Wuzhishan

　　 Wuzhishan, with an altitude of 1,867 meters, is located in Qiongzhong County and is the highest peak on Hainan Island. To its west is Limuling, among which Yinggeling Peak rises to 1,812 meters, making it the second highest peak on the island. The Wuzhishan Mountain Range extends from northeast to southwest, stretching 15 kilometers in a winding form. It is covered with thick layers of granite, with the northeastern section being fragmented and low, while the southwestern part remains intact and towering. The main peak lies at the southwestern end, featuring jagged ridges and numerous cliffs. Interspersed between the mountain ridges are basins and hills, creating a multi-level terrain. Wuzhishan serves as the watershed for rivers such as the Wanquan, LingShui, and Changhua. The southeastern foothills lie on the windward slope and are also in the path of typhoons, receiving an annual precipitation of 2,866 mm, making it one of Hainan’s most famous rain-heavy areas and the wettest region on the island.

　　 The forests of Wuzhishan are dense, lush, and diverse, with complex and multi-layered communities and distinct vertical zonation: below 700–800 meters, there is tropical monsoon rainforest and rainforest on lateritic soil; from 800 to 1,400 or 1,600 meters, there is montane evergreen broad-leaved forest (or montane rainforest) on yellow soil; above 1,400 or 1,600 meters lies mossy dwarf forest and meadow soil at the mountaintop. The area boasts precious timber species such as Hopea hainanensis, Vatica astrotricha, Dalbergia odorifera, and Endospermum chinense, along with vast suitable lands for planting tropical cash crops like rubber and natural pastures, earning it the reputation of a “green treasure house.” It is also home to many rare animals. A Wuzhishan Nature Reserve has been established here. The region is rich in minerals, particularly iron and quartz crystals, which are abundant and of high quality. The famous Shilü Iron Mine is located in Changjiang County in the western part of the mountainous area. In addition, there are hydrothermal vein-type deposits of copper, lead, zinc, tin, tungsten, and mercury.

　　 The Wuzhishan area is home to ethnic Li and Miao communities. Before the 1950s, the region was underdeveloped. Today, roads, factories, mines have been built, and a number of agricultural, forestry, and animal husbandry farms have been developed. Wuzhishan was an old revolutionary base on Hainan Island and a long-standing stronghold of the Qiongya Column during their prolonged struggle.

　　 The most famous mountain in central Vietnam — the Five Elements Mountain in the suburbs of Da Nang.

　　 Five Elements Mountain is located 7 kilometers southeast of downtown Da Nang. To its west is the Han River, and to its east is the South China Sea. On the flat sandy beach by the sea, six peaks — representing metal, wood, water, fire, earth, and an additional volcano peak (which is double-peaked) — rise majestically from the ground, hence the name Five Elements (Wu Xing) Mountain. Among the five mountains, Water Mountain is the most beautiful and largest, situated to the northeast. On the mountain, the eastern side features the Sea-Viewing Platform, where you can gaze at the vast ocean and admire the ever-changing marine scenery. The western side has the River-Viewing Platform, offering views of the meandering flows of the Han River and Cui Luan River, along with verdant fields.

　　 Both the Sea-Viewing Platform and the River-Viewing Platform were built during the Ming Mang reign of the Nguyen Dynasty (1820–1840 AD). Looking northwest from Water Mountain, you’ll see Gold Mountain and Earth Mountain standing opposite each other, reaching straight toward the blue sky; to the southwest are the twin peaks of Volcano Mountain; and to the southeast stands the solitary Wood Mountain. Water Mountain hosts several caves: Huayan Cloud Cave, Huayan Stone Cave, Lingyan Cave, Lingxu Cave, Yuntong Cave, Zangzhu Cave, Yunyue Cave, and Tianlong Cave. The most magnificent and largest is the Xuankong Cave. The cave maintains a cool temperature in summer and warmth in winter, with walls covered in stalactites resembling birds and beasts. Inside the cave stands a large Buddha statue about 4 meters tall, exquisitely carved with lifelike and vivid expressions. There are five cracks in the cave ceiling, shaped like gates. Through these cracks, you can see the sun during the day and stars and the moon at night. Water Mountain also has the Santai Temple, Cixin Temple, and Lingying Temple, which house various statues of bodhisattvas and arhats. The mountain also features the Sky Path and Earth Path. The Sky Path leads visitors to the mountaintop, while the Earth Path takes you all the way down to the seaside at the mountain’s base. Five Elements Mountain boasts stunning scenery. As the ancients wrote in a poem: “Where surpasses Five Elements in beauty? / It rivals fairyland, akin to Penglai. / The mountain gleams with jade-hued peaks bathed in green, / While ancient temples exhale incense, veiling clouded stone.”

　　 Five Elements Mountain was originally an island in the sea, but over centuries of change, it became a mountain on land. Initially named Five Aggregates Mountain or Five Finger Mountain, it was renamed Five Elements Mountain in the sixth year of the Ming Mang reign of the Nguyen Dynasty (1825 AD). The mountain is famed for its jade production. The stones come in a variety of colors: those from Volcano Mountain and Gold Mountain are ink-black and jade-green, while those from Water Mountain and Wood Mountain are white and orange-yellow. The local stone carving craft is highly developed.

　　 Hainan Wuzhishan