Right here you can see the main skyscrapers in Hong Kong such as Bank of China, International Financial Centre, and Sky 100. Alfresco seats are also available for who admire the fresh air upon the one of the busiest cities in the world.
Address: Shop 2, Level 1, The Peak Tower, The Peak
Contact: 2849 5123



Caprice
Fine wine, candles and chandeliers seem essential for romantic dining. Caprice provides around 1100 wine selection from all over the world. The French restaurant is located on the 6/F of Four Seasons Hotel. Customer can find high standard of dining experience as we well as the dramatic view of Victoria harbor. Window-side seats are extremely popular!
Address: Podium 6, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central
Contact: 3196 8888


Café Gray Deluxe
Named after the famous chef Gray Kunz, Café Gray Deluxe is located on 49/F in Admiralty. It is needless to explain much about the views. The ambiance is cozy & warm along with gray and brown theme color. It is an ideal place for afternoon tea set for $HKD240 each. Signature dishes include Macaroon, Limoncello Organic Chicken, Prunes, Sweet Corn & Summer Vegetables, with Lemon Pappardelle.
Address: L49 The Upper House, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty
Contact: 3968 1106


The Steak House Winebar + Grill
Not only specializing in steak & grill, surprisingly, The Steak House Winebar + Grill is also best known of its dessert. Some must-try dishes include matcha-green tea and milk chocolate glaze, chocolate fondant, dry aged prime beef and mocha Alaska. Note that it uses charcoal grill for steak which is not very common in Hong Kong.
Address: LG, InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Contact: 2313 2323


Le Marron
Le Marron is more like a private kitchen. You have to ring the bell and wait for service when you arrive. The style is not quiet luxury but very romantic and stylish instead. It is a bit small but there are sliding doors separating tables. That means customers can stay real close in a private room. It’s really nice for first date or anniversary. You will notice a wood piano and other authentic decorations. Signature dishes include Pan Fried Foie Gras, Baked Burgundy Escargots, and Pan Seared Black Cod.
Address: 12/F Ying Kwong Building, 2-6 Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay
Contact: 2881 6662



Yamm
Located at the lobby level of The Mira, Yamm prides itself in providing international food in a very comfort and relaxed area. High ceiling, plenty of space, and modern decor, it is a restaurant inside a 5-star hotel. Buffet covers a nice range of selection from Western to Asian, hot to cold. A la carte is available. Signature dishes include salmon confit, parma ham, roasted pork neck, coconut cream tapioca, and chestnut tart.
Address: The Mira, 118 Nathan Road., Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Contact: 23155111

Amigo
Amigo is highly recommended for special occasions or wedding proposals. Located near to the Happy Valley Racecourse, the French restaurant looks like an old castle. The interior is heavy and dark. Wood decorations, antiques, paintings, and stair make you feel like staying in old Europe. Customers are treated as royalty and required to dress up. You will be served by experienced staff with white gloves. The atmosphere is truly romantic and live music is available.
Address: G/F, Amigo Mansion, 79A Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley
Contact: 2577 2202

Amber
Located at the city centre, near to the HSBC Head Quarters, Amber nestles on the 7/F of Mandarin Oriental. You will have no problem finding the restaurant. The natural lighting and the warm tones creates a bright and cozy ambiance. There are sufficient rooms between tables to ensure comfortable seating and privacy. It serves mainly French and other western food. Signature dishes include olive bread, hokkaido corn soup, line caught Atlantic cod and more.
Address: 7/F, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen's Road, Central
Contact: 2132 0066

The Pawn
Looking for a relaxed and casual day experience? Romance does not necessary be night and luxury. Snacks, British tea, desserts plus chitchat for hours can be equally impressive. The Pawn used to be a traditional local pawnshop before it was revitalized as an English restaurant. The Pawn itself – A modern & stylish English restaurant in an old Chinese heritage building, ideally reflects the cultural mix that make Hong Kong so special.
Address: 2-3/F, 62 Johnston Road, Wan Chai
Contact: 2866 3444

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Know about your trip in Hong Kong

There will be a series of activities celebrating Chinese New Year starting from February. Apart from Chinese New Year theme decorations in all shopping malls, from 4 – 9 Feb, there will be Lunar New Year Fair and Flower Markets happening in different districts. The best known will definitely be the one at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay.

