Huang Shan

Huang Shan is stunning. It's the China of my imagination - sheer rocky peaks rising up from bamboo-clad foothills and forested upper slopes. Of course, it's been touristified and concrete pathways and flights of steps lead you from peak to viewpoint to peak. And ugly hotels perch on pretty summits and tour groups clog the paths. But find the right spot, block out the distractions and this place is amazing.

The views were atmospherically misty, clouds brushed the higher peaks and threatened rain (which thankfully never came). The signposting was somewhat inadequate, so with my trusty companions Alex and Gursh, I spent a pleasant day wandering the ups and downs of the mountainside, making guesses at each junction based on our pretty good instinct for what felt right. We didn't have time - or the psychic navigational skill - to find some of the more enticing features such as a natural rock bridge, the "Gleam of Sky" chasm and so on, but it was still a good day out. I'd love to go back when it's quieter and spend a couple of days hiking, spend a night at an ugly but perfectly situated hotel and stand above the cloud-filled valleys as the sun comes up.

Back in the town, I pottered around the pretty Old Street on my seized-up calves. This street is hung with red lanterns, brimming with tasteful tourist shops and flanked by lovely old shop-houses. Six of us shared an enormous but well-earned meal at a point-and-wait restaurant - you choose dishes displayed as sets of raw ingredients or, in the case of dumplings and various carbs ready cooked samples, and write down their number on your order pad. Handing this in to a member of staff you return to your table and soon dish after dish appears. After dinner we wandered some more, and I particularly enjoyed the calligraphy shops with their inks and brushes and pads of thick purple paper on which I was encouraged to practise my brushstrokes by a man who was delighted to help with my attempts at Chinese characters even though I had no intention of buying a thing.