Wuyi Mountain is a UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage site. Before visiting, I thought it would be similar to Huangshan or Emei Mountain, primarily featuring mountain scenery. However, I found that it is mainly characterized by water scenery, somewhat similar to Guilin but different. In Guilin, the Li River bamboo raft ride mainly showcases the karst peaks on both sides, while in Wuyi Mountain, the bamboo raft ride focuses on the emerald streams and the Danxia landform peaks on both banks. Guilin's landscape is renowned worldwide, while Wuyi Mountain's water feels like a journey through a painting, and they represent different types of art.
In the first half hour of the morning, the bamboo rafts travel from the dock to the Nine Bends, where the mist is still heavy, and the water surface appears to be steaming. The peaks on both sides are faintly visible, as if drifting through a Chinese ink painting. From the Nine Bends to the Seven Bends, the sun gradually rises, and due to the Tyndall effect, beams of light resembling holy light emerge from the clouds and mist, creating a feeling of moving through a religious painting. From the Seven Bends to the First Bend, the mist gradually dissipates, revealing a blue sky and white clouds overhead, surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, with the bamboo raft becoming a scene in a landscape painting.
At the landing dock from the First Bend to Wuyi Palace, there is a waterway where the trees on both sides intertwine, and the bamboo raft passes through, resembling an adventure in the Amazon rainforest, evoking a sense of exotic charm.
In addition to the exquisite bamboo rafting on the Nine Bends, the recommended hiking spots are Tianyou Peak and Huxiao Rock. From the top of Tianyou Peak, one can view the spectacular large bend of the Six Bends. The viewing platform on Huxiao Rock offers views of multiple peaks, resembling enlarged bamboo shoots after rain. These two peaks have a relative height of about 200 meters, but the steps to climb are relatively steep and narrow. During the off-season, it’s manageable to ascend slowly, but during peak season, there may be queues. Besides Tianyou Peak and Huxiao Rock, the peaks with more distinctive shapes are Yunu Peak and Wuyi Peak. I think Yunu Peak resembles fingers coming together, while Wuyi Peak looks more like an ancient castle on the mountain, with each person having their own imagination and perspective from different angles. Another unique spot that requires climbing is called Yixiantian. Unlike other Yixiantian spots, which are mostly vertical mountain crevices, this one features a large cave with a crack above, allowing light to shine in from above. The entire crack is 100 meters long, and at its narrowest point, the crawling steps are only 30 centimeters wide, requiring one to pass sideways; those with larger bellies should not take the risk.
Additionally, if time permits, Wuyi Mountain is quite suitable for hiking, with multiple routes available. The recommended one is the leisurely trail along the Nine Bends, but it is relatively long. Due to time constraints, we only walked two segments: from Wuyi Palace to the First Bend and to Yunu Peak. Since the trail is not entirely along the water's edge, only some sections allow views of the water surface and the peaks across. We also walked the trail from Dahongpao to Water Curtain Cave, which is essentially a tea garden in the canyon, where we could see large tea trees, including the famous Dahongpao mother tree. The peaks on both sides are also quite distinctive, and with a bit of imagination, one can see shapes resembling turtles and eagle beaks. We also walked the Green Wild Path from Yixiantian to Huxiao Rock and Yunu Peak; this segment is also a tea garden but with fewer peaks. During the off-season, there are very few people, making it very quiet and allowing one to experience the essence of the mountains and fields.
Considering the vastness of the scenic area, we chose to stay at the Wuyi Mountain Villa Hotel, which was very helpful for transportation later on. The hotel is 800 meters from the Wuyi Palace transfer center, where one can take scenic buses to various attractions. There aren't many suitable dining places in the scenic area, but returning to Wuyi Palace, there is a free bus (Route 16) that takes two stops to Sangu Old Street, where there are various local restaurants to choose from at relatively affordable prices. In the evening, when the free bus service ends, one can take a leisurely walk of less than a kilometer back to the hotel after dinner. In recent years, the entrance ticket to Wuyi Mountain has been free; we only purchased the bamboo rafting ticket for the Nine Bends for 130 yuan and a three-day scenic bus pass for 95 yuan, totaling 225 yuan, which is not expensive compared to other attractions. As long as one avoids peak season, Wuyi Mountain is a great place for enjoying both mountains and water.