Yandang Mountains or Yandangshan (
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
:
t ,
s ,
p ''Yàndàng Shān'',
lit. "Wild Goose Pond Mountain(s)") refers, in the broad sense, to a coastal
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
in southeastern
Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
in eastern
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, covering much of the
prefecture-level city
A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure.
During the Republican era, many of China' ...
of
Wenzhou
Wenzhou (pronounced ; Wenzhounese: Yuziou y33–11 tɕiɤu33–32 ), historically known as Wenchow is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province in the People's Republic of China. Wenzhou is located at the extreme south east o ...
(from
Pingyang County
Pingyang County (, Wenzhounese:''ben yi'') is a county in the prefecture-level city of Wenzhou, located along the southern coast of Zhejiang province, China.
There are two main cities with many surrounding villages in Pingyang. The two main settl ...
in the south to
Yueqing County in the northeast) and extending to the
county-level city
A county-level municipality (), county-level city or county city, formerly known as prefecture-controlled city (1949–1970: ; 1970–1983: ), is a Administrative divisions of China#County level (3rd), county-level administrative divi ...
of
Wenling
Wenling ( Wenling dialect: Ueng-ling Zy ; ) is a coastal county-level city in the municipal region of Taizhou, in southeastern Zhejiang province, China. It borders Luqiao and Huangyan to the north, Yuhuan to the south, Yueqing to the west, looks ...
in
Taizhou prefecture. The mountain range is divided in two by the
Oujiang River
The Ou River () or Oujiang is the second-largest river in the Zhejiang province of eastern China. The river flows before finally reaching the city of Wenzhou and emptying into the East China Sea, into which it discharges of water annually. She ...
, the two parts being the North Yandang and South Yandang. More narrowly, Yandangshan is also used to refer to , a specific part of the North Yandang around an ancient caldera near a small town of the same name (, ''Yàndàng Zhèn''). The highest peaks of North Yandang are located here, and this is also the main tourist spot. In this article, name "Yandang Mountains" is used to refer the mountain range and "Mt. Yandang" to refer to the caldera.
The main peak of North Yandang, Baigangjian (, ''Bǎigǎng Jiān'',
lit. "Hundred-Peak Point"), rises above sea level
[Scenic Wenzhou]
Foreign Affairs Office of Wenzhou City There is a radar station on the peak, which is closed to the public.
In 2004, Yandangshan became National Geological Park and in the beginning of 2005, a member of
Global Geoparks Network
UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp) are geoparks certified by the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council as meeting all the requirements for belonging to the Global Geoparks Network (GGN). The GGN is both a network of geoparks and the agency of the United Nati ...
, with total area of .
[ The Yandangshan National Forest Park has an area of , covering Mt. Yandang.
Mt. Yandang is known for its natural environment, arising from its vertical rock faces and pinnacles, mountain slopes with forests and bamboo groves, streams, waterfalls and caves. The area also hosts several temples and shrines, many of them with a long history; characteristic of the temples is that many of them are built inside caves or in mouths of caves.
]
Environment
Yandang Mountains were formed through volcanic activity during the Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...
period -120 million years (Ma) ago.[Yandang Mountain]
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Tentative Lists Similar igneous rocks are widespread in SE China, forming a ~ wide and ~ long belt of volcanic-intrusive complexes.
Yandangshan caldera
A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcano eruption. When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time, structural support for the rock above the magma chamber is ...
is a round volcanic
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...
‐ intrusive complex with a diameter of , of which the north-east part was destroyed by a later regional fault.[ Yandangshan volcano erupted in four episodes. The mountain consists of various ]igneous rock
Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main The three types of rocks, rock types, the others being Sedimentary rock, sedimentary and metamorphic rock, metamorphic. Igneous rock ...
s: ignimbrite
Ignimbrite is a type of volcanic rock, consisting of hardened tuff. Ignimbrites form from the deposits of pyroclastic flows, which are a hot suspension of particles and gases flowing rapidly from a volcano, driven by being denser than the surrou ...
, rhyolite
Rhyolite ( ) is the most silica-rich of volcanic rocks. It is generally glassy or fine-grained (aphanitic) in texture, but may be porphyritic, containing larger mineral crystals (phenocrysts) in an otherwise fine-grained groundmass. The mineral ...
, syenite
Syenite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock with a general composition similar to that of granite, but deficient in quartz, which, if present at all, occurs in relatively small concentrations (< 5%). Some syenites contain larger proport ...
and tuff
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock cont ...
. The mountain shows often conspicuous layering corresponding to the four different episodes of eruptions, giving rise to terrace-like structures where flatter, forested areas are separated by vertical cliffs.
Mt. Yandang is mostly covered by deciduous and evergreen forests, mixed with some ''Cunninghamia
''Cunninghamia'' is a genus of one or two living species of evergreen coniferous trees in the cypress family Cupressaceae. They are native to China, northern Vietnam and Laos, and perhaps also Cambodia. They may reach in height. In vernacular ...
''. Drier ridges can be dominated by small pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...
trees. There are also some bamboo grooves. Lower slopes and valleys are used for agricultural purposes, for example for growing tea, or as fruit gardens. Herbs and mushrooms collected from the mountain are sold locally.
