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Chinese Name: 雁荡山
English Name: Yandang Mountains; Mount Yandang; Yan Dang Shan
Location: Wenzhou, Zhejiang
Type: Ancient culture and art
Rating Level: AAAAA (5A)
Brief Introduction
Yandang Mountains is located in Zhejiang Province 浙江, China. This mountain is named the “Yandang Mountains” because of the reedy lake and the autumn geese flying south every year. At present, it is one of the first batches of national key scenic spots, national “Health Mountain, Safety Mountain, Civilization Mountain”, national civilized scenic spot, national AAAAA tourist area, national civilized scenic spot demonstration site, “World Geological Park” and other titles.
In January 2014, Yandang Mountain National Forest Park 雁荡山国家森林公园 was rated as the “most popular and beautiful forest tourism scenic spot in China” in 2013 in a series of selection activities jointly sponsored by China Forest Tourism Network, Forest Park Branch of China Forestry Society and NetEase, in which netizens participated in the voting.
Yandang Mountains is about 300 kilometers from Hangzhou 杭州 and 70 kilometers from Wenzhou 温州. The total area is 450 square kilometers. Yandang Mountain system stretches for hundreds of kilometers, which can be divided into North Yandang Mountain, Middle Yandang Mountain, South Yandang Mountain, West Yandang Mountain, and East Yandang Mountain according to different geographical locations.
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North Yandang Mountains is located in the northeast of Yueqing City 乐清市. In 1982, it was listed as one of the first national key scenic spots by the State Council, and in 1999, it was awarded the title of “National Civilized Scenic Spot”. In the early morning of February 12, 2005, Beijing time, the UNESCO World Geoparks Expert Review Conference announced in Paris that four national geological parks, including Yandang Mountain, were rated as Second World Geoparks. Yandang Mountain, famous for its “three-dimensional model of ancient volcanoes”, has successfully become one of the world’s geological parks.
South Yandang Mountains 南雁荡山, or Nanyan for short, is located in the west of Pingyang County 平阳县, 87 kilometers away from Wenzhou City. It is a national Yandang Mountains Scenic Area. The main peak, Mingwang Peak 明王峰, is 1077.7m above sea level. The development of South Yandang was earlier than that of North Yandang. During the Five Dynasties, the eminent monk wished Qi to lead 300 disciples to develop here. Nanyan Scenic Area covers an area of 97.68 square kilometers, with 67 peaks, 28 rocks, 24 holes, 13 ponds, 8 ponds, and 9 rocks. There are Dongxi Cave东西洞, Chou Stream 稠溪, Shicheng 石城, Dongyu 东屿, and other scenic spots, among which Dongxi Cave’s scenic spots are relatively dense.
There is a stone beam across the sky below the Huiwen Academy 会文书院, which is a semicircular gate, just like an ancient archway. The “East Heaven Gate” is carved on it, and the “Huiwen Academy” is just inside.
Huiwen Academy was originally the place where Chen Jingzheng 陈经正 and Chen Jingbang 陈经邦 brothers studied in the Northern Song Dynasty. Later, Zhu Xi 朱熹 led many disciples to give lectures here. Huiwen Academy still exists today.
The West Cave 西洞 is also called “Xiangu Cave 仙姑洞”. It is said that in the Southern Song Dynasty, the village Zhu family, named Chanyuan, became a nun at the age of 16. She lived in this cave for twenty years as a recluse. She often collected medicine to cure people, put medicine to cure them, and then disappeared. People built a Taoist temple at the mouth of the cave to commemorate this.
The cave is 18 meters high, 44 meters wide, and 29 meters deep. There are seven three-story pavilions, most of which are connected to the cave. There are 18 Jinshi Caves, Lianhuan Caves, etc. Outside the cave, there are such scenic spots as Pearl Spring, Stone Axe Rock, Jade Pool, Yixin Courtyard, Santai Taoist Temple, and Chaotian Carp.
Zhongyandang Mountain 中雁荡山, formerly known as Baishi Mountain 白石山, is located 10 kilometers southwest of Yueqing City and 20 kilometers away from Wenzhou City. Although the reputation of the Middle Yandang Mountain is not as good as that of the North Yandang Mountain and the South Yandang Mountains, many Wenzhou celebrities are also very favored it.
East Yandang Mountain 东雁荡山 is also called Banping Mountain Scenic Area 半屏山. The folk song says, “Banpingshan, half in the mainland, half in Taiwan.” East Yandang Mountain is half one in the mainland.
West Yandang Mountain 西雁荡山 is located in Wenzhou City, 35 kilometers away from the urban area, with a total area of 128.6 square kilometers. The cultural landscape in the scenic area maintains many landscapes, such as the post road and ancient inn leading to the capital in the Southern Song Dynasty 南宋, the ancient primitive papermaking workshop, three primitive ancient villages, ancient bridges, and ancient temples.
