China’s mountains are the stuff of legends. From the spiritual mountains in the northwest to the remote and mysterious mountains in the southwest, the diversity of China’s mountain ranges is what makes them so irresistible for explorers, hikers, climbers, tourists, and anyone fascinated by untouched nature. Within China’s borders are found seven out of the fourteen highest mountain peaks in the world, making it a country of mountains.

The tallest mountain in China is also the tallest in the world. The summit of Mount Everest, or Mount Qomolangma, which in Tibetan means “Mother Goddess of Earth,” is at 8,849 meters (29,032 feet) above sea level and is the highest point on the planet. Located on the border of Nepal and Tibet, China, Everest is part of the Himalayan Mountain range.

The Himalayas are a collage of mountain ranges that together comprise one of Earth’s largest continuous topographic features. The name comes from Sanskrit, meaning “the abode of snow.” The Himalayas serve as a barrier between the lowlands of India and the high Tibetan plateau to the north.

Composed mainly of sedimentary rocks, the Himalayas were folded, faulted, and thrust upward during the collision of two very old continental landmasses, India and Asia, which began about fifty million years ago. The main fold-and-thrust belt extends for about 2,400 kilometers (1,491 miles) along the base of the Himalayas; this belt varies in width from 100 to 520 kilometers (62 to 310 miles).

Mountains have played a pivotal role in China’s culture, providing an important source of inspiration to the Chinese people, poets, artists, and philosophers. As early as the Zhou Dynasty (1046-221 BC), a Chinese proverb has said, “mountain is the ruler of the earth.” Throughout millennia, mountains have been viewed in China as symbols of strength, eternity, and pride. Mountains are part of the country’s identity. China is often referred to as the Middle Kingdom, with the ideogram character for mountain at its heart.

Fantasy Movie Mountains

Record-setting tall mountains are not the only rocky attractions in China. In James Cameron’s hit fantasy movie Avatar, the floating “Hallelujah Mountains” were inspired by a real place on Earth. Throughout the film, gigantic pillar-like rocks are depicted, that are strikingly similar to the formations found in China’s Zhangjiajie National Forest Park—a national attraction located in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China.

Zhangjiajie is a masterpiece of nature’s artistry. The Hunan park is famous for its sandstone rock formations that tower over 304 meters (1,000 feet) above the ground (the highest being 330 meters). The quartz-sandstone spires reach to the heavens, covered by lush greenery, and flanked by waterfalls. The rock formations appear to float in mid-air and are surrounded by mist and clouds. The picturesque views are spectacular and have inspired scenery in many movies besides Pandora in Avatar. The park is also home to karst caves, deep valleys, pristine forests, and more than thirty-five hundred plant species and more than four hundred species of wild animals.

For beautiful scenery and spiritual renewal, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is a must-see. As is another mountain range, also often seen in movies, located in southern Anhui Province. There you will find the most well-known mountain in China outside of Tibet. Huangshan, or “the loveliest mountain of China,” was highly acclaimed throughout Chinese history through literature and art. The mountain site, famous for its magnificent scenery consisting of granite peaks and mountains rising from a sea of clouds, still holds the same fascination for visitors and poets today. Huangshan’s high peaks and steep cliffs have attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors every year along with international film makers.

The Huangshan Mountain rises abruptly from the surrounding flatlands, and its highest peak, the Phoenix Head or Fenghuang, has an elevation of 2,155 meters (7,070 feet). The mountain is famous for its bizarre rock formations, sometimes described as “rocks in the shape of an ox.” Huangshan is home to more than three thousand species of animals. More than three hundred species of plants bear fruit on the mountain during different seasons, including apple trees which blossom in winter, cherry blossoms and peach blossoms that appear in early spring, Osmanthus flowers that bloom in mid-spring, lotus flowers blooming in summer, chrysanthemum blooming in late autumn, and more than one hundred bamboo varieties which flourish all year round.

