Twelve Peaks of Mt. Wushan

As the starting point of Wu Gorge, Mt. Wushan is famous for the peaks of all kinds of shapes, and the Twelve Peaks are the best representatives. Located at the border between Sichuan and Hubei Provinces, Mt. Wushan joints Daba Mountain from the north. The main peak of Mt. Wushan, Wuyun Peak, has an elevation of 2,400 meters (7,874 feet). Being the limestone area and one of the places that have the most heavy rain in China, Mt. Wushan have long been eroded by wind, rain and the Yangtze River. Therefore, a forest of peaks of piercing shapes has been formed in Mt. Wushan, and the Twelve Peaks are the highlights.

The Twelve Peaks are located at the banks of Yangtze River about 10 to 30 km (6.2 – 18.6 miles) away from the Wushan County. Six of them are on the northern bank: Denglong, Shengquan, Zhaoyun, Wangxia (Goddess Peak), Songluan, and Jixian; another six peaks are on the southern bank: Jingtan, Qiyun, Shangsheng, Feifeng, Cuiping, and Juhe. Due to frequent rains and lack of sunshine, the Twelve Peaks are sometimes surrounded by mist and clouds. Cruising along the Twelve Peaks, you seem to "intrude" into a fairyland. 

 Goddess Peak
The Goddess Peak stands on the northern bank of Yangtze River about 15 km away from Wushan County. Looking from distance, it is just like a slim and graceful young lady, hence the name Goddess Peak. The peak is so high that it is the first peak seeing the rosy dawn, so it is also called Wangxia Peak (the peak watching the morning clouds).

 Legend of Twelve Peaks
Once upon a time, there lived twelve evil dragons in the Wu Gorges of Yangtze River. One day, they ran out of their cave and brought storms, heavy rains and thunders to the Wu Gorge. People were blown by wind, and villages and fields were drowned by floods. Yao Ji, the little daughter of the Heavenly Queen Mother, was passing by and saw what the dragons did. She was very angry and killed the evil dragons. The dragons' bodies fell on the ground and turned into towering mountains which blocked the watercourse of Yangtze River. The water rose and was to submerge the whole Sichuan area. Yao Ji asked her eleven sisters and Da Yu (the hero who controlled floods) to help her split the mountains and dredge the river. Villages and people in Wu Gorge were saved at last.

After flood was controlled, Yao Ji was going to go back to the Heavenly Palace with her sisters, but when she saw the dragons' bodies in the Yangtze River formed hidden shoals and dangerous reefs which sank many ships, she and her sisters decided to stay and navigate for passing ships. After many years, the twelve fairies turned into twelve peaks standing on the banks of Wu Gorge, and Yao Ji was said to turn into the Goddess Peak.