The morning light of Mount Huangshan had just spread over the Bright Summit when many overseas tourists had gathered in front of the Welcoming Guest Pine. A German photographer set up his camera on a stone platform, with a small silver-gray device hanging over his ear to adjust the Angle. An elderly Japanese lady held onto the railing and gently turned the volume keys of the ear-hook device. The French scholar Pierre lowered his head and looked at the device screen, waiting for it to automatically light up and give explanations and prompts. After visiting the Five Great Mountains, no other mountains are worth seeing; after visiting Mount Huangshan, no other mountains are worth seeing. This thousand-year-old praise reveals the unique status of Mount Huangshan among China’s famous mountains. Today, this World Heritage site, renowned for its “Four Wonders” of unique pines, strange rocks, sea of clouds and hot springs, is embarking on a new chapter of smart tourism. The commissioning of the Yingmi Tour Guide System i7 has brought a brand-new charm to the tour experience of this “No. 1 Wonder Mountain in the World”.
I. The “Tour Guide Dilemma” of Mount Huangshan: The Stories of the Five Wonders Are Hard to “Reach the Ears”
Lao Zhou from the tour guide department of Huangshan Scenic Area has been leading foreign-related Tours for 12 years. When talking about the past difficulties in guiding Tours, he couldn’t help but touch his ears: “Once, when leading a Japanese group to climb Tiandu Peak, the traditional tour guide devices worn by the guests were heavy and heavy. Halfway up the climb, some people took them off and put them in their pockets. In the end, they didn’t even hear the information that ‘Tiandu Peak is the most dangerous main peak’.” These predicaments are no accident. Each one closely aligns with the unique features of the Huangshan Scenic area, making the charm of the “strange pines and peculiar rocks” less appealing to the ears and heart.
1. Multilingual gap: The stories of the Five Masterpieces cannot be fully conveyed
Among the overseas tourists visiting Mount Huangshan, there are French scholars who want to know the secret of the unique pine trees taking root, German tourists who are obsessed with the legends of strange rocks, and Japanese visitors who are curious about the minerals in the hot springs. Previously, the scenic area only provided explanations in both Chinese and English, and only covered 10% of the core attractions such as the Welcoming Pine and the Bright Summit. Even the “Three Waterfalls and Sixteen Springs” mentioned in the introduction were not included in the scope of explanations in the minor languages. The needs were all met by “translation software + gestures” in an emergency.
Last autumn, Pierre came especially to study the Huangshan pine, wanting to know “how the welcoming Guest pine can survive for 800 years in the rock”. He found three staff members, none of whom could speak French. Finally, Pierre flipped through “pine tree roots” on his mobile phone. He stared at “rock” on the screen, still not understanding the principle that “the root system secretes acidic substances to decompose rocks”, let alone its status as the “first of the Four Wonders”. Later, he drew a pine tree in the guestbook and wrote “want to know its secret” beside it. Looking at that picture, I felt particularly embarrassed – the introduction said “No pine is strange”, but we didn’t even explain its “strangeness” thoroughly. Lao Zhou said.
2. Environmental interference: Natural sounds drown out the explanations
The natural soundscapes of Mount Huangshan are supposed to be charming – the wind sound as the sea of clouds sweeps over the peaks, the water sound as the Jiulong Waterfall crashes against the rocks, and the rustling of pine trees in the forest. However, when it comes to guided Tours, they become “stumbling blocks”. The time that Lao Zhou remembers most clearly was when he led a German photography group to wait for the sunrise at the Bright Summit. Just as he began to say, “The Bright Summit is the center of the three main peaks, with an altitude of 1,860 meters,” a strong wind blew, and the explanation was immediately blown away. A photographer held up his camera and asked, “how high!” Lao Zhou could only shout at the top of his voice. He shouted until his voice was hoarse, but still couldn’t make everyone hear clearly.
What’s more troublesome is the Jiulong Waterfall Scenic Area. The waterfall has a drop of over 300 meters and the sound of water is deafening. The sound of traditional audio guides simply “can’t get out”. Once, when it was said that “The nine Dragons Waterfall is divided into nine sections, corresponding to the legend of the Nine Dragons”, as soon as the tourists in the front row understood, those in the back row could only guess “Nine…” “waterfall” didn’t even convey the basic information of “one of the three waterfalls” accurately in the end.” Lao Zhou said that this made the description of “every scene is extraordinary” in the introduction a misconception for overseas tourists.
3. Bulky equipment: The mountain climbing experience is discounted
Huangshan Mountain takes “mountain climbing” as its core feature (the introduction clearly states that “mountain climbing” is a characteristic of the scenic area). Traditional tour guides are mostly handheld or neck-hanging, weighing over 100 grams. When climbing the steep stone steps of Tiandu Peak, one either shakes around and bumps into the body or feels neck pain from the pressure. There was an elderly Japanese lady who wore traditional equipment and climbed for half an hour before taking it off, saying, “My ears hurt from the pressure and my neck is sore.” In the end, she could only follow others and listen to fragmented explanations. Lao Zhou said that this completely goes against the “summer retreat and leisure” experience attributes of Mount Huangshan.
