Lakes and mountains surround economic hub

Yandang Mountains and Nanxi River in Wenzhou, which is also famous for its natural beauty in addition to its booming private economy. Provided to China Daily

Wenzhou is not only well known for its rapidly growing economic development and businesses, it also has a rich culture and beautiful natural scenery.

The Yandang Mountains, the Nanxi River and the Baizhangji Fall-Feiyun Lake are three of the area's best-known scenic spots.

Yandang Mountains

Located in the northeast of Leqing County, 68 kilometers from Wenzhou city, the Yandang Mountains, which cover a total area of 450 square kilometers, are recognized as a natural museum of great historical significance for the extraordinary-shaped rocks found in the area.

The name "Yandang" means "the place where wild geese live", as there is a lake at the top of the mountain where wild geese spend time while they travel to the warm south.

As one of China's prime scenic areas, the mountains were explored during the South and North Dynasties and flourished during the Tang and Song dynasties.

The mountains are divided into eight scenic areas, and contain three famous sites: the Spiritual Peaks, the Spiritual Rocks and the Big Dragon Waterfall.

The ancient rhyolite volcanoes which dot the scenery were formed 120 million years ago and assume different shapes and characters during the night when viewed from different perspectives. Meanwhile, with its unique landscape, the Big Dragon Waterfall offers a natural wonderland for tourists.

In 2004, the Yandang Mountains became a National Geological Park and in early 2005, they were awarded World Geological Park status.

Nanxi River

The Nanxi river, located in Yongjia County, 26 kilometers from Wenzhou city, has 36 bends and 72 beaches, and boasts a drainage area of 2,429 square meters.

The main scenic spots of the area are the Shiwei Cliff, Danan River, Four Seas Mountain, the Twelve Peaks, and the Taogong Cave.

The clarity of the Nanxi river's water is legendary and provides views of various fish swimming undisturbed. Tourists can take a small boat and float along watching the green trees and hills by day, or enjoy the summer breeze and twinkling stars in the evening.

There are many rare species of tree, all under government protection, such as the Fagus Hayatae (a type of Beech tree), the Gingko and the Pterocarya Stenoptera (also known as the Chinese Wingnut).

There are plenty of scenic areas along the river, which can be divided into eight zones, including a cultural scenic zone with villages along the banks, and the Daruo Rock scenic zone.

In the village under Daruo Rock, ancient pavilions, temples, palaces and archways from the Song Dynasty have been beautifully preserved. The village is also famous for containing some of the best-preserved ancient homes in China.

Feiyun Lake

Located in Wencheng and Taishun counties, renowned for their beautiful landscapes and pleasant environment, the lake is a hub of sightseeing, scientific exploration, and a summer vacation re-sort.

This scenic spot boasts hundreds-of-meters of waterfalls, Tongling Mountain, Tianding Lake, Feiyun Lake, and the Liuji Temple, which commemorates one of ancient China's greatest strategists, Liu Ji, who lived in the period between the Yuan and Ming Dynasties about 700 years ago. Besides this, the wonders in the State-level national forestry park in the area are really worth seeing.

Feiyun Lake is the biggest man-made lake in southern Zhejiang province. Its waterfalls are strange, spectacular, and extremely beautiful, especially the 207-meter-long waterfall, which is the biggest in China.