There are numerous imposing peaks in the area that bear good evidence of glaciation, as well as marvelously shaped rocks, waterfalls, caves, lakes, and hot springs that are all well protected. In addition to the ancient temples (of which there are the remains of more than twenty), there are well-preserved rock inscriptions, pathways to them, and scenic viewpoints.

Mount Huangshan is renowned for its fierce grandeur and many literary and artistic associations. A Tang Dynasty literary legend of the year 747 CE describes the mountain as the site of the discovery of a long-sought elixir of immortality, assuring its place in Chinese history.

Because of its landscape of mountains emerging from a sea of clouds, Huangshan became a magnet for hermits, poets, and landscape painters. The Shan shui (“Mountain and Water”) school of art was established during the Ming Dynasty (around the 16th century), and its masters include Jian Jiang and Zha Shibiao.

The authenticity of Mount Huangshan can be best understood from these works of art and literature. This is a place where some of the world’s most outstanding cultural achievements have been inspired. One of the most remarkable works of Chinese literature is that of Shi Tao, whose essay “Sayings on Painting from Monk Bitter Gourd” is among the most acclaimed.

The Five Sacred Mountains of China

The Five Sacred Mountains of China are the most sacred mountains in Taoism and are considered the most beautiful scenic spots in China. A famous Chinese saying says, “A gentleman should view the four seas, but a sage must climb the five mountains.” The five mountains are Tài Shān in Shandong, Huà Shān in Shaanxi, Héng Shān in Hunan, Héng Shān in Shanxi, and Sōng Shān in Henan.

Mountains in the Chinese culture have long been seen as the abode of immortals and thus a source of mystical power.  In many ancient Chinese novels and movies, mountains are portrayed as a temporary refuge from the chaotic world. Many kung fu masters in martial arts novels were described as living in secluded mountain areas to practice their skills.

The Chinese film industry’s biggest hits are often action-fantasy epics, known as wuxia. The term wuxia was initially used to describe martial arts novels, but it’s now applied to movies that blend elements of fantasy, history, and action. Wuxia stories have their roots in some early youxia (literally “wandering knights-errant”) tales from 300–200 BCE. It was a popular literary genre of the Song dynasty and became widespread during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Originally a type of fantasy literature, wuxia has spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua, films, television series, and video games. The genre is defined by swordplay and powerful women, and it has fans around the world. The wuxia genre filmmakers draw from countless sources for inspiration.  And mountains and powerful women play an important role, as they do in the thriller book by Niklas Three: Last Flower: A Leslie Parker Novel.

Excerpt from “Last Flower: A Suspense Thriller Novel” by Niklas Three. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

“There’s that, and—”

“And what?”

“A treasure.”

“Ah, now I understand. Now everything is clear to me. We’re on a quest to Dragon Talon’s peak to discover a forgotten Han dynasty palace. There, buried under a mound of precious gems, are jians forged of metal from a fallen star. Picking up the long swords summons torrential winds transporting us to a magical dimension … a realm of heroes, demons, and creatures beyond imagination. When we’re trapped in a snowbound, enchanted forest, you transform into a white-haired wuxia witch, flying above the treetops, battling the ultimate evil to save the world.”

“I wish,” Xìn said. “But we have been looking for Imperial Warlord Zuolin’s cache of gold and jewels. Legend has it that he squirreled away an emperor’s fortune in one of his cave hideouts. If we find the treasure, then the Oroqen clans will have the money and power to develop a Mount Lu vacation resort.”

China is vast, with a varied geography and climate. There are deserts, tropical rain forests, volcanic mountains, snow-covered peaks, and long coastlines with beaches. The world’s third-largest country in terms of area, China has the most extensive mountain system on earth. Its mountains are steeped in history, myth, and legend.

Mountain lover or not, the cultural and natural heritage that Chinese mountains offer cannot be ignored. These famous mountains are astonishingly beautiful and have many great stories to tell … if one is willing to listen.