Mountain Huangshan, a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage, a Global Geopark, a National 5A Tourists Attraction, one of the ten greatest mountains in China, the most spectacular mountain in the world, is located in the city of Huangshan, southern part of Anhui Province in east China. It is famed for its stunning and peculiar natural sceneries composed of four wonders, namely dramatic pines, grotesque rocks, astonishing sea of clouds, and hot springs. Its precipitous landscape, high peaks, and glacial landforms are also attractive. Covering an area of 160 square kilometers, the fairyland-like Huangshan national park has not only attractive scenery but also abundant resources and a great variety of zoological species, for which it has been listed as a World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site.
Yellow Mountain pines are particularly hardy, seeming to twist directly out of the smooth rock. Many old pines have been named according to their appearance or some legend about them. Greeting Guest Pine is the most famous pine in the Yellow Mountains, and doubtless in all of China. The 10-meter high tree grows like a man standing by the path and stretching out his hand to guests in a greeting gesture. Many people hang a poster of Greeting Guest Pine in their living rooms and restaurants as a decoration.
Likewise the grotesque rocks of the Yellow Mountains get their names not only from appearance, but also from legend. Each rock's name has a story, which gives the rock life. Flying-Over Rock is one of the most famous boulders in the Yellow Mountains. The 12-meter- high rock tilts on a huge rock ledge. The contact area is very small which makes it more amazing.
The seas of cloud have contributed much to the ethereal atmosphere of the Yellow Mountains, making peaks look like islands in the sky. The best time to appreciate this phenomenon is from November to May, especially after rainy or snowy days, at sunrise or sunset. There are hundreds of peaks and thousands of ravines in the Yellow Mountains, but five seas of cloud are named: North Sea, South Sea, East Sea, West Sea, and the Heavenly Sea. 1800 meters high Celestial Capital Peak, 1873 meters high Lotus Peak, and 1841 meters high Bright Top are the three tallest peaks, and best locations to see the stunning seas of cloud.
Hot springs not only relax you from the tiredness of climbing, but also have the function of healing and restoration. The hot springs of the Yellow Mountains were discovered and tapped more than a thousand years ago. There is a tale that Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor), the earliest ancestor of the Chinese nation, bathed in the hot spring and became younger. So the springs are also called the Springs of Youth.