The mountains have been listed since 1999 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for cultural, scenic, and biodiversity values. The site has a total area of 99,975 hectares that is divided into four core parts. Three are ecological: the Nine-bend Stream Ecological Protection Area in the centre, flanked by the Wuyishan National Nature Reserve to the west and the Wuyishan National Scenic Area to the east. The fourth, a cultural preservation area, is the Protection Area for the Remains of the Ancient Han Dynasty, about 15 km to the southeast of the others. These core parts are surrounded by an additional buffer zone of 27,888 ha. Portions of the Wuyishan National Nature Reserve are more stringently protected, as the Fujian and Jiangxi Wuyishan Biosphere Reserves on the respective sides of the provincial border, under the UNESCOWorld Network of Biosphere Reserves.
Geology
The region is part of the Cathaysian fold system and has experienced high volcanic activity and the formation of large fault structures, which were subsequently subject to erosion by water and weathering. The landscape is characterized by beautiful winding river valleys flanked by columnar or dome-shaped cliffs as well as cave systems. Peaks in the western portion of the Wuyi Mountains typically consist of volcanic or plutonic rocks, whereas peaks and hills in the eastern area are made up of red sandstone with very steep slopes but flat tops. Bedrock lithology at Wuyi Shan is dominated by tuff, rhyolite, and granite in the western part. Red sandstone is common farther east. The elevation ranges from 200 m to 2,158 m. The terrain is rugged with cliffs and high peaks. There are numerous caverns in the mountains, some of which have been explored and opened to the public. The Nine-bend River, about 60 kilometers in length, meanders in a deep gorge among these hills. In most places, it is a slow, shallow stream navigable only by small craft like rowboats and canoes. However, the river narrows at one point to just a few metres but a depth of.
Climate
The Wuyi Mountains act as a protective barrier against the inflow of cold air from the northwest and retain warm moist air originating from the sea. As a result, the area has a humid climate with high rainfall and common fogs. Lower altitudes experience annual temperatures in the range from 12 °C to 18 °C. The area is relatively pollution free. The Chinese government set up its first air-quality monitoring station in the area on January 31, 2005. Lower elevations have a humid subtropical climate with mean annual temperature around 18 °C and mean annual precipitation of at least 220 cm. Cooler, wetter conditions prevail at higher altitudes and winters can be snowy on the highest peaks.
Biodiversity
Flora
The Wuyi Mountains are the largest and most representative example of Chinese subtropical forests, and of the biodiversity of south Chinese rainforest. The region's ecology has survived from before the Ice Age around 3 million years ago. Biologists have been conducting field research in the area since 1873. The vegetation of the area depends strongly on altitude. Broadleaf evergreen forests dominate the lower elevations; their tree species yield to deciduous and needleleaf evergreen trees at higher elevations. It is divided into 11 broad categories:
Temperate broad-leaved and coniferous mixed forest
Deciduous and broad-leaved forest
Evergreen broad-leaved and deciduous mixed forest
Evergreen broad-leaved forest
Bamboo forest
Deciduous broad-leaved shrub forest
Evergreen broad-leaved shrub forest
Brush-wood
Meadow steppe
Most common are evergreen broad-leaved forests, some of which make up the largest remaining tracts of humid sub-tropical forests in the world. Higher plants from 284 families, 1,107 genera, and 2,888 species, as well as 840 species of lower plant and fungus, have been reported for the region. The most common tree families are beech, laurel, camellia, magnolia, Elaeocarpaceae, and witch-hazel.
Fauna
The fauna of the Wuyi Mountains is renowned for its high diversity, which includes many rare and unusual species. In total, approximately 5,000 animal species have been reported for the area. Of these species, 475 are vertebrates and 4,635 are insects. The number of vertebrate species is divided as follows:
Human settlement on the slopes of Mount Wuyi can be traced back 4,000 years by archeological remains. During the Western Han Dynasty, the ancient city of Chengcun was the capital of the Minyue kingdom. In the 7th century, the Wuyi Palace was built for emperors to conduct sacrificial activities, a site that tourists can still visit today. The mountains were an important center of Taoism and later Buddhism. Remains of 35 academies erected from the era of the Northern Song to the Qing Dynasty and more than 60 Taoist temples and monasteries have been located. However, most of these remains are very incomplete. Some of the exceptions for which authentic remains are preserved are the Taoyuan Temple, the Wannian Palace, the Sanqing Hall, the Tiancheng Temple, the Baiyun temple, and the Tianxin temple. The area is the cradle of Neo-Confucianism, a current that became very influential since the 11th century. tea growing on a Wuyi Mountain cliff tea shrine The Wuyi Mountains have a long history of tea cultivation. The four most widely known varieties of Wuyi rock-essence tea are referred to as the Si Da Ming Cong teas: Da Hong Pao, Tie Luo Han, Bai Jiguan, and Shui Jin Gui. The Lapsang souchong also originates from the area.
Ceremonies
Mountain Call and Mountain Open are ceremonies held in the Wuyi imperial tea garden. The county magistrate used to take the chair of the Mountain Call ceremony on Jingzhe Day. In the formal ceremony, tea planters call out together "tea, tea, sprout". By doing this, they pray for blessings in the tea harvest.
Tea-picking opera
The Wuyi Mountains area is the birthplace of tea-picking opera. Developed from local folk dances and songs, the performances are comedic and focused on daily life in the tea-growing region. Tea-picking opera reflects the strongly rural nature and basics of Hakka culture. This has made it popular in the local area.
Leap-year meals
Special leap-year meals are called Liu Qin meals. Every leap year and leap month, parents and brothers must invite their married daughters and sisters to return and have meals with their original family. When parents are living, they make the invitation; otherwise brothers do it.
Tourism
The number of visitors to the area increased from approximately 424,000 in 1993 to 700,000 in 1998. A raft trip down the Nine-bend River is the most popular activity. Another major attraction is Fuxi Cave, where the narrowest passage – the Thread of Sky – is less than, a fissure open to the surface above. A few hours away is Roaring Tiger Rock, where wind blowing into a cave makes a roaring sound. The nearby Tian Cheng Temple, built in 1707, features a large rock-relief statue of the Chinese goddess of mercy, carved directly into the mountainside. Two more explorable caverns in the area are Ling Cave and Feng Cave. At least one guided-tour company operates combined tours to several of these mountain features. Visitor access to the biodiversity-protection areas in the mountains is controlled.
