This video clip is from Hero (2002), a Chinese wuxia film directed by Zhang Yimou. This movie got very good recognition to western audience, who were mostly astonished by its poetic scenic photographic throughout the entire movie.

This part, as shown in the clip, featured two colors: yellow and red. The red is what the actresses wear; the yellow is what I will introduce to you today: Huyang Forest.

One of the most popular places of interest in the United States is Colorado Grand Canyon. Besides its unique landscape, it is also known as the longest (446km) canyon in the world until 1994. In 1994, a team of geologists confirmed that the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon on the Yarlung Zangbo River is the longest and deepest canyon in the world.

Three Sacred Mountains of Daocheng consist of three snow peaks: Xian-nai-ri, Yang-mai-yong, Xia-nuo-duo-jie. They are completely separated peaks, but every close to each other, forming a triangle. The geography diversity in this region is gorgeous with snow peaks, cliffs, lakes, prairie, forests, creeks and rivers. When explorer Joseph Rock found this place, he was astonished by the beautiful scene of Yang-Mai-Yong: “Exceptional pyramid-shaped peak Yang-mai-yong, she is the most beautiful snow peak my eyes have ever seen.”

Gan Xi’s residence house began construction in Jiaqing era. Commonly known as “ninety-nine and a half rooms”, together with the Xiaoling Tomb of Ming, Nanjing Ming Dynasty City Wall are the “Three Landscapes of Ming and Qing Dynasties in Nanjing. With a high historical, scientific and tourism value, Gan Xi Residence is the largest and best preserved private house in Nanjing area.

Snow mountains are not a part of traditional Chinese aesthetics for some historic reason, esp. remote mountain region are the territory of minority ethnics. The infamous 五岳 (Five sacred mountains of China) only barely breach above 2000 meters.

When CNG started the Scenic Splendor of China selection, one of its goals is to introduce non-traditional aesthetics to Chinese people. They focused on those remote regions which have been ignored by traditional view.