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| Wuyi Range 武夷山 | |
|---|---|
 Panorama of the Wuyi Range | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,158 m (7,080 ft) |
| Coordinates | 27°43′N117°41′E / 27.717°N 117.683°E /27.717; 117.683 |
| Geography | |
  Wuyi Range Location in Fujian Show map of Fujian Wuyi Range Wuyi Range (Eastern China) Show map of Eastern China | |
| Location | Fujian andJiangxi, China |
| Parent range | Zhejiang–Fujian Hills |
| Official name | Mount Wuyi |
| Type | Mixed |
| Criteria | iii, vi, vii, x |
| Designated | 1999(23rdsession), modified 2017 |
| Reference no. | 911bis |
| Region | Asia-Pacific |
| Wuyi Mountains | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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.svg) "Wuyi Mountains" in Chinese characters | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 武夷山 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Mountains of WarriorBarbarians | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheWuyi Mountains orWuyishan[1] (Chinese:武夷山;pinyin:Wǔyí Shān;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:Bú-î-soaⁿ; formerly known asBohea Hills in early Western documents, derived from the local Hokkien dialect) are a mountain range located in the prefecture ofNanping, in northernFujian province near the border withJiangxi province, China. The highest peak in the area isMount Huanggang at 2,158 metres (7,080 ft) on the border ofFujian andJiangxi, making it the highest point of both provinces; the lowest altitudes are around 200 metres (660 ft). Manyoolong andblack teas are produced in the Wuyi Mountains, includingDa Hong Pao ('big red robe') andlapsang souchong, and are sold asWuyi tea. The mountain range is known worldwide for its status as arefugium for several rare andendemic plant species, its dramatic river valleys, and the abundance of important temples and archeological sites in the region, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[2]
The Wuyi Mountains are located betweenWuyishan City of theNanping prefecture in northwestFujian province, and thecity of Wuyishan withinShangrao city in northeastJiangxi province.
The mountains have been listed since 1999 as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site,[3] for cultural, scenic, andbiodiversity values.[4]
The site has a total area of 99,975 hectares that is divided into four core parts. Three areecological: theNine-bend Stream Ecological Protection Area (36,400 ha) in the centre, flanked by theWuyishan National Nature Reserve (56,527 ha) to the west and theWuyishan National Scenic Area (7,000 ha) to the east. The fourth, acultural preservation area, is theProtection Area for the Remains of the Ancient Han Dynasty (48 ha), about 15 km to the southeast of the others. These core parts are surrounded by an additional buffer zone of 27,888 ha.[5] Portions of the Wuyishan National Nature Reserve are more stringently protected, as theFujian andJiangxi Wuyishan Biosphere Reserves on the respective sides of the provincial border, under the UNESCOWorld Network of Biosphere Reserves.
The region is part of theCathaysian 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 redsandstone (particularly in the east) with very steep slopes but flat tops (Danxia landform). Bedrock lithology at Wuyi Shan is dominated bytuff,rhyolite, andgranite in the western part. Redsandstone is common farther east. The elevation ranges from 200 m (656 ft) to 2,158 m (7,080 ft). The terrain is rugged with cliffs and high peaks. There are numerouscaverns in the mountains, some of which have been explored andopened to the public(see§ Tourism, below).
TheJiuqu Xi river (transl. Nine-bend River; also Jiuqu River), about 60 kilometers in length, meanders in a deep gorge among these hills. In most places, it is a slow, shallow stream navigable only by small craft like rowboats and canoes. However, the river narrows at one point to just a few metres but a depth of 80 metres (260 ft).[6]
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 relativelypollution free. The Chinese government set up its first air-quality monitoring station in the area on January 31, 2005.
Lower elevations have a humid subtropical climate with mean annual temperature around 18 °C (64 °F) and mean annual precipitation of at least 220 cm (86.6 in). Cooler, wetter conditions prevail at higher altitudes and winters can be snowy on the highest peaks.
The Wuyi Mountains are the largest and most representative example of Chinesesubtropicalforests, and of thebiodiversity of south Chineserainforest.[2] The region'secology has survived from before theIce Age around 3 million years ago. Biologists have been conducting field research in the area since 1873.
