Let’s go to Yuntaishan!

In our impression

Most of the mountains in northern China are known for their majestic and steepness.

The south is famous for its beauty and tranquility.

But there is a mountain

Can perfectly combine the two

It is Yuntai Mountain in Henan Province

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Yuntaishan Canyon, photographer @王伟)

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Its waterfall

Flying down, breathtaking

With a single-stage drop of 314 meters, it is one of the highest waterfalls in China.

(Yuntai Waterfall, photographer @段超)

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Its canyon

The walls are thousands of feet high and the layers are distinct

1.4 billion years of changes

It became one of the first world geological parks

(Yuntaishan Hongshi Gorge Canyon, photographer @段超)

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Its climate

Warm and humid, nurturing life

"Giant Panda in the Water" Moon Jellyfish

Here it first appeared north of the Yellow River

(The one found in Yuntaishan is the Xinyang peach jellyfish. The peach jellyfish here is just for illustration. The picture comes from @Yuntaishan Scenic Area)

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The various forms of the waterfalls

It makes it stand out

It has become a mountain with outstanding waterscape in North China.

A paradise in North China

(Yuntaishan Fenglinxia Scenic Area, photographer @焦潇翔)

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Why is Yuntai Mountain less than 1,500 meters above sea level?

Can it be so unique and so rich?

01

Mountains of the North

Yuntaishan

Located in the northeast of Jiaozuo City, Henan Province

It is a corner at the southeast end of Taihang Mountain.

Like an outpost

Standing between mountains and plains

(The location of Yuntaishan Scenic Area and the surrounding terrain, drawn by @Chen Jingyi/Planetary Research Institute)

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Zhuyu Peak

Altitude 1297.6 meters

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Yuntai Mountain Dogwood Peak in winter, photographer @石耀臣)

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Standing on the top of the mountain and looking south

Under the nearly vertical cliff

The fertile plains are in full view

(View of Jiaozuo City from the top of Yuntai Mountain, photographer @孙庆新)

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If it rains or snows

The mountains are shrouded in mist, like a fairyland

The sea of ​​clouds on the mountain top is magnificent and ethereal

Yuntaishan is transformed into an isolated island above the sea of ​​clouds.

Looking down, there is no bottom

(Sea of ​​clouds at Zhuyu Peak in winter, photographer @任建平)

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Compared with other areas in the Taihang Mountains

The South Taihang Mountains to which Yuntai Mountain belongs

The gentle plains in the east

The contrast is even more striking

Therefore, the road to Zhuyu Peak

They also had to overcome a huge height difference in a very short distance.

Like threading a needle, he passed through dozens of tunnels

Circling up

(Yuntaishan Diecai Cave Highway, photographer @Sun Qingxin)

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Such a drastic change

For millions of years

Active fault zones bring

On one side, the ground is sinking

Become a basin or plain

The other side is relatively elevated

Become a mountain

(Sketch of the Yuntaishan fault uplift and stratum distribution, drawn by @刘志鹏&陈景逸/Planetary Research Institute)

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The activity of the fault zone not only raises the mountains

It also exposes the underground rock layers.

It is they who give Yuntai Mountain its

Layered landscape

At the top

Limestone that is easily soluble in water

Occupied a dominant position

They may be sharpened into a sharp edge.

(Snow scene of Yuntai Mountain, photographer @石耀臣)

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Or cut into a more regular square mountain

(Top of Dogwood Peak at Yuntai Mountain, photographer @崔瀚予)

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At the bottom of the mountain

The long cliffs hundreds of meters high are even more amazing.

Like an ink painting screen, it spreads along the mountain.

Continuous

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Yuntaishan Long Cliff, photographer @段超)

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Continue down

Rocks such as shale with alternating soft and hard rocks

This forms a series of alternating steep and slow steps.

Under the stairs

Quartz sandstone forms purple-red cliffs

Like a red silk wrapped around the bottom of the mountain

(View of Hongshi Gorge in Yuntai Mountain, photographer @段超)

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So far

A typical northern mountain is taking shape

Clearly layered and sharp edges

The mountains are sharp and majestic

But this is not enough to achieve

Yuntaishan is unique

It also needs another element to shape

02

Water from the South

summer

The monsoon roars in from the ocean, carrying water vapor

Across the eastern and southern plains

The precipitation is intercepted by the tall Taihang Mountains.

Yuntaishan is located in the south and has more abundant water vapor.

