Huangshan is uniquely Chinese, and if you could discount the crowds, the peddlers and the loudspeakers, it will touch you with its grandeur.

The best part for me was after dark. I went to PaiYunLou (Cloud Dispelling Pavilion) with a few friends, we lay down on a cliff side and saw the valley spread below us, and counted shooting stars through the night! Very special!

The old black-and-white towns unique to Anhui province that lie scattered around Huangshan are worth a visit too. If you can, book your own bus and visit the less well known towns other than the ones listed on the World Heritage list to avoid Chinese crowds, loudspeakers and peddlers.