YunTaiShan mountain

I went out from the hotel and bought my ticket, a little pricey 180rmb, but because it was winter, half price! and since it is a two day ticket and includes all bus travel from the hotel to the mountain and to all the different spots in the mountain, that wasnt half bad, especially by Chinese standards.

I first went to the most popular attraction at YunTaiShan, a valley with a river running through it over a series of waterfalls and then out into a valley. you drop down into the valley and then walk along a path cut into the side of what used to be the cliff wall up through this valley as the waterfalls get bigger and bigger. 
It was a beautiful place, possibly the most beautiful place in China so far. It was cold but with the snow and ice hanging on in patches and the clear water, it was amazing. The half frozen waterfall at the end and then climbing up past little grottoes and temples was really special. Usually this valley is packed with tourists and in all the promotional pictures it was very busy with hundreds of tourists but as it was just before the spring festival it was completely empty and so even more spectacular than usual. I just wish it was summer and you could swim in the isolated pools...

They had a permanent staff of cleaners walking around with nets on poles cleaning everything and every pool had a small boat tethered in it incase someone fell in, unfortunately this made photography without getting these in the pictures a bit more challenging, but I think I got some good results! 

After walking out of the valley you walk past a huge dam that made this valley and generates power, and around a huge reservoir and back to the bus stop. The last bus was at 6pm and I just made it, I got back to the hotel and ate something in the hotel, they were happy to have someone eating there apart from the staff! and then relaxed in the hotel as there wasn't much else around!