Starting on 7 Feb, which is 3 days ahead of the Chinese New Year, people from Guangdong (Southern part of China) and Hong Kong have a culture of a “massive clean-up”. It includes one’s home, office, store, car and the person him/herself. Dig to the very bottom or inner of storage and drawer, get rid of the items you’ve never used in the past 10 years, rub the dirt that has stuck on the window and have a nice haircut. It implies wrapping up this year and getting ready for the new one.

On 9 Feb, it is the Chinese New Year’s Eve, which kind management might let their employees to get off duty few hours earlier. At the night, family members and relatives should be gathered for a warm dinner. Traditionally, senior members prefer preparing the meal at home. It shows love and care to their beloved family via dishes cooked with own hands. Favorite dishes include steamed fish (Food Symbolism: May there be fish and profit every year), stewed pork trotter (Joy everywhere), and braised dried oyster with black moss (Wealth & good economy). Afterwards, of course, the whole family will take a walk at the Lunar New Year Fair and take advantage of the last-day clearance.

Kumquat - popular plant for Lunar New Year 

On the first day of Lunar New Year, people do not do any killing. We either eat the food prepared the night before or simply don’t consume any meat. People say “Kung Hei Fat Choi” and wish others good luck. Married people give children and those single red packets. Most of the companies do not open on that day, even restaurants. Therefore, if you are planning to visit some places, do make a call first to check whether they are operating.

One extremely hot event for the worshippers is rushing and struggling to be the first to make the offering to god in Wong Tai Sin Temple. They believe God employs first-come-first-serve policy and would pay all cost to obtain the biggest chance to deliver their messages. Unless you are one of the worshippers or wish to experience the scene in person, otherwise, stay away from the district since the smoke emitted from the stick would definitely be uncomfortable and not too healthy. Note that news will 100% broadcast the scene, you might opt to take a look through the screen instead.

If you are looking for something exciting, go for the Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade in Tsim Sha Tsui. The annual event will feature roving performance, games by international performing artists on floats. The parade lasts for 90minutes, all the way long the main streets in Tsim Sha Tsui such as Canton Road, Nathan Road, Salisbury Road and ends at Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel.

Fai Chun - Red Couplets

On the 2nd day of Chinese New Year, people continue visiting different friends, colleagues and relatives. Since it is still public holiday, there will be more, but still very few business services. At night, another annual major celebration, Lunar New Year Fireworks Display will be witnessed by tens of thousands of people at two sides of the iconic Victoria Harbour. Enthusiastic photographer of fireworks and night view should arrive in early afternoon to secure a nice spot.

Entering the 3rd day of Chinese New Year, it’s known as “chec hao” or Red Dog Day. The traditional belief suggests that we should avoid all possible contacts with people so we don’t visit friends and relatives anymore. It is better to stay at home or otherwise, we will easily have arguments and fights with others which is not a good start for the year.

Of course, fewer and fewer people are still following the rule above. Who will stay at home doing nothing on the last day of public holiday! Therefore, we have Chinese New Year Race Day. Kick off the New Year with games, shouting, and animals sounds more fun and reasonable!

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China Yellow Mountain

The Yellow Mountains is one of the most famous and beautiful mountains in China. It was enlisted as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990.


 

Location

The Yellow Mountain area lies in Anhui Province, Eastern China, about 300 km (200 miles) west of Hangzhou and 500 km (300 miles) southwest of Shanghai. The scenic area is about 50 km (30 miles) north of Huangshan City. All of our Huangshan Tour Packages include a tour to the Yellow Mountains.

Features

The Yellow Mountains is called Huangshan (Huang means 'yellow' and shan means 'mountain(s)') by Chinese. Outstanding natural beauty is Huangshan's number one feature. Yellow Mountain’s classic attractions could be counted as five natural wonders in the winter: the imaginatively named pines, oddly-shaped rocks, the sea of clouds, hot springs and winter snowscapes.


 The glow of the sunrise and sunset draws the crowds to popular viewing spots. Buddha's Light (an optical phenomenon like a halo surrounding the observer's shadow, once thought to show the observer’s enlightenment) may be witnessed.

Compactness means more mountain scenery for less walking. Huangshan Scenic Area is a mountainous area of 154 square kilometers (59 square miles).The main attractions are in a corridor 6km from west to east and 12km from south to north. It’s about 500m above sea level at the south gate and the highest peak, Lotus Peak, is 1873m (6145ft) high. The 1400m+ peaks are all within 6km. The 1200m+ zone is about 10km in diameter, beyond which the mountains tail off rapidly in height. Although Huangshan is not very impressive in its dimensions, its features are extremely rugged and sheer.

