Wuyishan Mountain 武夷山

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• published: 23 Apr 2016
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Early morning on a beautiful spring day we climb to the top of Wuyishan Mountain in Fujian province China. 在一个美丽的春日Ë清晨攀登到武夷山的福建省在中国南方的顶部。 The Wuyi Mountains 武夷山; is a mountain range located in the prefecture of Nanping, in northern Fujian province near the border with Jiangxi province, China. The highest peak in the area is Mount Huanggang at 2,158 metres on the border of Fujian and Jiangxi, making it the highest point of both provinces. The mountains have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for cultural, scenic, and biodiversity values since 1999. The world heritage site has a total area of 99,975 hectares that is divided into four core parts: the Nine-Bend Stream Ecological Protection Area (36,400 ha) in the center, flanked by the Wuyishan National Nature Reserve (56,527 ha) to the west and the Wuyishan National Scenic Area (7,000 ha) to the east. The fourth part, the Protection Area for the Remains of Ancient Han Dynasty (48 ha) is located in a separate area about 15 km to the south-east of the others. The core parts are surrounded by an additional buffer zone of 27,888 ha. The region is part of the Cathaysian fold system and has experienced high volcanic activity and the formation of large fault structures, which were subsequently subject to erosion by water and weathering. The landscape is characterized by beautiful winding river valleys flanked by columnar or dome-shaped cliffs as well as cave systems. Peaks in the western portion of the Wuyi Mountains typically consist of volcanic or plutonic rocks, whereas peaks and hills in the eastern area are made up of red sandstone with very steep slopes but flat tops (Danxia landform). The Nine-bend River (Jiuqu Xi), about 60 kilometers in length, meanders in a deep gorge among these hills. The Wuyi Mountains act as a protective barrier against the inflow of cold air from the northwest and retain warm moist air originating from the sea. As a result, the area has a humid climate (humidity 80 to 85%) with high rainfall (annual average 2,200 millimeters in the south-west and 3,200 millimeters in the north) and common fogs. Lower altitudes experience annual temperatures in the range from 12 °C to 18 °C. The area is relatively pollution free. The Chinese government set up its first air quality monitoring station in the area on January 31, 2005. The Wuyi Mountains are the largest and most representative example of Chinese subtropical forests and South Chinese rain forests' biodiversity. Its ecology has survived from before the Ice Age around 3 million years ago. Biologists have been conducting field research in the area since 1873. Human settlement on the slopes of Mount Wuyi can be traced back 4,000 years by archeological remains. During the Western Han Dynasty, the ancient city of Chengcun was the capital of the Minyue kingdom. In the 7th century, the Wuyi Palace was built for emperors to conduct sacrificial activities, a site that tourists can still visit today. The mountains were an important center of Taoism and later Buddhism. Remains of 35 academies erected from the era of the Northern Song to the Qin Dynasty and more than 60 Taoist temples and monasteries have been located. However, most of these remains are very incomplete. Some of the exceptions for which authentic remains are preserved are the Taoyuan Temple, the Wannian Palace, the Sanqing Hall, the Tiancheng Temple, the Baiyun temple, and the Tianxin temple. The area is the cradle of Neo-Confucianism, a current that became very influential since the 11th century. The Wuyi Mountains has a long history of tea cultivation. The four most widely known varieties of Wuyi tea are referred to as the Four Famous Bushes: Big Red Robe, Iron Arhat, White Cockscomb, and Golden Turtle. Lapsang souchong also originates from the area. reporter: Ilona Kauremszky video: Stephen Smith music: Kevin MacLeod http://twitter.com/mycompasstv http://www.mycompass.ca mycompasstv ~ travel + arts + lifestyle