China’s ancient landmarks and rapidly evolving cities command attention for their defining role in human history. But China is also rich in natural wonders, including some that rank among the most remarkable places on earth.
Huangshan
Huangshan, or “Yellow Mountain”, has a revered status in Chinese literature and arts, having lured writers, poets and painters over millennia. This range of dramatic granite peaks in Anhui province is embellished with twisted pines and shrouded in mists, and has been immortalised in pen and ink paintings.
Li River Valley
One of China’s most famous natural sights, the Li River Valley between Guilin and Yangshuo in Guangxi province attracts thousands of visitors each year. Laced in lush green foliage, the karst formations line a river valley known for its local fishing practice involving trained cormorants.
Stone Forest
The Shilin Stone Forest is a surreal landscape of sharp stone peaks in Yunnan province, about 90km from Kunming. Though likened to a petrified forest or above-ground stalagmites, its formations are in fact pillars of intricately eroded limestone that was uplifted from an ancient seabed hundreds of millions of years ago.
