Discover China

Spring is an ideal time to climb mountains in China, with warm weather and lush vegetation. For hikers who want to explore some famous mountains and experience Chinese history and culture, the Shenzhen Daily features some destination peaks in the articles Explore China’s famous mountains and Explore China’s famous mountains (II). I visited one of these peaks, the spectacular Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), during my trip to Henan, Anhui, and Zhejiang Provinces in 2009.

Surrounded by mountains that reach into the heavens and rivers that flow through mist-shrouded valleys, ancient Chinese artists’ efforts to capture the beauty of their homeland culminated in the masterpieces that many today know as Chinese landscape painting. For fans of these works of art who also want to experience the beauty of nature for themselves, East China’s Jiangxi province offers a range of mountains, rivers and waterways that bring an important part of the Chinese aesthetic to life.

The China Daily article On high ground profiles three of Jiangxi’s natural attractions that have been given UNESCO World Heritage listing for their natural beauty and cultural significance – Lushan National Park, Mount Sanqingshan National Park and Mount Longhu.

The Shenzhen Daily article Ideal May Day holiday destinations (Part I) presents two destinations with great scenery for the May Day holiday – Suzhou, Jiangsu Province and Wuyuan, Jiangxi Province.

Jinggang Mountain, regarded as the Red Army’s birthplace and the cradle of China’s revolution, would be the subject of an application for UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage status this year, with the Jiangxi Provincial Government including the application in a list of nine major tasks for 2011. Read more in the Shenzhen Daily article Jinggang Mountain vies for World Heritage listing.

Heavy rain has been battering China’s Yunnan, Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong Provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Large numbers of people have been impacted with 379 killed and many more evacuated from their flooded homes and direct economic losses of 82.4 billion yuan, as shown in this CCTV9 Special Report. I send my condolences and thoughts to everyone who has been affected.