If you’ve ever visited Huangshan (Yellow Mountain / 黄山) through the South Gate — and spent an hour queuing for a cable car at 6 a.m. — you already know why the East Gate matters.
Huangshan East Gate (黄山东大门, Huangshan East Entrance) is now open. On **June 11, 2026**, Huangshan became a “four-gate mountain” (四门迎客) for the first time in its tourism history: South, North, West, and now East — all four gates welcoming visitors. The East Gate is not just a new ticket office. It comes with a brand-new scenic area (Donghai / East Sea Scenic Area, 东海景区), a 6.6-kilometer cable car, a 1.4-kilometer cliff walkway called the Xuanyuan Cloud Path (轩辕云道), a large tourist center, and a bus network connecting it to the high-speed rail system.
Opening Date & Operating Hours
**The East Gate and Donghai Ropeway opened at 9:00 AM on June 11, 2026.**
Here are the operating hours — note the seasonal and weekday/weekend split:
| Period | Dates | Operating Hours |
| Peak season (Mon–Fri) | Jun 11 – Nov 30 | 7:00 – 17:10 |
| Peak season (weekends & holidays) | Jun 11 – Nov 30 | 6:30 – 17:40 |
| Off season (all days) | Dec 1 – Dec 31 | 8:00 – 16:40 |
 | Shanghai to Huangshan, Hangzhou to Huangshan, Suzhou to Huangshan, Nanjing to Huangshan, Hefei to Huangshan, Beijing to Huangshan, Xi'an to Huangshan |
 | 7 Hotels on peak of Huangshan Mountain, Hotels in Tangkou Town, 130 hotels in Tunxi, Huangshan City (near Old Street). |
 | Huangshan Scenic Area (entrance tickets, cableway & rope tickets) |
 | Flights to or from Huangshan Tunxi Airport |
Ticket Prices
| Item | Peak Season | Off Season |
| Donghai Ropeway (one way) | 125 RMB | 100 RMB |
| Scenic Area Entry (approx.) | ~190 RMB | ~150 RMB |
| East Gate Custom Bus (Huangshan North → East Gate) | 35 RMB | 35 RMB |
East Gate Tourist Center (黄山东大门游客中心)
The East Gate Tourist Center is the operational hub of the new entrance:
- Location: Baiting, Zhongdun Village, Tanjiaqiao Town, Huangshan District (黄山区谭家桥镇中墩村白亭)
- Total area: ~200 mu (about 13 hectares / 32 acres)
- Services: Ticketing, security screening, visitor information, luggage storage, guided tour booking, accessibility services, restrooms, commercial/dining area
- Self-drive bonus: Unlike the South Gate, you can drive directly to the tourist center and park — no mandatory shuttle bus transfer required.
The tourist center is directly connected to the Donghai Ropeway lower station by a covered walkway bridge — about a 5-minute walk from the parking lot or bus drop-off to the cable car.
Donghai Ropeway — The East Gate Cable Car (东海索道)
The Donghai Ropeway is the centerpiece of the East Gate project. Officially named the “Lower Section of the Yungu Ropeway” (云谷索道下半段), it is the **longest mountain ropeway in Asia** — and the most expensive and technically challenging ropeway ever built in Huangshan’s history.
| Spec | Detail |
| Total length | 6,638 meters (4.12 miles) — longest mountain ropeway in Asia |
| Max elevation difference | 1,197 meters |
| Ride time | ~33 minutes one way |
| Cabin capacity | 10 passengers per cabin (vs. 8 on the older ropeways) |
| Departure interval | ~18 seconds |
| One-way capacity | ~2,100 passengers per hour |
| Stations | Lower station (Tanjiaqiao), mid-angle station (no boarding/alighting), upper station (Donghai Scenic Area) |
| Total investment | ~760 million RMB (approximately USD 105 million) |
| Notable | Increases Huangshan’s total ropeway capacity by ~42%; nicknamed “the ropeway built on cliffs” (建在陡崖上的索道) |
**What this means in practice**: On a peak day, the South Gate ropeways handle about 25,000 visitors. With the Donghai Ropeway adding 2,100 people per hour per direction, the mountain can now move significantly more visitors — and crucially, spread them across four gates. That 2-hour South Gate queue during Golden Week? The East Gate is designed to make that a thing of the past.
