Park of China
Overview
| Designation | Part of the third-batch National Park of China “Mount Wangwu–Mount Yuntai” |
| Province | Henan |
| Location | Jiyuan, Henan |
| Mountains | Taihang Mountains |
| Latitude, longitude | 35.17, 112.27 Google Maps |
| Highlights | A Taoist mountain; the fable of the Foolish Old Man who moved the mountains |
| Top sights | Tiantan Peak, Yangtai Palace, Queen Mother’s Cave |
| Nearby cities | Luoyang |
| Nearby sites | Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang 71km, Shaolin Temple 96km, Mount Song 99km, Mount Yuntai (Henan) 103km, Wangmang Ridge 131km Search nearby |
| Themes | Glen, Valley, Cliff, Mountain, Small Waterfall, Stream, Reservoir, Taoism, Waterfall |
About
Mount Wangwu is famous from the fable of the Foolish Old Man who moved the mountains. It has the Queen Mother’s Cave, first of the Taoist “grotto heavens”, Tiantan Peak where the Yellow Emperor sacrificed to Heaven, the Yangtai Palace, a huge gingko tree and a rare stele in Mongolian script.
Mount Wangwu lies about 40 km northwest of Jiyuan in the Taihang range; its main peak, Tiantan, is 1,715 m.
The Tang Taoist Sima Chengzhen ranked the Wangwu cave first of the ten great grotto-heavens, the "Xiaoyou Qingxu Heaven". Emperor Xuanzong sent his sister Princess Yuzhen to practise Taoism at the Yangtai Palace here.
It is part of the Mount Wangwu–Mount Yuntai scenic area, in the third batch of national parks of China (national scenic areas) named by the State Council in 1994.
Travel tips
Getting there (two sections): Yuntai Mountain is in Xiuwu County, Jiaozuo; Mount Wangwu is in Jiyuan. They are tens of kilometres apart and need separate plans.
Mount Wangwu: known for Daoism and the legend of the Foolish Old Man who moved mountains; Tiantan Peak, Yangtai Temple and the Queen Mother Cave are the main sites. The walk is long and tiring.
Time: one day for Yuntai and one for Wangwu, so about two days for both.
Where to stay: inns at the foot of Yuntai; Jiaozuo city has more choice; Jiyuan town is the base for Mount Wangwu.
Stamps
In 2023 China Post issued 2023-16 “The Taihang Mountains”, six stamps; “the grotto-heaven of Wangwu” shows Wangwushan.
Nearby
| World Heritage | Hangu Pass 51km, The Old City of Luoyang in Han and Wei Dynasties 59km, Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang 71km, Shihao Section of Xiaohan Ancient Route 86km |
| National parks | Mount Shennong 46km, Mount Wangwu–Mount Yuntai Scenic Area 52km, Qingtian River 67km, Zhengzhou Yellow River 116km |
| Detailed guides | Wangmang Ridge 131km |
| AAAAA attractions | Longtan Grand Canyon Scenic Area 33km, Huangcheng Xiangfu Ecological and Cultural Tourist Area 47km, Mount Yuntai (Henan) 103km, Baoquan Tourist Area 112km |
| AAAA attractions | Daimeishan <1km, Yellow River Three Gorges 17km, Yangcheng Manghe Scenic Area 26km, Xiaolangdi 29km |
| UNESCO Global Geoparks | Wangwushan-Daimeishan UNESCO Global Geopark <1km |
| Historic cities | Luoyang 58km |
| Cities | Luoyang 54km, Zhengzhou 128km |
| Historical sites | Yangtai Palace 2km, Erlang Temple North Hall 24km, Pagoda of Yanqing Temple at Chaizhuang 27km, Xiajiao Emperor Tang Temple 28km |
| National geoparks | Songshan Stratigraphic Structure National Geopark 99km, Guanshan National Geopark 124km |
| Nature reserves | Yangcheng Manghe Macaque National Nature Reserve 18km, Lishan National Nature Reserve 37km, Taikuanhe National Nature Reserve 101km, Danjiang Wetland National Nature Reserve 102km |
| Historic towns | Henghe Town 24km, Runcheng Town 43km, Zhoucun Town 46km |
| Historic villages | Gulong Village 40km, Zhijiao Village 42km, Xiwenxing Village 45km, Shangfu Village 46km |