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With a population of 1.4 million and an
area of 9807 square kilometers (3786 square miles),
Huangshan City is about 15 times the size of Singapore , and
is the largest city of Anhui
Province. It consists of 3 districts (Huangshan, Huizhou and
Tunxi) and 4 counties (Qimen,
Shexian , Xiuning and Yi ) . It was known historically as
Xin'an Prefecture and Huizou
Prefecture, and gained its present name in 1987 for the breathtaking
beauty of Mt. Huangshan
(Yellow Mountain).
Yellow Mountain (Mt.Huangshan) range covers an area of 1200
square kilometers (463 square
miles) with a well developed scenic area of 154 square kilometers
(60 square miles).Yellow
Mountain (Mt.Huangshan) is famous for the uniquely shaped
pines, the fantastic rock peaks, the sea of clouds and the
hot springs . The mystic clouds drift in and out, changing
the
scenery from minute to minute as the mist rises and ebbs.
One would think this is where the
gods reside . Of all its numerous peaks , 72 are named by
their shapes or after certain
historical and religious figures or themes. However, major
peaks that attract most visitors are the Bright Summit, the
Heavenly Capital Peak and the Lotus Flower Peak.
Throughout history,praises were heaped on Yellow Mountain
(Mt.Huangshan) by famous men of
letters. On his second visit to the Yellow Mountain, Xu Xiake,
the famous traveler and
geographer of Ming Dynasty, exclaimed:"Yellow Mountain (Mt.Huangshan)
in Anhui has no equals.Once on top, one finds no other match.
This is the acme!" People later concluded:"
No mountain is worth seeing after a trip to the Five Sacred
Mountains , and no Sacred
Mountain is worth seeing after a trip toYellow Mountain (Mt.Huangshan)
". No wonder it is
the only mountain which is listed in China's Top Ten Scenic
Spots and designated by the
UNESCO World Heritage Committee as a World Cultural and Natural
Heritage site.
Besides Yellow Mountain (Mt.Huangshan), Huangshan City offers
many other tourist attractions
: the UNESCO named and well-preserved ancient villages ( Xidi
and Hongcun villages in Yixian
County , the film site of the movie Crouching Tige r, Hidden
Dragon), archways ( in Shexian
County), Taiping Lake (in Huangshan District) and Qiyun Taoist
Mountain (in Xiuning County).
Old houses, clan temples, ancient bridges and pagodas are
abundant.
Huangshan City has two attractions named by UNESCO and many
natural places of cultural
interest, it has something for everyone. It is truly a first-rate
tourist attraction.
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