Wugong Mountain

( chinadaily.com.cn, wugongshan.com )

Updated: 2011-09-07

The first sight on the mountain is clouds embracing the peak.

Admission ticket price:   70 yuan/person  Cable-carticket price:    Going up: 55 yuan/person   Going down: 45 yuan/person   Round-way: 90 yuan/person  Tel:    +86-799-7636666   Website:    http://www.wugongshan.cn/english/

Wugong Mountain, one of the three renowned mountains in ancient times in South China, covers an area of over 120 square kilometres and contains the highest peak in Jiangxi province: White Crane Peak. It reaches 1,918.3 meters and attracts many visitors very year.

There are many terraces in front of the mountain. In spring, farmers prepare the land. The way they work has not changed since the time of their ancestors. Even today, they plough fields with a buffalo. A long way from the terraces is a peaceful village.

The first sight on the mountain is clouds embracing the peak. From the bottom to the top takes at least three hours, unless you are an expert climber, don't forget to take enough water because what is sold on the top of the mountain is very expensive. Green trees and grass grow everywhere along the path.

Wugong Mountain in thick cloud

Some of the paths are paved with pebbles. It's said that walking on the pebbles is good for your health. Numerous children and elderly people sometimes take off their shoes and walk on the pebbles.

On the mountainside, many boxes were hung on trees. They were for short-tail monkeys and this place was named "Monkey Valley." In the spring, the short-tailed monkeys forage for bamboo shoots on top of the mountain. In August, bamboo shoots season is over, so they return to the valley and eat the food local people put into boxes.

A small wooden restaurant can be found at the bottom of the valley, offering meals, soft drinks and fruits.

On the top of White Crane Peak, the scenery is very picturesque, with a vast grassland that looks like waves.

Entrance of the White Crane Peak

Admirable Grass: The meadow covers an area of more than 100,000 Mu at the elevation of more than 1,600 meters. It is green when spring and summer, gold when autumn, and white when winter. It makes you experience the sight of northen prairie in southern of China. It is the Prairie in the sky, the divine of the earth, the sihgt of northen and green family.

The admirable grass

Grand Mountain: Wugong Mountain with many overlapped peaks is marvellous and splendid. There are many deep gullies and dingles. And the peaks are steep and so beautiful that they are unique in the world.

The peaks on Wugong Mountain are steep and so beautiful that they are unique in the world.

Queer Rock: There are queer rocks everywhere in Wugong Mountain. Golden Cock Greeting Spring, Stalagmite Penetrating the Clouds, Couple's Peak, GuangGong Back From Batterground and some other scenic spots are vivid and marvelous.

Stalagmite Penetrating the Clouds

Red Rock Valley which is famous as a wild region with luxuriant aged trees is a most spectacular natural phenomenon and Yangshimu is well known as a fascinating scenic area. Four altars are scattered around the peak.

The mountain has a long history. It has been considered a holy place since the journey of Ge Xuan and Ge Hong, two famous masters of Taoism. The altars were built in the period of the East Wu Dynasty (AD 229-280) and used as a place to offer sacrifices to gods or ancestors. They are very special in China because of their peculiar architectural style.

Many refined scholars and poets went to Wugong Mountain and wrote poems here. Liu Zhengqi, a poet from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), praised it after climbing it. Standing at the peak is like standing on top of five mountains.

The sunrise is very beautiful, the local people told us. Some lovers, camping in tents on the top, eagerly await the sunrise. Though the temperature dropped to about 10 ℃ on the night of my visit in May, the spot is undeniably romantic.

Sometimes, the sunrise was shrouded by mist. But standing on the mountain connected with the sky, people can have the feeling of being on the top of the world, with the village, the valley and terraces right before our eyes.

Going down the mountain is easy with the help of a bamboo stick. You can also take some fresh water to drink from a spring on the top. Climbing the mountain is really a way to take a walk on the wild side.

The Couple Waterfall

How to get there:

To travel to Wugong Mountain, you must pass by Pingxiang city.

From Shanghai or Nanchang (the capital city of Jiangxi province) to Pingxiang city, you can take the train. About 17 hours from Shanghai (110 yuan or $14) or 4 hours from Nanchang (22 yuan). You can take the No1 or No 2 bus from Pingxiang railway station to the southern station of Pingxiang (about 15 minutes and 1 yuan bus fare). Finally, you should pay 13 yuan to get from the southern station to the foot of the mountain.

Accommodation:

Spending the night in Pingxiang is very convenient. Many hotels can be found near the railway station and they're also near the bus station. The average price for accommodation is about 30-40 yuan per person (room with TV, private bathroom, air conditioner).

Enjoying delicious snacks in a private outdoor restaurant around the railway station is another extra.

On the mountain peak, there aren't many cabins offering accommodation. It's best to reserve a room in advance if you plan to travel during the holidays.