A number of plant and animal species have been named after Mt. Yandang. A species of sedge, ''Carex
''Carex'' is a vast genus of more than 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus ''Carex'' ...
yandangshanica'', has been described from Mt. Yandang and two other mountainous locations in Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
. Mt. Yandang has also given its name to ''Cyclosorus
''Cyclosorus'' is a genus of ferns in the family Thelypteridaceae, subfamily Thelypteridoideae, in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). Other sources sink ''Cyclosorus'' into a very broadly defined genus ''Thelypteris ...
yandangensis'', a marsh fern, and ''Arachniodes
''Arachniodes'' is a fern genus in the family Dryopteridaceae (wood ferns), subfamily Dryopteridoideae, in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). A number of species in this genus are known as "holly ferns".
The genus ' ...
yandangshanensis'', a holly fern. Among animal species, a mite ''Eustigmaeus yandangensis'' has been named after Mt. Yandang, but this has been challenged.
Yandang Mountains are everywhere influenced by human activity; there is an extensive network of official tourist paths, clearings for fire-prevention, and unofficial paths used by the local people for collecting resources from the mountains; nevertheless, because of the steep terrain, some parts are difficult to access. Whatever wildlife survives tends to be very elusive. Notable inhabitants of Yandang Mountains include Cabot's tragopan
Cabot's tragopan (''Tragopan caboti'') is a pheasant found in south-east China. The common and scientific names of this large bird both commemorate the ornithologist Samuel Cabot III. Other common names include the Chinese tragopan and the yello ...
, a nationally protected species in China. Chinese pangolin
The Chinese pangolin (''Manis pentadactyla'') is a pangolin native to the northern Indian subcontinent, northern parts of Southeast Asia and southern China. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2014, as the w ...
is also reported to live in Yandang Mountains.
Yandang Mountains have been considered as one of the areas where South China tiger
The South China tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies that is native to southern China. The population mainly inhabited the Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces. It has been listed as Critically Endanger ...
might still persist, but there is no positive evidence and the species is considered functionally extinct in the wild.
Cultural significance
Yandang Mountains are dotted with temples and shrines, many of them with long history. Most of them were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...
, but many have been rebuilt.
Guanyin Temple (or Avalokitesvara Temple) is a Buddhist temple located on Mt. Yandang, in the Lingfeng Peaks scenic area. The temple lies between two rock peaks leaning against each other such that a big crack-like cave is formed; the peaks are together known as the "Holding Palms Peak". The cave is 100 metres high, with the cave bottom sloping steeply up. The temple follows this natural structure and has nine levels (floors), with the Guanyin
Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She ...
shrine occupying the highest, most hidden section of the cave. The temple was first built in 265.
Tourism
North Yandang
North Yandangshan, in the geographic sense, contains three scenic areas, Yangjiaodong/Fangshan, Middle Yandangshan and North Yandang, the latter commonly referred to as the Yandangshan, the most famous of the scenic areas in the Yandang Mountains.
North Yandang Scenic Area is centered on Mt. Yandang and has an area of . China's National Tourism Administration rated North Yandang as a " 5A scenic area" in 2007, up from "4A" before.[ A number of touristic attractions, or "scenic spots", have been develop around Mt. Yandang, the most famous being:
* Lingfeng Peaks ().
* Lingyan Rock ().
* Great Dragon Pond Waterfall ().
The great majority of domestic tourists only visit the key scenic areas, which can get very crowded, and not all development has been kind to the surroundings. However, areas outside the formally developed scenic spots can be quite serene. Mt. Yandang is also increasingly popular as a hiking area for urbanites.
Mt. Yandang can be accessed using the Yandangshan Railway Station on the fast railway track between ]Ningbo
Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major sub-provincial city in northeast Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 sate ...
and Wenzhou
Wenzhou (pronounced ; Wenzhounese: Yuziou y33–11 tɕiɤu33–32 ), historically known as Wenchow is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province in the People's Republic of China. Wenzhou is located at the extreme south east o ...
.
Middle Yandang Scenic Area is a " 4A scenic area" in south of Yueqing County. The total area of the scenic area is 93 km2.
Yangjiaodong/Fangshan Scenic Area is on the border between Wenzhou and Taizhou. This is a single mountain, but the name of the scenic area changes on the border. Yangjiaodong () is the Wenzhou half, and Fangshan () the Taizhou one.
South Yandang
South Yandang is a "4A scenic area" and consists of five scenic spots near Nanyanzhen town in Pingyang County
Pingyang County (, Wenzhounese:''ben yi'') is a county in the prefecture-level city of Wenzhou, located along the southern coast of Zhejiang province, China.
There are two main cities with many surrounding villages in Pingyang. The two main settl ...
.Pingyang South Yandang Scenic Area
Wenzhou Municipal Bureau of Tourism (in Chinese) East and West Caves are the most famous sights. The total area of the scenic area is 169 km2.
References
External links
Frommer's: Yandangshan
Wenzhou Yandang Mountain Scenery Tourism Administration Bureau
Welcome to Mt. Yandangshan
at th
Global Geoparks Network
{{Sacred Mountains of China
Mountain ranges of China
Landforms of Zhejiang
Tourist attractions in Zhejiang
AAAAA-rated tourist attractions