Having been obscured in oblivion for more than a dozen years, Qiyun Mountain is trying to reemerge as a scenic spot.

Earlier this year, Xiuning County in east China's Anhui Province, where Qiyun is located, sold the mountain's management rights to a local travel agency, which will spend 1,200 million yuan (US$144.6 million) on exploiting and managing the peak for 50 years.

"According to our plan, the mountain is divided into five areas, and we have just finished work on one," said Tao Fei, president of Xiehe Travel Service Shanghai office, indicating that not satisfied with working simply as an agent, the company decided to buy a scenic site to expand its business range.

At one time, Qiyun Mountain was as popular as the famous Yellow Mountain, another Anhui peak, but it gradually slid into obscurity.

"Qiyun's present state is sad since it is one of the peaks noted for its culture of Taoism," said Tao, who was born and bred in the region.

Ruan Yishan, a Tongji University professor, agreed but worried the site may end up being a cash cow for its owners and suffer otherwise.

"The Qiyun boasts a rich legacy of Taoism culture as well as flourishing botanical exhibits," said the 70-year-old architecture authority. "But I hope the exploitation doesn't destroy nature."

Ruan, who is also director of the country's National Historic and Cultural Renowned Cities Research Center, rued the latest trend to sell scenic spots to private companies.

Local travel agencies have already started promoting an itinerary.

But it is still a difficult trip, involving an eight-hour bus or a 12-hour train journey to get to Qiyun.

This won't change until October next year when an under-construction highway is completed, reducing the road trip to just four hours.

(eastday.com October 21, 2003)