Shangnan Yuhuangshan Forest Park

　　Yuhuangshan Forest Park is situated in the northwest of Shangnan County, 60 kilometers from the county seat. The total sightseeing area spans 112,000 mu, including 74,700 mu of primeval forest. It is an eastern extension of the Mangling and Liuling ranges of the Qinling Mountains, comprising three major sections—Yuhuangshan, Caoying, and Shuangjian—with over 50 scenic spots. The main peak, Yuhuangshan, rises 2,075.9 meters above sea level, making it the highest point in the county. Yuhuangshan is characterized by its verdant peaks, forest landscapes, clear streams, and cultural legends, offering a serene expanse where forests are lush and valleys fragrant. Here, you can get drunk with the rosy clouds, converse with the moon, fly with the clouds, and dance with the birds. Immerse yourself in the sea of trees, wash away the noise of the city, leave with a deep connection to nature, and return to and merge with the natural world. Yuhuangshan is a child of the great mountains and a mother of the earth—a myth from ancient times and a geological legacy. Walking here, you’ll find traces of the Quaternary glacial period everywhere: pressure pits, glacial grooves, and langgou (glacial channels), some gently expansive, others steep and deep, showcasing the intense erosive and scraping features of isolated water flows. The peaks are ruggedly beautiful, and the rocks appear almost alive. Yunü Peak stands uniquely tall, like a bamboo shoot or pillar, accompanied year-round by blue skies and white clouds, ethereal and otherworldly. This cluster of peaks seems carved by divine axes or painted by master artists, each one vying in beauty, with sheer outer faces and hollow interiors. The drifting clouds create an ever-changing, dreamlike scene. Known as the “Lady Peaks,” they are also called the “Ten Ladies Peaks” by some, based on the number of summits. Surrounding the Lady Peaks are clusters of exquisite rocks, each with legendary tales and traces of glacial history—Laojun Chair, Couple Rocks, Armor Rocks, Stone Gate Drum, Heavenly Heart Rock, Little Huashan, Thousand-Layer Rocks, Tiger Head Rock… Among them is a rock formation about 100 meters long, whose natural striations resemble tiger stripes. From afar, it looks like a crouching tiger hidden within the dense forest. Legend says this petrified tiger was once a mountain deity dispatched by the Jade Emperor, guarding the woods year after year, its half-closed eyes conveying both kindness and hope… Yuhuangshan is the source of the 100-li Qingyou River. Here, springs, waterfalls, and streams leap down from the high ridges. The waterfalls are crystal clear, their trickling streams murmuring endlessly, like pearls cascading or silver ribbons hanging in the air. There are also numerous underground streams, heard but unseen, adding to the mystery. Clear springs flow through the forest; stream water rushes along stone channels. The water of Yuhuangshan possesses a unique beauty. Gentle streams continuously polish the white, red, or black-and-red stone walls, carving them into grooves, then swirling and surging along the winding paths… The water, split by stone blades and pillars, plunges heavily onto tough, clean stone slabs, bursting into droplets that dance into the air—forming flowers of water, mist of flowers, and clouds of mist…

　　Where there are Lady Peaks in the mountains, there is a Lady Waterfall in the waters. This waterfall, one of the larger ones in the scenic area, originates from Yunü Peak. Singing joyfully all the way down, it splashes like pearls and jade, shrouded in mist and dust—hence named the Yunü Waterfall.

　　The water of Yuhuangshan is so clear it’s almost too pure to look at directly; so bright it exudes an indescribable charm; so gentle it lingers in your dreams, making it hard to bid farewell. The rugged cliffs and leisurely-flowing waters let you hear the tides of ancient times and grasp the philosophy that “constant dripping wears away the stone.” The waters of Yuhuangshan have flowed for millennia, silently shaping the hard granite into picturesque patterns. Here, there are two pools—one round, called the Sun Pool, bottomless; the other long, called the Moon Pool, tranquil and serene. Legend has it that Yuhuangshan was once known as Wooden City in ancient times, where trees intertwined and vines clung together, making it impossible for people to enter—or if they did, they could never leave. The legend may sound mythical, but to this day, this 5,000-hectare expanse of pristine secondary forest is dense and towering, covering the sky and forming a vast biological treasure trove and ecological kingdom.

　　The Qinling Fir, a species unique to China and a nationally protected endangered tree, has a very limited distribution. Those growing on Yuhuangshan are lush and vibrant… The Qinling Azalea, also known as the alpine azalea, is a second-class nationally protected plant with high ornamental and academic value. At the foot of the Lady Peaks, Qinling Azaleas grow in thickets, numbering around 10,000. In late spring, when the azaleas bloom, the peaks are enveloped in a world of flowers. The Qinling Azalea’s flower buds are pinkish-red, turning pale pink upon full bloom, with petals that are white tinged with red—elegant and extraordinary, making it a rare gem among the Rhododendron family. Yuhuangshan Forest Park boasts a rich diversity of plant species, featuring both subtropical evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forests, as well as warm temperate broadleaf and coniferous forests. The plant types are predominantly warm temperate, with some transitional elements from subtropical to warm temperate zones. There are over 130 families and more than 1,500 species of seed plants, including more than 20 types of nationally protected rare plants, such as Ginkgo, Qinling Fir, Qinling Azalea, Chinese Kiwi, and Qinling Stone Butterfly. The forest is dense, with a complete natural ecosystem, serving as an excellent habitat for many wild animals. Over 20 animal species under national protection inhabit the area, including leopards, clouded leopards, forest musk deer, blue sheep, golden pheasants, and giant salamanders.