The Wuyi Mountains or Wuyishan[1] (Chinese: 武夷山; pinyin: Wǔyí Shān; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Bú-î-soaⁿ; formerly known as Bohea Hills in early Western documents) are a mountain range located in the prefecture of Nanping, in northern Fujian province near the border with Jiangxi province, China.

The mountains have been listed since 1999 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,[3] for cultural, scenic, and biodiversity values.

The region is part of the Cathaysian fold system and has experienced high volcanic activity and the formation of large fault structures, which were subsequently subject to erosion by water and weathering.

The landscape is characterized by beautiful winding river valleys flanked by columnar or dome-shaped cliffs as well as cave systems.

[7] The most common tree families are beech (Fagaceae), laurel (Lauraceae), camellia (Theaceae), magnolia (Magnoliaceae), Elaeocarpaceae, and witch-hazel (Hamamelidaceae).

The fauna of the Wuyi Mountains is renowned for its high diversity, which includes many rare and unusual species.

The latter are the bird David's parrotbill (Neosuthora davidiana), Pope's spiny toad (Vibrissaphora liui), and the bamboo snake Pseudoxenodon karlschmidti (family Colubridae).

Other known endangered species in the area include South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), hairy-fronted muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons), Mainland serow (Capricornis milneedwardsii– a goat antelope), Cabot's tragopan (Tragopan caboti), Chinese black-backed pheasant (Syrmaticus ellioti), Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus), and the golden Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus aureus – a swallowtail butterfly).

In the 7th century, the Wuyi Palace was built for emperors to conduct sacrificial activities, a site that tourists can still visit today.

Remains of 35 academies erected from the era of the Northern Song to the Qing dynasty and more than 60 Taoist temples and monasteries have been located.

The county magistrate used to take the chair of the Mountain Call ceremony on Jingzhe Day (惊蛰).

Another major attraction is Fuxi Cave, where the narrowest passage – the Thread of Sky – is less than 40 centimetres (16 in), a fissure open to the surface above.

[9] The nearby Tian Cheng Temple, built in 1707, features a large rock-relief statue of the Chinese goddess of mercy, carved directly into the mountainside.

The four most widely known varieties of Wuyi rock-essence tea are referred to as the Si Da Ming Cong ('Four Great Cultivars') teas: Da Hong Pao ('Big Red Robe'), Tie Luo Han ('Iron Arhat'), Bai Jiguan ('White Cockscomb'), and Shui Jin Gui ('Golden Water Turtle').

Developed from local folk dances and songs, the performances are comedic and focused on daily life in the tea-growing region.