Mount Huang

Mount Huang
Panoramic view of the Mount Huang landscape
Elevation	1,864 m (6,115 ft)
Prominence	1,864 m (6,115 ft)  Highest point Lotus Peak or Lian Hua Feng
Location
Mount Huang Anhui,  China

Mount Huangshan*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	China
Type	Cultural & Natural
Criteria	ii, vii, x
Reference	547
Region**	Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription	1990  (14th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO.

Mount Huang, also known as Huangshan (Chinese: 黄山; pinyin: Huángshān; literally "Yellow Mountain"^[1]), is a mountain range^[1] in southern Anhui province in eastern China. The area is well known for its scenery, sunsets, peculiarly-shaped granite peaks, Huangshan Pine trees, and views of the clouds from above. Mount Huang is a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature, as well as modern photography. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of China's major tourist destinations.

Physical description

Physical features for which Mount Huang is known include sunrises,^[2] pine trees,^[3] "strangely jutting granite peaks",^[4] and views of clouds touching the mountainsides on more than 200 days out of the year.^[1][3][4][5]

The Huangshan mountain range comprises many peaks, some more than 1,000 meters (3,250 feet) high.^[6] The three tallest and best-known peaks are Lotus Peak (Lian Hua Feng, 1,864 m), Bright Summit Peak (Guang Ming Ding, 1,840 m), and Celestial Peak (Tian Du Feng, literally Capital of Heaven Peak, 1,829 m).^[1][4] The World Heritage Site covers a core area of 154 square kilometres and a buffer zone of 142 square kilometres.^[7] The mountains were formed in the Mesozoic, about 100 million years ago, when an ancient sea disappeared due to uplift.^[8] Later, in the Quaternary Period, the landscape was shaped by the influence of glaciers.^[8]

The well-known Ying Ke Pine, or Welcome Pine

The vegetation of the area varies with altitude: Below 1,100 meters, moist forest can be found; deciduous forest stretches from 1,100 meters up to the tree line at 1,800 meters; above that point, the vegetation consists of alpine grass-lands. The area has diverse flora, where one-third of China's bryophyte families and more than half of its fern families are represented. The Huangshan pine (Pinus hwangshanensis) is named after Mount Huang and is seen as an example of vigor because the tree does not take root in soil, but in rocks.^[8] Many of the area's pine trees are more than a hundred years old and have been given their own names (such as the Ying Ke Pine, or Welcoming-Guests Pine, which is thought to be over 1500 years old).^[4] The pines vary greatly in shape and size, with the most crooked of the trees being considered the most attractive.^[5] Furthermore, Mount Huang's moist climate facilitates the growing of tea leaves,^[9] and the mountain has been called "one of China's premier green tea-growing mountains.^[10] Mao feng cha ("Fur Peak Tea"), a well-known local variety of green tea,^[11] takes its name from the downy tips of tea leaves found in the Mount Huang area.^[12]

The mountaintops often offer views of the clouds from above, known as the Sea of Clouds (simplified Chinese: 云海; pinyin: yúnhǎi)^[9] or "Huangshan Sea"^[5] because of the clouds' resemblance to an ocean, and many vistas are known by names such as "North Sea" or "South Sea."^[5] One writer remarked on the view of the clouds from Huangshan as follows:

To enjoy the magnificence of a mountain, you have to look upwards in most cases. To enjoy Mount Huangshan, however, you've got to look downward.^[5]

The area is also host to notable light effects, such as the renowned sunrises; watching the sunrise is considered a "mandatory" part of visiting the area.^[2] A phenomenon known as Buddha's Light (simplified Chinese: 佛光; pinyin: fóguāng)^[13] is also well-known; on average, Buddha's Light only appears a couple times per month.^[14] In addition, Mount Huang has multiple hot springs, most of them located at the foot of the Purple Cloud Peak. The water stays at 42 °C all year^[15] and has a high concentration of carbonates, and is said to help prevent skin, joint, and nerve illness.^[8]

History

Carved steps at Mount Huang

Mount Huang was formed approximately 100 million years ago and gained its unique rock formations in the Quaternary Glaciation.^[8]

During the Qin Dynasty, Mount Huang was known as Yishan (Mount Yi). In 747 AD, its name was changed to Huangshan (Mount Huang) by imperial decree;^[16] the name is commonly thought to have been coined in honor of Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor), a legendary Chinese emperor and the mythological ancestor of the Han Chinese;^[17] one legend states that Mount Huang was the location from which the Yellow Emperor ascended to Heaven.^[4] Another legend states that the Yellow Emperor "cultivated moral character and refined pills of immortality in the mountains, and in so doing gave the mountains his name.^[8] The first use of this name "Mount Huang" is often attributed to Chinese poet Li Bai.^[17] Mount Huang was fairly inaccessible and little-known in ancient times, but its change of name in 747 AD seems to have brought the area more attention; from then on, the area was visited frequently and many temples were built there.^[16]

Mount Huang is known for its stone steps,^[4] carved into the side of the mountain, of which there may be more than 60,000 throughout the area.^[2][18][19] The date at which work on the steps began is unknown, but they have been said to be over 1,500 years old.^[18]

Over the years, many scenic spots and physical features on the mountain have been named;^[5] many of the names have narratives behind them. For example, one legend tells of a man who did not believe the tales of Mount Huang's beauty and went to the mountains to see for himself; he was almost immediately convinced. One of the peaks he supposedly visited was named Shixin (视信), roughly meaning "believing after seeing."^[5]

