Huangshan Mountains

Huangshan 黄山
Panoramic view of the Huangshan landscape
Highest point
Elevation	1,864 m (6,115 ft)
Prominence	1,734 m (5,689 ft)
Listing	Ultra
Coordinates	30°07′30″N 118°10′00″E / 30.12500°N 118.16667°E / 30.12500; 118.16667Coordinates: 30°07′30″N 118°10′00″E / 30.12500°N 118.16667°E / 30.12500; 118.16667
Geography
Huangshan 黄山 Location in China
Location	Anhui, China
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Mount Huangshan
Type	Cultural & Natural
Criteria	ii, vii, x
Designated	1990 (14th session)
Reference no.	547
State Party	China
Region	Asia-Pacific

Huangshan
"Huangshan" in Simplified (top) and Traditional (bottom) Chinese characters
Simplified Chinese	黄山
Traditional Chinese	黃山
Literal meaning	"Yellow Mountain(s)"
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Huángshān Wade–Giles Huang2-shan1 IPA [xwǎŋʂán] Wu Romanization Waon入 se平 Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Wòhng-sāan Jyutping Wong4-saan1 Southern Min Tâi-lô N̂g-san (col.) Hông-san (lit.)

Huangshan (Chinese: 黄山), is a mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China. Vegetation on the range is thickest below 1,100 meters (3,600 ft), with trees growing up to the treeline at 1,800 meters (5,900 ft).

The area is well known for its scenery, sunsets, peculiarly-shaped granite peaks, Huangshan pine trees, hot springs, winter snow, and views of the clouds from above. Huangshan is a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature, as well as modern photography. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of China's major tourist destinations. Huangshan is also the famous place for Chinese teas of high quality, such as Huangshan Maofeng, Keemun Black, and Blooming Tea.

Huangshan is known for its sunrises, pine trees, "strangely jutting granite peaks", hot springs, winter snow, and views of clouds touching the mountainsides for more than 197 days out of the year.

The Huangshan mountain range has many peaks, some more than 1,000 meters (3,250 feet) high. The three tallest and best-known peaks are Lotus Peak (Lian Hua Feng, 1,864 m), Bright Summit Peak (Guang Ming Ding, 1,840 m), and Celestial Peak (Tian Du Feng, literally Capital of Heaven Peak, 1,829 m). The World Heritage Site covers a core area of 154 square kilometres and a buffer zone of 142 square kilometres. The mountains were formed in the Mesozoic, approximately 100 million years ago, when an ancient sea disappeared due to uplift. Later, in the Quaternary Period, the landscape was shaped by the influence of glaciers.

The vegetation of the area varies with elevation. Mesic forests cover the landscape below 1,100 meters. Deciduous forest stretches from 1,100 meters up to the tree line at 1,800 meters. Above that point, the vegetation consists of alpine grasslands. The area has diverse flora, where one-third of China's bryophyte families and more than half of its fern families are represented. The Huangshan pine (Pinus hwangshanensis) is named after Huangshan and is considered an example of vigor because the trees thrive by growing straight out of the rocks. Many of the pine trees in the area are more than a hundred years old and have been given their own names (such as the Ying Ke Pine, or Welcoming-Guests Pine, which is thought to be more than 1500 years old). The pines vary greatly in shape and size, with the most crooked of the trees being considered the most attractive. Furthermore, Huangshan's moist climate facilitates the growing of tea leaves, and the mountain has been called "one of China's premier green tea-growing mountains.Mao feng cha ("Fur Peak Tea"), a well-known local variety of green tea, takes its name from the downy tips of tea leaves found in the Huangshan area.