滴水成河

The range of mountains in Anhui province, China, known collectively as Yellow Mountain or Mount Hunagshan1 is a Unesco world heritage site2 of which it is said that once you climb the mountains, you'll never want to climb another. They're not particularly high, with only three of the 72 named peaks rising higher than 1870m, but hikers amongst the steep slopes find travel there both strenuous and rewarding. In appearance they are a seemingly never-ending series of jagged granite peaks, cloaked with bamboo forest, separated by deep chasms, and dotted with wind-twisted and gnarled pines that cling impossibly to the sheer slopes. The various shapes that can be seen in the face of the mountains and in the pine trees have provided rich fodder for many legends and tales, and give rise to interesting names for the various spots, such as cloud-dispersing pavilion, beginning to believe peak, and welcoming guest pine.

The area is much beloved by painters, and indeed walking through it feels like familiar territory, as if one were inside a scroll painting. The name of the mountains changed from Black Mountain (or Yishan) in 747 AD by imperial decree, though the specific reason and association with the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan is mixed up in legend. Certainly there's nothing yellow about the appearance of the mountains themselves.

The site's popularity is understandable: many Chinese regard it as sacred and aim to conquer it at least once in their lifetime. It gets very busy, especially during the summer months, although it's always easy to find a secluded spot off the beaten track3.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A56598132