Yunwo

Yunwo

Yunwo can be regarded as one of the most beautiful spots in Wuyi Mountain. It is located on the northern bank between the Fifth and Sixth Bends, nestled between Jiesun Peak and Xianzhang Peak. Nestled against the mountain and beside the water with spectacular peaks all around, it often gets enveloped in clouds at dawn and dusk—hence the name. The best times to view the clouds are early mornings and evenings in late spring and early autumn.

Yunwo is divided into Upper Yunwo and Lower Yunwo, backed by cliffs and facing the water, surrounded by Xiangsheng Rock, Danlu Peak, WanDui Peak, Tianyou Peak, and Yinping Peak. Beneath the rugged rock formations are many caves from which wisps of mist often drift out during winter and spring, curling among the peaks and rocks. Other attractions include Tiexiang Stone, Fuhu Rock, Juluo Cave, and historical ruins such as Shugui Retreat, Shuiyun Lodge, and Youxi Thatched Cottage.

At the foot of the mountain lies the Ziyang Academy, where Zhu Xi once lectured. In the 11th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1583 AD), Chen Yesheng, Vice Minister of War, retired here and built the Youxi Thatched Cottage, Bin Yun Hall, and Qi Yun Pavilion, though only cliff inscriptions remain today. Across the stream from Yunwo lies Xiangsheng Rock, where visitors’ calls and laughter echo back. The rock features numerous inscriptions by notable figures. Below the rock stands a Mo Yu Stone by the stream; to its right, a stone juts across the water, forming a perilous shoal known as “Laoyatuo.”

Yunwo is situated beneath the western cliff of Jiesun Peak, surrounded by Xiangsheng Rock, Danlu Rock, Xianji Rock, Tianzhu Peak, Gengyi Platform, Tianyou Peak, and Cangping Peak. Here, massive rocks stand tall, backed by cliffs and overlooking the water, located in the heart of Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area, making it the premier attraction. Yunwo has over ten large and small caves. During the early mornings and evenings of winter and spring, faint wisps of cloud often emerge from these caves, drifting lightly among the peaks and stones, sometimes gathering into clusters, other times dispersing, shifting unpredictably—thus earning the name Yunwo (Cloud Nest).

Yunwo is divided into Upper and Lower sections. The area above Tiexiang Rock is called Upper Yunwo, and the area below is called Lower Yunwo. According to the Records of Wuyi Mountain, Yunwo has long been a retreat for ancient scholars, officials, and hermits seeking peace. In the 11th year of the Wanli era (1583 AD), Vice Minister of War Chen Shengng built the “Youxi Thatched Cottage” between Upper and Lower Yunwo, including structures such as Bin Yun Hall, Qi Yun Pavilion, Chao Yun Tower, Sheng Yun Platform, Chi Yun Pavilion, and Ting Yun Pavilion—sixteen pavilions, towers, and terraces in total, all extremely luxurious. Unfortunately, these buildings have long since been ruined, leaving only some cliff inscriptions that faintly recall the past splendor.

To restore the historical grandeur of Yunwo, the premier scenic spot in Wuyi, in recent years the Wuyi Mountain Management Committee has rebuilt over ten antique-style pavilions and structures made of bamboo, wood, and cement at the original site, including Shuiyue Pavilion, Shizhao Qinglian Pavilion, Baiyun Pavilion, Wangxian Pavilion, and Xianyi Pavilion. Some pavilions are built on cliffs thousands of feet high, others beside the Nine Bend Stream, and some hidden within bamboo groves. Each offers traditional wooden benches for visitors to rest.

Tiger Cave: One of the seventy-two famous caves of Wuyi Mountain. It is a hollow passage leading to the Cloud Path Stone of Yunwo. The cave is spacious enough to accommodate over a hundred people. Inside are stone tables and chairs, offering a cool retreat in summer and warmth in winter for visitors to rest. Luohan Rock: This block-like rock leading into Yunwo is named for its resemblance to a luohan (Buddhist arhat). A Duoxiu Pavilion once stood atop it, built by Southern Song scholar Hu Yin. When Zhu Xi constructed the Wuyi Academy at the Fifth Bend, he renovated it and renamed it Tie Di Pavilion, inspired by Hu Yin’s verse “Play the iron flute again, let the immortals hear.” Beneath the rock lies a large cave that connects through its head and tail, known as Luohan Cave.

