Báiyún is Mandarin Chinese for "White Clouds", derived from views of the mountain's peaks shrouded in mist during late Spring or after a rain.

[citation needed] Baiyun is informally known as the "City's Lung" (市肺), from its greenery.

It is also acclaimed as the "First Beauty in Guangzhou” (羊城第一秀)[2] or the “Most Famous Mountain South of Ling” (岭南第一名山).

[4] Since the Song, various scenes at Baiyun have been named among the Eight Sights of Ram City, lists of Guangzhou's loveliest spots.

The White Cloud Mountain minnow, now a popular aquarium fish worldwide, was discovered in this area in the 1930s.