Qiyun Mountain Covering an area of about 60 kilometers, Qiyun Mountain is located to the west of the county town of Xiuning. The mountain, known as Baiyue in ancient times, is noted for the Taoist activities associated with it over the last 1,000 years. There are 36 gorgeous peaks, 72 bizarre shaped rocks and a beautiful cloud rock lake on the mountain, offering a panorama of the best of hill scenery. The famous rock calligraphy carving on the mountain has attracted numerous literary figures over the centuries. Li Bai, Zhu Xi, Xu Xiake, and other famous literary figures all wrote poems or prose in praise of the mountain. While only 585 meters above sea level, It has unique attraction because of its Taoist association. The pilgrims will have to pass through three pavilions and three heavenly gates on the ascent before reaching the top. Thus, the excitement of getting closer to the Taoist God is aroused. Many scenic spots and buildings on the mountain have Taoist names, such as God Watching Pavilion, the Cave of Eight Immortals, the Immortal Bridge, the Heavenly Palace, Incense Burner Peak, Drum Peak, etc. They all add to the mystic touch of the scenery. Qiyun Mountain is also well known for its 700-odd pieces of stone calligraphy carvings of various styles that are found in the halls and peaks. On the stone archway at Arc Cave there are well- preserved inscriptions carved over 800 years ago. On the Qiyun Rock there are two huge characters of "Cloud Rock" which were carved over 750 years ago in the Song Dynasty. One also sees in front of the Yuxu Palace a stone tablet with inscriptions of 960 characters in it. The prose was written by Tang Yin, a bright young writer in the Ming Dynasty, and it took two years to have it carved on the stone tablet. The stone tablet is the biggest of its kind in the south.
The Xin'an River. The eastwards blue line one sees on the tourist map of Huangshan City indicates the Xin'an River which originated from Huaiyu Mountain in Xiuning County. The brook expands as it rolls down, joining the Hengjiang River at Tunxi. Here, it becomes the 200 kilometer long gently fIowing Xin'an River. Sailing on the river, one sees houses of Hui style with white wall and gray tiles here and there on both sides. The fir, bamboo, tea bushes, loquat and orange forests on the hills extend as far as you can see, displaying a charming water landscape in southern China. The Xin'an River is a major waterway of vital importance to the local economy, shipping out timber and local agricultural products and transporting in salt and manufactured goods. Tunxi, Yuliang Town and Shendu in Shexian County along the river used to be bustling river ports in the old days. There is still in Yuliang Town a one kilometer long Old Street which used to be the marketplace. There are numerous scenic spots along the Xin'an River. At Bingtan which is close to the river source, there is the mausoleum of Wang Youdun, an imperial minister in the Qing Dynasty who was a native of Xiuning. Standing around the mausoleum are carved stone human figures, horses, tigers, sheep and lions with graphic features. In Tunxi and Shexian County, the river embraces ancient pavilions and bridges as well as clusters of lakes. Further down the river, one can see the busy rural and urban scenes. On the lower reaches of the Xin'an River there is the pearl-like Qiandao Lake. It has never failed to impress the visitors with its breathtaking beauty. The travel route from the West Lake in Hangzhou to Qiandao Lake, Shexian and and finally to Huangshan has become a hot tourist line.
Taiping Lake. As a deep water lake, Taiping Lake is situated between the Yellow Mountains and Mount Jiuhua. It extends 80 kilometers from east to west, which is roughly the same distance down the Li River from Guilin to Yangsuo, and covers an area of about 100 square kilometers. In addition to tour yachts, one can also take a black awning boat, a fishing boat or even a bamboo raft to enjoy the lake scene. The lake is clear and tranquil all the year round. The famous Peach Blossom Pool is located at the Wan Village on the lakeside. The famous Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai once toured the lake and wrote a poem in appreciation of the hospitality 0f Wang Lun, his host (the poem is well recited today). Later, the villagers built a pavilion in memory of the great poet, which still stands. One scene in the TV series of the classical Chinese novel, the Dream of the Red Mansion, was shot here at the lakeside. Vast as the lake is, scenic spots still abound, such as the group of isles in the lake known as the 18 Immortals on Jiaoshan Hill near the lake. Tourist facilities such as holiday resorts, amusement ground, shops and swimming pools are open to public, especially to holiday seekers. And there in nothing more relaxing than drifting in a raft or boat or going angling on the lake.
