Mount Sanbai

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Mount Sanbai, referring to all the peaks on-the southeastern border of Anyuan County, Jiangxi Province, is an area where the western slope of the southern sectionof Mount Wuyi and the northern slope of the eastern section of Mount Nanling meet.

It is the watershed of two great rivers-Gongjiang River of the Yangtze River System and Dongjiang River of the Pearl River System, also it is the fountainhead of potable water delivered to compatriots in Hong Kong and the only tourist place in China which can remind them of their source when drinking water from Dongjiang River.

Mount Sanbai was found and opened to the outside in the middle of 1980s, The State Forestry Ministration approved it as National Forest Park in 1993, and then it is reputed as National Key Scenic Spot in 2002. Being a national forest park and national landscape, Mount Sanbai Natural Reserve covers an area of over 260 square kilometers. At the southernmost tip of the central sub-tropical zone, Mount Sanbai is a rare area in the south of China where the forest coverage reaches 98 percent and hoasts itself a well-preserved virgin forest. Because of its first-class environment, it is called”natural oxygen bar”. The mountain is the home to 755 species of woody plants, which fall into 116 families, and it is also the home to more than 2.000 species of other plants, including 38 species, such as ginkgo, Chinese yew(under state key protection) as well as other 50 species (under provincial protection). Itsabundant botanical resources provide sustenance for over 400 wild animals, of which 148 are vertebrate, and 19 species are first-class or second-class animals under state key protection, such as pangolin, pine sparrow hawk and golden cat.

The natural scenery in the park is picturesque with peaks rising one higher than the other, well-preserved ever-green foliage forests, crisscrossing ravines, bubbling springs, magnificent crowed waterfalls, deep and quiet valleys. Clouds and fogscurling up from the valleys make the peaks mysterious, small streams give out beautiful melodies and birds sing happily. It is just like a colorful landscape painting with flowers in full bloom in spring, summer and autumn. Standing on the mountaintop after rain, you can see a beautiful picture unfold as the sun rises over the clouds. Mount Sanbai is near the eruption collapses of ancient volcanoes, lakes caused by ancient volcanoes are well preserved, and thus these lakes are of great science and sightseeing value.

Up to now,68 scenic spots have been found in Mount Sanbai,10 of which are first-class landscapes，27 are second class and 31 are third class.The waterfall of Fu’ao Pond is over 150 meters high and is named“the Most Wonderful Waterfall of Dongjiang River”.Hanfeng Beach with jagged rocks of grotesque shapes is called “the Greatest Beach of Dongiiang River”by reputation.Dongfeng Lake is a lake withreflection of the surrounding blue mountains.Beach and Pool in“eighteen zigzags”are connected densely，the scene changes when the step moves.Hugang Hot Spring is surrounded by mountains and covered with green trees，containing minerals such as sulfur，iron and trace elements，which are favorable to our health.Wangtian Waterfall and Zhiyin Hot Spring are also very famous here.Hakka Fortified Houses in Mount Sanbai is a typical reflection of the fusion of Chinese nations，Hakkas’ residence and customs are becoming an unusual cultural landscape.About 100 Hakka architectures in Mount Sanbai National Park are well preserved，such as Dongshen Hakka Fortified Houses and Xinfeng Hakka Fortified Houses.

There are a wide variety of recreational activities in the national forest park，including camping，shooting，fishing，boating，mountain climbing，exploring，barberues，source tracing and orchards visiting.In the nearby villages，tourists can also see and appreciate the customs of Hakka and enjoy the delicious local specialties，such as wild jujube cakes，pot-cooked river eel，rice-made macaroni，tea tree mushrooms and so on.In a word，this park is an ideal place for scientific research，medical treatment，holidays and meetings.