The mountain, considered the epitome of classic Chinese landscape scenery, draws visitors from around the world.

"We've seen a significant increase in the number of tourists from cities along the rail line, especially from Beijing, Fujian and Tianjin," Ge says.

Outbound tourists from countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative are also increasing, especially those from Europe. Visitor numbers from the United States are also rising.

Given the increase in the number of visitors, tourism officials in Huangshan have taken additional measures to ensure the integrity of the local environment.

Fu Qiugui is carrying a big bundle of washed quilts on his back and tourists are moving aside to let him through.

"Clean bedclothes and food are needed at the mountain top," the 50-year-old says.

The bundle he carries weighs 75 kilograms, and would take him five hours on foot, or one hour by cableway, to transport depending on the day.

He normally carries dirty quilts on his way back down the mountain.

Usually, he earns about 200 yuan a day for his work.

Fu lives in a rural area near the scenic spot and has been working as a porter at Huangshan for 24 years.

The biggest challenge for him is the steep road and fickle weather conditions on the mountain.

"It's difficult to walk when it rains or snows," Fu says

But the plus side of his work are the flexible hours.

He usually works for 200 days a year, and returns home to plant or harvest tea during the farming seasons.

"And the income is OK," he says.

Fu's work is part of a larger effort to protect the environment of the scenic spot.

All the bed sheets and quilts have to be carried downhill and washed, before being sent up again. Fresh food is also washed before being delivered to the mountain.

"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.

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