Baiyun Mountain
Encyclopedia
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, the capital of Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
province in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
History
| Scenes on Baiyun Mountain named in Eight Sights of Guangzhou | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Chinese | English |
| Song Dynasty | Lianquan Fountain at the Cattail Gully | |
| Yuan Dynasty Yuan Dynasty The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an... |
||
| Rosy Cloud at Dusk in Baiyun Mountain | ||
| Returning Monks of Jingtai Temple | ||
| 1963 | Sea of Pine Trees on Baiyun Mountain | |
| 1986 | Splendor of Baiyun Mountain | |
| 2002 | Lush Greenery on Baiyun Mountain |
The name of the mountain derives from the view of peaks shrouded by white clouds in late Spring or when the sky clears after rain, Baiyun Mountain has been a scenic spot since ancient times. The fame of the mountain dates back before the city of Guangzhou was established, when it was occasionally visited by celebrities of as early as the Warring States Period
Warring States Period
The Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, or the Warring Kingdoms period, covers the Iron Age period from about 475 BC to the reunification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC...
(476 BC–221 BC). It had become known for its beauty in Jin Dynasty (265–420) and reputed as a tourist attraction in Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
(618–897).
Numerous scenes on Baiyun Mountain have been named in the Eight Sights of Guangzhou
Eight Sights of Guangzhou
Eight Sights of Guangzhou , or Eight Views of Guangzhou, is the name of various collections of the eight most famous tourist attractions in Guangzhou, China named in different historical eras.-Song Dynasty:...
of various eras since Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
(960–1279). Historically, Baiyun Mountain had an abundance of scenic spots and historical sites, but few of them have survived till modern days.
Over the course of history, Baiyun Mountain have earned the titles of “Top Beauty of Guangzhou” and “First Mountain of Lingnan
Lingnan
Lingnan is a geographic area referring to lands in the south of China's "Five Ranges" which are Tayu, Qitian, Dupang, Mengzhu, Yuecheng. The region covers the Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces of modern China and northern Vietnam...
” .
Geography
Baiyun Mountain refers to the mountain range located 15 km (9.3 mi) north of downtown Guangzhou and made up of 30-odd peaks, with an area of 28 sqkm. It is the ending range in the south of Dayu Mountains , which themselves are part of Nanling Mountains . Its highest peak, Moxing Ridge measures 382 m (1,253.3 ft) in height and is also called the “First Peak under the Southern Sky” .Virescence covers over 95% of the area of Baiyun Mountain, enabling it to absorb 2800 t of carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
and release 2100 t of oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
each day. Therefore, Baiyun Mountain is regarded as the “Lung of the City” .
Scenery
Baiyun Mountain is a park with natural hills and waters, and an ideal sightseeing place and summer resort, with a development history of over 1,000 years. So far six sightseeing zones have been developed: Mingzhu Tower, Moxing Ridge, Santai Ridge, Mingchun Valley, Fei’e Ridge and Luhu Lake. Apart from the existing scenes Moxing Ridge, Looking afar in the morning from Baiyun Mountain, Looking afar in the evening from Baiyun Mountain, the First Peak under the Southern Sky, Wind Soughing in the Pines on Baiyun Mountain, Village Hostel, Songtao Villa, Mingzhu Tower, Luming Restaurant and Baiyun Immortal’s House, there have been added for the past ten-odd years such scenic spots as Baiyun Cableway, Mingchun Valley - the largest birdcage in Asia, the Forest of Steles in Guangzhou, Nengren Temple, a golf course, Xinghai Garden, Yuntai Garden, the Sculpture Park and Baiyun Chute, etc.Wildlife
The White Cloud Mountain minnowWhite Cloud Mountain minnow
The White Cloud Mountain minnow is a hardy, species of freshwater fish and coldwater fish often kept in aquaria.These creatures are brilliant for children as they are very easy to look after. The species is a member of the carp family of order Cypriniformes, native to China...
, now a popular aquarium fish worldwide, was discovered in this area in the 1930s.
The Tourism Cable Cars
It can be reached by the 24th and 36th Route Buses and bus service direct to the peak is available at Guangwei Road. Baiyun Cableway is the first cable cars for sightseeing in the country to adopt the homemade movable cable-holding device with dual clamping, single-cable cycle with large carrying capacity.There are 80 cars, each can sit 6 people. The lower station is set up east of Yuntai Garden and the upper station at the Peak Park, a difference of 198 m (649.6 ft) in altitude and a horizontal distance of 1672 m (5,485.6 ft) from each other. The cable cars of Baiyun Cableway pass by such scenic spots as ‘Initial Probe into the Cloudy Valley’, ‘Pu Valley’, barbecue zone, ‘Nengren Temple’ and so on, and the limitless scenery of the Goat City (Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
) is right before your eyes when gazing into the distance.