Shibing Yuntai Mountain

Shibing Yuntai Mountain

Shibing Yuntai Mountain is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Yuntai Mountain is located in the northern part of Shibing County, 13 kilometers from the county seat. The Yuntai Mountain Scenic Area is a major component of the Wuyang River National Scenic Area. It consists of peaks such as Yuntai Mountain, Waiyingtai, Jiaoding Mountain, and Datian’ao. Covering an area of approximately 210 square kilometers, its main peak, Tu lunyan, stands at an elevation of 1,066 meters, rising prominently among the surrounding mountains. Due to its steep cliffs and summit resembling a flat platform surrounded by clouds, it is named Yuntai Mountain (Cloud Terrace Mountain). In 2008, approved by the Guizhou Provincial Government, the Yuntai Mountain Scenic Area in Shibing County was listed as one of the second batch of candidate sites for the "South China Karst" World Natural Heritage nomination.

Shibing County

Yuntai Mountain is characterized by its pristine natural ecology, spectacular celestial phenomena, majestic peaks and beautiful waters, Buddhist ruins, and ancient Taoist temples. Spanning 47 square kilometers, it is divided into two major tourist zones: Yuntai Mountain and Paiyunguan, featuring 24 planned scenic spots. The area is home to nearly 400 species of rare plants and nearly 100 kinds of precious animals, earning it the titles "Treasure Basin of Plants" and "Treasure House of Animals." It is a prime destination for exploration and adventure on the eastern tourism route of Guizhou.

When visitors stand atop the mountain and gaze into the distance, they are greeted by a sea of mist-shrouded peaks, like white dragons swirling amidst the ranges. Majestic cliffs and peculiar rocks jut out dramatically, while deep valleys are veiled by ancient vines. Monkeys swing through the trees and birds chirp overhead. Sunlight filters through the pine forest, casting dappled rays, while wildflowers emit bursts of fragrance. White-throated laughingthrushes hop from branch to branch, singing loudly, and ancient pines stand tall, swaying in the mountain breeze, together forming an enchanting landscape praised by poets as the "handsome birds of the mountains."

Crystal-clear mountain springs flow gently throughout the area, gushing from the crevices of the karst landscape, untouched and unpolluted, pure enough to drink. They meander freely among the rugged rocks and curious stones, forming pools, waterfalls, or streams. The murmuring sounds of the water are like music, soothing and delightful. Visitors can relax by the trees, listening to the flowing springs, experiencing a transcendent sense of serenity. In summer, when the rains are heavy and the streams swell, you can also feel the grandeur described in the poetic line, “Rushing torrents and cascading waters compete noisily, churning boulders and shaking valleys with the sound of thunder.” No wonder monks throughout history could cast aside worldly desires, endure solitude, and devote their lives to secluded meditation here. It turns out that Yuntai Mountain is a rare paradise on earth, offering boundless pleasures unknown to the outside world. Reaching the main peak of Yuntai Mountain offers an even more breathtaking scene. Standing atop thousand-foot-high cliffs and looking out into the distance, the sky is vast and the land expansive. Up close, bizarre cliffs and unique rocks stand proudly, competing in splendor. In the distance, the clouds and rosy clouds of dawn create a constantly shifting spectacle, as if it were a mirage. Gazing over the mountains, it resembles a surreal, ever-changing painting.

What makes Yuntai Mountain so captivating lies in its “clouds.” On summer mornings, visitors ascending the mountain can witness the magnificent spectacle of sea of clouds. The drifting mists are vast and elusive, sometimes swift, sometimes slow, sometimes dense, sometimes thin, sometimes gathering, sometimes dispersing, causing the peculiar rocks and ancient vines of Yuntai Mountain to appear and disappear intermittently—like a beauty shyly covering her face or a celestial being revealing herself, evoking endless wonder. Where the sun rises, the sea of clouds churns vibrantly, shifting by the moment, resembling a mirage. Looking out at the mountain ranges, it’s like gazing upon an ever-changing magical painting.

Yuntai Mountain boasts picturesque scenery with countless beautiful views, yet many remain hidden, much like this commemorative view of Yuntai Mountain.

