Mount Wuyi
Location: Fujian Province
Transportation: Bus service
Culture/History Rating: 4/5
Scenery Rating: 4/5
Hotels: N/A
Summary:
Description:
| The Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area is located in Wuyishan City and stretches along Fujian's northernmost border with Jiangxi Province. Wuyi's 36 graceful peaks, most under 600 metres high, are skirted by a zigzagging river called Nine Bend Creek. This naturally endowed landscape of water and hills has given the area the reputation of being the most scenic wonder in Southeast China. Since ancient times, Wuyi Mountain has attracted an endless flow of scholars, Taoist masters, Buddhist monks and travellers.
The name of the mountain comes from a story about a legendary person called Qian Keng who lived during the shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century B.C.), believed to be the eighth generation descendant of Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor. Because of Qian Keng's outstanding achievements, King Yao gave him the title of lord of Pengcheng (present-day Xuzhou in Jiangsu) and thus he became known by the surname Peng. His descendants referred to him as Peng Zu (Ancestor Peng). |  |
 | To escape from wars occurring at that time, Peng Zu took his two sons, Peng Wu and Peng Yi, to a scenic mountain area in northern Fujian. They settled down there, worked the land and lived as farmers. Later, in memory of these first settlers to the region, people name the mountain range after the two sons, Wu and Yi, and thereafter also used the name Wuyi to refer to Peng Zu. Later Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty (r.140-87 B.C.) sent out envoys who travelled long distances in order to confer on Wuyi the honorific title of Master. Following the example of Emperor Wudi, rulers of later dynasties all attached great importance to Wuyi Mountain. An altar was set up at the foot of Manting (Curtain Pavilion) Peak to offer sacrifices to Master Wuyi every year. A temple was also built there and a senior official was put in charge of all affairs related to the mountain. |
| Apart from the legendary figure of Peng ZU, historical documents also mention a number of well-known personages who have visited Wuyi, including scholars, politicians, poets and the famous geographer and traveller Xu Xiake.
The name Wuyi Mountain customarily refers to the Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area located in the northern section of the Wuyi Mountain chain, 15 kilometres from Wuyishan City in northwestern Fujian. Originally called Chong'an County, it became Wuyishan City in 1990. Now the city covers an area of 2,789 square kilometres and has a population of over 200,OOO. On maps the scenic area, though within the boundary of Wuyishan City, is marked separately as Wuyi Mountain or Wuyi Palace. |  |
 | Wuyi Palace was formerly a temple built to offer sacrifices to Master Wuyi, and houses the administration office in charge of affairs associated with the mountain. Later, the term Wuyi Palace extended to include the surrounding area, so that today it refers to both the temple and the region. When it is written on maps it always means the latter. Wuyi Palace is the administrative, economic, cultural and tourist service centre of the Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area. The Wuyi Mountain Nature Reserve is south of the main peak of the Wuyi Mountain chain, while the nature reserve's administration headquarters are located in Sangang, 40 kilometres west of the scenic area. The nature reserve occupies an area of about 57,000 hectares and is on average 1,200 metres above sea level. Mount Huanggang, 2,158 metres above sea level, is the tallest peak in Southeast China. |