Luoyang Departure: Huangshan and Hongcun, 5 Days 4 Nights

Depart in the morning and reach Huangshan North in the afternoon, then transfer to Tangkou. The town sits at the southern gate and its streets are all guesthouses and village restaurants. Fermented mandarin fish and hairy tofu are the local preparations; the tofu wears a coat of white mould and is fried until the skin crisps, then eaten with chilli paste. Sleep early; the mountain starts at seven.

Attraction introduction: Huangshan North is the junction of the Hefei-Fuzhou and Hangzhou-Huangshan lines, about forty minutes from Tangkou. Tangkou sits at the southern foot of the mountain and is where visitors stay and change to the park shuttle.

Tips: Tangkou is about ten degrees warmer than the summit, so keep the heavy layers for the climb. Guests generally find the fermented fish an acquired taste and a small portion the sensible first order. In practice, the first night in Tangkou exists to catch the early shuttle.

Take the shuttle to Yungu Temple at seven and the cable car up to Bai’eling in fifteen minutes. Walk Shixin Peak first, where the pines are densest: Black Tiger, Interlocking, Harp, one after another. Continue to Bright Summit, 1,860 metres and the second highest point on the mountain, a round platform open on every side. Lunch at Tianhai. In the afternoon enter the West Sea Grand Canyon, where the plank road spirals down the cliff face; at the bottom take the funicular back up. Finish past Aoyu Peak and the Hundred Step Ladder to Yuping Tower and the Guest-Greeting Pine, then descend by cable car.

Attraction introduction: Shixin Peak is known for the concentration of its pines. Bright Summit is one of the main places to watch sunrise, sunset and cloud. The West Sea Grand Canyon, also called the Dream Scenic Area, drops about a kilometre and its plank road runs for several kilometres. The Guest-Greeting Pine beside Yuping Tower is more than eight hundred years old.

Tips: There are many steep steps and a walking pole helps; they cost ten yuan at the foot of the mountain. Guests generally find the canyon descent hard on the knees and knee supports worthwhile. In practice, this route covers about twenty thousand steps, so anyone with limited stamina can drop the canyon section.

Sleep in; your legs will ache and there is no need to push. Leave at ten for Hongcun, fifty minutes away. Enter at the South Lake, where the painted bridge crosses the water and the reflections of the white walls scatter with the wind. Follow the water lanes inland, running past every doorway, where someone is washing vegetables. Moon Pond sits at the centre, a semicircular pool ringed by halls and old houses, and in the late afternoon the light lies along the stepped gables. Do go into Chengzhi Hall, where the woodcarving is layered deep and the beams carry opera scenes.

Attraction introduction: Hongcun was founded in the Southern Song by the Wang family and is laid out as an ox, with the water lanes as intestines, Moon Pond as stomach and South Lake as belly. That system still functions. Chengzhi Hall, built in 1855, is the largest residence and is nicknamed the Forbidden City of the people.

Tips: The ticket is valid three days and entry is by ID. Guests generally find the commercial street inside the village twice the price of the lanes outside. In practice, staying inside lets you catch the next morning; outside means an earlier start.

Up at half past six for the South Lake. The mist has not lifted and the water is like a polished mirror, the bridge reflected whole. Villagers cross with carrying poles, and the day begins. Spend the morning in the lanes, look into the courtyards, and sit down with a cup of Maofeng tea. After lunch return to Tangkou, stopping at Tachuan on the way where the tallow trees are half red.

Attraction introduction: The South Lake was dug in the Wanli era of the Ming as part of the village water system, bow-shaped with a causeway and painted bridge along its middle. Tachuan, two kilometres northeast, is known for autumn tallow.

Tips: Dawn at the lake is seven or eight degrees colder than noon, so dress warmly. Guests generally find the lakeside full from half past seven as tour groups arrive. In practice, photograph before seven and be back at the guesthouse for breakfast at eight.

Pack in the morning and buy sesame cakes and Maofeng tea in Tangkou; the cakes must be fresh from the oven or they lose their crunch. Leave at ten for Huangshan North, forty minutes, and home to Luoyang.

Attraction introduction: Huangshan sesame cakes are filled with preserved mustard greens and pork fat and baked over charcoal. Maofeng is a green tea from the slopes around the scenic area, best picked before the Qingming festival.

Tips: Avoid buying tea at the scenic area gate; the older shops in Tangkou are better value. Guests generally find security queues longer at weekends. In practice, allow an hour at the station.