Yunmeng Mountain

Yunmeng Mountain (Mt. Yun Meng), a part of Yanshan Mountains, lies between Miyun District and Huairou District of Beijing, 85 kilometers (53 miles) northeast from the city center. It is one of the most famous tourism sites as well as providing national forest parks in a suburb of Beijing. Lofty peaks, deep valleys, peculiar rocks, luxuriant trees and flowers, flying waterfalls, and winding streams, constitute the wonderful scenery, winning the mountain a fame of the “Small Yellow Mountain”. With the main peak reaching 1,414 meters (4,640 feet), it is a popular destination for hikers and climbers. Besides, the average temperature of  20 °C (68 °F) in July makes the mountain a great summer resort for tourists to escape the heat in the urban area.

‘Yunmeng’ is derived from the name of the graceful daughter of Fuxi and Nvwa, the human ancestors in Chinese myth. Now ‘Yunmeng’, literally meaning the cloud mist, describes the ‘Sea of Clouds’, which is renowned as one of the three wonders of the mountain, together with the ‘Sea of Woods’, and ‘Sea of flowers’.
 

July and August are the best time to admire the sea of clouds. In the mornings or rainy days, when arriving at the mountainside, one will see the clouds and mist filling in the air. The mist in the forests gathers and rises slowly, enveloping the lower mountaintops and the valleys. Seen from afar, the green hills are partly hidden and partly visible in the thick mist. It is just like being in a sea of clouds. Plus the cold, misty, and fresh air, which brings people comfort, it’s really enjoyable - like tourists are immersed in fairyland.
 

The fame ‘Sea of Woods’ comes from Yunmeng Mountain’s above-90% vegetation, with more than 150 kinds of trees and flowers. Among them, the Welcoming Pine in the Jinsong Cliffside, Wolong Pine, Yitian Pine, Yuanyang Pine, and the ‘Zhong’ Shape Pines are the representatives. The ‘Zhong’ shape Pines are actually two Chinese pines, which situated on a ridge between two mountains. Since the branches of the two pines grow across each other and the tree crowns superpose, they look like the Chinese character ‘Zhong’ from a distance.
 

The best season to enjoy the ‘Sea of Flowers’ is from April to May. This is the flower season of wild azalea, which mainly grows in the mountain height between the 600 meters (2,000 feet) entry and 1,414 meters (4,640 feet) main peak. The flowers blossom from early April until the end of May. If tourists come at that time, standing between the beautiful bright red flowers, and breathing the fragrance filled air, they would fully realize the charm of Yunmeng Mountain.

The waterscape in Yunmeng Mountain is another focus. The Tiger Bath Pool is surrounded by clumps of reeds. It gets this name from a legend that a tiger had bathed there. Moreover, there are Tiger Sleeping Pool, Jingshen Pool, and Habitat Eagle Fall. The most famous one is the Four Fog Pools. It has four pools formed by different waterfalls. Each of them has its own unique features.
 

There are lots of legends spread among the local people about Yunmeng Mountain. Besides, there are many historical sites on the mountain, which increase historical attributes and fascination. A legend goes that in the Warring States Period (475 - 221BC), a strategist Guiguzi once taught strategies to Sun Bin and Pang Juan there; thus left Guiguzi Mountain Fastness, Sun Bin Temple Site and Jingshen Pool in the mountain. At the mountain entrance, there are two stone mountains; one is tall while another is short. The taller is 900 meters (2,950 feet) high, looking like an old man deep in meditation with his eyes closed. The other is about 500 meters (1,640 feet) high; it seems like a big Buddha with a sad color in his face. It is said that Guiguzi formed the taller one after his death, thus it is called Guigu Peak. The shorter one is his follower Ni’er. When Guiguzi died, Ni’er guarded him willingly for the rest of his life and finally he became the Ni’er Peak.