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Mount Huangshan in Central China’s Anhui province is considered one of China’s top attractions – at least when the weather is good. I visited here with my good friend Andy and luckily for us the weather could not have been much better. On our first day and late in that day we had a taste of how quickly the weather can change with an impenetrable mist appearing within minutes. Our second and only full day was glorious though with stunning blue skies and views to match.

People flock to Huangshan to view the sunrise which is well worth getting up for – something I hope these photos show. The first days sunrise (above) was dramatic due to high winds and many trees being coated in ice from the previous afternoon’s mist. The second morning it was much warmer and the air was still, the valleys layered with mist as in the photo below.

Getting around the park on foot is easy with frequent maps to orientate yourself. The most spectacular area was around the North West Canyon. Along some of these trails a good head for heights is advised. From our experience, late autumn / early winter seems to be a very good time to visit this mountain although spring and the Azalea blooms would also be breathtaking.

Hangzhou has long been famous as a centre for the arts, its wealth built on the silk industry. The chief draw is the West Lake, Xi Hu, which most Chinese regard as the world’s most beautiful lake. The lake is surrounded by gardens and paths, temples and tombs making a day or two here well worth the two hour trip by express train from Shanghai.

Autumn was always my favourite time of year when I lived in Beijing. It had the best weather, was a time when friends and family came to visit and with the National Holidays coming up the mood always seemed good. However, autumn is good all across China. Here is a useful list of places where you can capture the autumnal feel, especially on camera.

Below is one of my shots from a few years back of a Gingko tree in one of Beijing’s parks showing off its full autumn colours. These trees are popular all over Beijing with many streets lined with them.