The mountain is the highest peak in the province at 2,098-metres. But climbing to the very top of the mountain is beyond most visitors and is usually left to the more skilled and fit climbers.

However, they are rewarded for their efforts by the panoramic views available from the mountain peak and the fact that they have to share the place with fewer tourists.

Flying Waterfalls

For less adventurous visitors, the mountain's biggest waterfall is the next attraction. It has been praised for its beauty and power for centuries. The renowned poet Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) wrote a famous poem about it.

But when visitors walk into the Bizigou, they will be surprised to find many other waterfalls dropping gracefully into the narrow valley. In one section, there are dozens of waterfalls of different sizes falling in plumes of white foaming thunder onto huge boulders on the floor of the valley.

Most of the more spectacular waterfalls have their own names such as Beauty Waterfall, where several beauties were said to have been seen bathing in ancient times.

Another is named Tongziniao (Boy's weewee) Waterfall because it looks like a little boy doing weewee from the mountain.

Bathed in the moisture provided by the waterfalls, the trees and grasses are more green and fresh than visitors are used to.

Steep Valleys

To view more beautiful waterfalls, travelers must pass through some narrower valleys. Dozens of rivers and waterfalls that have been flowing for hundreds of thousands of years have carved out these deep and sheer valleys.

High trees shelter the valleys and even on sunny days, the light in some of the valleys is a little dim.

In some valleys with their steep sides more than 800 meters high, it can be a little frightening, as if the waterfall roaring down could swallow its visitors.

Care should be taken when climbing in some valleys because they can narrow quite sharply and it can be difficult to pass.

Valleys such as Jinjiahe Valley, Xianglianhe Valley and Huanglianhe Valley with different but beautiful views are all worth visiting.

Some peaks in the surrounding mountains look strange. After many thousands of years of wind and rain, some strange-looking stone bridges, caves and cracks have been created by Mother Nature.

Mount in Sunset

The region is also famous for its colorful sunsets.

More than 6,500 kinds of flora and fauna live and grow around Huping Mountain.

Wenfeng Peak stands lonely against the sky to the north of Huping Mountain. It looks like a bamboo shoot from the southwest. But if you stand to the northwest of the peak, it looks like a pile of donkey manure and its original name was "Donkey Shit Peak".

The poet Li Bai, mentioned above, thought the name was not elegant so he changed it to Wenfeng Peak.

Farmers have tamed the wild mountain with terrace fields and it now has layers of green growth in the spring and summer, while in the autumn, it looks golden.

Huping Mountain, the highest peak in the province, looks like a bottle or a teapot cap, so it was named "Huping" (teapot bottle).

The blooms of red azaleas on Huping perfectly match the high boxwoods and hiking there is a happy experience.

Other scenic spots worth a visit includes the town of Huping, Jiashan National Forest Park, Mengquan Lake, Chengmenzhai and Longwangdong.

Ticket: 98 yuan (US$12)

Address: 110 km north to Shimen County, Hunan Province

(Shanghai Star April 15, 2003)