Dabie Shan
Encyclopedia
The Dabie Mountains are a major mountain range located in central China
. Running northwest-to-southeast, they form the main watershed between the Huai
and Yangtze rivers. The range also marks the boundary between Hubei
Province and its neighbors of Henan
(to the north) and Anhui
(to the east).
The western part of Dabie Mountains has a low elevation of only 1,000–1,300 feet (300–400 meters), though there are a few peaks rising to 3,000 feet (900 meters). The eastern part is higher, averaging more than 3,300 feet (1,000 meters). The highest peak is Mount Huo at 5,820 feet (1,774 meters), with several others topping 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) including the 1729.13 metres (5,673 ft) high Tiantangzhai
.
as well as oak
, particularly cork
oak, making it China's chief cork-producing area. The region is very poor, and subsistence agriculture is the heart of its economy with rice and tea predominating.
The main transportation route across the higher range is from Macheng in Hubei
to Huangchuan in Hunan
, through the Huai River
valley. The main rail and road crossings go north from Wuhan
, through the lower elevations.
In 2009, the high-speed Hewu Passenger Railway opened, connecting Hefei
(capital of Anhui) with Wuhan
(capital of Hubei) along a short direct route. It uses a number of tunnels when crossing the Dabie range.
province, just south of Jiujiang
on the Yangtze killed at least 15 people, injured hundreds, and left several thousand people homeless. It caused tremors in Qichun
County in Hubei
province and beyond, even reaching as far as the provincial capital of Wuhan
.
province's Luotian
County and close to the border with Anhui Province, the park is about 68 kilometers from Luotian
town, 140 kilometers from Macheng, 150 kilometers from Huangshi
, and 210 kilometers from the Hubei provincial capital, Wuhan
.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Running northwest-to-southeast, they form the main watershed between the Huai
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
and Yangtze rivers. The range also marks the boundary between Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
Province and its neighbors of Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
(to the north) and Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
(to the east).
The western part of Dabie Mountains has a low elevation of only 1,000–1,300 feet (300–400 meters), though there are a few peaks rising to 3,000 feet (900 meters). The eastern part is higher, averaging more than 3,300 feet (1,000 meters). The highest peak is Mount Huo at 5,820 feet (1,774 meters), with several others topping 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) including the 1729.13 metres (5,673 ft) high Tiantangzhai
Tiantangzhai
Tiãntángzhài is the second highest peak of the Dabie Mountains located on the border between Hubei and Anhui Provinces in the People's Republic of China. Straddling Hubei's Luotian County and Huanggang City along with Jinzhai County in Anhui, the mountain rises to a height of above sea level...
.
Landscape
The range is heavily forested (about 85% coverage) and yields valuable bambooBamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
as well as oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, particularly cork
Cork (material)
Cork is an impermeable, buoyant material, a prime-subset of bark tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber , which is endemic to southwest Europe and northwest Africa...
oak, making it China's chief cork-producing area. The region is very poor, and subsistence agriculture is the heart of its economy with rice and tea predominating.
The main transportation route across the higher range is from Macheng in Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
to Huangchuan in Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, through the Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
valley. The main rail and road crossings go north from Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
, through the lower elevations.
In 2009, the high-speed Hewu Passenger Railway opened, connecting Hefei
Hefei
Hefei is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province in Eastern China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Anhui...
(capital of Anhui) with Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
(capital of Hubei) along a short direct route. It uses a number of tunnels when crossing the Dabie range.
Geology
Geologically, the range is a complex, stressed structure, making it and the surrounding area subject to earthquakes. In late 2005, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake centered in the northwest corner of JiangxiJiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
province, just south of Jiujiang
Jiujiang
Jiujiang , formerly transliterated Kiukiang, is a prefecture-level city located on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province, China. It is the second-largest prefecture-level city in Jiangxi province, the largest one being Nanchang...
on the Yangtze killed at least 15 people, injured hundreds, and left several thousand people homeless. It caused tremors in Qichun
Qichun
Qichun County is a county of Huanggang, Hubei, China.Qichun County is the birthplace of famous herbalist Li Shizhen, who was born and lived in Qizhou town, on the southern edge of the County, alongside the Yangtze River...
County in Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
province and beyond, even reaching as far as the provincial capital of Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
.
International Forest Park
This scenic park centered around Tiantangzhai is a key tourist attraction in the highest part of the Dabie mountain range. Total area of the park is 300 square kilometers. Located in HubeiHubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
province's Luotian
Luotian
Luotian County is a county of Huanggang, Hubei, China.Located in the foothills of Dabie Shan , the County has a population of about 600,000 and covers an area of 2,144 square kilometers.-History:...
County and close to the border with Anhui Province, the park is about 68 kilometers from Luotian
Luotian
Luotian County is a county of Huanggang, Hubei, China.Located in the foothills of Dabie Shan , the County has a population of about 600,000 and covers an area of 2,144 square kilometers.-History:...
town, 140 kilometers from Macheng, 150 kilometers from Huangshi
Huangshi
Huangshi is a prefecture-level city in China's Hubei province.-Geography and climate:The prefecture-level city of Huangshi is located in southeastern Hubei province, along the southwestern bank of one of the major bends in the Yangtze River. It is located 100 km south-east of Wuhan, and...
, and 210 kilometers from the Hubei provincial capital, Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
.