Introduction
Mountain range in southern Anhui, China
This article is about the mountain range. For the city, see Huangshan City. For other uses, see Huangshan (disambiguation).
Huangshan黃山Panoramic view of the Huangshan landscapeHighest pointElevation1,864 m (6,115 ft)Prominence1,734 m (5,689 ft)ListingUltra, RibuCoordinates30°07′30″N 118°10′00″E / 30.12500°N 118.16667°E / 30.12500; 118.16667GeographyHuangshan黃山Location in eastern ChinaShow map of Northern ChinaHuangshan黃山Huangshan黃山 (China)Show map of China
LocationHuangshan City, Anhui
UNESCO World Heritage SiteOfficial nameMount HuangshanCriteriaCultural and Natural: (ii), (vii), (x)Reference547bisInscription1990 (14th Session)Extensions2012Area16,060 ha (62.0 sq mi)Buffer zone49,000 ha (190 sq mi)
Huangshan"Huangshan" in Simplified (top) and Traditional (bottom) Chinese charactersSimplified Chinese黄山Traditional Chinese黃山Literal meaning"Yellow Mountain(s)"TranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinHuángshānWade–GilesHuang2-shan1IPA[xwǎŋʂán]WuRomanizationWaon入 se平Yue: CantoneseYale RomanizationWòhng-sāanJyutpingWong4-saan1Southern MinTâi-lôN̂g-san (col.)Hông-san (lit.)
Huangshan (simplified Chinese: 黄山; traditional Chinese: 黃山), literally meaning the Yellow Mountain(s), is a mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China. It was originally called "Yishan", and it was renamed because of a legend that the Yellow Emperor once made alchemy here. Vegetation on the range is thickest below 1,100 meters (3,600 ft), with trees growing up to the treeline at 1,800 meters (5,900 ft).
The area is well known for its scenery, sunsets, peculiarly-shaped granite peaks, Huangshan pine trees, hot springs, winter snow, and views of the clouds from above. Huangshan is a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature, as well as modern photography. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of China's major tourist destinations.
Physical description
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Icy Trees of Huangshan
Steps downhillView from a cable car
The Huangshan mountain range has many peaks, some more than 1,000 meters (3,250 feet) high. The three tallest and best-known peaks are Lotus Peak (Lianhua Feng, 1,864 m), Bright Peak (Guangming Ding, 1,860 m) and Celestial Peak (Tiandu Feng, literally Capital of Heaven Peak, 1,829 m). The World Heritage Site covers a core area of 154 square kilometres and a buffer zone of 142 square kilometres. The mountains were formed in the Mesozoic, approximately 100 million years ago, when an ancient sea disappeared due to uplift. Later, in the Quaternary Period, the landscape was shaped by the influence of glaciers.
The vegetation of the area varies with elevation. Mesic forests cover the landscape below 1,100 meters. Deciduous forest stretches from 1,100 meters up to the tree line at 1,800 meters. Above that point, the vegetation consists of alpine grasslands. 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 Huangshan and is considered an example of vigor because the trees thrive by growing straight out of the rocks. Many of the pine trees in the area 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 more than 1500 years old). The pines vary greatly in shape and size, with the most crooked of the trees being considered the most attractive. Furthermore, Huangshan's moist climate facilitates the growing of tea leaves and the mountain has been called "one of China's premier green tea-growing mountains. Mao feng cha ("Fur Peak Tea"), a well-known local variety of green tea, takes its name from the downy tips of tea leaves found in the Huangshan area.
The mountaintops often offer views of the clouds from above, known as the Sea of Clouds (Chinese: 云海; pinyin: yúnhǎi) or "Huangshan Sea" because the cloud resembled an ocean, and many vistas are known by names such as "North Sea" or "South Sea". 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.
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. A phenomenon known as Buddha's Light (Chinese: 佛光; pinyin: fóguāng) is also well-known and, on average, Buddha's Light only appears a couple of times per month. In addition, Huangshan has multiple hot springs, most of them located at the foot of the Purple Cloud Peak. The water stays at 42 °C (107.6 °F) all year, and has a high concentration of carbonates. The waters are said to help prevent skin, joint, and nerve illness.
