Mount Wuyi

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Coordinates: 27°43′N 117°41′E / 27.717, 117.683

Mount Wuyi*
UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Wuyi Mountains in Fujian, China
State Party Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China
Type Mixed
Criteria iii, vi, vii, x
Reference 911
Region** Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription 1999  (23rd Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
** Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Wuyi Mountains (Chinese: 武夷山; pinyin: Wǔyí Shān; POJ: Bu-i Soa) constitute a mountain range located at the prefecture Nanping, at the northern border of Fujian (Hok-kian) province with Jiangxi province, China, between Wuyishan City, at Nanping prefecture of Fujian province and Wuyishan Town, at Shangrao city of Jiangxi province.

The mountains cover an area of 60 km². In 1999, Mount Wuyi entered UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites, both natural and cultural. The World Heritage site has been considered the most outstanding biodiversity conservation zone of Southeast China. It covers an area of 999.75 square kilometers with an additional buffer zone of 278.88 km². Farmers produce numerous types of tea around Mount Wuyi, considered the origin of the real Da Hong Pao tea and Lapsang souchong, further described in Wuyi tea.

History

Human settlements on the slopes of Mount Wuyi traces to 2,000 B.C.E. by dating of archeological remains. During the Western Han Dynasty, the ancient city of Chengcun served as the capital of the Minyue kingdom. Minyue (Simplified Chinese: 闽越; Traditional Chinese: 閩越) was an ancient kingdom located what is now the province of Fujian in Southern China. It was a contemporary of the Han Dynasty. Its inhabitants were from diverse ethnic groups including the Baiyue. The state survived roughly from 334 B.C.E. to 110 B.C.E. According to the Shiji, the founders were members of the Yue royal family who fled after that state was defeated by Chu and Qi in 334 B.C.E.

Minyue was partially conquered by the Han dynasty by the end of the 2nd Century B.C.E. However its position (being closed off by mountains) made it almost impossible for the Han people to establish a strong grip over this area. An ancient stone city located in inner mountains of Fujian is said to be the Minyue capital. The nearby tombs show the same funerary tradition as the state of Yue. Hence, it is concluded that the city was a Minyue center.

In the seventh century, the Wuyi Palace had been built for emperors to conduct sacrificial activities, a site that has been opened to visitors. The mountains constituted an important center of Taoism and later Buddhism. Remains of thirty five academies erected from the era of the Northern Song to the [[Qin Dynasty], and more than sixth Taoist temples and monasteries, have been located.

Most of those remains have only partial archeological excavation completed. Some exceptions exist, including the authentic remains of the Taoyuan Temple, the Wannian Palace, the Sanqing Hall, the Tiancheng Temple, the Baiyun temple, and the Tianxin temple. The area served as the cradle of Neo-Confucianism, a current that became extremely influential since the eleventh century.

Geology

The Wuyi Mountains sit on the northern border of Fujian province with Jiangxi province, China. map

The region is part of the Cathayshan 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 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 red sandstone with very steep slopes but flat tops. The Nine-bend River (Jiuqu Xi), about 60 kilometers in length, meanders in a deep gorge among these hills. The highest peak in the area is Mount Huanggang at 2,158 meters, making it the highest point of Fujian, the lowest altitudes are around 200 meters.

Climate

Nine-bend River in the Wuyi Mountains.

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 to 18 °C.

The area is relatively pollution-free, the Chinese government set up its first air quality monitoring station in the area on January 31 2005.

Biodiversity and environment

Forest in the nature reserve portion of the Wuyi Mountains.

The Wuyi Mountains are the largest and most representative example of Chinese subtropical forests and South Chinese rainforests' biodiversity. Its ecology has survived from before the Ice 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. It is divided into 11 broad categories: 1) temperate coniferous forest, 2) warm coniferous forest, 3) temperate broad-leaved and coniferous mixed forest, 4) deciduous and broad-leaved forest, 5) evergreen broad-leaved and deciduous mixed forest, 6) evergreen broad-leaved forest, 7) bamboo forest, 8) deciduous broad-leaved shrub forest, 9) evergreen broad-leaved shrub forest, 10) brush-wood, and 11) meadow steppe. 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. The most common tree families are Beech Fagaceae, Laurel (Lauraceae), Camellia (Theaceae), Magnolia (Magnoliaceae), Elaeocarpaceae, and Witchhazel 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. 475 of these species are vertebrates and 4,635 insects. The number of vertebrate species is divided as follows:

families species
mammals 23 71
birds 47 256
reptiles 13 73
amphibian 10 35
fish 12 40

49 vertebrate species are endemic to China and 3 are endemic to the Wuyi Mountains. The latter are the bird David's Parrotbill (Paradoxornis davidianus), Pope’s Spiny Toad (Vibrissaphora liui), and the Bamboo Snake Pseudoxenodon karlschmidti (family Colubridae). Other known endangered species in the area include: South Chinese Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis), Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Leopard (Panthera pardus), Hairy-fronted Muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons), Mainland Serow (Capricornis sumatraensis - a goat antelope), Cabot's Tragopan (Tragopan caboti), Chinese Black-backed Pheasant (Syrmaticus ellioti), Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus), and the Golden Kaiserihind (Teinopalpus aureus - a Swallowtail Butterfly).

The number of visitors to the area has 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 followed by a visit to the "Thread of Sky" caves, where the narrowest walkway is only 30cm. Visitor access to the biodiversity protection area is controlled.

Gallery

Notes

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Madeleine, Boyd. 2003. Traditional ecological knowledge of wildlife: implications for conservation and development in the Wuyishan Nature Reserve, Fujian Province, China. Gold Coast, Qld: CRC for Sustainable Tourism. [1]. Retrieved August 1, 2008. ISBN 9781876685294.
  • Pingyao gu cheng The ancient city of Ping Yao ; Wuyi Shan = Mount Wuyi. 2000s. Taibei Shi: Zong dai li Hao ke chang pian you xian gong si. OCLC 58868815.
  • Sheng, Qinqin, and Haohan Xu. 1998. Mount Wuyi. Anhui, China: Anhui Science & Technology Pub. ISBN 75337164501.
  • Zou, Xinqiu. 2006. Shi jie hong cha de shi zu: Wuyi Zheng Shan xiao zhong hong cha. Zhongguo ming cha cong shu. Beijing Shi: Zhongguo nong ye chu ban she. ISBN 9787109108295

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