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Yandang Mountains or
Yandangshan (
Chinese:
t 雁蕩山,
s 雁荡山,
p Yàndàng Shān,
lit. "Wild Goose Pond Mountain(s)") refers, in the broad sense, to a coastal
mountain range in southeastern
Zhejiang province in eastern
China, covering much of the
prefecture-level city of
Wenzhou (from
Pingyang County in the south to
Yueqing County in the northeast) and extending to the
county-level city of
Wenling in
Taizhou prefecture. The mountain range is divided in two by the
Oujiang River, the two parts being the North Yandang and South Yandang. More narrowly, Yandangshan is also used more narrowly to refer to
Mount Yandang, a specific part of the North Yandang around an ancient caldera near a small town of the same name (
雁荡镇,
Yàndàng Zhèn).
The highest peaks of North Yandang are located here, and this is also
the main tourist spot. In this article, name "Yandang Mountains" is used
to refer the mountain range and "Mt. Yandang" to refer to the caldera.
The main peak of North Yandang, Baigangjian (
百岗尖,
Bǎigǎng Jiān,
lit. "Hundred-Peak Point"), rises 1,150 m (3,770 ft) above sea level
[2][5] There is a radar station on the peak, which is closed to the public.
In 2004, Yandangshan became National Geological Park and in the beginning of 2005, a member of
Global Geoparks Network, with total area of 450 km
2 (170 sq mi).
[2] The Yandangshan National Forest Park has an area of 841 hectares (2,080 acres), covering Mt. Yandang.
[6]
Mt. Yandang is known for its natural beauty, arising from its many
vertical rock faces and pinnacles, mountain slopes with lush forests and
bamboo groves, streams with clear water, waterfalls and caves. The area
also hosts numerous temples and shrines, many of them with a long
history; characteristic for the temples is that many of them are built
inside caves or in mouths of caves.
Environment
Yandang Mountains were formed through volcanic activity during the
Cretaceous period c.
100-120 million years (Ma) ago.
[7]
Similar igneous rocks are widespread in SE China, forming a ~400 km
(250 mi) wide and ~2,000 km (1,200 mi) long belt of volcanic-intrusive
complexes.
[8]
Yandangshan
caldera is a round
volcanic‐
intrusive
complex with a diameter of 13 square kilometers (5.0 sq mi), of which
the north-east part was destroyed by a later regional fault.
[8] Yandangshan volcano erupted in four episodes. The mountain consists of various
igneous rocks:
ignimbrite,
rhyolite,
syenite and
tuff.
[9]
The mountain shows often conspicuous layering corresponding to the four
different episodes of eruptions, giving rise to terrace-like structures
where flatter, forested areas are separated by vertical cliffs.
Mt. Yandang is mostly covered by deciduous and evergreen forests, mixed with some
Cunninghamia. Drier ridges can be dominated by small
pine
trees. There are also some bamboo grooves. Lower slopes and valleys are
used for agricultural purposes, for example for growing tea, or as
fruit gardens. Herbs and mushrooms collected from the mountain are sold
locally.
A number of plant and animal species have been named after Mt. Yandang. A species of sedge,
Carex yandangshanica, has been described from Mt. Yandang and two other mountainous locations in
Zhejiang.
[10] Mt. Yandang has also given its name to
Cyclosorus yandangensis, a marsh fern, and
Arachniodes yandangshanensis, a holly fern.
[11] Among animal species, a mite
Eustigmaeus yandangensis has been named after Mt. Yandang, but this has been challenged.
[12]
Yandang Mountains are everywhere influenced by human activity; there
is an extensive network of official tourist paths, clearings for
fire-prevention, and unofficial paths used by the local people for
collecting resources from the mountains; nevertheless, because of the
steep terrain, some parts are difficult to access. Whatever wildlife
survives tends to be very elusive. Notable inhabitants of Yandang
Mountains include
Cabot's tragopan,
[13] a nationally-protected species in China.
[14] Chinese pangolin is also reported to live in Yandang Mountains.
[15]
Yandang Mountains have been considered as one of the areas where
South China tiger might still persist, but there is no positive evidence and the species is considered functionally extinct in the wild.
[16]
Cultural significance
Lingfeng Peak. The big crack is the
Guanyin Cave, with the lower gate of the Guanyin Temple just visible.
Yandang Mountains are dotted with temples and shrines, many of them with long history.
[17] Most of them were destroyed during the
Cultural Revolution, but many have been rebuilt.
Guanyin Temple (or Avalokitesvara Temple) is a Buddhist temple
located on Mt. Yandang, in the Lingfeng Peaks scenic area. The temple
lies between two rock peaks leaning against each other such that a big
crack-like cave is formed; the peaks are together known as the "Holding
Palms Peak". The cave is 100 metres high, with the cave bottom sloping
steeply up. The temple follows this natural structure and has nine
levels (floors), with the
Guanyin shrine occupying the highest, most hidden section of the cave. The temple was first build in 265.
[18]
Tourism
North Yandang
A view from the Lingyan Rock.
Great Dragon Pond Waterfall.
North Yandangshan, in the geographic sense, contains three scenic
areas, Yangjiaodong/Fangshan, Middle Yandangshan and North Yandang, the
latter commonly referred to as the Yandangshan, the most famous of the
scenic areas in the Yandang Mountains.
North Yandang Scenic Area is centered around Mt. Yandang and has an area of 450 km
2 (170 sq mi).
[19] China’s National Tourism Administration rated North Yandang as a "
5A scenic area" in 2007, up from "4A" before.
[2] A number of touristic attractions, or "scenic spots", have been develop around Mt. Yandang, the most famous being:
The great majority of domestic tourists only visit the key scenic
areas, which can get very crowded, and not all development has been kind
to the surroundings. However, areas outside the formally developed
scenic spots can be quite serene. Mt. Yandang is also increasingly
popular as a hiking area for urbanites.
Mt. Yandang can be accessed using the
Yandangshan Railway Station on the fast railway track between
Ningbo and
Wenzhou.
Middle Yandang Scenic Area is a "
4A scenic area" in south of Yueqing County.
[20] The total area of the scenic area is 93 km
2.
Yangjiaodong/Fangshan Scenic Area is on the border between
Wenzhou and Taizhou. This is a single mountain, but the name of the
scenic area changes on the border. Yangjiaodong (
Chinese:
羊角洞) is the Wenzhou half, and Fangshan (
Chinese:
方山) the Taizhou one.
[21]
South Yandang
South Yandang is a "4A scenic area" and consists of five scenic spots near Nanyanzhen town in
Pingyang County.
[22] East and West Caves are the most famous sights. The total area of the scenic area is 169 km
2.
