Xiao Mountain

Xiáo Mountain or Yáo Mountain (Chinese: 崤山; pinyin: Xiáoshān or Yáoshān) is a range of mountains in western Hénán, China north of the Luò River and south of Sānménxiá. Major peaks include Qīnggǎngfēng (青崗峰; 1903 m) and Guānyúnshān (冠雲山; 1666 m).

The range is part of the Xiáo or Yáo (崤) historical region on the border of Hénán and Shānxī provinces in China. The area between Xiáo and the strategic Hángǔ Pass was called Xiáohán (崤函).

Name

The place is also famous because there is a dispute over the of the pronunciation of its name. According to one of the most authoritative Mandarin Chinese dictionaries, the Cí Hǎi (辭海), xiáo should be yáo according to ancient pronunciation. However, other dictionaries such as Cí Yuán (辭源), Xīnhuá Zìdiǎn, Hànyǔ Dà Cídiǎn, and Xiàndài Hànyǔ Cídiǎn use the pronunciation of xiáo.[1]

References