This city in Guangdong was renamed due to its mountains, having been called for thousands of years and still sounding good and having cultural significance.
China's history is long and profound, and its mountains and rivers are unparalleled. When it comes to the world-renowned Three Mountains and Five Peaks – Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) is wondrous, Huashan is perilous, Lushan is magnificent, and each of these mountains possesses its own unique culture and image. These eight mountains, today, are all tourism hotspots, bringing in massive revenue for local tourism industries each year, making them among China’s most profitable mountains. To maximize their tourism value, the former area of Huguo () was renamed Huangshan due to its influence.
Danxia () mountains in China are numerous, but the one in Shaoguan, Guangdong, is considered the best globally. Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) features a peak-forest landscape, with individual peaks rising dramatically, while Shaoguan’s Danxia mountains are layered, resembling an un-opened book from a distance. As you delve deeper, it’s like glimpsing a corner of the open book, with captivating visual elements at every turn.
Unlike the mountains exceeding 1,000 meters in altitude, Danxia mountains reach a maximum height of only 618 meters. While lower in altitude, they offer fewer physical challenges for tourists, allowing for easy ascent to the summit and a panoramic view of the Danxia landscape.
Danxia mountains are centered around Shaoshitou Mountain (). This group of diverse peaks is rich in mythological stories and is also the origin of the Guangfu culture. Shaoguan City was named after Shaoshitou Mountain and used it as a key factor in its renaming.
Historically, Shaoguan City was originally Dongheng County, and it was later renamed Shaozhou and retained the name for a thousand years. At the time, Shaoguan's area was not yet vast. When the Nanhan Dynasty moved to Shaoguan, this hilly and mountainous area began to attract attention. People from afar settled in Shaoguan, treating Shaoshitou Mountain as their ‘Mother Mountain,’ which is the root of Guangfu culture and one of the origins of cultural development in some parts of Guangdong.
The phenomenon of cities being renamed due to mountains is numerous. Throughout ancient and modern history, it’s difficult to count exactly. However, ancient people renamed cities based on mountains not for tourism development, but out of respect and a feeling of coexistence with their habitat, and a cultural foundation that evolved over a long period. The renaming of Shaoguo to Shaoguan is a testament to retaining one’s roots, a name that has been called for thousands of years, and still felt culturally significant.
It is a pity that developing tourism led to Huangzhou's loss of its deep historical and cultural foundations.Photography: Xiquinho Silva, Global Travel Photographer | Source: Go