Annual rainfall can reach 800 mm

It has become one of the rainiest places in North China.

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Yuntai Mountain in summer, photographer @吕自来)

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So much rain

Often only appears south of the Qinling Mountains and the Huai River.

But in Yuntaishan

The mountains of the north have the water of the south

This wonderful fate between heaven and earth

What kind of miracle will be born?

(Yuntaishan Baijiayan, with the Filial Pagoda on the left, photographer @段超)

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Spring Falls Gorge

Yuntai Waterfall

The waterfall has a vertical drop of 314 meters

It is equivalent to the sum of 4 Huangguoshu waterfalls.

The waterfall is more than 20 meters wide

(Yuntai Waterfall, photographer @段超)

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The majestic water flows down from the cliff

A hundred-meter-high mist rises from the deep pool at the bottom

Even in midsummer

It also makes people wrap their clothes tightly

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Yuntai Waterfall in summer, photographer @段超)

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Such a tall waterfall

It is formed in soft and hard rock layers.

Whenever the water falls

The softer rock below is rapidly eroded.

This causes the bottom of the harder rock above to hang in the air.

It loses support and collapses.

Retreat from the cliff

One side becomes steeper

The originally intermittent small waterfall

It has also grown into one of China's highest waterfalls.

(Schematic diagram of the formation of Yuntai Waterfall, drawn by @Zhang Qi/Planetary Research Institute)

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also

In Yuntaishan

There are countless colorful waterfalls created by flowing water

Although they are not as magnificent as the waterfalls

But it also has its own unique charm

Especially the Tanpu Gorge in the north

It also interprets the beauty of waterfalls and pools to the extreme.

The most famous one is the Yazi Waterfall

Unique shape, small and exquisite

(Yazi Waterfall in Tanpu Gorge, Yuntai Mountain, photographer @段超)

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Downstream

The waterfall and the pool are connected like a pearl necklace.

Known as

“There is a spring every three steps, a waterfall every five steps, and a pond every ten steps”

(The landscape of the connected pond and waterfall in Yuntaishan Tanpu Gorge, photographer @孙庆新)

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Leaving Tanpu Gorge and heading south

The sparkling Zifang Lake comes into view

The lake is 200 meters wide from east to west

4 km long from north to south

Formed by an artificial dam

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Yuntaishan Zifang Lake, photographer @崔函卫)

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Boating in the lake

The mountains on both sides stand tall

Mountains compete for beauty

Lush trees sway in the wind

Reflected on the lake

It feels like "the boat is sailing on the blue waves, and people are swimming in the painting"

(Yuntai Mountain Zifang Lake in autumn, photographer @路志长)

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So far

Thick limestone formations descending from the top of the mountain

Carved by running water

Waterfalls, deep pools, high gorges and flat lakes

All have appeared

But the most moving waterscape in Yuntaishan is

Still ahead

Continue walking downstream from Zifang Lake

The crimson cliffs appeared before our eyes.

This is quartz sandstone

With the erosion of flowing water

The Hongshi Gorge with nine winding corridors was born

(Yuntaishan Hongshi Gorge, photographer @石耀臣)

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The canyon is 1,500 meters long

Go deep into it

The cliffs on both sides are sometimes close at hand, only two or three meters wide.

Sometimes it is open and bright, echoing from afar

The valley is full of jagged peaks

The valley floor is full of strange rocks

(The stream in Hongshi Gorge, Yuntai Mountain, photographer @戚伟民)

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The flowing water is a harmonious combination of movement and stillness.

It also shows the ever-changing scenery of Hongshi Gorge.

The interpretation is vivid

They flow quietly

Dye the canyon with its beauty and splendor

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Yuntaishan Hongshi Gorge, photographer @郭浩杉)

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Or transform into a silver dragon

Diving into the deep pool

(Yuntaishan Hongshixia Waterfall, photographer @Lu Weiping)

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Or flowing over the rock wall

Like a string of crystal clear pearls

(Yuntaishan Hongshixia Waterfall, photographer @郭浩杉)

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But this is still not

The beauty of Yuntai Water

Next Steps

Calmer and gentler groundwater

It brings another unique scene

In Yuntaishan

Precipitation can easily penetrate the porous limestone

and flows inside the rock

In addition, dense forests conserve water resources

Groundwater is extremely abundant

(Yuntaishan Waterfall, photographer @开心建)

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As water flows downward

When encountering an impermeable waterproof layer

Begins to flow horizontally

And continue to dissolve the rock

Forming horizontal caves

In Yuntaishan area

There are more than 60 caves of various sizes.