4. High-altitude “strike” : The low temperature and humidity cannot withstand it
The main peak of Mount Huangshan has an altitude of over 1,800 meters. The temperature in winter drops as low as -10℃, and it is foggy and humid in spring (the introduction mentions that “the scenery varies with the four seasons”). The previous tour guide equipment either had its battery life shortened in low temperatures (from 8 hours to 4 hours) or was short-circuited by the fog. Once in winter, when leading a tour group of 15 people, 8 devices ran out of power and could only be shared by tourists in pairs. The experience was extremely poor. Xiao Zhang, who is in charge of equipment management, added.
Ii. Yingmi i7: Customized “Ear-Hanging Sensor Tour Guide” for Huangshan
After learning about these predicaments, Yingmi did not use the “universal” device to make up the number. The team followed Lao Zhou every day to visit the “Five Wonders, Three Waterfalls, and Sixteen Springs” listed in the introduction. They even waited in the early morning at -8℃ on the Bright Summit to test the battery life. Eventually, the i7 ear-hanging automatic sensing navigation system was launched, and every design was in line with the “mountain and water character” of Mount Huang:
1. Ear-hook lightweight design: No burden for mountain climbing
The entire i7 device weighs only 35 grams, which is even lighter than half a credit card. The ear hooks are made of medical-grade silicone material, fitting the earlobes tightly without pressing on them. Tourists can wear it to climb the steep stone steps of Tiandu Peak or wait for the sunrise on Guangming Summit for a whole day without feeling tired. There was an elderly Japanese lady who wore an i7 and climbed Tiandu Peak for three hours. When she came down, she told me, “It’s as if I’m not wearing anything. My ears don’t hurt at all.” Xiao Zhang said that the ear hooks have also been treated to be anti-slip. Even if your palms sweat or your hair is blown by the wind, the device won’t slip off and is fully suitable for the core scene of “mountain climbing” on Mount Huangshan.
What’s more considerate is that the ear hooks of the i7 can be adjusted in Angle. Whether it’s a German photographer wearing glasses or a French student with a ponytail, they can all find a comfortable way to wear them. Pierre said the first time he wore them, “They are much more comfortable than the headphones I used in the museum before. They don’t get stuck on the temples of my glasses.” Lao Zhou said with a smile.
2. Centimeter-level automatic sensing: “Automatically opens” when approaching scenic spots
Beside each core scenic spot of Mount Huangshan (such as the Welcoming Guest Pine, the Three Waterfalls, the Three Main Peaks, etc.), invisible radio frequency tags are pasted. When tourists wear the device and walk within 1 meter, without pressing any buttons, the device will automatically trigger the explanation, and precisely correspond to the “Five Wonders” features in the introduction:
Walk up to the welcoming pine, Hint softly first, “Vous ecoutez maintenant la presentation du Pin d’Accueil” “l’un des ‘quatre merveilles de Huangshan” (You are now listening to the explanation of the Welcoming Pine, one of the “Four Wonders of Huangshan”), and then talk about the details of “800 years of tree age, root decomposition and rock rooting”;
When walking to the hot spring area, it will explain “Cette source the male contient du calcium et du magnesium, benefique pour le corps” (this hot spring contains calcium and magnesium, which is beneficial to the body). Echoing the feature of “hot spring” in the introduction.
What surprised Lao Zhou the most during the test was the “no cross-viewing” feature – even when walking between the welcoming pine and the adjacent companion pine, the i7 would not trigger randomly. It would only open its mouth when the tourists had stood at the target scenic spot, thus avoiding disturbing the pace of the tour. There was a German photographer who was taking pictures of the morning light in front of the welcoming pine. As soon as the i7 rang, he pressed the shutter. The pine tree in the photo and the content of the explanation matched perfectly. He said, “This is much more convenient than manually selecting the explanation.”
3. Wind resistance and noise reduction + low-temperature moisture-proof: “Hear Clearly” in Harsh environments
In response to the strong winds, water noise and humidity of Mount Huangshan, the i7 has undergone three layers of special optimizations:
It is equipped with a custom anti-wind and noise reduction chip that can filter out noise at wind speeds of up to level 5. During the test on the Bright Summit, the wind made the clothes rustle, but the sound of the “cloud sea formation principle” in the i7 was still clear, and even details such as the “nighttime dew point temperature” were not missed.
The shell is made of IP55 waterproof and moisture-proof material, so there’s no need to worry about the fog in the hot spring area or the light rain in spring. Once during a test, it was caught in a shower and the i7 was soaked for 20 minutes. After drying it, it still worked fine.
It adopts low-temperature resistant lithium polymer battery cells, providing a battery life of up to 12 hours in an environment of -10℃. From climbing Tiandu Peak at 7 a.m. to watching the sunset at Guangming Summit at 5 p.m., the battery is more than sufficient, eliminating the need to “look for charging halfway” as before.
Once in winter, when leading a tour group, a 15-person team wore i7s to climb Tiandu Peak. Throughout the journey, not a single device ran out of power. After coming down, the tourists all said, “In such cold weather, the equipment is still so durable.” ” Xiao Zhang said.
