Mount Mogan or Moganshan () is a mountain located in Deqing County,

Huzhou Huzhou (, ; Huzhou dialect: Romanization of Wu Chinese, ''ghou² cieu¹'') is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province (Hangzhou–Jiaxing–Huzhou Plain, China). Lying south of the Lake Tai, it borders Jiaxing to the east, Hangzho ...

Zhejiang Province ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, 60 kilometers from the provincial capital

Hangzhou Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...

and 200 km from

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

. It is part of the Moganshan National Park and at its base is the small

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

of Moganshan. Known for its cool temperatures during the region's scorching summers, it has long been the playground of the Shanghai elite. Moganshan retains a country lifestyle with a mix of local inns and old villas built early in the 20th century.

History

According to Chinese legend, in the

Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period () was a period in History of China, Chinese history corresponding roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou (256 BCE), characterized by the gradual erosion of royal power as local lords nominally subject t ...

of 770- 476 BC, China’s most talented swordsmith Ganjiang, arrived in the mountains. It was here that he cast and forged a pair of special swords on the demand of the Emperor of Wu. Gan’s wife was called Moye, hence the name Mogan Mountains and the main tourist attraction Sword Pond. The crisp refreshing breezes of Mogan Mountain first enchanted foreigners in the 1880s, where rooms and houses were rented from locals. Large European style villas, houses, churches and public halls were built for missionaries, businessmen, customs officials and their families. Many of these villas and houses are still standing, with some being turned into hotels and guesthouses operating today. By 1910 approximately 300 foreigners, mostly Americans and British, had set up summer homes on the hill. The foreigners left the mountain top with the rise of the Communist party in 1949, where the villas were handed out to different work units or “danwei’s” from Hangzhou and Shanghai. Many of the villas are owned by the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

Mark Kitto Mark Kitto is a British magazine publisher, writer and actor notable for living in the People's Republic of China. During his time in China he initially lived in Shanghai before relocating to Mount Mogan where he ran a coffee shop, restaurant ...

, the first foreigner to live on the mountain in modern times, obtained a 10-year lease from them in 2003, renovated the villa, and opened Moganshan Lodge, a restaurant and guest lodges. In 2011, South African entrepreneur Grant Horsfield and his wife Delphine Yip opened naked Stables, which later became the first platinum-level LEED certified resort in Mainland China. It is now one of the most popular resorts in Moganshan.

Geography

Moganshan is part of the Tianmu mountain range, with

Mount Tianmu Tianmu Mountain, Mount Tianmu, or Tianmushan () is a mountain in Lin'an County west of Hangzhou, Zhejiang, in eastern China. It is made up of two peaks: West Tianmu () and East Tianmu (). Twin ponds near the top of the peaks led to the name of ...

itself located some southwest of Moganshan. Moganshan is high. Moganshan is a major

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

area, with lush bamboo forests on its slopes and surrounding areas.

Tourism Today

Moganshan receives a variety of Chinese and foreign visitors for relaxation, hiking, and visiting a variety of scenic and historical spots, including the post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

villa of Chiang Kai-shek. The city has a neo-Chinese

Bai & Yun Art Museum The Bai & Yun Art Museum (Simplified Chinese: 白云美术馆) is located at Moganshan, Deqing County, Zhejiang Province ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline ...

References

External links

Mogan Mountain

Mogan Mountain Eco-Friendly

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''Travel'' {{authority control National parks of China Mountains of Zhejiang Tourist attractions in Zhejiang Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Zhejiang