Saturday, September 19, 2009

Yushan on the Finalists of New 7 Wonders of Nature


New 7 Wonders of Nature have announced the 28 finalists. The list includes some well-known names such as Grand Canyon, Amzon Rainforest, and Great Barrier Reef. It also includes some lesser-known names like Yushan, Jeju Island, and Halong Bay — which are all located in Asia.






Yushan (玉山; also known as Jade Mountain) is the highest mountain in East Asia and the fourth highest mountain on an island. In the winter, Yushan is often capped with thick snow which makes the entire peak shine like stainless jade, hence its name.

Yushan and surrounding mountains belong to Yushan Range, which is part of Yushan National Park in Taiwan. The highest point of the range, Yushan, is 3,952 metres (12,966 ft) above sea level. Yushan was once in the ocean and raised to the current height because the Eurasian Plate slid under the neighboring Philippine Sea Plate. The ocean waters off Taiwan's east coast are deep; in fact, 50 kilometres (31 mi) offshore in the Pacific Ocean, the seabed drops precipitously to a depth of 4,000 metres (13,123 ft). From this perspective, Yushan is even more magnificent if you consider it rises 8,000 metres (vs 8,046 metres of Himalaya's) steeply from its nearby ocean floor in such a short distance — est 100 kilometres (62 mi).


Yushan is one of the favorites among Taiwanese mountain climbers. It also attracts climbers from all over the world. Yushan Range is known for its diverse and rich wildlife and ecology. The flora and fauna around Yushan itself spans from tropical and subtropical at its base to alpine at its peak. Due to humid ocean climate surrounding the island of Taiwan, Yushan is often surrounded by clouds. So, it is famous for the forever-changing cloud formations around the mountain. Because its vantage position, it's also good for watching sunrises and sunsets on top of it.

"Look over there. A magnificent and auspicious blue view has appeared in the heavens. Thus embellished, that row of bare precipices from Yushan's main summit to its eastern peak at that moment is like a rainbow, reflecting a dazzling auburn light. The creases on the mountain walls gently project a restrained cobalt blue." described by the famous Japanese naturalist Kano Tadao awed by Yushan's splendid and unusual sights.







Yushan Trip (Jade Mountain, Taiwan)

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Yushan National Park





Formosa

Taiwan where mountains meet ocean used to be called Formosa. It was a name called by Portuguese sailors in the 1600s, which means "Beautiful Island". Taiwan is one of the Four Asian Tigers, which were noted for maintaining exceptionally high growth rates and rapid industrialization between the early 1960s and 1990s. Besides rapid economic development, it is also famous for its nature beauty, people's friendliness, and food, tea, and hot spring cultures. Nowadays it attracts tourists from all over the world.

To learn more about Taiwan, you can view the following videos:

Photo Credit Goes to...

  1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/steking/200879728/sizes/o/
  2. http://www.flickr.com/photos/taiwandenmark/3368155874/
  3. http://www.flickr.com/photos/olvwu/3688258937/
  4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/villevaltterihelminen/3543142138/
  5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/yiru/9082308/
  6. http://www.flickr.com/photos/yiru/9090562/
  7. http://www.flickr.com/photos/olvwu/3693814952/
  8. http://www.flickr.com/photos/s_alumi/2838235533/