Xuanyuan Cloud Path — The East Gate’s Signature Walk (轩辕云道)
Once you step off the Donghai Ropeway at the upper station, you enter the **Xuanyuan Cloud Path (轩辕云道)** — a 1.4-kilometer cliffside walkway carved into sheer rock faces. Named after the legendary Yellow Emperor (轩辕黄帝), who is said to have practiced alchemy in this very area, it is the East Gate’s defining scenic experience.
The path connects **1 mountain peak, 4 scenic nodes, and 10 named attractions**:
[/su_list]Why East Gate? South Gate vs. East Gate
If you’ve been to Huangshan before (or read enough travel forums), you’ll know the South Gate pain points. Here’s an updated comparison:
| South Gate (汤口) | East Gate (谭家桥, NOW OPEN) | |
| Status | Operating for decades | Opened June 11, 2026 |
| Visitor share | 70–80% of all visitors | Brand new, low crowds expected initially |
| Peak season queue | 1–3 hours for cable car | Designed to minimize queuing; 2,100 pax/hr capacity |
| Cable car type | 8-person cabins (Yungu/Yuping) | 10-person cabins, 18-second interval, Asia’s longest |
| Ride time | ~8–15 minutes | ~33 minutes — a scenic journey in itself |
| Scenery type | Classic landmarks (Greeting Pine, Lotus Peak, Bright Summit) | New cliff walkway (轩辕云道), 10+ new named spots, east-side sunrise views |
| Nearest HSR station | Huangshan North (黄山北站), ~50 min by bus | Huangshan North (黄山北站), ~1 hour by East Gate custom bus (35 RMB) |
| Self-drive | Must park at shuttle transfer point; mandatory bus transfer | Drive directly to tourist center; no shuttle bus required |
| Accommodation style | Budget/mid-range guesthouses, competitive | Resort-style: Club Med, Banyan Tree, Aranya planned; guesthouses available now |
| Best for | First-timers wanting the classic route | Return visitors, families, crowd-avoiders, self-drive travelers, luxury travelers |
The East Gate isn’t replacing the South Gate. It’s an alternative for a different kind of trip. If it’s your first visit to Huangshan and you absolutely must see the Greeting Pine, use the South Gate — or do Route B above (East in, South out) to get both. If you want a quieter, more comfortable experience — or you’ve done the classic route before — the East Gate is built for you.
How to Get to the East Gate
By High-Speed Rail + Bus
This is the most practical route for foreign tourists arriving from major cities.
- From Shanghai: ~2–2.5 hours by high-speed train to Huangshan North (黄山北站), then take the East Gate custom bus (35 RMB, ~1 hour) or a taxi to Tanjiaqiao (谭家桥)
- From Hangzhou: ~1.5 hours to Huangshan North, then bus or taxi to East Gate
- From Beijing: ~5.5–6.5 hours to Huangshan North Station (黄山北站), then the East Gate custom bus
- From Nanjing: ~2.5 hours to Huangshan North, then the 35 RMB custom bus to the East Gate
East Gate Custom Bus Service
Since January 1, 2026, the Huangshan Tourism Passenger Transport Center has been running dedicated buses:
- Route: Huangshan North Station (黄山旅游客运中心) → South Gate (optional stop) → East Gate Tourist Center
- Fare: 35 RMB one way (adult full fare)
- Where to buy: Ticket windows at Huangshan North, self-service machines, or online via the Huangshan Tourism Official Platform, Ctrip (Trip.com) etc.
Where to Stay Near East Gate
The accommodation game here is different from the South Gate. Tanjiaqiao is being developed as a resort destination, not a backpacker base:
High-End (Opening 2026–2027)
- Club Med Huangshan (地中海俱乐部): Fosun Tourism’s first Club Med resort in East China, family-oriented all-inclusive
- Banyan Tree Huangshan (悦榕庄): Hot-spring villas set within tea plantations
- Aranya Huangshan (阿那亚): The art/design community brand’s Huangshan project, with views toward the Nine Dragon Waterfall
Budget/Mid-Range (Available Now)
Tanjiaqiao already has a solid network of local guesthouses (民宿):
Related Articles
- Huangshan North Railway Station Guide — How to reach Huangshan by train
- Shanghai to Huangshan by Train — Full schedule and ticket guide
- Hangzhou to Huangshan by Train — Routes, times, and prices
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