China

Mount Wuyi

WHS Score 3.42
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Votes for Mount Wuyi

1.5

  • Andrew Wembridge

3.0

  • Alexander Lehmann
  • Christravelblog
  • Jeffrey Chai
  • KoenigMarke
  • Ludvan

3.5

  • Alex Marcean
  • Bundi Cao
  • chenboada
  • ChenMing
  • Els Slots
  • gcjdavid
  • George Evangelou
  • Kasper
  • trekkie900
  • YAO WEI

4.0

  • baiqitun
  • Bin
  • Csaba Nováczky
  • Dwight Zehuan Xiao
  • Kbtwhs
  • lichia
  • Xiquinho Silva
  • Yang Chengyu
  • Zoë Sheng

4.5

  • David Gang XU
  • Hanming
  • Luke LOU
  • Ming_9734

5.0

  • nongbulinqing
  • Ssong.x
  • Stanislaw Warwas

Mount Wuyi is a scenic landscape of forests and deep gorges, which became the cradle of Neo-Confucianism.

The area contains several archaeological sites, including a Han City established in the 1st century BCE, and a number of temples and study centres associated with the birth of Neo-Confucianism in the 11th century CE. Its natural values include the beauty of the gorges of the Nine-Bend River, the monoliths of local red sandstone, its subtropical forests, and its reptile, amphibian and insect species diversity.

Community Perspective: Hiking and rafting are the main things to do here. Els explored the Han City component and recommends the Da Hong Pao Tea Trail.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Mount Wuyi (ID: 911)
Country
China
Status
Inscribed 1999 Site history
History of Mount Wuyi
2017: Boundary change
Extension of Mount Wuyi with 7,069 ha to its north slopes, located in Jiangxi Province (as a Minor Boundary Change)
1999: Inscribed
Inscribed
Type
Mixed
Criteria
  • iii
  • vi
  • vii
  • x
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
Official
Related
All Links
UNESCO.org
Official Website
Related Resources
News Article
  • 30 Jun 2015 cctv-america.com — New high speed train offers amazing views of Mount Huangshan, Mount Wuyi, and Mount Sanqingshan.
  • 2 Jun 2009 news.xinhuanet.com — Tourists banned from Mount Wuyi to protect ancient forest

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Natural landscape: Forest
  • Religious structure: Indigenous
Travel Information
Fujian Hotspot
Fujian Hotspot
Fast Train To Wuyishan North or Nanping (3-4h from Xiamen/1-1.5h from Fuzhou/2-3h from Quanzhou) …
Recent Connections
View all (28) .
Connections of Mount Wuyi
Trivia
History
Ecology
  • Rainforests
    "It is the largest, most representative example of a largely intact forest encompassing the diversity of the Chinese Subtropical Forest and the South Chinese Rainforest, with high plant diversity." (OUV crit X)
  • Tiger habitat
    IUCN said in its evaluation that it contains the "near extinct S China Tiger". Some estimates put the entire wild population at less than 20 individuals but elsewhere it is stated that it hasn't been seen in the wild anywhere for 20 years

    See tigersincrisis.com

  • Refugium
    "Because of the wide variety of geological and geomorphological niches, microclimates, and the lack of any significant impact of the Pleistocene glaciations, Mount Wuyi has become a refuge for ancient and relic plants which are very rare elsewhere in China" (AB ev IUCN)
  • Salamanders
    Chinese giant salamander, the largest salamander in the world
  • Living Fossils
    Gingko Biloba

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Critically endangered fauna species
    Chinese giant salamander - declining fast, "Commercial over-exploitation for human consumption is the main threat to the Chinese giant salamander. They are considered to be both a luxury food item and an important source of traditional medicines in China."

    See edgeofexistence.org

World Heritage Process
Religion and Belief
  • Taoism
    "few of the Taoist temples and monasteries, more than 60 of which have been located, survive to any degree of completeness. Among the exceptions are the Taoyuan Temple, the Wannian Palace, the Sanqing Hall, the Tiancheng Temple, the Baiyun temple, and the Tianxin temple, all of which have survived to varying degrees of authenticity" (AB ev)
  • Confucianism
    contains study centres associated with the birth of Neo-Confucianism in the 11th century AD
  • Sacred Mountains
    "With the consolidation of the Chinese Empire by the Han Dynasty (late 3rd century BC to early 3rd century AD) Wuyi was fully incorporated into the state system... It was at this time that Mount Wuyi (Wuyishan) acquired its status as a sacred mountain" (AB ev ICOMOS)
Human Activity
  • Tea
    AB "Also of interest is the evidence of the tea culture. In the 11th to 16th centuries there was an Imperial tea farm here, producing tea for the Imperial Court. Certain original elements survive, but the remainder of the structures visible today are recent reconstructions. In addition, the remains of ancient tea factories, from the 17th century onwards, also survive, mostly in fragmentary form." Also see re Tianxin Temple

    See www.chinatoday.com.cn

Constructions
  • Walled cities
    Han city of Chengcun: "a walled city enclosing some 48ha of uneven land. The circuit of walls survives intact" (AB ev)
  • Cultural sites connected to Cliffs
    "eighteen wooden boat coffins in rock shelters high on the steep cliffs" (AB ev ICOMOS)
  • Tombs
    "There is also a number of tombs, the oldest dating back to the Shang Dynasty (late 2nd millennium BC)" (AB ev)
WHS on Other Lists
  • Centres of Plant Diversity
    EA14 Wuyi Mountain - "The largest, most representative example of a largely intact forest encompassing the diversity of the Chinese Subtropical Forest and the South Chinese Rainforest, with high plant diversity. It acts as a refuge for a large number of ancient, relict plant species, many of them endemic to China and rare elsewhere in the country. "
  • World Heritage Forest Programme
  • U.S. Ambassadors Fund
    Preventive Conservation of the Han Dynasty Collection (2nd Century BC) at the Fujian Minyue Kingdom Capital Museum (2005)
  • World Biosphere Reserves
    Wuyishan (1987)
Timeline
  • Built in the 1st century BC
    "It (Mount Wuyi) contains a series of exceptional archaeological sites, including the Han City established in the 1st century BC and a number of temples and study centres associated with the birth of Neo-Confucianism in the 11th century AD. The archaeological site of the Han city of Chengcun was discovered in 1958, this is a walled city. The circuit of walls survives intact; the layout of the town is in accordance with the principle of urban design characteristic of southern China at this period." - Nomination File
  • Jurassic
    Mount Wuyi's Danxia landform developed mainly between the Jurassic Period and the Tertiary Period in the red horizontal or slightly declining strata

    See english.people.com.cn

WHS Hotspots
  • Fujian Hotspot
    Fast Train To Wuyishan North or Nanping (3-4h from Xiamen/1-1.5h from Fuzhou/2-3h from Quanzhou) + Direct bus to Scenic Area (1 h)
Science and Technology
WHS Names
News
cctv-america.com 30/06/2015
New high speed train offers amazin…
news.xinhuanet.com 02/06/2009
Tourists banned from Mount Wuyi to…

Community Reviews