Baiyun Mountain is a household scenic spot in Guangzhou, which attracts over 20 million visitors every year. Since ancient times, it has been renowned as the "No. 1 Scene" of Guangzhou. Here, you can see an endless stream of mountain climbers every day. On the Double Ninth Festival, it is customary for Guangzhou citizens to climb Baiyun Mountain and take in its beauty.

Baiyun Mountain is a sub-range of Jiulian Mountain Ranges of Guangdong. Constituting the natural barrier in the north of Guangzhou, Baiyun Mountain is likened to an unwavering guardian of the city. The highest mountain of Baiyun Mountain Range is Mount Maofeng, followed by Moxing Ridge. As time passes, rainwater accumulates in the lower parts of the mountain to form countless streams and rivers, the most famous of which is Shijing River, making the central and western parts of Baiyun Mountain vast alluvial plains.

Decorated with such titles as "the No. 1 Mountain in Lingnan" and "the No. 1 Scene of Guangzhou", Baiyun Mountain is literally the "permanent member" of the "Eight Scenic Spots" of Guangzhou. It is regarded as the "lung of the city", featuring towering tress, crystal-clear spring, heavily-forested mountains, singing birds, blooming flowers and mind-refreshing air. Four mountains, namely, Moxing Ridge, Mount Santai, Mount Fei'er and Mount Heyi add radiance to each other while Luhu Lake, Mingchun Valley and Mingzhu Tower present mind-numbing beauty.

۞ Top Eight Tourist Attractions in Baiyun Mountain
 
● Yuntai Garden

The Yuntai Garden, located snugly at the southern foot of the Baiyun Mountain, is China's largest landscaped garden with ornamental exotic flowers and plants. The garden regularly presents various thematic flower shows, attracting a steady stream of visitors. Since its opening, the garden has played host to several party and state leaders, as well as mayors of Guangzhou's sister cities. It enjoys a prestigious reputation in China and abroad.

● Baiyun Dusk View Spot and Mountaintop Park
 

The Baiyun Dusk View spot (Baiyun Wanwang ), located in the mountaintop park (Shanding Gongyuan), consists of the "Sightseeing Platform" and the "Dusk Viewing Pavilion". It provides a vantage point to enjoy the sunset and nightscape below. As early as the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the spot was one of the top eight scenic spots of Guangzhou, noted as vantage point where people could view the myriad of twinkling lights in the town below and in fishing boats on the Pearl River. This unique scenic spot ranked among Guangzhou's original top eight spots in the Song (960-1127), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1616-1911) dynasties and the city's new top eight spots in the contemporary era. The spot and the "Two Rivers' Bond" Yangtze River wonder stone sight in the mountaintop park are the most popular locations for visitors to enjoy the scenery and leisure activities.

● Zhengxian Rock, "No. 1 Peak in the South" Archway, and Mingchun Valley

The Zhengxian Rock and Mingchun Valley are located at the eastern foot of the cliff on top of the Baiyun Mountain. Standing in this area is the "No. 1 Peak in the South" archway, the best preserved ancient archway in the Baiyun Mountain. The Mingchun Valley near the archway is China's largest natural bird cage, where fantastic bird performances are presented and the colorful birds amaze tourists with their variety, shapes and sizes. The newly restored Water Dripping Rock and the verdant ancient trail provide vantage points for tourists to gaze at the peaks in the distance, enjoy the gurgling spring water, and take in the enchanting scenery around.

● Peach Blossom Valley

The Peach Blossom Valley, located in the Mingzhul Building sightseeing area, is an eco-tourist attraction themed around peach blossoms. Built in recent years as a major attraction in the scenic area, the valley is popular among local residents for its abundance of peach blossoms in spring. This area features a natural, primitive environment with a vast variety of plants, and mountain gullies, small bridges and simple structures complement one another to bring about a sense of harmony and tranquility.

● Moxing Ridge

The Moxing Ridge, originally known as the Biyun Peak, is the highest point of the Baiyun Mountain, rising 382 meters above sea level. In the ridge, different weather conditions bring about different views. On rainy days, floating clouds envelope the entire mountain, creating an intriguing view. On sunny days, visitors enjoy a panoramic view of the forest of modern buildings below. In line with local traditions, Guangzhou folks would ascend the ridge to pray for safety and fortune on the Double-Ninth Day on Chinese lunar calendar.
The Luhu Lake, also known as the Jinye Lake, is located at the southern foot of the Baiyun Mountain. It's one of the four largest man-made lakes in Guangzhou. The park, located snugly between the mountain and the lake, contains various curved bridges, pavilions and historic buildings. It's an ideal place to view the sunrise and sunset and the sparkling nightscape of the Lu Lake. The Xian Xinghai Memorial Garden and Jufang Garden by the lake are immensely popular among local residents and tourists alike.
The Sculpture Park, located west of the Fei'e Ridge of the Baiyun Mountain, is China's largest thematic sculpture park. It was built by the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government in 1996 in commemoration of the 2210th anniversary of the founding of Guangzhou Town. The sculptures in the park feature gardening, ornamental, educational, artistic and historic themes. With its elegant environment and vast variety of sculptures, the park is a showcase of Guangzhou's history and Lingnan's cultural features.
The Nengren Temple, located on Yunshan Nan Lu, was first built in the reigns of Emperors Xian Feng and Tong Zhi of the Qing Dynasty. In its early days, the temple attracted a lot of worshippers, but was destroyed during the War of Resistance against Japan. The temple contains a number of historic sites, including the "Tiger" inscription, the Sweet Spring Water, the Jade Rainbow Pond, the "Floating Clouds over the Moon" sight, and the ancient bridge. The temple reopened in May 1995 following a reconstruction. It's the gem of the restored historical sites in the Baiyun Mountain, attracting an endless stream of tourists and pilgrims for its magnificence and rich cultural heritage.

۞ Visitors can admires flowers in the Peach Blossom Valley in spring, stroll along the Lu Lake in summer, climb the Moxing Ridge in autumn, visit the Sculptures Park in winter, climb Yuntai any time of the year, and tour the Peak at day and night. The Baiyun Mountain is truly a tranquil oasis from the hustle and bustle of the city.

۞ The scenic path between the southern and western gates of the Baiyun Mountain is the longest one of its kind. It commands a panoramic view of the town of Guangzhou. The entire trip takes about four hours. To save time and energy, visitors can also take the cableway or a sightseeing car. A number of route combinations are available.
Entrance: There are four entrances to the Baiyun Mountain – the southern gate (Yuntai Garden, most touristy), the western gate (near the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, providing the most parking spaces), the Lianquan gate (at the intersection of Shahe Lianquan Road, with the largest number of steps), and the Jingtai gate (Kezi Ridge, with the longest footpath across the woods).

※ Admission: RMB 5 per person; no admission fees for the Sculptures Park or Lu Lake, both of which are under the administration of the Baiyun Mountain Administrative Office)

※ Transportation
 · All of the following bus lines lead to Baiyun Dadao (the west gate of Baiyun Mountain): 36, 76, 127, 223, 265, 274, 529, 805, 864 and 891;
 · All of the following bus lines lead to Yuntai Garden (the south gate of Baiyun Mountain): 24, 63, 240, 285, 46, 60, 127, 175, 179, 199, 223 and 241.
 

※ Websites: www.baiyunshan.com.cn