In 1982, Mount Huang was declared a "site of scenic beauty and historic interest" by the State Council of the People's Republic of China.^[16] It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990 for its scenery and for its role as a habitat for rare and threatened species.^[3]

In 2002, Mount Huang was named the "sister mountain" of Jungfrau in the Swiss Alps.^[4]

Artistic and scientific inspirations

A Qing-era Chinese ink painting depicting Mount Huang

Much of Mount Huang's reputation derives from its significance in Chinese art and literature.^[20] In addition to inspiring poets such as Li Bai,^[2][7] Mount Huang and the scenery therein has been the frequent subject of poetry and artwork, especially Chinese ink painting^[16] and, more recently, photography.^[1] Overall, from the Tang Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, over 20,000 poems were written about Mount Huang, and a school of painting named after it.^[4][5] The mountains have also appeared in modern work; the director of the 2009 film Avatar cited Mount Huang as one of his influences in designing the fictional world of that film.^[21]

The area has also been a location for scientific research because of its diversity of flora and wildlife; in the early part of the 20th century, the geology and vegetation of Mount Huang were the subject of multiple studies by both Chinese and foreign scientists.^[16] The mountain is still a subject of research; for example, in the late 20th century a team of researchers used the area for a field study of Tibetan Macaques, a local species of monkey.^[22]

Tourism

Entrance of the Taiping cable car station

Having at least 140 sections open to visitors,^[3] Mount Huang is a major tourist destination in China;^[1][2] in 2007, for instance, over 15 million tourists visited the mountain.^[23] The foot of the mountains is linked by rail and by air to Shanghai,^[1] and is also accessible from cities such as Hangzhou and Wuhu.^[24] As of 1990, there were over 50 kilometers of footpaths providing access to scenic areas for visitors and staffers of the facilities;^[16] today there are also cable cars that tourists can use to ride directly from the base to one of the summits.^[1] Throughout the area there are hotels and guest houses that accommodate overnight visitors,^[1][16] many of whom hike up the mountains, spend the night at one of the peaks to view the sunrise, and then descend by a different route the next day.^[2]

The hotels, restaurants, and other facilities at the top of the mountain are serviced and kept stocked by porters who carry resources up the mountain on foot, hanging their cargo from long poles balanced over their shoulders or backs.^[25]

Image gallery

Clouds in Mount Huang Scenery in Mount Huang A rock formation in Mount Huang Carved steps to Celestial Peak (天都顶) Mount Huang rock face A Chinese ink painting depicting Mount Huang Huangshan pines Mount Huang at dusk, near Guangming Peak (光明顶) Hotels for tourists atop peaks of Mount Huang A sunrise at Guangming Peak Sunrise at the North Sea Mount Huang with trees and clouds

See also

• List of World Heritage Sites in China
• Sacred Mountains of China

Notes

References

• Bernstein, Ken (1999). China pocket guide. Revised by JD Brown; edited by Richard Wallis. Berlitz Publishing Company. ISBN 2-8315-7049-2. 
• Cao Nanyan (2003). China: World Heritage Sites. Beijing: China Architecture and Building Press. ISBN 0-7607-8685-2. 
• Guo Changjian; Song Jianzhi (2003). World Heritage Sites in China. 五洲传播出版社 (Wuzhou Publishing House). ISBN 7508502264. http://books.google.com/books?q=World+Heritage+Sites+in+China&btnG=Search+Books. 
• Heiss, Mary Lou; Robert J. Heiss (2007). The Story of Tea. Ten Speed Press. ISBN 1580087450. http://books.google.com/books?id=3NBtM5aAAGgC&pg=PA122&dq=Huangshan&ei=yipRSZ62HIfCzgSv1O07#PPA124,M1. 
• Huangshan Mountains. China Travel and Tourism Press. 1998. ISBN 7-5032-1520-8. 
• Ogawa, Hideshi; Akie Yanagi (2006). Wily Monkeys: Social Intelligence of Tibetan Macaques. Trans Pacific Press. ISBN 1920901973. http://books.google.com/books?id=EaKFLgm1TMUC&printsec=frontcover#PPA9,M1. 

External links

• Mount Huang overview by the Huangshan Management Committee
• Huangshan Mountain Travel Guide by Huangshan China International Travel Service
• Moung Huang entry on Walkopedia

World Heritage Sites in China Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains · Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom · Classical Gardens of Suzhou · China Danxia · Dazu Rock Carvings · Fujian Tulou · Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, including the Jokhang and Norbulingka · The Great Wall · Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area · Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang · Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties · Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area · Kaiping Diaolou and Villages · Old Town of Lijiang · Longmen Grottoes · Lushan National Park · Historic Centre of Macau · Historic Monuments of Dengfeng, including the Shaolin Monastery and Gaocheng Observatory · Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor · Mogao Caves · Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area · Mount Huang · Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System · Mount Sanqing · Mount Tai (Taishan) · Mount Wutai · Mount Wuyi · Chengde Mountain Resort and its outlying temples including the Putuo Zongcheng Temple and the Puning Temple · Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian · Ancient City of Ping Yao · Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries · South China Karst · Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing  · Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and Kong Family Mansion, Qufu · Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing · Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas · Ancient villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun · Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area · Yin Xu · Yungang Grottoes

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