Huangshan (literally: "Yellow Mountains") is a mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China. So like the Appalachians in the USA, they are the east coast range, as opposed to the western Himalayas. The area is well known for its scenery, sunsets, granite peaks, Huangshan Pine trees, hot springs, winter snow, and views of the clouds from above. Huangshan is a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings, poetry, and literature, as well as modern photography. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of China's major tourist destinations. The name is commonly thought to have been coined in honor of Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor), a legendary Chinese emperor, and the mythological ancestor of the Han Chinese. One legend states that Huangshan was the location from which the Yellow Emperor ascended to Heaven. Another legend states that the "Yellow Emperor " cultivated moral character and refined Pills of Immortality in the mountains, and in so doing gave the mountains his name. The first use of this name "Huangshan" often is attributed to Chinese poet Li Bai. His use of the name in 747 AD seems to have brought the area more attention. Huangshan is known for its stone steps, carved into the side of the mountain, of which there may be more than 60,000 throughout the area. They have been said to be more than 1,500 years old.

This poem is a Heroic Sonnet.
The Heroic Sonnet is the cornerstone format of the Crown of Heroic Sonnets, which links a string of seven of them together. Unlike other Sonnets this format does not require a volta (or turn), in that it is meant to convey large amounts of information, or a story. It consists of four Quatrains typically in iambic pentameter, using one of two classic ryhme schemes throughout, either aabb or abab. It is closed with the usual rhyming Couplet. So it contains 18 lines, rather than the usual 14 lines of a Sonnet, in order for it to tell a longer story. That's were the "heroic" designation comes from, that extra Quatrain.

This photograph is from Yahoo Images.

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