Dolomite Karst Landform

Shibing Yuntai Mountain Dolomite Karst Landform

Within the geography of Shibing County lies a unique regional treasure: the Shibing Dolomite Karst Landform. This landform is situated on the slope transitioning from the central Guizhou Plateau to the hills of western Hunan, classified as the central Guizhou mid-mountain region. It is a subtropical karst plateau deeply dissected by rivers. Located in the middle reaches of the Wuyang River, a tributary of the Yuan River basin in the Yangtze River system, it mainly includes the intact Shanshui River system and the Waqiao River system, which converge into the Wuyang River, forming the regional erosional and karstification base level. Its most striking features are the cone-shaped peak clusters and valleys, along with the tower-like peak forests atop the cone-shaped peaks. Cone karst consists of symmetrical cones with an average slope of 45°, standing 10–100 meters high, while tower karst features near-vertical slopes with heights of about 50–100 meters. The valleys are primarily box canyons and V-shaped gorges with near-vertical cliffs. Shibing–Shanshui River Scenic Area

In the Shibing Dolomite Karst Landform area, elements such as mountains, water, clouds, fog, and forests come together to paint a picture of verdant, graceful peaks, layered mountain ranges, crystal-clear waters, spotless clouds, ethereal fog, and serene, profound forests. The interplay of mountains and water, forests and streams creates a stunning, refreshing landscape. It harmoniously unites aesthetic beauty, form, and sound, achieving the perfect integration of comprehensive and primal beauty, reaching the highest standards of human landscape aesthetics.

Within this karst landform area, the clear, gleaming springs of the Shanshui River and Waqiao River, along with the steep, rugged peak clusters, embody the natural essence of “elegance, serenity, and wonder.” The Yuntai Mountain Scenic Area showcases its unyielding character through its pristine natural ecology, celestial phenomena, majestic peaks and beautiful waters, as well as Buddhist and Taoist cultural sites. The Heichong Scenic Area presents spectacular celestial views such as sea of clouds and sunrises amid thousands of valleys and mountains. Many landscapes in the region remain entirely untouched by human hands. Common karst features—such as peculiar peaks, caves, giant rocks, natural bridges, tower-like peak clusters, rift valleys, narrow ridges, and stone pillars—are fully developed here. Cliffs are as if hewn by axes, peaks stand like swords, displaying diverse and vividly unique shapes. For example, the main peak of Yuntai Mountain, Tu cangyan, rises abruptly among the mountains, with a terrain “carved from all sides, half-emerging from the sea of clouds,” and a flat summit resembling a terrace. Shanmu Peak takes shape from water, presenting graceful forms and harmonious outlines. Other notable formations include Bijia Mountain, Fanping Rock, Tiger’s Back, Dripping Water Rock, Daluojia, Xiaoluojia, Wan Zhang Rock, and Meiniang Peak. Over millions of years of erosion by wind and rain, the dolomite rock has formed towering, angular cliffs or continuous ranges stretching hundreds of miles, capable of delivering a powerful visual and even spiritual impact. Shibing Yuntai Mountain

The Shibing Dolomite Karst Landform area features a diverse range of ecosystems, including forests, rivers, rocky shores, caves, and farmland settlements, characterized by uniqueness and primitiveness. In terms of plant classification, according to the system proposed by Soviet botanist Takhtajan, it belongs to the Eastern Asia subregion of the Northern Subkingdom of the Circumboreal Plant Region. Based on the vegetation zoning by China’s Vegetation Committee, Shibing falls within the mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest zone of the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest region, with its zonal vegetation being the mid-subtropical moist evergreen broad-leaved forest. The area is rich in species, with vegetation types including eight forest vegetation groups: coniferous forests, mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests, evergreen broad-leaved forests, evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forests, bamboo forests, and shrublands, comprising 61 formations. It is home to 1,351 species of higher plants, including 50 families and 285 species of bryophytes, 25 families and 127 species of ferns, 7 families and 22 species of gymnosperms, and 131 families and 917 species of angiosperms. Based on animal adaptations to the dolomite karst environment, local animal communities are broadly categorized into stream and river animal groups, riverside reed and sandy shrub animal groups, forest animal groups, bamboo forest animal groups, rocky shore animal groups, shrub and grassland animal groups, farmland and settlement animal groups, and cave animal groups. These include 298 species of vertebrates, comprising 49 species from 17 fish families (including subfamilies), 14 species from 6 amphibian families, 30 species from 10 reptile families, 160 species from 41 bird families (including subfamilies), and 45 species from 19 mammal families. In addition, the nominated site hosts over 200 species of blue-green algae, as well as abundant insects and cave fauna. Among higher plants, 68 species are listed in China’s Species Red List, and 242 species of vertebrates are included, many of which are also on the CITES list and China’s National Key Protected Wildlife List.

Address: Yuntai Mountain Management Station, Shibing County, Qiandongnan Prefecture, Guizhou Province

Opening Hours:

7:30-16:30

Adult Ticket for Guizhou Yuntai Mountain: 60 RMB