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November 18, 2015

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Peculiar peaks of Yandang Mountain

By Li Qian | November 18, 2015, Wednesday | Print Edition

MOUNTAINS in the southern regions of China’s Yangtze River are said to be of exquisite beauty. Among all the mountains in the south China, Yandang Mountain is bold with peculiar peaks, steep cliffs and deep caves.

The mountain got its name from a dried lake on the top called Yanhu Lake, literally goose lake. This is because every autumn, wild geese linger in the reed marshes around the lake.

Yandang Mountain in Zhejiang Province is actually an ancient volcano. Thanks to multiple eruptions and deep geological changes spanning 120 million years, a peculiar and excellent natural landscape has been formed.

It became widely known in Song Dynasty (960-1279) — but too late to be listed as the Five Great Mountains in China — as it was hard to trek on the mountain. Chinese explorer Xu Xiake (1587-1641) said that only the celestial beings can see all the wonders of Yandang Mountain.

Over centuries, temples were erected on the mountain, and renowned poets and scholars left numerous stone sculptures, calligraphic tablets and paintings on the rocks.

Now, Yandang Mountain is known as the “No. 1 Mountain in southeast China.” In 2005, it was named a World Geopark by UNESCO.

Occupying an area of 450 square kilometers, Yandang Mountain National Scenic Spot has more than 500 attractions in eight scenic zones, with the Ling Feng, Da Long Qiu and Ling Yan being the top three.

Visitors usually begin at Ling Feng, literally Spirits Peaks. It is surrounded by grotesque peaks and cliffs which take on different images from different angles and at different time.

The 270-meter-high Hezhang Peak is a perfect example. Viewed from afar, it looks like a pair of folding palm. As you walk toward the peak, it turns into a pair of breasts, but just a few steps away and it becomes a slim young lady in qipao. At nights, you will see a couple in each other’s arms.

Sanzhepu, literally Three-terraced Falls, is among the most peculiar of all the waterfalls in Yandang Mountain as rock cliffs separate the falls to three levels and it is believed that the lip of a dead crater is hidden in the falls.

But the most remarkable waterfall in the mountain is Big Dragon Waterfall, at the upper reaches of the Jinxi Creek.

Scissor Peak implies just that — a pair of scissors pointing to the sky.

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