There are hundreds of peaks and thousands of ravines in the Yellow Mountains, 72 of which have been named. Heavenly Capital Peak (1800m), Lotus Flower Peak and Bright Summit (1841m/6040ft) are the three major peaks, all rising more than 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) above sea level. They often have their heads above the clouds, giving them a majestic appearance. Yellow Mountain Scenic Area has two lakes, three waterfalls, 16 springs and 24 brooks all noted for their outstanding beauty.

There are only two sizeable mountain chains in Anhui, which line up from tail to head, from west to east. Huangshan represents the head of the taller eastern chain, facing east towards the Pacific. Huangshan owes its magnificent and regionally best propensity for collecting clouds to its favorable location and suitable size, making it the first to really catch moist Pacific air drifting in from 300+ km (200+ miles) away, past Hangzhou. If Huangshan was less elevated or further from the open ocean it would not act like the cloud-catching hand, peaks raised like fingers for mortals to stand on and view from, that it does.

History

The Yellow Mountains are not so called because the mountains are yellow, but because it was named after the legendary Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) in 747 AD. After that Huangshan began its ascent to fame. Many Buddhist temples have been built there and, more recently, it has become a major tourist attraction, because of its scenic qualities.
It is said that Huangshan is the place where the Yellow Emperor, the mythical ancestor of the Chinese, lived, refined precious medicines and became a supernatural being. Xu Xiake, a noted Chinese geologist in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), who visited the Yellow Mountains twice, left his praise in this quote: "You don’t need to see any more mountains after seeing 'the Five Mountains', and you don't need to see the other four mountains after seeing Huangshan".
On November 8, 1982, Huangshan was ratified into the list of Key National-Level Scenic Spots by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. In 1990, the Yellow Mountains were added to the list of World Natural Heritage Sites by UNESCO. It is now protected as a treasure for all mankind to enjoy for all time.

Activities

The most popular activity on Huangshan is hiking around to see the scenery, but there are also sunsets, sunrises and the hot springs to enjoy. There are cable cars (telphers) to take the effort out of the ascent and descent. Below is a summary of the hiking options. There are two routes up to the mountaintop hotels from the main south gate: the Yuping (Jade Screen) Telpher route and the Yungu (Cloud Valley) Telpher route. Huangshan Scenic Area can also be entered from the north. See Huangshan Maps for a map showing walking times.

The Foot of the Mountain - Hot Springs and Waterfalls

The hot springs, some waterfalls and low level scenic walks can be found 40 minutes walk (or a short taxi ride) in from the main gate at the south of Huangshan. There are several hotels in this area, in whose grounds are the hot springs. The hot springs are a great place to go to relax the muscles after a day or two’s hiking on the mountain.

South Route 1: The Yuping Telpher to Bright Summit Ascent

The Yuping (Jade Screen) Telpher route to Bright Summit is the less recommended route up, because there’s more walking and tourists, but it gives the chance to take in the tallest peaks. Yuping Telpher’s south station is known as Kind Light Pagoda (Ci Guang Ge) Station. The telpher takes 10 minutes to take visitors up to Yuping Telpher’s north station, near Jade Screen Pavilion. This saves 1 hour 15 minutes of walking. Jade Screen Pavilion is an excellent viewing spot.

A short distance from Jade Screen Pavilion, past Welcoming Guest Pine, is Heaven’s Capital. This peak is a steep climb (an estimated 1 hour 30 minutes to-the-top-and-back diversion, not counting breaks), but the views and rock formations near the summit, not to mention fewer tourists (deterred by its steepness), make it worthwhile. The busiest place on the mountain must be around the famous Welcoming Guest Pine (between Yuping Telpher Station and Heaven’s Capital), where tourists from all over China take it in turns to have their photo taken with this well-known tree.
The route from Jade Screen Pavilion to Bright Summit is very busy in peak times, which makes the narrow paths slow going. Tour guides with megaphones interrupt the eerie stillness of the mountainside. The path offers another diversion (1 hour 30 minutes) off to the highest summit, Lotus Peak, before reaching Bright Summit. Lotus Peak was closed recently (August ‘09), due to footpath repairs and because tourist numbers were too high.

