Yuanbaoshan Scenic Area 元宝山开放景区

About Yuanbaoshan Scenic Area

Its waterfalls include the single-tier Baizhang Falls, more than 100 metres high, and the multi-tier Six-tier and Seven-tier falls, each formed of successive rock steps. Above 1500 metres the forest cover remains largely in a primeval state. Relict conifers dating to the Tertiary glacial period grow on the mountain, including Yuanbaoshan fir, southern hemlock and southern yew; Yuanbaoshan fir is listed as a first-class nationally protected plant. A notable old tree, the "millennium hemlock" on Lanping Peak, has a trunk more than a metre across.

Azaleas grow in bands from the lower slopes, in a stretch more than ten li long, through mid-slope thickets to alpine azalea populations at the summit, flowering in April and May. Miao and Dong villages surround the mountain, contributing folk customs including lusheng reed-pipe dance circles, drum-pulling, horse-fighting and bird-fighting contests.

What to look for

• Baizhang Falls, a single-tier waterfall over 100 metres high.
• The multi-tier Six-tier and Seven-tier falls, formed of successive rock steps.
• The Yuanbaoshan fir, a first-class nationally protected relict conifer.
• The "millennium hemlock" on Lanping Peak, its trunk more than a metre across.
• The azalea bands running from the lower slopes to the summit, flowering in April and May.

Location & getting there

Getting to Yuanbaoshan Scenic Area

Check weather, trail access and the last return service. A mountain or forest area is not one entrance, and a map’s central pin may be far from the trailhead.

• Search for 元宝山开放景区 with 柳州市 and 融水苗族自治县.