Sunset and sunrise atop China's peaks

updated 3:48 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2006

HUANGSHAN, China - Taishan in Shandong province is considered one of the most sacred mountains in China.

Huangshan in Anhui, with its distinctive pines and rolling clouds that seem to move like waterfalls over the mountains, has some of the most beautiful scenery.

Thousands of people climb the steps of their peaks every year. By plane, train and bus, my family managed to see both within a week in October, when the temperatures were mild and the weather cooperated, at least for some great views from Huangshan.

Huangshan, often translated into English as Yellow Mountain, actually is named for a former emperor. My parents, my sister and I planned to explore Huangshan with a tour guide and my dad's friends. We'd spend an afternoon heading up part of Huangshan, spend a night on the mountain and walk up the steps to Lotus Peak the next morning. From there, my family would split from the group and take a train to Shandong, where Dad wanted to take part in the ritual of staying overnight on Tai Shan and waking up in time to see the sun rise.

After flying into the town of Tunxi, we dumped our bags at a hotel and took only what we needed for one night on Huangshan. A bus was dropping us off at the mountain, but after a cable car took us part of the way up, we would still have to climb hundreds of steps with our belongings on our backs. (Even food and supplies for the lodge on the mountain go up on the backs of porters.)

If You Go TAISHAN AND HUANGSHAN MOUNTAINS: Located in eastern China. To reach Huangshan, fly to the Tunxi airport, about a one-hour flight from Shanghai. From Tunxi to Shandong, where Taishan is located, is about 14 hours by train. Both destinations offer visitor lodges. Booking through a travel agent who can hook you up with a Chinese tour guide can make your trip go more smoothly. Try Jade Travel, New York, 212-349-1350, or China Travel Service Hong Kong Limited, http://www.ctshk.com/english/index.htm.

On the steps, workers offered to carry visitors' backpacks for around $1 all the way up. For about $100, they'll carry YOU.

We got to the lodge in the late afternoon and arrived at the Welcoming Pine overlooking a steep staircase to one of the peaks, roughly a mile high. We got there in time to see a stunning sunset.

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On one overlook, hundreds of visitors have bought "longevity locks," which looked like small, gold-colored padlocks, to hang from railings that keep people from toppling over the edge. Oftentimes lovers etch their names on the locks, lock them onto the railing and throw the keys over the edge.

The lodge was comfortable and even offered Internet service and televisions. But to use less energy, hot water was available for only two hours in the evening and for an hour in the morning. The nights are chilly, so the lodge provided extra blankets and coats.

The next day was our hike up Lotus Peak, with hundreds of other tourists on narrow mountain staircases.

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