South Route 2: The Yungu Telpher Ascent

The Yungu (Cloud Valley) Telpher route begins at the south station, near Cloud Valley Temple. Yungu Telpher takes 8 minutes to reach White Goose Ridge (Bai E Feng), the north station, compared to an estimated 1 hour 45 minutes of walking. The walking option doesn’t offer much, just a pavilion and a rock called Immortal Pointing The Way, and the company of local workers manually transporting bedding and other goods up and down the thousands of steps. From White Goose Ridge the path forks right to North Sea (Beihai) Hotel, or left to Bright Summit.

The Mountaintop Loop

Bright Summit, Dispersing Cloud Pavilion, North Sea Hotel and White Goose Ridge form a loop at the top of the mountain. Bright Summit to Dispersing Cloud Pavilion (20 minutes down or 45 minutes climbing up), takes in the Flying Over Stone, a large tilting monolith. The loop goes past West Sea (Xihai) Hotel on to North Sea (Beihai) Hotel (10 minutes). The path from North Sea Hotel to White Goose Ridge (15 minutes down, 30 up) takes in a rock called Flower Growing Out Of A Writing Brush. Climb from White Goose Ridge to Bright Summit (35 minutes) to complete the loop.

West Sea Grand Canyon

From Dispersing Cloud Pavilion, there is a path out west to West Sea Grand Canyon and Nine Dragons Peak. For a more peaceful way to enjoy the scenery of the Yellow Mountains, China Highlights recommend the circuit through the West Sea Canyon, with its less frequented trails and spectacular views. Note that every year from December till April of the next year, West Sea Grand Canyon is closed to tourists because of snow and maintenance.

Eastern Routes

The peripheral routes from Flower Growing Out Of A Writing Brush go out east to Seeing Is Believing Peak (left fork, 20 minutes) past Pen Rack Peak, or (right fork) to Fairy Maiden Peak (30 minutes).

The Northern Route

From North Sea Hotel there is a path north to the north gate of Huangshan Scenic Area, the less visited side. Along this path one can see Dawn Pavilion (it is popular to go up here or to Bright Summit to see the Sea Of Clouds and the Dawn), Refreshing Terrace and Monkey Watching the Sea (a curious boulder perched on a ridge), on the way down to Pine Valley Nunnery, where one could catch Taiping Telpher back up.
Taiping Telpher is Asia’s longest telpher (3709m long), taking up to 100 passengers at a time from Dispersing Cloud Pavilion down to Pine Valley Nunnery (Songgu An), or probably more popularly up the approximately 1000m ascent. It can be incorporated in a loop via Beihai Hotel and Dawn Pavilion. A good early morning excursion would be to set off from one of the mountain top hotels to see the dawn at Dawn Pavilion, walk down to the nunnery (an hour’s walk from North Sea Hotel) and come up by telpher (much quicker than the walk which would be more like 2 hours because of the ascent).

Yellow Mountain Tourist Map

Yellow Mountain Sunrises

Watching the sunrise over Huangshan is a very popular and highly recommended activity. Many people make the early morning trek up to Bright Summit, but Refreshing Pavilion (Qingliang Ting), a short walk from North Sea Hotel is also a good place. The following is the general time-table for the sunrise time on the Yellow Mountains. Each month is divided into three periods (period one from 1 to 10, period two from 11 to 20 and period three from 21 to 30 or 31), and these three periods have little different sunrise time.

Sunrise Time on the Yellow Mountains

Month	Date	Time	Month	Date	Time	Month	Date	Time
Jan.	1	07: 30	May	1	05: 24	Sep.	1	05: 44
	11	07: 40		11	05: 16		11	05: 49
	21	07: 30		21	05: 11		21	05: 55
Feb.	1	06: 58	Jun.	1	05: 07	Oct.	1	06: 00
	11	06: 50		11	05: 05		11	06: 06
	21	06: 42		21	05: 06		21	06: 12
Mar.	1	06: 33	Jul.	1	05: 10	Nov.	1	06: 21
	11	06: 23		11	05: 14		11	06: 29
	21	06: 10		21	05: 19		21	06: 37
Apr.	1	05: 57	Aug.	1	05: 26	Dec.	1	06: 46
	11	05: 45		11	05: 32		11	06: 53
	21	05: 35		21	05: 38		21	06: 59

Travel Essentials

Getting to the Yellow Mountains

The usual way to get to the mountains is to first go to Huangshan City by bus, train or plane. There is a daily bus service from Hangzhou, making the 2.5 hour journey to the city or a 3.5 hour journey to the mountains. A train from Shanghai (K8418/K8419, 17:49-09:05) takes 15 hours, and a train to Shanghai (K8417/K8420 19:15-09:39) takes 14 hours. There is a small airport 10 minutes drive from Huangshan City and daily flights to and from Shanghai. A bus from the city to Huangshan Scenic Area takes about 1.5 hours. 

