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Located in southern Anhui Privince, Huangshan ( also known as Mt. Huang or Yellow Mountain) covers an area of 250 kilometers, of which 154 square kilometers are scenic attractions. Its landscape features “four wonders” of imposing peaks, spectacular rocks, odd-shaped pines, and a sea of clouds.
Huangshan boasts 72 peaks, more than 1,000 meters above sea level, with three main peaks rising majestically. They are both fascinating and dangerously steep. Cliffs, stone forests, stone pillars, stone blocks and egg-shaped stones form the unique granite geomorphological scenery.
The pines on the mountain are tall and have fascinating shapes. The famous Welcoming Guests (Yingke) Pine (1,500 years old) and See-Guest-Off Pine have become a symbol of being faithful, unyielding and hospitable. More than 200 days each year on Huangshan are misty and cloudy. The vapors coagulate to form a sea of clouds. As the clouds cloak the mountain, they give a feeling of being in fairyland.
The mountain trail forms a major circle and there are many scenic spots along the trail. Among them, Wenquan(Hot Spring), Yupinglou(Jade Screen Tower), Xihai(West Sea), Beihai(North Sea), Yungusi (Cloud Valley Temple) and Songgu'an(Pine Valley Nunnery) are most famous.
Huangshan is also a natural zoo and a botanic garden, in addition, a cultural mountain. With dense woods and age-old giant trees, the forest coverage amounted for 86.6%. There are about 1500 species of different plants and 500 various kinds of animals. Pavilions, temples and rock-chiseled inscriptions added up to more than 200.
Huangshan was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1990.
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