Huangshan
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Huangshan (Template:Lang-zh),<ref name="berlitz">Bernstein, pages 125–127.</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Vegetation on the range is thickest below Template:Convert, with trees growing up to the treeline at Template:Convert.
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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The Huangshan mountain range has many peaks, some more than 1,000 meters (3,250 feet) high.<ref name = "Huangshan travel site">Template:Cite web</ref> 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).<ref name="berlitz"/><ref name="cao">Cao, pages 114–127.</ref> The World Heritage Site covers a core area of 154 square kilometres and a buffer zone of 142 square kilometres.<ref name = "UNESCO">Template:Cite web</ref> The mountains were formed in the Mesozoic, approximately 100 million years ago, when an ancient sea disappeared due to uplift.<ref name="WCNH"/> Later, in the Quaternary Period, the landscape was shaped by the influence of glaciers.<ref name="WCNH"/>
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.<ref name="WCNH"/> 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).<ref name="cao"/> The pines vary greatly in shape and size, with the most crooked of the trees being considered the most attractive.<ref name="guo"/> Furthermore, Huangshan's moist climate facilitates the growing of tea leaves<ref name="tea124"/> and the mountain has been called "one of China's premier green tea-growing mountains.<ref>Heiss, page 113</ref> Mao feng cha ("Fur Peak Tea"), a well-known local variety of green tea,<ref>Heiss, page 52</ref> takes its name from the downy tips of tea leaves found in the Huangshan area.<ref name="tea">Template:Cite web</ref>
The mountaintops often offer views of the clouds from above, known as the Sea of Clouds (Template:Lang-zh)<ref name="tea124">Heiss, page 124</ref> or "Huangshan Sea"<ref name="guo"/> because the cloud resembled an ocean, and many vistas are known by names such as "North Sea" or "South Sea".<ref name="guo"/> One writer remarked on the view of the clouds from Huangshan as follows:Template:Blockquote
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.<ref name="NYT"/> A phenomenon known as Buddha's Light (Template:Lang-zh)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is also well-known and, on average, Buddha's Light only appears a couple of times per month.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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,<ref name="Huangshan Travel CD">Template:Cite web</ref> and has a high concentration of carbonates. The waters are said to help prevent skin, joint, and nerve illness.<ref name="WCNH"/>
History
Huangshan was formed approximately 100 million years ago and gained its unique rock formations in the Quaternary Glaciation.<ref name="WCNH">Huangshan Mountains, page 12.</ref>
During the Qin dynasty, Huangshan was known as Yishan (Mount Yi). In 747 AD, its name was changed to Huangshan (Mount Huang) by imperial decree;<ref name="UNEP"/> 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.<ref name="ctravel.net"/> One legend states that Huangshan was the location from which the Yellow Emperor ascended to Heaven.<ref name="cao"/> 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.<ref name="WCNH"/> The first use of this name "Huangshan" often is attributed to Chinese poet Li Bai.<ref name="ctravel.net">Template:Cite web</ref> Huangshan 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.<ref name="UNEP"/>
Huangshan is known for its stone steps,<ref name="cao"/> carved into the side of the mountain, of which there may be more than 60,000 throughout the area.<ref name="NYT">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="cultureportal">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="McGraw52">Template:Cite web page 52.</ref> The date at which work on the steps began is unknown, but they have been said to be more than 1,500 years old.<ref name="cultureportal"/>
Over the years, many scenic spots and physical features on the mountain have been named;<ref name="guo"/> many of the names have narratives behind them. For example, one legend tells of a man who did not believe the tales of Huangshan's beauty and went to the mountains to see them; almost immediately, he was converted to the same view. One of the peaks he is said to have visited was named Shixin (Template:Lang), roughly meaning "start to believe".<ref name="guo"/>
In 1982, Huangshan was declared a "site of scenic beauty and historic interest" by the State Council of China.<ref name="UNEP">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="china.org">Template:Cite web</ref> Subsequently, certified as a National Geopark, and then as a regional geopark (Asia Pacific Geopark Network), it was admitted as a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2004.
