WU-I MOUNTAINS

WadeGiles romanization Wu-i Shan, Pinyin Wuyi Shan, mountain range on the border between Fukien and Kiangsi provinces, China. The Wu-i Mountains originally bore the name of a cluster of peaks in northwestern Fukien, but the name is applied as a general term to the southwestnortheast range forming the northern part of the FukienKiangsi border. The southern range, which has a more nearly south-to-north orientation, is known as the Shan-ling range. The individual peaks of the Wu-i range rise up to about 6,000 feet (1,800 m). Situated in an area with many caves and with some spectacular scenery, the Wu-i Mountains have long been associated with cults of Taoism, a philosophy that has influenced all aspects of Chinese culture for the past 2,000 years. In the 18th and 19th centuries, a well-known academy, known as the Tzu-yang Shu-yuan, was established there. The range is crossed by a number of passes and, since 1957, by the railway at the western end of the range, which replaced the Fen-shui Pass as the main route from Fukien into Kiangsi. To the northeast the range is continued by the somewhat higher and even more rugged Hsien-hsia Mountains, which extend into Chekiang Province. This range is heavily forested and rather sparsely populated. A famous area for timber and bamboo, it has also long been renowned for its fine tea. From the 13th to the 17th century the government maintained special offices in the area to control tea production.