Mount Wuyi

With a largely intact forest encompassing the diversity of the Chinese Subtropical Forest and the South Chinese Rainforest, Mount Wuyi is the most outstanding area for biodiversity conservation in South-east China and a refuge for a large number of ancient, relict species, many of them endemic to China.

The serene beauty of the dramatic gorges of the Nine Bend River, with its numerous temples and monasteries, many now in ruins, provided the setting for the development and spread of Neo-Confucianism, which has been influential in the cultures of East Asia since the 11th century.

In the 1st century BC, a large administrative capital was built at nearby Chengcun by the rulers of the Han dynasty. Its massive walls enclose an archeological site of great significance.

Other than its natural, cultural and archeological importance, Wuyi is also known for its oolong and black tea. It is a major center of tea production in Fujian province. Wuyi teas are sometimes called “rock teas” (yancha) because of the distinctive terroir of the mountainsides where they are grown.

In 1999, Mount Wuyi was added to the World Cultural and Natural Heritage List of UNESCO.