In 2002, Huangshan was named the "sister mountain" of Jungfrau in the Swiss Alps.<ref name="cao"/>
Artistic and scientific inspirations
Much of Huangshan's reputation derives from its significance in Chinese arts and literature.<ref name="McGraw109">McGraw, page 109</ref> In addition to inspiring poets such as Li Bai,<ref name="NYT"/><ref name="UNESCO"/> Huangshan and the scenery therein has been the frequent subject of poetry and artwork, especially Chinese ink painting<ref name="UNEP"/> and, more recently, photography.<ref name="berlitz"/> Overall, from the Tang dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty, more than 20,000 poems were written about Huangshan, and a school of painting was named after it.<ref name="cao"/><ref name="guo"/> The mountains also have appeared in modern works; director James Cameron cited Huangshan as one of his influences in designing the fictional world of his 2009 film Avatar, and Chinese animated series Stitch & Ai, a spin-off of Disney's Lilo & Stitch franchise, is set in the Huangshan mountains.Template:Citation needed
The area has also been a location for scientific research because of its diversity of flora and wildlife. In the early part of the twentieth century, the geology and vegetation of Huangshan were the subjects of multiple studies by both Chinese and foreign scientists.<ref name="UNEP"/> The mountain is still a subject of research. For example, in the late twentieth century, a team of researchers used the area for a field study of Tibetan macaques, a local species of monkey.<ref>Ogawa, page 9.</ref>
Tourism
Having at least 140 sections open to visitors,<ref name="china.org" /> Huangshan is a major tourist destination in China.<ref name="berlitz" /><ref name="NYT" /> Huangshan City changed its name from Tunxi (Template:Lang) in 1987 in order to promote Huangshan tourism.<ref name="Mt.Huangshan">"Mt.Huangshan Travel Guide" ChinaTour.Net Accessed 2015-1-21</ref> In 2007, more than 1.5 million tourists visited the mountain.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The city is linked by rail and by air to Shanghai,<ref name="berlitz" /> and also is accessible from cities such as Hangzhou, Zhejiang and Wuhu, Anhui.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Buses connect Huangshan City to the base of the mountain, where visitors can take a cable car or hike to the summit.<ref name="berlitz" />
There are more than 50 kilometers of footpaths providing access to scenic areas for visitors and staff of the facilities.<ref name="UNEP"/> Throughout the area there are hotels and guest houses that accommodate overnight visitors,<ref name="berlitz"/><ref name="UNEP"/> 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.<ref name="NYT"/> The area is classified as a AAAAA scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The hotels, restaurants, and other facilities at the top of the mountain are serviced and kept stocked by porters who carry resources around the mountain on foot, hanging their cargo from long poles balanced over their shoulders or backs.<ref>Heiss, page 132</ref>
Climate
Huangshan has a humid continental climate (Köppen Climate Classification Dfb) or a subtropical highland climate (Cfb) depending on the isotherm used. Its elevation makes it colder and wetter than the rest of Anhui.
Panoramas
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Image gallery
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View from a cable car
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Bijia Peak
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Artificial steps on the cliffs of Huangshan
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Xihai Great Canyon
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Shixin Peak
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A rock formation in Huangshan
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Carved steps to Tiandu Peak
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A rock formation in Huangshan
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Huangshan pines
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Huangshan with trees and clouds
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Summit of mountain in Huangshan
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See also
- List of World Heritage Sites in China
- List of ultras of Tibet, East Asia and neighbouring areas
- Sacred Mountains of China
- Chinese frigate Huangshan
References
Bibliography
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External links
Template:Commons category Template:Wikivoyage
- Huangshan overview by the Huangshan Management Committee
- Huangshan Mountain Travel Guide by Huangshan China International Travel Service
- Huizhou Geography Essay Template:Webarchive by Huizhou Geography
Template:World Heritage Sites in China Template:Mountain ranges of China Template:Sacred Mountains of China Template:Portal bar Template:Authority control
- Pages with broken file links
- AAAAA-rated tourist attractions
- Landforms of Anhui
- Global Geoparks Network members
- Huangshan City
- Mountain ranges of China
- Tourist attractions in Anhui
- World Heritage Sites in China
- Geoparks in China
- Highest points of Chinese provinces
- Parks in Anhui
- Sacred mountains of China
- Ultra-prominent peaks of Asia