Cangshan is a mountain range

Mountain range

A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...

 immediately west of Dali City in Yunnan

Yunnan

Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...

 province of Southwest China

Southwest China

Southwest China is a region of the People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the municipality of Chongqing, the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, and the Tibet Autonomous Region.-Provinces:-Municipalities:...

.

The highest summit, Malong

Malong

The malong is a traditional "tube skirt" made of handwoven or machine-made multi-colored cotton cloth, bearing a variety of geometric or okir designs. The malong is akin to the sarong worn by peoples in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia...

, is 4,122 m, but the mountain includes another 18 peaks all over 3,500 m altitude. The mountain is noted for its very rich, diverse flora

Flora

Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...

, first scientifically documented by Pierre Jean Marie Delavay

Pierre Jean Marie Delavay

Père Jean Marie Delavay was a French missionary, explorer and botanist.He was sent to China in 1867, serving first in Guangdong, then moving to Kunming, Yunnan, where he remained until his death....

 in 1882.

In 1991, construction began on a paved walkway running north and south from the top chairlift

Chairlift

An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...

 station near ancient Dali. This walkway passes several waterfalls, and overlooks lake Erhai and the ancient city itself. This walkway is named "Jade-Cloud Road" after the could formations that appear over the Cangshan peaks. Construction was completed in 1992 and in 2004 a new project was launched to widen the road and increase its length. At the Dali Town chairlift station on the mountainside is a temple complex as well as a small travellers' inn.