A Landscape Album for Wang Shihong's Dream Journey. Xuezhuang (ca. 1646-1719) China, Qing Dynasty, 1695. Album of eighteen leaves; Ink and color on paper. 29.2 X 22.5 cm. Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Purchase: F2001.4H

WASHINGTON.- Yellow Mountain (Mount Huang or Huangshan) is arguably one of the most beautiful mountains in China. For centuries artists have endeavored to capture the ever-changing appearance of the area. Their interpretations include seventeenth-century woodblock prints and mountainscapes created by monk-painters who either had traveled to or had lived in the wilderness surrounding Yellow Mountain during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Paintings and prints of the mountain, whether done from nature or from memory by well-known and little-recognized artists, complete this look at the changing landscape of Huangshan.

The Huangshan is a mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China. The area is very famous for its scenic beauty, which lies in the peculiar shapes of the granite peaks, in the weather-shaped Huangshan Pine trees, and in views of the clouds from above. The area also has hot springs and natural pools. The Huang Shan are a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature. Today, they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of China's most popular tourist destinations.

The mountains were formed in the Mesozoic, about 100 million years ago, when an ancient sea disappeared due to uplift. Later, in the Quaternary, the landscape was shaped by the influence of glaciers. In many cases, stone pillar forests were formed.

Since the Qin Dynasty, Huangshan had been known as the Yishan. It got its present name in 747 AD, when the poet Li Po referred to it by this name in his writing.

Because the mountain tops are often above cloud level, they offer views of the clouds from above and interesting light-effects. The Sea of Clouds and Buddha's Light are famous phenomena which attract many tourists. On average, the Buddha's Light only appears a couple of times in a month.

The hot springs of the area are located at the foot of the Purple Cloud Peak. the water retains a temperature of 45 °C all year. Most natural pools are concentrated in the Songgu Area. Some particularly well-known water bodies in the area are the Old Dragon Pool (Lao Long Tan), the Green Dragon Pool (Qing Long Tan), the Black Dragon Pool (Wu Long Tan), the White Dragon Pool (Bai Long Tan), and the Jadeite Pond.

Huangshan has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990 for its exceptional natural beauty and its role as a habitat for rare and threatened species.

Yellow Mountain, (detail of section 9). Cheng Gong (active 1675-1706). China, Qing Dynasty, 1704. Handscroll; Ink and color on silk. 48.6 X 571.2 cm. Private Collection ELS2008.3.1(Sec9).