Huangshan, known as “the loveliest mountain of China”, lies in the south of Anhui province in eastern China. It was called Yishan Mountain in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), and got its current name in 747 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).
The scenic area covers 154 sq km, and is celebrated for its peaks, rocks, pines, clouds and springs. The renowned Four Wonders of Huangshan Mountain are the spectacular rocks, odd-shaped pines, hot springs and a sea of clouds. Other attractions are lakes, waterfalls, streams, rare flowers and animals. Forests cover 83.4 percent of the area, with some 1,452 species of native plants that fall into 203 families. Huangshan Mountain also has a rich cultural heritage. Xu Xiake, a famous traveler of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), visited Huangshan twice, and described it in a poem, calling it the best of all mountains in China.
Today it holds the same fascination for visitors, poets, painters and photographers who come on pilgrimage to the site, which is renowned for its magnificent scenery made up of many granite peaks and rocks emerging out of a sea of clouds.
In 1990, Huangshan Mountain was added to the world cultural and natural heritage lists.
