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Mt Huangshan holds the charms of all other famous mountains in China, and claims to be “the most spectacular mountain in the world”. It is as magnificent as Mt Taishan, precipitous as Mt Huashan, graceful as Mt Emei, and has the misty cloud of Mt Hengshan, the delicate rocks of Mt Yandang, and the pouring waterfalls of Mt Lushan. Xu Xia-ke, traveler and geologist of Ming Dynasty, visited Mt Huangshan twice and praised that “Once on top, one finds no other match. This is the acme!” And soon after, there is the saying “No mountain is worth seeing after a trip to the Five Sacred Mountains, but none of the Five is worth seeing after a trip to Huangshan”.
Mt Huangshan is an integrated scenic zone with all the rare beauties of peaks, rocks, pines, clouds, and springs, particularly reputed for its four wonders of strange pines, grotesque rocks, cloud seas, and hot springs. There are not only 2 lakes, 3 waterfalls, 16 springs, and 24streams that add a charm to each other, but also the ancient traces of Quaternary glaciers found by China’s distinguished geologist Li Si-guang. The mountain is abundant with native plants and animal resources, and the wealth of water potentials provide the mountain with an additional amazing beauty.
In December of 1990, UNESCO included Mt Huangshan on their World Heritage List as a property of the world, for both its natural and clutral values. In February, 2004, Mt Huangshan National Geopark was approved by UNESCO as a site of the World Geological Parks on its list of World Network of Geoparks.