Introduction to the Peonies of Wanhua Mountain

The wild peony colonies on Wanhua Mountain boast a long history. The Unified Records of the Great Qing Dynasty records: "Peony Mountain lies forty li south of Fushi County, a place abundant in peonies. The mountain is dominated by this famous bloom, hence it is named Wanhua Mountain — the Mountain of Ten Thousand Flowers, and its glory stems entirely from peonies."

Before peonies flourished in Luoyang, all peonies across the realm originated from Yan’an, making Yan’an the homeland of Chinese peonies. The Song Dynasty work Illustrated Materia Medica states: "Peonies grow throughout the mountains of Danzhou and Yan’an, bearing blossoms in yellow, purple, red and white hues." Ouyang Xiu wrote in Records of Luoyang Peonies that "peonies originate from Danzhou and Yanzhou". His Flower Register also documents Yan’an Red and Danzhou Red peonies, noting that "they stand as the finest varieties native to these regions. Peonies grow especially profusely west of Danzhou and Yanzhou, to the point that local commoners cut their stalks for firewood." It was indeed a remarkable wonder of the age that peonies were so plentiful that villagers chopped their branches to burn as fuel.

Huayuantou Village, where Wanhua Mountain is located, is said to be the hometown of Hua Mulan, the legendary female warrior. A grand Hua Mulan Cemetery stands here. Stone steles within the compound are carved with the full text of the Ballad of Mulan, alongside inscriptions of "Mulan Shrine" and "Ballad of Mulan" handwritten by Liao Mosha and Shu Tong respectively. Before Mulan’s tomb rises a stone tablet bearing Shu Tong’s calligraphy "Tomb of General Hua", and in front of the tablet stands a over-four-meter-tall stone sculpture depicting Hua Mulan riding into battle in full military armor.

At the summit of Wanhua Mountain stretches a mountain ridge 500 meters long and 100 meters wide, commonly known as Horse-Racing Ridge, reputed to be the site where Hua Mulan practiced martial arts and galloped her steed in ancient times. On the ridge grows a unique interconnected cypress cluster of five fused trunks, named Five-Dragon Cypress, one of Yan’an’s famous ancient trees