Yashan Flower Sea Stone Forest

Yashan Flower Sea Stone Forest

Yashan Flower Sea Stone Forest is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Located in Nanling County, Wuhu City, Anhui Province, it is one of the key attractions in Anhui’s “Two Mountains and One Lake” tourism economic circle and is a provincial-level scenic area.

The Yashan Flower Sea Stone Forest is situated on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, at the junction of Tongling, Chizhou, and Wuhu cities. The scenic area covers approximately 20 square kilometers and features extraordinarily beautiful landscapes. There are over 60 uniquely shaped peaks in the area, such as the Y-shaped Peak, Beauty Peak, Lion Peak, and Bat Peak. Countless peculiar rocks are scattered throughout, including the Giant Turtle, Piglet Rock, Toad Gazing at the Sky, Rhinoceros Watching the Moon, Panda Playing with Leaves, Swallows Whispering, and Hundred Monkeys Worshipping — all adding delightful charm. The miniaturized and potted-style rock formations of the Western Hills are truly unparalleled. With their enchanting beauty and diverse forms, they form a uniquely distinctive tourist destination.

Most of the mountains in the scenic area consist of limestone. Through natural processes such as orogenic movements, karst erosion, rainwater scouring, and weathering, the area has developed a rich variety of stone forests and clusters. These stone forests are not only vast in scale but also remarkably lifelike, diverse in shape, and varied in size. Local residents, over time, have ingeniously planted peonies in the tiny crevices between the rocks. From a distance, it looks as if peonies are growing out of the stones — flowers framed by rocks and rocks supported by flowers, forming a mutually beneficial and unique scenic view along the Western Hills.

The scenic area is known as the “Hometown of Peonies.” Around the Qingming Festival, clusters of peonies bloom among the fascinating rocks, creating a picturesque harmony between stone and flower. The peonies here differ from typical ornamental varieties — these are cultivated for production due to the socio-economic needs of the local people. The cultivation of peonies on the Western Hills dates back to before the Tang Dynasty. Due to the region’s historically poor, thin, and infertile soil, growing crops was difficult. To survive, ancient settlers gradually developed the tradition of planting peonies through natural selection. The peony roots are used for medicinal purposes — known as tree peony bark (Paeonia suffruticosa), which is famous for its medicinal value.

The Yashan Flower Sea Stone Forest scenic area contains over 90 caves of various sizes. The “Immortal Cave” has a spacious hall that can accommodate a thousand people; the “Sea Dragon Cave” features five chambers along a corridor with underground streams allowing for boating. Among the peaks, numerous clear springs gather to form the Nanling Lake, also known as “Rhinoceros Watching the Moon,” which sits nestled between the peaks like a silver mirror, shimmering with emerald hues. The Nanshan Temple in the scenic area, originally named Lingyan Temple, is said to have been built by the legendary Buddhist monk Jin Qiao Jue (Kshitigarbha) before he journeyed to Jiuhua Mountain, and is widely renowned.

The Yashan Flower Sea Stone Forest tourist area integrates peculiar peaks, caves, springs, and waterfalls. With lush mountains, beautiful waters, mysterious caves, and bizarre rocks, it is honored as one of Wuhu’s Top Ten Scenic Spots for its unique natural and cultural landscapes — particularly the “Spirit Rocks of the Western Hills.”

The scenic area combines stone forests, caves, waterfalls, valleys, sinkholes, underground rivers, and mountaintop lakes into a stunning landscape. There are over 60 uniquely shaped peaks: Y-shaped Peak, Beauty Peak, Bat Peak, Lion Peak — each peak watching over another. The spiritual rock formations are incredibly lifelike: the Giant Turtle, Piglet Rock, Toad Gazing at the Sky, Rhinoceros Watching the Moon — all brimming with charm. The stone forest spreads across the mountains. Sinkholes, stone forests, Jian Mountain’s Scholar’s Pen, the majestic rocky peaks, Peony Stone Forest, and more each offer their own distinct appeal. Yan’ni Cave, Sea Dragon Cave, Twin Dragon Well, and underground rivers remain shrouded in mystery. The Longjing Well remains warm in winter and cool in summer, with tides occurring three times a day — a truly rare phenomenon. The mountaintop Nanling Lake suddenly appeared overnight during the 1976 Tangshan Earthquake, making it an extraordinary and miraculous sight.

Yashan is the origin-protected region of Chinese tree peonies and is famed as the “Hometown of Peonies.” Around the Qingming Festival, blooming peonies are scattered like patches and clusters among the mountain rocks, complementing the stones and creating a vibrant, stunning spectacle. “Why go to Luoyang to admire flowers when Yashan offers such imperial beauty?” Immersed in seas of peonies, one feels as though floating on air. Covering an area of 30,000 mu, it is a magnificent wonder of the Jiangnan region.

Hewei Town: Located in the western part of Nanling County, Hewei Town is within a low mountain and hilly area and is one of the county’s five central established towns. It borders Gongshan, Sanli, and Yandun towns to the east, adjoins Tongling City (County) to the northwest, and neighbors Qingyang to the southwest. In April 1983, the commune was restructured into a township under Hewei District. In February 1992, the district system was abolished and Hewei Township was established. In April 1997, the township was upgraded to a town without changing its administrative boundaries. In March 1999, it was designated as a central established town. In October 2003, the former Yashan, Hewei, and Luling towns were merged to form the new Hewei Town. For a long time, the Hewei Township center has served as... Hewei Town detailed information++