Mingyue (Bright Moon) Mountain

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2011-09-20

Statue of Xia Yungu, empress of Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), at the foot of Mingyue Mountain

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Tradition has it that Xia Yungu, empress of Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), was born at the foot of Mingyue (Bright Moon) Mountain. The charming empress was kind and smart. The local people named the mountain Mingyue in memory of the empress.

In 1994, the Ministry of Forestry approved Mingyue Mountain as a state-level forest park. The mountain, also a provincial level scenic spot, sits southwest 31 kilometers away from the seat of Yuanzhou district of Yichun city, China’s first ecological city. The scenic spot has a planned area of 136 square kilometers. The core area, about 80 square kilometers, is a part of the northeastern tip of Wugong Mountain. Mingyue Mountain range comprises of a dozen summits over 1,000 meters above sea level, including Taiping Mountain, Yujing Mountain, Laoshan Mountain, and Yangshan Mountain. Taiping Mountain, the main summit, is 1,735.6 meters above sea level.

Mingyue Mountain range comprises of a dozen summits over 1,000 meters above sea level.

Mingyue Mountain scenic spot has a subtropical humid monsoon climate. The annual temperature averages 12—15 ℃. The annual rainfall averages 1,800--2,000 mm. For this reason, the mountain is referred to as a “natural animal and plant park.” The well protected primitive environment, with exuberant vegetation cover, yields high negative ion in the air, about 70,000 per cubic centimeters. It is 34 times more than the national standard. Therefore, the place is eulogized as a “natural oxygen bar”.

The Tanxia scenic spot is surrounded by bamboo trees. The scenic spot has five unique waterfalls. The Cloud Valley waterfall, 119.57 meters long, is the highest in the province. The other four waterfalls, the Exquisite Waterfall, Fish Scale Waterfall, Jade Dragon Waterfall, and Plunging Waterfall, have there own beautiful features.

A waterfall on Mingyue Mountain

The hot spring of Mingyue Mountain is seldom seen in other places because of its selenium and radon content. The selenium hot spring, with a history of over 900 years, is 0.8 square kilometers long and situated in Wentang town, at the foot of Mingyue mountain. The hot spring gushes out 13,000 tons of water a day. The temperature remains at 68-72?℃ all the year round.

The hot spring water may be used to drink or bathe in. It contains little sulfur and 20 microelements beneficial to people’s health. The selenium element is particularly helpful in anti-cancer and health care. It has obvious curative effects for cardiovascular, digestion system and urinary system diseases. This makes the hot spring the best selenium hot spring in China.

The hot spring keeps at about 50 ℃ throughout the year. The daily water yield is about 1,800 tons. The hot spring helps delay ageing. The resort is now home to 13 large sanatoriums that may accommodate over 3,000 people at a time. It has developed multiple hot springs and tourism halls and 100 bathing pools.

The hot spring on Mingyue Mountain keeps at about 50 ℃ throughout the year. Tianmu Hot Spring Resort is now home to 13 large sanatoriums that may accommodate over 3,000 people at a time.