The vegetation of the area depends strongly on altitude. Broadleaf evergreen forests dominate the lower elevations; their tree species yield to deciduous and needleleaf evergreen trees at higher elevations. It is divided into 11 broad categories:
Most common are evergreen broad-leaved forests, some of which make up the largest remaining tracts of humid sub-tropical forests in the world. Higher plants from 284 families, 1,107 genera, and 2,888 species, as well as 840 species of lower plant and fungus, have been reported for the region.[7] The most common tree families are beech (Fagaceae), laurel (Lauraceae), camellia (Theaceae), magnolia (Magnoliaceae),Elaeocarpaceae, and witch-hazel (Hamamelidaceae).
The fauna of the Wuyi Mountains is renowned for its high diversity, which includes many rare and unusual species. In total, approximately 5,000 animal species have been reported for the area. Of these species, 475 arevertebrates and 4,635 areinsects.[7] The number of vertebrate species is divided as follows:
| families | species | |
|---|---|---|
| mammals | 23 | 71 |
| birds | 47 | 256 |
| reptiles | 13 | 73 |
| amphibians | 10 | 35 |
| fish | 12 | 40 |
Forty-nine vertebrate species areendemic to China and three are endemic to the Wuyi Mountains. The latter are the birdDavid's parrotbill (Neosuthora davidiana),Pope's spiny toad (Vibrissaphora liui), and the bamboo snakePseudoxenodon karlschmidti (familyColubridae). Other known endangered species in the area includeSouth China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis),clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa),hairy-fronted muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons),Mainland serow (Capricornis milneedwardsii– agoat antelope),Cabot's tragopan (Tragopan caboti),Chinese black-backed pheasant (Syrmaticus ellioti),Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus), and thegolden Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus aureus – aswallowtail butterfly).[7]
Human settlement on the slopes of Mount Wuyi can be traced back 4,000 years by archeological remains. During theWestern Han dynasty, the ancient city of Chengcun was the capital of theMinyue kingdom. In the 7th century, theWuyi Palace was built for emperors to conduct sacrificial activities, a site that tourists can still visit today. The mountains were an important center ofTaoism and laterBuddhism. Remains of 35 academies erected from the era of theNorthern Song to theQing 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 ofNeo-Confucianism, a current that became very influential since the 11th century.[4]
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Mountain Call and Mountain Open[clarification needed] are ceremonies held in the Wuyi imperial tea garden. The county magistrate used to take the chair of the Mountain Call ceremony onJingzhe Day (惊蛰). In the formal ceremony, tea planters call out together "tea, tea, sprout".[clarification needed] By doing this, they pray for blessings in the tea harvest.
Specialleap-year meals are called Liu Qin (六亲) meals. Every leap year andleap month, parents and brothers must invite their married daughters and sisters to return and have meals with their original family. When parents are living, they make the invitation; otherwise brothers do it.[relevant?]
The number of visitors to the area increased from approximately 424,000 in 1993 to 700,000 in 1998. A raft trip down the Nine-bend River is the most popular activity. Another major attraction isFuxi Cave, where the narrowest passage – theThread of Sky – is less than 40 centimetres (16 in), a fissure open to the surface above.[8] A few hours away isRoaring Tiger Rock, where wind blowing into a cave makes a roaring sound.[9] The nearbyTian Cheng Temple, built in 1707, features a largerock-relief statue of the Chinesegoddess of mercy,carved directly into the mountainside.[9] Two moreexplorable caverns in the area areLing Cave andFeng Cave.[8] At least one guided-tour company operates combined tours to several of these mountain features.[9] Visitor access to the biodiversity-protection areas in the mountains is controlled.
The Wuyi Mountains have a long history of tea cultivation. The four most widely known varieties ofWuyi rock-essence tea are referred to as theSi Da Ming Cong ('Four Great Cultivars') teas:Da Hong Pao ('Big Red Robe'),Tie Luo Han ('IronArhat'),Bai Jiguan ('White Cockscomb'), andShui Jin Gui ('Golden Water Turtle'). TheLapsang souchong also originates from the area.
The Wuyi Mountains area is the birthplace of tea-picking opera. Developed from local folk dances and songs, the performances are comedic and focused on daily life in the tea-growing region. Tea-picking opera reflects the strongly rural nature and basics ofHakka culture. This has made it popular in the local area.
As the world's only large-scale landscape live-action show showcasing Chinese tea culture, ImpressionDa Hong Pao showcases the history of tea and the various tea-making processes around the tea culture of Wuyi Mountain. Impression Da Hong Pao[10] is 70 minutes long and takes place in a completely open landscape, making it the world's first "landscape surroundings theater".
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| South Central |
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| Southwestern | ||
| North | ||
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| Northwestern | ||
| Multiple regions |
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