Qingyin Rock: One of the ninety-nine famous rocks of Wuyi Mountain. Located on the northern wall of Chadong, it is a steep, rugged cliff leaning against the foot of Tianyou Peak, with the three characters “Qing Yin” carved into the rock face. The character “Yan” (岩, rock) is missing the “mountain” radical and two “mouth” radicals, simplified to “玄,” because the towering mountain and the two springs at its base visually replace those parts of the character. The rock carving is uniquely designed, and the surrounding scenery is serene and secluded. A Song Dynasty official, Liu Kui, wrote a poem: “The land is far from worldly dust, the stone gate seals the clouds. A recluse lives carefree, with white cranes coming and going.”

Shugui Retreat: Located at the center of the Yunwo scenic area, in the fifth year of the Zhenghe era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1115 AD), imperial envoy Su Deyu was tasked with inviting Jiang Zhi (courtesy name Shugui), a local virtuous scholar from Chongan, to serve as an official in the court. Jiang Zhi declined three times. The envoy then ordered county magistrate Chen Nan to build a retreat for him at Yunwo, naming it “Shugui Retreat” and conferring upon him the title “Shaowei Master” (Shaowei star, also known as the Literary Star, symbolizing the emergence of great scholars)—as a way to honor virtuous scholars. Hence, the site is also called Shaowei Archway.

Nearby there is also a landmark inscription: “The retreat of Shugui, author of Tongjian Xiangjie (Detailed Abridgement of Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government).” Jiang Zhi’s nephew, Jiang Dexiu, adhered to his family’s scholarly legacy, diligently studied, and eventually rose to the rank of Court Counselor. The court built another retreat for him called Huaiyang Academy, located at the foot of Jiesun Peak. Both inside and outside the stone archway were imperial granted lands. By the Ming Dynasty, due to declining prestige, the land was sold to Chen Shengng, a retired official from Changle, who built a hermitage here and lived there for 13 years. Later, it came into the possession of Li Shixing, a retired official from the late Ming Dynasty. In the 12th year of the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty (1734 AD), Jiang Rui, a descendant of Jiang Zhi, redeemed the ancestral property from the Li family, expanded its boundaries to include Upper and Lower Yunwo, Jiesun Peak, Tianyou Peak, Tianhu Peak, Cangping Peak, and parts of the abandoned Yuan Dynasty Imperial Tea Garden. He also built the Fengxian Ancestral Shrine on the site of the former Huaiyang Academy to enshrine the two virtuous scholars, Jiang Zhi and Jiang Dexiu. The site still preserves the Shaowei Archway and the monument of the Jiang Family Ancestral Shrine. The archway plaque and couplets remain well-preserved.

Address: Wuyi Mountain National Tourism Resort, Wuyishan City, Nanping, Fujian Province

Type: Mountain

Recommended visiting time: 1–2 hours

Phone: 0599-5131890

Official website: http://www.whwy.org/

Opening hours:

7:30-17:30

Ticket information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the Wuyi Mountain general admission.

Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area Pass

1. One-day pass: 140 RMB per person

2. Two-day pass: 150 RMB per person

3. Three-day pass: 160 RMB per person

Transportation

Scenic area tour buses – Within Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area, there are four bus routes that cover selected attractions. Routes 1 and 2 are eco-friendly sightseeing buses running between Chishi Main Entrance and Shangpu Secondary Entrance, shuttling to and from Xingcun Secondary Entrance. Routes 3 and 4 are branch minibus lines running one-way between Chishi Main Entrance and Xingcun Secondary Entrance as well as the new parking lot.

Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area

Dahongpao Scenic Area

Daanyuan Ecological Tourism Area

China Wuyi Mountain Tea Expo Park

Nine-Bend Stream

Azure Dragon Waterfall

Wuyi Crape Myrtle Self-Drive Theme Park

Wuyi Mountain Water Curtain Cave

Great King Peak

Wuyi Mountain One-Line Sky

Wuyi Palace

Tiger Roaring Rock

Wuyi Mountain Jade Valley

Imperial Tea Garden Ruins

Jade Dragon Valley

Chengcun Han City Ruins

Liu Yong Memorial Hall

Wuyi Mountain Baiyun Rock