Emerald Valley

　　   The Emerald Valley scenic area lies in the eastern part of Huangshan Mountain and is also known as "Lover's Valley." Its streams come from Liandan Peak and Shixin Peak. The visitor-accessible parts of the area extend over 6,000 meters in length. The valley contains hundreds of colorful pools of various sizes, with more than 40 pools covering an area of over 100 square meters, and the largest pool spans nearly 1,000 square meters.

　　　    World Cultural and Natural Heritage — China’s Huangshan Emerald Valley. It has long been hailed as “the most beautiful waters under heaven,” a “sacred place for love,” and the “Fifth Wonder of Huangshan.” White clouds rise from the valley, waterfalls cascade down, and hot springs bubble up from the ground. The mystical and ethereal charm of Huangshan, the Remarkable Mountain, seems to have been bestowed upon this place. With its fresh and elegant name, it is called Emerald Valley, affectionately nicknamed “Lover’s Valley.”
　　   In the Oscar-winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the breathtaking scenes such as bamboo sword fights, lakeside romances, deep pool sword quests, and waterfall crossings were all filmed here.
　　   A decade of dreams about Huangshan, colorful hues shimmering through the valley.
　　   Jade-like cliffs hang in the eastern sea, while rainbow-hued robes dance in the northern valleys.
　　   Who was the first to admire these eternal immortal forms? I yearn to climb among the thousands of flying waterfalls.
　　   Truly, the pines and clouds deserve their title as the Fifth Wonder, radiant pearls and lovely reflections shining on ice-like pools.
　　   The colorful pools of Emerald Valley, nestled within the valleys and peaks of Huangshan’s eastern ranges, are a place people dream about. They are a melody of color, a magnificent poem; they are a marvel under heaven, a paradise on earth; they are a boundlessly vibrant and ever-changing painting. I wish to describe them with the passion and language of poetry. But faced with their beauty, any words fall short — none can capture even a fraction of their jade-like grace and enchanting spirit.
　　   Today, Huangshan Mountain in Anhui Province has long been adorned with two prestigious crowns solemnly granted by the United Nations: World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Huangshan’s “Four Wonders” — oddly-shaped pines, grotesque rocks, sea of clouds, and hot springs — have long been famous worldwide. However, the discovery of Huangshan’s “Fifth Wonder” — the cluster of colorful pools in Emerald Valley — which has left the world in awe, described as a “dreamland,” a “fairyland,” or a “realm of illusion,” only happened just over a decade ago.
　　   The harmony between stone and spring, the rhythm of light and color, move people deeply. The resulting illusions — like bubbling magma, fluttering butterflies, dancing golden serpents, or a symphony of all living sounds... — hover between abstraction and reality, awakening the creative eye and inspiring flights of inspiration.
　　   The colorful melodies and beautiful harmonies stir the soul. It’s as if you’re holding your breath alongside the mountains, pine trees, bamboo, springs, and rocks, listening intently to a marvelous symphony. In the music, there are drifting sea clouds, roaring pine waves, radiant mountain flowers, lush fragrant grass, murmuring springs, whispering bamboo shadows, jade-hidden spiritual stones, and silver waterfalls spraying pearls...
　　   The visions of fairy pools and dancing butterflies, the abstractions within concreteness, move people deeply. The fairyland of my dreams is none other than the pools of Emerald Valley in Huangshan. It feels as if the figures of immortals are hidden behind every strange rock and unique flower, within every ripple of emerald water and every wisp of rosy mist. The Creator seems to be an abstract artist — the beauty of the pools in Emerald Valley reaches deep into the human soul, an indescribable yet unforgettable kind of beauty. Every person longing for a spiritual connection with Huangshan, with the Creator, will experience a dialogue of the soul and a baptism of the spirit when visiting these pools.
　　   The valley stretches approximately 6 kilometers and features over a hundred uniquely shaped, differently sized pools — some round, some square — all in shades of jade green. The waters range from crystal-clear to rich emerald hues, dazzling in their brilliance. Scattered throughout the valley like scattered jade, the area is thus named Emerald Valley.
　　   The discovery of the Emerald Valley pools and their recognition as the “Fifth Wonder of Huangshan” is credited to Huang Jianjie, a senior teacher at the Huizhou Normal School of Anhui Province, and Zhu Yunfeng, a senior journalist from Xinhua News Agency and renowned landscape photography artist. In the spring of 1986, the two climbed cliffs and trekked along rugged ridges, repeatedly exploring Emerald Valley to photograph the pools and give them names, promoting them tirelessly in media both in China and abroad. From then on, the Huangshan pool clusters emerged like a peerless beauty, suddenly gracing the human world. Travelers from China and abroad flocked here, considering it a lifelong joy to witness the beauty of the Emerald Valley pools. The long-sealed and isolated peaks and valleys finally opened their arms to the world.
　　   Lover’s Valley
　　   Huang Emerald Valley is also called “Lover’s Valley.” In 1988, 36 young men and women from Shanghai visited Huangshan and met in this valley. At that time, the area was undeveloped, with rugged and even impassable paths. Encouraging and supporting each other, they overcame many difficulties to escape danger. Back in Shanghai, 10 couples among them got married, with many having first met in Emerald Valley. Hence, some proposed renaming the valley “Lover’s Valley.” This is a pristine land untouched by pollution, where everything appears so pure and enchanting, making people more graceful, innocent, and romantic. Countless couples have professed their love here and played love songs, just as the song goes: the mountain is full of emotion, the water is full of emotion, hidden in Emerald Valley is true love; there is love in me, love in you, and our bond grows stronger in times of hardship.
　　   Emerald Valley is now one of the important tourist attractions of Huangshan