Getting Up the Yellow Mountains

Getting up the mountains is not too difficult, despite the precipitous valleys. There are an estimated 60 000 steps and paved paths leading to all the main points of interest (a common feature on China’s popular mountains). It’s worth noting that the average July temperature is 18oC (64oF) and the average January Temperature is -3oC (27oF) on the mountain. See Huangshan Weather.

There are 3 telphers (cableways with enclosed cars) to take the time and effort out of the middle part of the climb to the summits, and minibuses that will take you as far as the telpher stations. The prices for the 3 telphers (Yungu, Yuping, and Taiping) are the same. The one way price is 105 yuan per person. Every year during the low season from November till January of the next year, the three telphers will take turn to stop operation for annual maintenance.

Note: from October 8th, 2014 to April 30th, 2015, Yuping telpher will stop operation for its rebuilding work. The specific date to recover the opening time has not been released.

The Annual Temperature on the Top of the Yellow Mountains

Temperature	Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Aug.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Average (°C or °F)	-3 or 27	-2 or 29	3 or 37	8 or 46	12 or 53	15 or 59	18 or 64	17 or 63	14 or 57	9 or 48	4 or 39	-1 or 31
Highest (°C or °F)	1 or 33	2 or 36	6 or 43	11 or 52	15 or 59	18 or 64	21 or 69	21 or 69	17 or 62	12 or 54	7 or 45	3 or 37
Lowest (°C or °F)	-6 or 21	-5 or 23	-1 or 31	5 or 41	9 or 48	13 or 55	15 or 60	15 or 60	12 or 53	6 or 43	1 or 34	-4 or 25

Footwear

Decent comfortable trainers with a cushioned sole (with a change of footwear in case they get soaked) should be sufficient in summer. Waterproof walking boots/ snow boots are recommended in the winter when there is likely to be snow. The steps may be treacherously slippery in the winter and some areas are restricted access for safety reasons.

What to Pack

Pack for mountain walking and a day or two’s stay at mountain hotels. A day or two is all that should be needed to explore the mountain thoroughly. The rest (cases, etc.) should be left at a hotel in Huangshan City or at the bottom of the mountain. We recommend waterproofs, layers of warm clothes, a windproof lightweight layer, a change of clothes, high calorie snacks, plenty of drinks, a map for reference and a camera. In summer use sun protection as it is easy to get burnt on the mountain. Pack waterproof bags for anything that shouldn’t get wet and put it all in a backpack. In winter dress for -10oC, plus wind-chill and snow.

Nearby Attractions

Tunxi Ancient Village

If you arrive in Huangshan City too late in the day to go to the mountains, there are decent hotels in the city and Tunxi. Tunxi is a town/district and a county adjacent to and effectively forming the south of the city of Huangshan. Tunxi, the old town in the centre of Huangshan City, is famous for ink production. Visitors can see a historic factory where ink tablets and seals are produced. A stroll down the main streets of Tunxi gives visitors the chance to take in the ancient architecture and maybe buy some tea or other local products from the shops that line the streets.

Hong Cun

Other attractions in Huangshan Prefecture include Hong Village (1.5 hours by bus from the city). Hong Cun, literally Spacious Village, is famous for being the set for Jiang Yimou’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. It is a beautiful ancient village frequented by painters capturing the blend of water, willows and ancient architecture on canvass. Walking through the narrow streets one can visit many historic residences with antique furniture and beautifully carved wooden doors and archways.

The Tangyue Memorial Arches

There are also the Tangyue Memorial Arches (40 minutes from the city), the largest collection of these tall Chinese-style stone gateway and roof structures in the world.

Tachuan Village

Tachuan Village is considered to have one of the best autumn scenes in China. It boasts numerous ancient giant trees, such as Chinese tallow trees, maples and camphor tree. In Autumn, when the tree leaves turn multi-colored, creating a gorgeous sight, attracting many visitors and photographers.

Immediately visit if you want

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