Live Your Best Lives
The wise man loves water, the kind man loves mountains.
Perhaps due to the cultural education they received since childhood, Chinese people always have an inexplicable feeling for mountains.
Therefore, many people start their exploration of the world from the mountains. But when you have traveled all over the mountains and rivers and visited world-famous mountains such as Mount Tai, Mount Huang, and Mount Wudang, do you feel that "there are no mountains to go"?
Then take a look at today’s recommendation, the unfamiliar mountain that you are most familiar with - Dabie Mountains.
I am familiar with it because, as a Chinese, I have heard the history of "The Thousand-Mile Advance into Dabie Mountains" since I was a child. I am unfamiliar with it because, when it comes to tourism, most people know nothing about it.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty passed through the Dabie Mountains while offering sacrifices to the ancient Nanyue Tianzhu Mountain. After climbing the main peak, he admired the scenery on both sides and exclaimed: "The south side of the mountain is full of flowers, and the north side is covered with snow. This mountain is very different from other mountains!"
The great historian Sima Qian who accompanied him recorded it, and Dabie Mountains became famous because of it.
The Dabie Mountains are the geographical dividing line between north and south China and the watershed between the Yangtze River and the Huai River. Water from the southern foot of the mountain flows into the Yangtze River, and water from the northern foot of the mountain flows into the Huai River. The climate and environment in the south and north of the mountain are completely different, and the plants are also very different. This mountain is indeed very different from other places.
The Dabie Mountains are the eastern extension of the Qinling-Dabie Mountain Range and are one of the world's most famous continental orogenic belts in geology.
An ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic belt has developed, preserving perfect traces of tectonic activity and showing the products of intense magmatic activity, which is of global comparative significance.
▲One of the peaks of Dabie Mountains: Tianzhu Mountain
The ancient rocks known as the "Roots of Dabie Mountains" are the oldest materials in the ancient core of Dabie Mountains. They are also evidence of the formation of ancient continental crust in the evolution of the earth. It is one of the classic areas in the world for studying orogenic belts and continental dynamics.
The main peak of Dabie Mountains is Huoshan in Huoshan County, Lu'an City, Anhui Province, and extends in a T-shape to the west, east and south.
To the west, at the junction of Jigong Mountain Wushengguan Pass and Tongbai Mountain, the watershed of the mountain range formed the historical geographical dividing line between Henan and Hubei provinces.
To the south is the famous Tianzhu Mountain, which is located on the southern side of the Dabie Mountains. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Tianzhu Mountain represented the Dabie Mountains.
▲Tianzhu Mountain
The south side of Dabie Mountain is also called Wan Mountain. It was the location of the Wan State during the Spring and Autumn Period. Therefore, the area of Anqing City in Anhui Province today was historically called Wandi and Wan State. Anhui (Anqing + Huizhou) Province was abbreviated as Wan, and the area south of the Yangtze River in Wandi was abbreviated as Southern Anhui. This is the origin of this.
▲A small village in the mountains of southern Anhui
The unique geographical location of Dabie Mountains and the character of the people of Dabie Mountains shaped over thousands of years have shaken history at several important moments.
From the Three Kingdoms period, the Eastern Jin Dynasty, to the Five Dynasties, Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty, the period of division between the north and the south in China was almost entirely fought along the banks of the Huai River. The dense river network in the middle and upper reaches of the Huai River made Huaixi and the Dabie Mountains a stalemate zone where neither the north nor the south could eliminate the other.
The people who have lived here for generations have been tempered by war and are known for their martial arts skills. They have produced many generals since ancient times.
Xu Shouhui, a Hubei native who revolted at the same time as the Red Turban Army in the late Yuan Dynasty, Zhang Xianzhong, an insurgent in the late Ming Dynasty who long occupied the Xiaogan area at the foot of the Dabie Mountains, and a large part of the Huai Army that fought against the Taiping Army in the late Qing Dynasty were all from the Dabie Mountains-Huaixi area.
