14 Days in Huanggang

Su Shi lived here in exile from 1080 to 1084 and wrote both Red Cliff rhapsodies by the river; the park costs about 40 yuan and the cliff pavilions deserve a slow first afternoon.

1. huanggang dongpo chibi

The lake park named from Su Shi's essay loops about 5 km by bike; the city museum puts the region's Han-to-Qing record in context before the mountain days.

1. huanggang yiai lake
2. huanggang city museum

About 120 km and 2.5 hours from Huangzhou; the Luotian-side summit reads 1,729.13 meters. Cable car up, ridge boardwalks, night in Jiuzihe.

1. huanggang tiantangzhai

Terraced fields and chestnut groves around the Tiantangzhai gate town; a market-morning, a river-bank walk, and an early night — mountain days cost energy.

1. huanggang jiuzihe town

The knife-edge ridge nears 1,408 meters about an hour from Jiuzihe; go early before the midday crowds, and descend toward Yingshan for the night.

1. huanggang bodaofeng

Forest valleys some 40 km from the Yingshan county seat; stream paths and a picnic, then the county-town hot springs in the evening.

1. huanggang taohuachong

A slow day among the county's tea hills; Yingshan cloud-mist tea is the local staple, and spring picking season turns the slopes busy. Laundry, naps, an early dinner.

1. huanggang yingshan tea country

In Macheng, around 100,000 mu of old azalea scrub cover the tortoise-backed mountain; the main summit stands at 1,320 meters. Mid-April to early May is the bloom.

1. huanggang guifeng mountain

The park records the November 13, 1927 Huangma Uprising and the Hubei-Henan-Anhui base area — a factual visit of about two hours, photo ID required in the halls.

1. huanggang hongan huangma memorial

An honest side trip out of the prefecture — Wuhan lies some 80 km west, about 1.5 hours by road; the river tower and the provincial museum fill a city day.

1. wuhan

In Qichun's river town of Qizhou, the memorial honors Li Shizhen (1518-1593), who spent 27 years compiling the Bencao Gangmu; walk the old wharf lanes after.

1. huanggang lishizhen memorial

The Tang-dynasty mountain monastery in Huangmei county, founded in the Xianheng era around 672, is the fifth patriarch Hongren's seat — a quiet, factual temple visit. Overnight in Huangmei town.

1. huanggang wuzu temple

A side day honestly labeled — Jiujiang sits across the river in Jiangxi, under an hour by road from Huangmei; the river-front pavilions and the bund walk make an easy day.

1. jiujiang

A market breakfast in the county town, one last look at the river plain, then the HSR from Huangmei East on the line opened in 2022.

1. huanggang huangmei town