Wenzhou Yandang Mountain, a Wonder of the World

📍Yandang Mountain, also known as Yanshan or Yanyan, is renowned as the "Famous Mountain by the Sea," "Peerless Scenery Under Heaven," and "Number One Mountain in Southeast China." Its name originates from the lake atop the mountain, where reeds flourish and migrating wild geese rest in autumn. Qing Dynasty poet Jiang Taoshu once praised, "To paint the Dragon Waterfall is a challenge, but to miss Yandang is to live in vain." Xu Xiake, after three visits, marveled, "Having seen all famous mountains, this scenery defies depiction" and "Only celestial beings could fully grasp Yandang's grandeur." 🔹Formed over 120 million years ago, Yandang Mountain is a complete and typical Cretaceous rhyolitic caldera within the Pacific Rim volcanic belt. It is divided into North, South, West, East, and Central Yandang, with the scenic area typically referring to North Yandang in Wenzhou, Zhejiang. ⭐Yandang's development began in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, flourished in the Tang, and peaked in the Song Dynasty, boasting rich cultural heritage. The landscape features deep gorges, perilous peaks, and a blend of elegance and grandeur. Its eight scenic zones—Lingfeng, Lingyan, Dalongqiu, Sanzhe Waterfall, Yanhu Lake, Xianshengmen, Yangjiao Cave, and Immortal Bridge—include the "Three Wonders of Yandang": Lingfeng's exquisite peaks, Lingyan's majestic cliffs, and Dalongqiu's misty waterfall. This area served as a filming location for "The Return of the Condor Heroes" and "Nirvana in Fire." ⛰️Lingfeng is famed for its sheer cliffs, bizarre rock formations, and crystal-clear pools. By day, the views captivate; by night, they enchant. The 113-meter-high Guanyin Cave, hidden within Hezhang Peak, features nine-tiered pavilions ingeniously integrated with the natural cavern. Sunlight illuminates the main hall for mere minutes daily, making it Yandang's premier sacred site. ⛰️Fangdong and Lingyan form Yandang's core. The downhill route from Fangdong to Lingyan offers an easy hike. 🔹Fangdong is celebrated for its "Hanging Wonders," including the 100-meter cliffside walkway along rhyolite layers, dubbed the "Silver Cliff Sky Corridor," Yandang's most breathtaking aerial path. 🔹"Yandang crowns the world, Lingyan stands peerless." Lingyan's crimson cliffs resemble a celestial screen behind the ancient temple, with Tianzhu and Zhanqi Peaks forming a towering "Heavenly Gate." The Cloud-Resting Walkway, Wolong Valley's cascades, and the Ship Rock peaks showcase Yandang's "beauty of elevation," earning it the title "Yandang's Forecourt." ⛰️"Through Yandang's misty trails, by Dragon Falls' drizzled veil." Dalongqiu's 197-meter single-drop cascade, China's tallest, is hailed as the "Number One Waterfall Under Heaven." Alongside Huangguoshu, Hukou, and Diaoshuilou Falls, it forms China's Four Great Waterfalls. Its magic lies in ever-shifting displays—dragon-like sprays, thunderous mists, or pearl-like droplets—captured by Qing poet Yuan Mei: "Dragon Falls pierce the sky, a cottony cascade; Five zhang above, still water; Ten zhang below, pure mist; Beyond a hundred zhang, cloud and spray merge indistinctly." 🎏Yandang's beauty lies in its towering peaks and endless waterfalls; its charm, in 100 million years of fire and water forging its form; its soul, in the poetry and ink of scholars across millennia. Here, nature and culture intertwine, creating timeless splendor.