Cangshan or Cang Mountain (), also known as Mount Diancang (), is a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...

immediately west of

Dali City Dali City (, Bai: or ) is the county-level seat of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Yunnan, China. Dali City is administered through 12 township-level districts, two of which are also commonly referred to as Dali. Xiag ...

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

province of

Southwest China Southwestern China () is a region in the People's Republic of China. It consists of five provincial administrative regions, namely Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Xizang. Geography Southwestern China is a rugged and mountainous region, ...

. The highest summit, Malong, is 4,122 m, but the range includes another 18 peaks that are over 3,500 m elevation.

History

The mountain range is noted for its rich, diverse

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

, first scientifically documented by

Pierre Jean Marie Delavay Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

in 1882. In 1991 construction began on a paved walkway running north and south from the top

chairlift An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers. They are the primary on-hill tran ...

station near ancient Dali. This walkway passes several waterfalls and overlooks lake

Erhai Erhai or Er Lake (), is an alpine fault lake in Dali City, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan province, China. Erhai was also known as Yeyuze () or Kunming Lake () in ancient times. Etymology The character "洱" (er) does not have the same meaning as ea ...

and the ancient city itself. This walkway is named "Jade-Cloud Road" after the cloud formations that appear over the Cang Mountain peaks. Construction was completed in 1992 and in 2004 a new project was launched to widen the road and increase its length. At the Dali Town chairlift station on the mountainside is a temple complex as well as a small travellers' inn. A second chairlift was completed in 2012 which takes visitors to just below the summit of the Cang Mountain Range. Pathways from the summit chairlift station allow visitors to walk to the peak and also to visit the TV and radio relay station that is situated on top of the ridge. File:Dali City Birdseye.JPG, Ancient Dali as seen from Cang Mountain, near the chairlift station File:Cangshan Mountainside Waterfall 1.JPG, One of many waterfalls on the eastern slopes of the mountain

In local culture

The foot of the mountain is the location of the annual

Third Month Fair The Third Month Fair (Bai language: ''salwa zix'') is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Bai people of southwest China. It includes a street bazaar, performances, sports, and games, and takes place annually in Dali City, Yunnan ...

References

External links

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Dali Mount Cangshan Global Geopark
Mountain ranges of Yunnan Tourist attractions in Yunnan Geography of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture {{Yunnan-geo-stub