CHIU-LING MOUNTAINS

Wade-Giles Chiu-ling Shan, Pinyin Jiuling Shan range in northern Kiangsi province, China. The range runs southwest-northeast from east of Ch'ang-sha in Hunan province to the valley of the Hsiu River west of Lake P'o-yang, a distance of some 155 miles (250 km). It lies south of, and parallel to, the Mu-fu Mountains, from which it is separated by the valley of the Hsiu River. Unlike the Mu-fu Mountains, which form a continuous ridge, the Chiu-ling Mountains are much more complex, being formed of two or three parallel ridges with an identical southwest-northeast orientation. Most of the ridges are about 3,300 feet (1,000 m) in elevation, though several peaks in the central range reach 4,250 to 4,600 feet (1,300 to 1,400 m), and Mounts Wu-mei and Kao-shan are more than 5,250 feet (1,600 m). The mountain terrain is extremely rugged and heavily forested. The area is sparsely populated and produces chiefly timber and forest products, though there is also some tea production.