In the summer of 1947, Liu and Deng's army broke through the natural barrier of the Yellow River and made a thousand-mile leap into the Dabie Mountains. With their special form of advancing deep into the strategic depth of the Kuomintang, they opened the prelude to the strategic counterattack of the People's Army in the War of Liberation.
Amid the rumbling of artillery during the War of Liberation, and in the magnificent history of China's revolutionary wars, the majestic Dabie Mountains once again wrote its immortal legend. From the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 until the summer and autumn of 1950, the Dabie Mountains region became completely popular.
The Dabie Mountains area is the region with the longest struggle period in the history of China's revolutionary war, the largest number of main Red Army troops, the largest number of founding generals, and the most martyrs.
Now, the difficult and dangerous Dabie Mountains in the public's impression has gradually disappeared, and more and more people are paying attention to this treasure land. You Xiaojun has compiled a list of places worth visiting in the Dabie Mountains, and saved them for later visits!
The names of the Dabie Mountains' peaks are distinctive. The top ten peaks are all named with "jian," which is said to be related to the religious yearning for and worship of the heavens. The main peak, Baimajian (1,777 meters), is the highest peak in the Dabie Mountains.
The mountain is majestic and magnificent, the peak is shaped like a white horse, and is surrounded by white clouds all year round, so it is called Baimajian.
Today, Baimajian and the surrounding Longjing Gorge, Langya Valley, etc. have become one of the must-conquer places in the Dabie Mountains for outdoor enthusiasts.
The Baimajian and Duoyunjian ridges are connected, and clouds and mists are flying between the two mountains all year round, with waves rolling and vast like the sea.
There is Duoyun Temple on Duoyunjian, which is said to have been built in the early Han Dynasty. The temple is built with stone strips and blocks, which is ancient and primitive. The antiques stored in the temple are of high archaeological and ornamental value.
Many places named after "zhai" in Dabie Mountains were once places where government troops were stationed, such as Tiantangzhai, which is 1,729.13 meters above sea level.
The Tiantangzhai Scenic Area is divided into Tiantangzhai in Jinzhai, Anhui and Tiantangzhai in Luotian, Hubei. The two scenic areas are interconnected and can be crossed in a single day. It is the most core scenic area of Dabie Mountains.
In Tiantangzhai, there is a unique "Magpie Bridge" in the world. It spans two mountains and connects them. When it is foggy, the bridge is shrouded in mist and people walking on it feel like they are walking in the clouds.
The mountain range where Tianhejian is located has an average altitude of about 1,600 meters. It is the highest mountain range that can be reached by road in Anhui Province. From the road entrance in Hekou Village, Qingtian Township, Yuexi to the highest parking space in Tianhejian, the relative altitude reaches more than 1,000 meters.
This kind of highway is the first of its kind in Anhui, so it is called "Anhui's Sky Road".
The Earth's magical "30° North Latitude" has created the unique geological landscape of Tianzhu Mountain: "a jungle of peaks and a palace of stone." Geological experts call it "the most beautiful granite landscape in the East."
Thanks to the miraculous orogenic movement, Tianzhu Mountain has become a classic section of the world's largest, deepest, best-exposed, and richest ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic belt with ultrahigh-pressure minerals and rock combinations.
It perfectly records the spectacular geological history of continental plate collision, subduction, and return, becoming one of the most typical regions for studying continental dynamics and is known as the "Earth's Leaker."
Every time spring is about to end, thousands of azaleas, rhododendrons, and cloud-brocade azaleas in the main peak scenic area of Tianzhu Mountain suddenly and stunningly bloom, forming a magnificent sea of flowers that covers the entire mountain in bright red.
Mazongling is located at the northern foot of Dabie Mountain and has 70,000 acres of virgin forest. In the spring, clusters of rhododendrons are in full bloom in Mazongling. In the autumn, the mountains and forests of Mazongling are all dyed red.
