Wuzhi Mountain, the Five Finger Mountain, is the highest peak on Hainan Island at 1,867 metres, a jagged ridge of five summits in the rainforest of the island's centre. Sacred to the Li people and the source of the Wanquan and Changhua rivers, it is a national nature reserve and since 2021 part of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park.
- National nature reserve
- Part of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park · 2021
Key facts
- Highest point
- 1,867 m
- Rivers
- Source of the Wanquan and Changhua rivers
- National park
- Hainan Tropical Rainforest, since 2021[1]
- Location
- Wuzhishan city, Hainan
Overview
Seen from the south, the mountain's ridge rises in five pinnacles like the fingers of a hand, which gives it its name and has made it a symbol of Hainan. The peaks are cloaked in tropical montane rainforest, and the summit ridge is frequently hidden in cloud. The mountain gives its name to the county-level city of Wuzhishan, whose small town lies in a valley below.
For the Li people, the mountain is an ancestral and sacred place, and the villages around it are among the heartlands of Li culture. Wuzhi Shan is also the watershed from which the Wanquan river flows east and the Changhua river flows west, making it a source of water for much of the island.
How the landscape formed
The mountain is a granite massif in the domed centre of Hainan. Weathering along joints in the humid tropical climate has carved the ridge into separate pinnacles, with steep, boulder-strewn slopes and narrow valleys. Heavy rainfall feeds streams, waterfalls and deep pools on its flanks, and the thick forest holds moisture through the dry season.
Highlights
Second Finger
二指
The highest of the five summits at 1,867 metres, reached by the main summit route.
Shuiman
水满乡
A Li township at the foot of the mountain, the start of the summit trail and a tea-growing area.
Wanquan River
万泉河
The river that rises on the mountain and flows east to the sea at Bo'ao.
Wuzhishan Grand Canyon
五指山大峡谷
A river gorge below the mountain known for white-water rafting.
Plants and wildlife
The mountain's forests change with altitude from lowland rainforest through montane rainforest to mossy dwarf forest near the summits, where trees are short and draped in moss and epiphytes. It is one of the best-preserved forest areas of Hainan and rich in endemic plants and animals.
Plants
Mossy dwarf forest
苔藓矮林
Stunted, moss-covered forest on the windswept summit ridge.
Orchids
兰花
Many epiphytic orchids grow on the trees of the cloud forest.
Wuzhishan black tea
五指山红茶
Tea grown on the lower slopes around Shuiman and processed as black tea.
Wildlife
Hainan peacock-pheasant
海南孔雀雉
An endemic pheasant of the island's mountain forests.
Rhesus macaque
猕猴
Troops live in the forests on the mountain's flanks.
Culture and legend
Wuzhi Shan stands at the centre of the Li world, and many Li legends explain its five peaks as the fingers of an ancestor or a hero. The Li and Miao villages around the mountain keep traditions of weaving, rice-wine making and the Sanyuesan festival, held on the third day of the third lunar month, when Li communities gather for song, dance and courtship.
Third of the Third Month
三月三
The main festival of the Li, with singing, dancing and bamboo-pole dancing.
Bamboo-pole dance
竹竿舞
Dancers step between bamboo poles clapped together in rhythm, a Li tradition.
Li brocade
黎锦
Woven textiles of the Li, recognised as intangible cultural heritage.
History
Antiquity
The Li settle the central mountains
Wuzhi Shan becomes the sacred centre of the Li homeland.
1985
Nature reserve established
The forests of the mountain are placed under protection, later raised to national level.
2021
Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park
Wuzhi Shan becomes one of the core areas of the new national park.
Through the seasons
Spring
Dry and warm, one of the best seasons for the climb, with clear mornings.
Summer
Hot and wet with frequent afternoon storms; the trail becomes muddy and slippery.
Autumn
Typhoon season into October, when the trail may close; waterfalls are at their fullest.
Winter
Cool, dry and clear, the most popular climbing season, though the summit can be chilly and cloud-bound.
Routes and ways in
Summit trail from Shuiman
A steep path through the forest to the First Finger and on to the Second Finger, with roots, rocks and fixed ladders on the upper sections; a full day up and down.
Rainforest walk at the foot
Shorter trails and boardwalks through lowland forest near the reserve entrance.
Practical notes
- The summit climb is strenuous; start early, carry plenty of water and allow the whole day.
- Access to the summit trail is controlled by the reserve and may close in heavy rain or typhoons.
- Wuzhishan city lies below the mountain; Sanya to the south and Haikou to the north are the usual starting points by road.
Cities to start from
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Hainan Provincial Forestry Bureau (Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park Administration) — Hainan Provincial Forestry Bureau (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Hainan Provincial People's Government — Hainan Provincial People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Wuzhishan Municipal People's Government — Wuzhishan Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
More mountains and nature in Hainan
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