Mangshan
A primeval-forest mountain on the Hunan–Guangdong border, with the cliffside walkways of Wuzhi Peak, the striking peaks of Tiantai Mountain and the peak forest of Jiangjun Zhai; a summer escape with Yao village guesthouses.
Mangshan lies in the south of Yizhang County, Hunan, bordering Lechang and Ruyuan in Guangdong. It forms the core of the Nanling Mountains and is one of the watersheds between the Yangtze and Pearl River systems. It preserves large tracts of primeval evergreen broadleaf forest, and is known as the 'natural arboretum of southern China' and the only home of the rare Mangshan pit viper.
The area has two main parts. The first is the core Wuzhi Peak (Five Finger Peak) area, where you take a cable car up the mountain and then walk cliffside and glass-floored walkways to see five granite peaks. The second is Mangshan National Forest Park, which includes three zones, Tiantai Mountain, Jiangjun Zhai (also called Guizi Zhai) and Houwang Zhai, known respectively for dangerous peaks and seas of clouds, canyons and peak forests, and stream valleys and waterfalls. Tickets for the two parts are sold separately, and the Forest Park combination ticket is valid for about two days. Allow 2 days: Wuzhi Peak on the first day and the three Forest Park zones on the second.
At the foot of the mountain, Mangshan Yao Ethnic Township has Yao village guesthouses and bonfire parties, and Yizhang town has the former headquarters of the southern Hunan Year-End Uprising. Further south across the provincial border in Guangdong, Pingshi has Jinjiling, a Danxia landform.
Climate: summer temperatures on the mountain average about 20°C, making it a summer retreat for people from both Hunan and Guangdong; autumn brings red leaves, and in winter there is occasional ice and snow, when roads may be closed; spring and the plum-rain season are foggy and rainy. Getting there: from Chenzhou West or Yizhang station on the Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway, take a direct shuttle to the scenic area (about 1.5–2 hours); from Guangzhou it is about 3.5 hours by car. There are sightseeing buses inside the scenic area. Notes: snakes and insects are common in the mountains, so do not leave the trails; the winding road up Tiantai Mountain is steep with many sharp bends.
Top sights
- Mangshan Wuzhi Peak – Primeval forest and granite peaks in the heart of the Nanling Mountains. Take the cable car to Five Finger Peak and walk the cliff-side boa…
- Jiangjun Village Peaks (Guizizhai) – Granite peaks hidden deep in a gorge, where a square stone pillar about 150 m tall, shaped like a general, gives the place its name, also k…
- Tiantai Mountain (Mangshan) – A district in the northeast of Mangshan made up of three peaks around 1,700 meters high and a large canyon. Its steep terrain earns it the…
- Houwangzhai Gorge – A gorge about 3 kilometers long near Mangshan's West Gate, with a series of waterfalls and clear pools. A relaxed stream-walking route that…
- Mangshan Yao Villages – A township of Yao villages at the foot of Mangshan. Villages such as Tiaoshi have Yao song and dance, bonfire evenings and guesthouses, and…
- Jinji Ridge – A Danxia mountain ridge in Pingshi Town, Lechang, Guangdong. Its summit's Golden Rooster Rock looks like a proud rooster, and it is a well-…
- Site of the Headquarters of the South Hunan Uprising – A red heritage site in Yizhang County town, where Zhu De and Chen Yi directed the South Hunan Nianguan Uprising in 1928. It is a national k…
- Guangdong's First Peak (Shikengkong) – Shikengkong, the highest peak in Guangdong at 1,902 meters, in Chengjia Yao Township in Yangshan County. It offers alpine meadows, sunrises…
Itineraries
- Chenzhou: Dongjiang Lake, Danxia & Mount Mang – A southern Hunan landscape route featuring the morning mist of Dongjiang, Gaoyiling Danxia, Yangtian Lake Grassland, an…