Mountain pressure

A tourist being carried up mountain.[Photo by Yang Feiyue/China Daily]

"This prevents wastewater polluting the environment, and avoids the overuse of mountain water, which might undermine the ecology," Ge explains.

There are 250 people like Fu working for eight hotels in the mountains, which can accommodate up to 3,000 guests.

A sanitation team is in place to deal with littering. In some cases, workers use ropes to pick up trash left by tourists in steep ravines and cliffs, Ge says.

Particular efforts have also been made to protect trees and animals. Special personnel have been assigned to take turns to watch the Guest-Greeting Pine around the clock.

There are more than 100 ancient trees in the mountains, all over 100 years old.

"We've kept track of their growth and the soil conditions to ensure their healthy development," says Hu Xinting, a Huangshan ecology official.

The forest coverage rate has increased to more than 98 percent, as opposed to 56 percent in the 1970s. The number of plant varieties has also risen by 300 to 2,100.

A stump-tailed monkey research facility has also been built to preserve the protected wild animal.

Dozens of wastewater treatment facilities have been built to deal with refuse from hotels.

In the future, a new tourist lane will be added to the cableway and its capacity will be increased to meet the rising visitor numbers.

A new scenic spot, Donghai, featuring a waterfall and rivers in the east of the mountain is being planned, and is expected to open to the public within three years.

More tourists also now visit in winter, which was traditionally a travel offseason, to avoid crowds and take in the winter scenery.

"The white snow covering the distinctive pine trees looks magnificent," Ge says.