Scenes on Baiyun Mountain named in Eight Sights of Guangzhou The name of the mountain derives from the view of peaks shrouded by white clouds in late Spring or when the sky clears after rain. Baiyun Mountain has been a scenic spot since ancient times. The fame of the mountain dates back before the city of Guangzhou was established, when it was occasionally visited by celebrities of as early as the Warring States period (476 BC–221 BC). It had become known for its beauty in Jin Dynasty (265–420) and reputed as a tourist attraction in Tang Dynasty (618–897).

　　Numerous scenes on Baiyun Mountain have been named in the Eight Sights of Guangzhou (Chinese: 羊城八景) of various eras since the Song Dynasty(960–1279). Historically, Baiyun Mountain had an abundance of scenic spots and historical sites, but few of them have survived till modern days.

　　Over the course of history, Baiyun Mountain have earned the titles of “Top Beauty of Guangzhou” (Chinese: 羊城第一秀) and “First Mountain of Lingnan” (Chinese: 岭南第一名山).

　　Geography

　　Baiyun Mountain refers to the mountain range located 15 km (9.3 mi) north of downtown Guangzhou and made up of about 30 peaks, with an area of 28 km2 (11 sq mi). It is located at the southern end of the Dayu Mountains (Chinese: 大庾岭), which themselves are part of Nanling Mountains (Chinese: 南岭山脉). Its highest peak, Moxing Ridge (Chinese: 摩星岭; literally “Star-scraping Ridge”) is 382 m (1,253 ft) high and is also called the “First Peak under the Southern Sky” (Chinese: 天南第一峰).

　　Virescence covers over 95% of the area of Baiyun Mountain, enabling it to absorb 2800 t of carbon dioxide and release 2100 t of oxygen each day. Therefore, Baiyun Mountain is regarded as the “Lung of the City” (Chinese: 市肺).

　　Scenery

　　Baiyun Mountain is a park with natural hills and lakes, and an ideal sightseeing place and summer resort, with a development history of over 1,000 years. So far six sightseeing zones have been developed: Mingzhu Tower, Moxing Ridge/Summit, Santai Ridge, Mingchun Valley, Fei’e Ridge and Luhu Lake. Apart from the existing locations like Moxing Ridge, Village Hostel, Songtao Villa, Mingzhu Tower, Luming Restaurant and Baiyun Immortal’s House, more attractions have been added in the past 10 years such as the Baiyun Cableway, Mingchun Valley - the largest birdcage in Asia, the Forest of Steles in Guangzhou, Nengren Temple, a golf course, Xinghai Garden, Yuntai Garden, the Sculpture Park and Baiyun chute.

        Cable Cars Ticket Booth

　　The mountain can be reached by taking buses 24 and 36, and a bus going directly to the peak also available at Guangwei Road. The Baiyun Cableway is the first bicable ropeway in the country, and has 80 cars seating 6 passengers each. The lower station is located east of Yuntai Garden and the upper station is at the Peak Park, a difference of 198 m (650 ft) in altitude and are located 1,672 m (5,486 ft) away from each other. The cable cars of Baiyun Cableway pass by such scenic spots such as the Cloudy Valley, Pu Valley, a barbecue zone, Nengren Temple and so on, and Goat City (Guangzhou) can be seen clearly from the summit.