The Guniujiang Natural Reserve. Literally, Guniujiang means in Chinese an ox descending from the sky. It is so named because a big rock on the peak resembles a big ox that has just landed from the sky. Straddling Qimen and Shitai Counties, the reserve covers an area of 30 square kilometers, with the Guniujiang Peak, which is the highest peak, rising 1727.6 meters high. It is one of the nature reserves of forest and wild life in China as well as an ideal place for making expedition trips. The reserve is of complex geological structure, with numerous cliffs, peaks, rocks of grotesque shapes, fails, brooks and lakes. Sometimes, Buddhist halo with rainbow colors appears around the peaks, adding to the fascination of the mountain view. The natural vegetation is well preserved here, with distinct vertical distribution of plants. At the mountain top is growth of grass. Half way up the mountain are deciduous leaf trees and evergreen broadleaf trees, Rare species of trees and plants abound, such as Xiangguo tree, which is under priority state protection, large tracts of Yellow Mountain pine, Chinese catalpa, Wild Jujube tree, Nanmu wood, Qingqian willow, languo tree, Tenghuang sandalwood and cancer- resistant Sanjian fir as weI1 as a dozen species of azalea. The reserve is also a haven of wild animals where sika, summon antelope, black muntjac, cloud leopard, macaque, short-tailed monkeys, civet, otter, white cranes, pheasant with white neck and long tail-mandarin duck, pangolin and owls roam around.
The Qingliang Peak Nature Reserve. It straddles the border areas of Anhui and Zhejiang Provinces, with Qingliang Peak, which is the summit, located in Shexian County. The reserve borders on Jixi County in the northwest and Lin'an county of Zhejiang Province in the northeast. Covering an area of 15 square kilometers, it is a major natural reserve and scenery spot in Anhui Province. Qingliang Peak is the summit of the Tian Mu Mountains, thrusting into the sky with a height of 1,780 meters. There are many enchanting scenic spots as weIl as falls and brooks on the hill. They stir up people's imagination of being in a fairy land. The reserve is rich in vegetation, with over 400 species of woody plants in 85 families and over 1,000 species of herbal plants. The rare species of trees include East China yellow fir, red bean fir, sanjian fir, gold coin pine, China catalpa, magua wood, pearl yellow poplar, Yellow Mountain plum, etc. East China yellow fir is an endangered species of the Cretaceous period. There is now only one standing near the Cloud Valley Temple in the Yellow Mountains. Yet here in the reserve one finds large tracts 0f them. Arrow bamboo, which is the main diet of panda, is also found here. Rare animals such as Maoguan deer, zibeline, golden cat, Summon antelope, macaque and black musk wander freely in the reserve. In addition to enjoying the beauty of the nature, visitors also have the opportunity to appreciate the distinctive local culture with its renowned architecture, carving, painting, epigraphy, lacquer making, calligraphy, pottery art, potted landscape, bamboo weaving as well as local opera and folk songs and dances. The architecture of the region, its economic development, medicine and folklore have become subjects of study, so have the philosophic works of Daizhen, mathematics works of Cheng Dawei and educational articles of Tao Xingzhi who were all natives of this region. The famous local teas such as Qimen black tea, Tunxi green tea, Yellow Mountain Maofeng tea and Taiping Houkui tea as well as Santan loquat, golden dates and local cuisine are all favored by tourists. No one who has visited the Yellow Mountains leaves unimpressed by its fascination.