Some say that the name Huangshan ( 黄山) only became more widely known after the famous Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai (李白) wrote a poem about it. From the Qin Dynasty until then it was known as Yishan (黟山) because most of its rocks look black-green, as the Chinese character "黟" etymologically means "lots of black".
送溫處士歸黃山白鵝峰舊居 李白 (公元 754)
黃山四千仞，三十二蓮峰。
丹崖夾石柱，菡萏金芙蓉。
伊昔升絕頂，下窺天目松。
仙人煉玉處，羽化留馀踪。
亦聞溫伯雪，獨往今相逢。
採秀辭五嶽，攀岩歷萬重。
歸休白鵝嶺，渴飲丹砂井。
鳳吹我時來，雲車爾當整。
去去陵陽東，行行芳桂叢。
回溪十六度，碧嶂盡晴空。
他日還相訪，乘橋躡彩虹。
To Hermit Wan upon his return to his former residence at White Swan Peak, Huangshan by Li Bai (754 CE) at age 54.
Four thousand arms' length of Huangshan, one bouquet of thirty two lotus peaks
Red ridges between stone columns, golden lotus buds and flowers
I climbed the highest peak and spotted the Pine of Heaven's Eyes below
Where the fairies fashioned their potions, stay signs whence they rose to heaven.
Heard of Hermit Yun Snow, perhaps you'll meet him alone.
To pick essences, you leave the Five Mountains, and climb ten thousand rocks
Retiring to White Swan Peak, drinking from the Well of Red Sands.
When you beckon me with phoenix calls, ready your chariot of clouds
To visit the Mount of the Sun in the east and stroll between fragrant cassia
Repairing to the stream sixteen times, green mountain screens reaching limitless sunny skies
I'll return one day and wade the rainbow upon the bridge
(Tr. El Zorro)
Knowing how variable the weather can be up there but tempted irresistibly by the hope of seeing some snow there, I took the chance to spend a few days there just before the Chinese New Year holidays. My heart sank as the environmentally-friendly coach which took us there from the base of the Huangshan National Park up to the cable car station met with layers and layers of thick dense fog such that we could barely see anything more than 10 feet from our coach window and the sky was completely overcast with grey clouds and the higher the rose the coach, the lower sank my hopes.
I couldn't believe my eyes after my cable car arrived at the station at the "rear mountain" as those going up from the "front mountain" were closed for repairs. The fog was beginning to clear!
