Four Wonders of Mt. Huangshan (Yellow Mountain)

The fantastic pines, grotesque rocks, sea of clouds and hot springs are the four wonders of Mt. Huangshan. In Huangshan, pines and rocks are intimately involved with each other, almost every rock has a pine tree growing out of the crevice, and every tree has tortuous and gnarled roots and branches. The still sea of snow-white cloud can suddenly begin to roll and toss, rise or fall, gather or disperse while the peaks emerge and disappear in the clouds like isles in the ocean. So from ancient times it has been frequented by tourists seeking their mystery and admiring their scenery. Besides pines, stones and sea of clouds they are so unique to sight-seeing, at the foot of Mt. Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) there is a hot spring which is rare in South Anhui, and such a good place to relax after hard trekking. So this hot spring naturally became the fourth wonder. People come to the conclusion that the fantastic pines, the grotesque rocks, the sea of clouds and the hot springs are the four major attractions of the Yellow Mountains. As a matter of fact there are marvels almost everywhere, especially in the following scenic areas: Wenquan (Hot Spring), Yupinglou (Jade Screen Tower), Xihai (West Sea), Beihai (North Sea), Yungusi (Cloud Valley Temple) and Songgu'an (Pine Valley Nunnery).

Fantastic Pines

Huangshan pines are seen in every corner of Mt. Huangshan. You will be amazed by their vitality and strength. The seeds fall into the crevices where they take root and grow with great vigor. The uneven terrain prevents the pines from growing upright. Instead they become crooked and even downward. Another feature of Huangshan pines is that many trees grow branches on one side only. The pines grow very slowly due to the poor soil and climatic conditions. A tree less than 3 meters (9.84feet) high may have grown for over one hundred years or even several hundred years. The root of a pine is several times or several dozens times longer than the trunk, therefore Huangshan pines stand firmly with dignity, withstanding wind and rain. Every pine is unique though: Guest-Greeting Pine (in front of the stone lion of the Jade Screen Pavilion in the Jade Screen Scenic Area), Guest-Goodbye Pine (to the right of the Jade Screen Pavilion), Cushion Pine at Lotus Valley, Phoenix Pine at the Sky Sea, Chessboard Pine at Pingtian Stone Bridge, Kylin Pine between Beihai Hotel and the Refreshing Terrace, Black Tiger Pine and Sea Exploring Pine are among the most famous ones.

See Some Well-known Fantastic Pines In Mt. Huangshan (Yellow Mountain)

Grotesque Rocks

Spectacular rocky peaks will inspire your imagination. Some look like human beings, birds or animals or many other objects. Something that makes the stones even more fascinating is that they assume varied shapes when seen from different angles. Every stone has its own fantastic legend.
The rocks known as the 'Celestial Basking Shoe' and the 'Celestial Basking Boot' share a most romantic story. Once upon a time, in the Celestial Heaven Taoist Temple on Zuoshu Peak lived an old Taoist priest Dao Xuan and his disciple Tai Qing while in the Purple Cloud Temple on Pine Forest Peak lived a Taoist nun Lian Yu and her disciple Miao Zhen. The West Sea Valley separated the two temples as well as a strict commandment, therefore they had no dealings with each other. However, one winter, there was no kindling in Celestial Heaven Taoist Temple. Seeking help, Dao Xuan asked Tai Qing if he could borrow some from the nun at the Purple Cloud Temple. It so happened that the two young disciples fell in love at first sight. From then on, they spent time together when they fetched water or collected firewood. Unfortunately, they were discovered by both masters and the two disciples were punished severely. They were forbidden to go beyond the boundaries set by their masters and threaten with a beating should they disobey. One day when both the masters went down the mountain, they stealthily dated again and agreed upon a good idea: Tai Qing would place a boot in front of the mountain gate if his master was not at home; likewise Miao Zhen would place a shoe. One day, when they were together, their masters unexpectedly returned. Knowing they would be punished, the lovers pondered over their plight. Eventually, they decided that since they could not live together, they would rather choose to die together. Thus, they jumped into a cloud sea. They even did not have time to take back the boot and the shoe. As the days passed, the boot and the shoe turned into two rocks - 'Celestial basking shoe' and 'Celestial basking boot'.

Sea of Clouds

Mt. Huangshan is home to clouds and mists. The Sea of Clouds has a fairy tale beauty. Winter is the best season for this spectacle. According to their locations, the seas of clouds are divided into East Sea, South Sea, West Sea, North Sea and Sky Sea. If you climb up the Lotus Peak, the Heaven Capital Peak and the Bright Peak, you will find yourself above the level of the clouds and they appear as a sea beneath you. It is true that a sea of clouds can be seen in many high mountains but that of Mt. Huangshan is unique with its oddly shaped rocks and ancient pines. Peaks, large and small, hide and reappear in the boundless waves of clouds. The Heavenly Capital Peak and the Bright Peak appear as isolated islands within this white sea.
All the colors seem more vivid in the sunshine. The clouds are forever changing, from being like a mirror when all is calm to rolling waves when the wind is strong. At sunrise or sunset, the glistening clouds assume every hue from red to purple. You cannot help marveling at this gift from the Creator! You will be struck by the beauty when all the red leaves are floating on the white clouds in autumn, when the clouds gush between the peaks like a raging river while the red leaves flutter delicately in the breeze.
Go to the Jade Screen Pavilion to view the South Sea, the Refreshing Terrace for the North Sea, the Paiyun Tower for the West Sea, the White Goose Ridge for the East Sea and the Legendary Turtle Peak for the Sky Sea.

Hot springs

Running out of the Purple Peak of 850 meters (2, 789 feet), the hot spring in Mt. Huangshan is a suitable water resource for bathing and drinking. Legend has it that Huang Di, the ancestor of the Chinese nation, bathed here 49 days and became young again before he ascended to heaven and became immortal.

As one of the four wonders of Mt. Huangshan, the water of the Huangshan Hot Spring is pure, superior and healthy. The hot spring water is free from sulfur and contains many trace elements beneficial to health. With a value of pH 6.6 and an average temperature of 44°C, the hot springs is ideal place to relax and refresh after long hard hiking on Huangshan Mountain (formerly called Yellow Mountain) .

Huangshan hot spring, possessing 38 open air pools with different functions, was reopened to welcome tourists on Dec.27, 2008 after two years of reconstruction.