Distributed at multiple altitudes

(Display of the distribution of karst caves and the formation of hanging springs in Yuntaishan area, drawn by @张琪/Planetary Research Institute)

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Yaowang Cave located under Zhuyu Peak

It is one of the representatives

The cave is 10 meters high, 11 meters wide and 30 meters deep.

According to legend, Sun Simiao, the King of Medicine in the Sui and Tang Dynasties

He once made elixirs and wrote books here, hence the name

(Yuntai Mountain Zhuyu Peak Yaowang Cave, photographer @Sun Qingxin)

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When water flows out of the cave

A hanging spring is formed on the cliff.

Dragon and Phoenix Wall in Tanpu Gorge

Countless tiny hanging springs

A large waterfall formed by the river falling

Complement each other

(Yuntaishan Tanpu Gorge, with the Dragon and Phoenix Wall and a small hanging spring on the left, and Tianyuan Waterfall on the right, photographer @孙庆新)

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Abundant spring water

Even in the cold winter, the flow will not stop

Created a magnificent ice waterfall wonder

(Yuntai Mountain Ice Hanging, Photographer @段超)

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thus

Abundant water from the south

Shaped the unique beauty of Yuntai Mountain

The majesty of the north and the beauty of the south

Two in one here

Yuntai Mountain is not only worthy of being called

One of the most outstanding masterpieces of Taihang Mountains

More likely to qualify

The first waterscape in North China

And this song of harmony between mountains and flowing water

It will also bring another identity to Yuntai Mountain

03

A paradise away from the world

Yuntaishan has a unique geographical location

Not only is it helpful to avoid the cold wind

It also has abundant sunshine and rainfall.

Therefore, the climate is particularly warm and humid.

Many canyons and peaks

It provides a diverse and unique environment

Many species of life that mainly live in the subtropics

You can also thrive here

(Forest in Yuntaishan, image source: Visual China)

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Taxus chinensis

National first-class key protected wild plants

It is commonly found in the Yangtze River Basin, Nanling Mountains and Taiwan.

But in Yuntai Mountain, there is a strong vitality

(Taxus chinensis, image source: Visual China)

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also

Yuntaishan has many famous scenic spots, including Taihang flowers and ash

Many national key protected plants such as the lianxiang tree

Four major Huai medicines: Rehmannia root, Achyranthes bidentata, Chrysanthemum and Chinese Yam

It is also well-known at home and abroad for its excellent quality

(Huaiyao is composed of Chinese herbs such as yam, Achyranthes bidentata, Rehmannia root, and chrysanthemum. It is called Huaiyao because it is produced in the ancient Huaiqing Prefecture, which is now Jiaozuo City, Henan Province. The picture below shows Yuntai Mountain in autumn, photographer @马健)

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Rich and diverse vegetation

It also attracts animals.

Macaque, a national second-class protected animal

They often live in Yunnan, Guangxi, Hainan and other regions in my country.

However, Yuntaishan and its surrounding areas have a warm and humid climate.

It also provides them with a habitat.

Became the northern boundary of survival

(Macaques in Yuntai Mountain, photographer @郭浩杉)

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To adapt to the northern climate

They have evolved into a larger body

With thick hair

Able to withstand sub-zero temperatures

Macaques are good at climbing and jumping

Usually feeds on wild fruits and plants

Sometimes they eat insect eggs

When the clouds are clear and the wind is gentle

In the forest, you can often see macaques.

Grooming each other, feeding their young, playing and frolicking

(A macaque in Yuntaishan, the picture shows a macaque feeding its cub, photographer @朱金华)

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also

Red fox, roe deer and other animals

They also shuttle and reproduce in the mountains and forests of Yuntai Mountain.

Even the mysterious king of the forest

North China Leopard

It has also appeared near the main peak Zhuyu Peak.

(North China Leopard, only for illustration, picture source: @猫盟)

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Picturesque landscape

Colorful plants

Lively Animals

It seems to shape Yuntai Mountain into

A fascinating paradise

(Please watch horizontally, Yuntai Mountain Sea of ​​Clouds, photographer @高辉)

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However

Different from what we imagined

This paradise is not isolated from the world

On the contrary, it is located in the heart of the Central Plains

It has been adjacent to the prosperous city since ancient times.