4. 8 Languages + In-depth Content: “Tell the Five-Character Quatrains Thoroughly”
i7 supports 8 languages including Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Arabic, precisely covering the needs of 92% of overseas tourists visiting Huangshan. The content of the explanations is jointly reviewed by Yingmi and Huangshan cultural scholars, referring to the “Five Wonders and Three Waterfalls” in the “Huangshan Annals” and the introduction sentence by sentence.
When introducing Xu Xiake’s evaluation, The Ming traveler Xu Xiake praised Huangshan as ‘the best mountain under heaven’ -its unique scenery truly lives “up to this reputation” (Xu Xiake, a traveler of the Ming Dynasty, praised Mount Huangshan as “there is no mountain in the world”, and its unique scenery lives up to its name);
After following i7 to listen to the explanation of the welcoming pine, Pierre squatted down to observe the gaps between the roots and the rocks: “Before, I could only watch for fun. Now, I even understand ‘It’s the first of the Four Wonders’ and’ how its root system breaks down rocks’. It’s much more interesting than reading a travel guide!” “
Iii. Visible Experience Upgrade: The Stories of the Five Masterpieces “Reach the Ears and Hearts”
The i7 has been in use in Huangshan for six months. The changes are not self-praise but genuine feedback from the scenic area and tourists. Each point closely aligns with the value of the scenic area as described in the introduction:
1.The stay time of overseas tourists has been extended by 50%
Previously, overseas tourists spent an average of four hours at Mount Huangshan. Now, they can spend six hours there – because i7 can tell the story of the “Three Waterfalls and 16 Springs” thoroughly, and tourists no longer just have a cursory look. Lao Zhou was flipping through the travel record and said, “There was a German photography group. They listened to the legend at Jiulong Waterfall for 20 minutes and even asked voluntarily, ‘Can we go and have a look at Bai Zhang Spring?’ Before, no one had ever mentioned these non-core scenic spots.”
2. Cultural transmission is more effective, and the value of scenic spots is further enhanced
What surprised the Huangshan Scenic Area the most was that a French travel company, after experiencing the i7, specially launched a “Deep Tour of Huangshan Culture”, taking the guided tour experience of the i7 as the core highlight. A mountaineering club from South Korea also came to inquire, hoping to introduce the explanation content of i7 to allow members to get familiar with the five wonders of Mount Huangshan in advance. In the past, overseas tourists only remembered “the beauty of Mount Huangshan”, but now they can say “How wonderful the Qisong trees are” and “How did the sea of clouds come about?” This is the cultural transmission effect that a World Dual Heritage Site should have. Director Li from the cultural department of the scenic area said.
Iv. Yingmi’s “Globalization Assurance” : Allowing Overseas Users to “Use with Confidence”
Many overseas tourists ask Lao Zhou, “Why is this ear-hook device more user-friendly than those in our country?” The answer lies in Yingmi’s 15 years of industry accumulation:
1.Localized after-sales service + multilingual support
Yingmi has set up an after-sales service point at the foot of Mount Huangshan. It is only a 10-minute drive from the entrance of the scenic area. If there is any problem with the equipment, they can provide on-site service within one hour. It also offers 7× 24-hour technical support in both Chinese and English. Once, Pierre sent an email at 1 a.m., saying, “I won’t switch to French mode.” The customer service replied with an operation video within half an hour, along with button instructions marked in French.
2. Backed by international cases, quality is guaranteed
Yingmi has previously provided guided tour services for the British Museum and the global Adidas exhibition, and is particularly familiar with the usage habits of overseas users. “The Huangshan Scenic Area chose us because we had served international venues like the British Museum and knew how to meet the needs of overseas tourists.” ” Manager Zhang said.
Conclusion: Let the stories of the Five Masterpieces “Ears Accompany the Strange Mountains”
At dusk on Mount Huangshan, the setting sun dyed Tiandu Peak a golden red. Pierre, wearing an i7, was listening to an explanation on Shixin Peak. The French voice from the device gently wafted out. While listening, he sketched the outline of the i7 on his notebook.
What Yingmi i7 does in Huangshan is not merely “transmitting sounds”, but also enabling every overseas tourist to hear the heartbeat of Huangshan through the lightweight ear hook – to hear the 800-year history of the Welcoming Guest Pine, to hear the legend of the Nine Dragons Waterfall, and to hear the admiration of Xu Xiake that “there is no mountain in the world”. In the future, Yingmi will continue to optimize the i7, such as adding AR sensing functions, allowing visitors to “see” the footprints of mountaineers in the Qing Dynasty. No matter how rich the content of minor languages is, Russian and Portuguese language tourists can also listen to stories smoothly.
After all, the five wonders of Mount Huangshan should not only be the beauty that can be seen, but also the stories that can be heard. What the Yingmi i7 aims to do is to enable every person who steps into the “Five-hundred-Mile Huangshan Mountain” to truly understand the wonder and uniqueness of the “No. 1 Strange Mountain in the world” through the gentle sound of the earring. If you have any problems in this regard, Yingmi can help you solve them.