Mt. Wuyi

cctv.com 04-28-2004 11:08

Hi, long time no see! Welcome to Travelogue! So where is our destination today? You can be rest assured that Xiaolan is never going to bring you to anywhere that's less of a paradise on earth. So take a look around, welcome to Wuyi Mountain in Fujian Province.

Paradise or not, with its jade-green water, bizarre-shaped rocks, Wuyi mountain surely represents one classic and popular genre of Chinese landscape.

For years gone by, generations of painters, poets and artists have visited this area in an eternal search for inspiration.

Beauty never goes outdated. Wuyi Mountain also fits the definition of great getaway in modern society for its wonderfully clean and fresh air, rich forestation, and small, original villages that help over-stressed souls to regain balance.

Located in the upper north tip of Fujian province in southeast China, Wuyi Mountain is listed as the world natural and cultural heritage in 1999, and is one of the four places in China that received such honor.

It is safe to say that anybody, everybody can get something from a trip to Wuyi.

A mountain tour usually can be a both pleasant and painful matter. But people can totally relax here at Wuyi Mountain. People of all age groups, all physical conditions can enjoy the spectacular scenery here by taking this bamboo raft.And why is that? Because jiuquxi, or Nine-twist River, cuts right through the center of the Wuyi Scenic zone.

In summer, you can take off your clothes and jump right into the river, take a skinny dip!

As always the case in China, most of the peaks of Wuyi Mountain were named after the interesting shapes they take.

One Boatman said: That peak is called Millstone Peak. But little kids who鈥檝e never seen millstone before call it a hamburger.

Here is also one thing that helped to win the title of world cultural heritage for Wuyi Mountain 鈥the cliff tombs from 3700 years ago, the oldest cliff tombs identified in China.

The boatman and guide, Xiao Lin, has endless stories to tell about Wuyi Mountain.

Did you capture this? This is like the most famous rock in the Wuyi Mountain. It's called Yunu Feng, roughly can be translated into Virgin Peak.

Although rain can be a real hassle for travelers, it is a blessing in Wuyi Mountain for it adds a dreamy quality to the already romantic scenery here.

The picturesque landscape in Wuyi Mountain has long been the inspiration for painters, poets, and artists. There are so many stone carvings, scriptures of poems and calligraphy left from couple hundred, thousand years ago.

There are over 400 inscriptions left by the ancestors here, most of which are from Song to Qing Dynasties. Xu Xiake, the most famous traveler in ancient China, also left his marks here.

Bamboo rafting is fun, but you don't want to miss out on the mountain climbing part.

Most of the hills are only four, five hundred meters high here in Wuyi Scenic zone. So even for people seriously lacking exercise like me, it is not too much of a problem to conquer some of them.

Dawang, Yunu, and Tianyou peaks are worth trekking up for the panoramic view of the 60 square kilometer scenic area.

The journey to uncover the secrets in Wuyi Mountain is usually more refreshing than exciting, as the place is just so delicate and delightful.

Everybody coming to Wuyi Mountain has to pay tribute to Dahongpao, in English, Big Red Robe. So what is Big Red Robe anyways? Dahongpao refers to some 500-year old tea trees!

Shi Xiaoming, Tea Guard, said, "Over there on that cliff, you can find four tea trees. They are the first generation of Dahongpao."

Considered the "king of Chinese tea", Dahongpao is produced exclusively in Wuyi area.

It is usually around early May to pick Dahongpao leaves. Ms. Shi has been the guardian angel for Dahongpao for over 20 years! All the scenic spots, they are not so far away with each other in Wuyi Mountain. so it's very convenient to take this kind of rickshaw.

In Wuyi area, when you see this kind of green hilly fields, you know you are in one of the tea gardens. It's not exaggerating to say that tea is the life of Wuyi people.

The best time to pick tea is in April and May. It's usually the job of women maybe because women are more dexterous with their hands.

And the tea trees here are mostly second and third generation of Dahongpao.

Everywhere you go in Wuyi Mountain, the hospitable people will invite you to sit down and have some tea. Even at a teahouse like this, drinking is free. But few would leave without buying some famous Dahongpao home.

Tea is so prevalent here. Even one-year-old kids, when they get thirsty, their parents will feed them tea. So I guess it'll be really hard for Coke-cola to crack into this market!

Xiamei is a quintessential village in Wuyi area. From the slow pace to smiley face, everything seems simple yet heart-warming.

Well-preserved ancient buildings are the highlights of many villages in Wuyi. Surely, the grandest of all is always the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall of Zou family in Xiamei is a building that exemplifies the architectural achievement of the area in Ming and Qing Dynasty. The prosperity back then could be attributed to the thriving tea business.

Listening to the typical southern drizzle, sipping tea with old granny here, it's almost like time machine has sent me back to couple hundred years ago in Qing Dynasty. And judging from the intricate wood carvings, stone carvings, this house definitely belonged to a high-ranking official at the time.

Some of the decorations are only to be found in such families.

There is always a certain good wish behind each pattern, such as passing imperial exams and getting promoted, or having longevity and lots of kids. Some designs were taken after the traditional operas of auspicious meaning.

Around 30 ancient buildings built couple hundred years ago are still well in existence now in Xiamei village.

In ancient time, this part was considered the far side of China because Fujian was never the center of prosperity two thousand years ago. At the time, the capital city Chang'an was located way up north. But can you imagine that right in this area, a capital city of an ancient Kingdom was excavated. And judging from those tiles, and the structure of this whole kingdom relic, their civilization has reached a certain high level. So follow me to check out some of the cool details in the ancient Minyue Kingdom relics. Every morning, all the officials would come in from that end of the palace to report to their king. And they would follow some strict rules before coming into the main palace. Such as taking baths, and changing into official robes. And lastly, they would kneel down before their great king.

Huanggang Mountain, at 2158 meters above sea level, is the highest and foremost peak in Southeast China.

The reserve is the habitat for many rare species and is dubbed "the paradise for birds", "the kingdom of snakes and insects", and was listed as a member of the world reserve for "human and biology" by UNESCO.

The monkeys at Wuyi Mountain, they are so friendly and cute. Of course, if you've got food, they'll be more friendly to you.

You're not supposed to look right into the eyes of a monkey; otherwise, they'll get aggressive!

Dreamlike landscape, fresh air, easy life pace, Wuyi Mountain really provides a perfect haven for us city dwellers to getaway, relax and recharge. And before saying goodbye, let's take one last look at this gorgeous place!

Editor:Zhang Wenjie  Source:CCTV.com