It has not yet been developed into a scenic spot, so friends can go there as soon as possible while it is still in its original state.
Jingangtai, located in Xinyang City, Henan Province, stands at an altitude of 1,584 meters and is the highest peak of the Dabie Mountains in Henan Province. Its unique geographical location makes it a meeting point for plant and animal resources from the north and south, and also serves as the dividing line between north and south my country.
The sunrise view from Jingangtai is as spectacular as that of Mount Tai, the rolling sea of clouds is as spectacular as that of Mount Huangshan, the steepness is comparable to that of Mount Huashan, and the beauty is better than that of Yandang Mountain... There was once a poem that said: "Jingangtai is a masterpiece of nature, with clouds and mist shrouding it from the sky. After climbing to the top and returning from the cliffs, tourists will not go back to the Five Sacred Mountains."
Longjing Gorge is 15 kilometers long, 400 meters deep, and 40-300 meters wide. Stunning rocks and lush green mountains dot the canyon, and it boasts Anhui's largest waterfall complex. The rapids and pure waters are a perfect spot for a thrilling rafting experience in the summer.
Yaoluoping has the distinct feature of "transition between the north and the south" in terms of natural geography, and its climate characteristics can be summarized as "rain in summer, snow in winter, fog in spring and autumn".
Yaoluoping is a scenic spot all the way. It was the Red Army base camp during the three-year guerrilla war between Hubei, Henan and Anhui, and the headquarters of the Red 28th Army and the Anhui West Special Committee. Therefore, it is called "Red Yaoluoping".
The most convenient way to visit Yaoluoping is by car. Aside from the winding mountain roads, the roads are in excellent condition. Driving up and down the slopes feels like navigating the crests and valleys of the waves.
Bieshan Lake is the largest lake at the foot of Baimajian, the highest peak in Dabie Mountains. In spring, it is surrounded by green mountains and clear waters; in summer, the river breeze blows on your face; in autumn, it is shrouded in mist and the red maples are like fire; in winter, the mountains are winding and covered with silver.
The trip to Bieshan Lake can also be called the exploration of the source of Huaihe River, because Bieshan Lake is one of the main sources of Huaihe River and the source of Huaihe River in Anhui Province.
The red leaves here are particularly special. They are not like the red leaves in Guangwu Mountain, which are spread out in patches or forests, nor are they as majestic as the red leaves in the Three Gorges. Their beauty is winding, melodious and graceful, with a kind of delicate and beautiful mood.
Bodao Peak is located at the junction of Hubei and Anhui, southwest of the main peak of Dabie Mountain. It is famous for its strange peaks and dangerous roads. The terrain here is like a battle axe resting on the earth, and as thin as a knife cutting through the clouds.
The mountain is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round. Usually around 16:00 in the afternoon, a large amount of sea of clouds will overflow to the foot of the mountain, forming a spectacular cloud waterfall that looks like a fairyland.
"In April, go to Macheng to see the azaleas." The ancient azalea community covering an area of more than 100,000 mu on Guibei Ridge has been recognized by the Shanghai World Guinness Headquarters as the "largest ancient azalea (azalea) community" in the country.
Its vast area, age, high density, pure variety, and beautiful colors are unique in China and rare in the world. Every April, it forms the most exciting red ribbon at 30° north latitude.
The main peak of Mingtang Mountain is 1,563 meters above sea level. According to legend, more than 2,100 years ago, when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Liu Che, was offering sacrifices to the ancient Nanyue - Tianzhu Mountain, he set up a "Mingtang" for worship on this mountain, hence the name.
Today's Dabie Mountains are completely different from what they used to be, and are full of vitality. Most of our friends are still a little unfamiliar with Dabie Mountains, but the hinterland of Dabie Mountains has been developing rapidly. Dear guests from afar, when will you come to Dabie Mountains?
