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Located in the southern part of Anhui Province, Huangshan Mountain extends across four counties, Shexian, Yixian, Taiping and Xining. It was formed as a result of the movement of the earth's crust a hundred million years ago. Huangshan Mountain was known as Yishan in the ancient times since the peaks and rocks look dark green in the distance. In 747, Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty believed that the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan became an immortal here so he changed the name of the mountain to Huangshan (Yellow Mountain).

Huangshan Mountain is a marvel. Within an area of 154 square kilometers, there are 72 peaks, which have the names indicating the shapes they resemble. Lotus, Brightness Apex and Celestial Capital are the three major ones, all rising above 1,800 meters. When it is cloudy, the pinnacles loom in mists as if they were illusionary. While the sun is shining, they unfold all their majesty and splendor. Huangshan Mountain changes its color and appearance with seasons. In spring, blooming flowers decorate the slopes in a riot of color and fill the valleys with fragrance; in summer, you see verdurous peaks rising one upon another and hear springs gurgling merrily. Autumn dresses the peaks in red and purple, as maples are all blazing-red; winter turns them into a world of frost and ice with silver boughs and rocks everywhere. So Huangshan has long been a famous scenic area for those seeking the mystery and admiring the scenery. The fantastic pines, the grotesque rocks, the sea of clouds and the hot springs are the four major attractions of Huangshan Mountain.

Huangshan is also a large botanical garden with over 1500 species of plants and trees. Here you will find century-old pines, firs, Chinese torreya, Chinese sweet gums, camphor woods and the precious Magua trees, etc. Huangshan abounds in flowering plants; many of them are rare ones, such as the goddess flower and Huangshan azalea as well as camellia, plum, lily, crape myrtle, orchid, and so on. It has a rich store of medicinal herbs, more than 300 kinds found here. The notable ones are the glossy ganoderma ginseng, Chinese gold thread rhizome and Chinese cinnamon. Maofeng Tea of Huangshan Mountain is well known.

Huangshan Mountain also provides the natural habitat for a wide variety of animals. Among them are monkeys, goats and deer. There are rare birds such as the silver pheasant, octave-tone bird and oriole, all good singers.

The temperature in Huangshan Mountain is agreeable all year round. It is cool in summer, averaging 20ºC at the North Sea Guest-house (1,630 meters above the sea level) and 25ºC at Hot Spring (630 meters) in July (the hottest month). As clouds often shut out the sun, hot weather never stays long, and this makes Huangshan Mountain an ideal summer resort.

Though looking fresh and young, Huangshan Mountain have a along history to which ancient books, poems and paintings as well as carved inscriptions all bear witness. Li Bai (701-762) was not the only poet who sang the praise, Tang poets Jia Dao (779-843) and Du Xunhe (846-897) also came here and wrote poems. In the succeeding dynasties people kept coming and giving expression to their admiration in poetry. Xu Xiake (1586-1641), the great geographer and traveler of the Ming Dynasty, devoted two of his travel notes to Huangshan Mountain. Jian Jiang and Shi Tao (1642-1718), master painters of the Xin'an School in the Qing Dynasty, left behind them many paintings. Inscriptions of the past generations meet one's eyes here and there: "Clouds in a myriad of forms", "Peaks piercing the sky", "A cool world", "Fantastic and beautiful", "Scenery of exceptional charm" to mention just a few of them. Such poetic phrases in handsome calligraphy are not only decorative, but also part of the fascinating scene.

Written by our column writer Hao Zhuo and Jun Shan.
Photos Copyright © Jun Shan. All rights reserved.

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