Dabie Mountains
The Dabie Mountains () are a major mountain range located in central China. Running northwest-to-southeast, they form the main watershed between the Huai and Yangtze rivers. The range also marks the boundary between Hubei Province and its neighb ...
located on the border between
Hubei
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
and
Anhui
Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...
provinces in the People's Republic of China. Straddling Hubei's
Luotian County
Luotian County () is a county that is located in the northeast of Hubei province, China and it is under the administration of Huanggang City. The county is on the south side of the Dabie Mountains with the highest peak, Tiantangzhai (), situated i ...
Jinzhai County
Jinzhai County (), previously Lihuang County (, named after Wei Lihuang), is a county in the west of Anhui Province, People's Republic of China, bordering the provinces of Henan to the northwest and Hubei to the southwest. It is under the jurisdi ...
in Anhui, the mountain rises to a height of above sea level. It forms the watershed between the
Huai
The Huai River (), formerly romanized as the Hwai, is a major river in China. It is located about midway between the Yellow River and Yangtze, the two longest rivers and largest drainage basins in China, and like them runs from west to east. ...
and
Yangtze
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...
Rivers and is also known as the "Number one pass in the southeastern Yangtze River region" ().
During the
Tang
Tang or TANG most often refers to:
* Tang dynasty
* Tang (drink mix)
Tang or TANG may also refer to:
Chinese states and dynasties
* Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...
and
Song
A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...
dynasties Tiantangzhai was known as "Yun Shan" (云山, ''Cloud Mountain''). In the Yuan and
Ming
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...
Dynasties it became "Duoyun Shan" (多云山, ''Mountain of Many Clouds''). The present name dates from the
Qing Dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
.
Tourism
There are three national forest parks in the vicinity of the mountain: Dabie Mountain National Forest Park in Luotian County, Tiantangtai National Forest Park in Jinzhai County, and Wujia Mountain National Forest Park in
Yingshang County
Yingshang County () is a county in the northwest of Anhui province, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Fuyang, Anhui, Fuyang. The Huai River, which frequently floods, forms part of the county's southern border.
Yin ...
, Anhui Province.
In 1987, Tiantangzhai became a provincial level scenic area and in 1992 the
State Forestry Administration
The State Forestry and Grassland Administration () is an administration of the People's Republic of China, in charge of the national forestry affairs. It was founded in 1949 as Ministry of Forestry and Farming. On November 5, 1951, it changed to ...
approved the establishment of Tiantangtai International Forest Park. The
Chinese State Council
The State Council, constitutionally synonymous with the Central People's Government since 1954 (particularly in relation to local governments), is the chief administrative authority of the People's Republic of China. It is chaired by the pre ...
promoted the area to national scenic area in 1998. In August 2008, the Land & Resources Bureau approved the creation of Dabie Mountain State Geological Park (). In 2007 the whole area became a National 4A Tourism Area.
Flora and fauna
Tiantangzhai is home to more than 1,000 plant and animal species including many types of oak and cherry-apple trees as well as protected plants such as the Chinese plum yew and Chinese tulip tree. There are 18 rare animal species such as the leopard,
small Indian civet
The small Indian civet (''Viverricula indica'') is a civet native to South and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because of its widespread distribution, widespread habitat use and healthy populations living in agr ...