Zhang Liang, also known by his courtesy name Zifang, is one of the "Three Heroes of the Early Han Dynasty"

According to legend, after he helped Liu Bang establish his career

He lived in seclusion among the mountains and waters of Yuntai

The modern Zifang Lake is also named after him.

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Yuntaishan Zifang Lake in summer, photographer @段超)

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The tranquil landscape of Yuntai Mountain

It also attracted many literati and poets

Wei and Jin Dynasties

Seven literati represented by Ji Kang and Liu Ling

Often gather under the "bamboo forest" of Yuntai Mountain

Enjoy the mountains and rivers, and discuss the mysteries of the Tao

Known in history as the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove"

They expressed their thoughts, poems, calligraphy and paintings

Relying on the mountains and rivers

Singing while drunk, playing the piano and whistling

Sword dance lightly, poetry and prose

(Please watch in horizontal mode, the performance of the Seven Sages of the Yuntaishan Bamboo Forest, picture source @Yuntaishan Scenic Area)

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The Wei and Jin style of not fearing the secular world and pursuing freedom

Since then, it has been integrated into this landscape

(Yuntaishan Hongshixia National Style Performance, picture source @Yuntaishan Scenic Area)

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The towering Taihang Mountains are full of life

Yuntaishan

It also remains fresh in the long river of time

This paradise out of this world

To countless people throughout the ages

Provides a place to get away from the hustle and bustle

A cool place for a short break

Wang Wei, a Tang Dynasty poet

It also left a famous saying that has been passed down through the ages.

"I know my brothers are climbing the mountain, but there is one less person wearing the dogwood branches"

So far

Landscape gallery, life residence, soul home

Endows Yuntai Mountain with multiple charms

In the new era

It also has a new mission

04

end

With the improvement of traffic convenience

and the development of information communication technology

The secret place of Yuntai, once hidden in the boudoir and unknown to the public

Gradually coming into people's field of vision

each year

Millions of tourists flocked to

People travel freely in the Red Rock Gorge

Climb to the top of Zhuyu Peak and enjoy the view

Embrace the coolness under the waterfall

Calm your mind by Zifang Lake

(Please watch horizontally, Yuntaishan sea of ​​clouds, picture source @Visual China)

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Yuntaishan is also developing

Various innovative tourism products have been launched

Traditional mountain and water sightseeing

Upgrade to a comprehensive leisure and holiday destination

(Yuntai Mountain Night Tour, Photographer @郭浩杉)

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In Jiaozuo, a city once famous for its coal

Tourism industry represented by Yuntaishan

For the development of the city

Injected new vitality

(Yuntai Mountain overlooking Jiaozuo City, map by @Zhang Qi/Planet Research Institute, image source @Visual China)

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Let’s go to Yuntaishan!

Go there and listen to a

The clear and melodious song of water and rock

(Yuntaishan Spring Waterfall Gorge, photographer @石耀臣)

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To embrace the mountains of the north

Touching the flowing water of the south

Enjoy the most satisfying life!

(Sketch of the main scenic spots in Yuntaishan, Henan Province, drawn by @张琪/Planet Research Institute)

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This article was created by

Written by Shi Xiaofei

Editor : Li Chuyang

Image : 135 billion light years

Map : Chen Jingyi

Design : Zhang Qi & Liu Zhipeng

Reviewer : Wang Luzhi & Yunwukongcheng & Mirror & Chen Zhihao

Cover Photographer : Ren Guangyu

【References】

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[2] Zhao Xun. Study on the geological background of the main landscape of Yuntai Mountain - the origin of Yuntai landform[M]. Geological Press, 2005.

[3] Lu Jiqi, Wang Haofeng, Xie Dongming. Research progress and prospects of Taihang Mountain macaques[J]. Sichuan Animal Science, 2009, 28(6):6.

[4] Xie Dongming, Lu Jiqi, Lü Jiuquan. Winter habitat selection of macaques in Taihang Mountains[J]. Acta Theriologica Sinica, 2009, 29(3):252-258.

[5] Chen Kai. Study on the landscape characteristics of Yuntaishan World Geopark from a cultural perspective[D]. Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture. 2023.

[6] Xu Yuying. Yuntai Mountain[M]. Zhongzhou Ancient Books Publishing House, 2002.

[7] Zhang Xinbin. Yuntai Mountain and the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove[M]. Henan People's Publishing House, 2011.

[8] Wang Xiaoyi. A Study on the “Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove”[J]. Historical Research, 2001(05):90-99+190.