'Silent Hill' in reality: Stories behind mysterious & primitive Ailao Mountains
Recently, the video blogger "Shanqu" who alone into the mountains to collect ore stone material in the network has become popular and also let the Ailao Mountains again into the public eye.
The Ailao Mountains first came to the attention of internet users when a blogger uploaded an eerie and surreal adventure-themed video. The video featured scenes of unexpected encounters with fog and warning signs like "bears nearby," giving viewers a spooky but exhilarating sense. Following that, a flurry of curious tourists descended upon the region, clogging mountain roads, as reported by CCTV news on Monday.
According to a video posted on Sunday (Oct. 6) by a local account of an aerial shot of the driveway up the mountains, the highway circling the mountains was packed with small cars stuck in traffic.
Notices emphasizing that it is strictly forbidden for any person or group to access the region or engage in activities such as hiking, trekking, or camping without a formal license were released by the relevant departments of the scenic area on Sunday.
A further statement issued by the local government stated that those who breach the management's rules and enter the nature reserve without permission risk fines ranging from RMB 100 to RMB 5,000.
What's the origin of the 'mysterious & primitive' Ailao Mountains?
Ailao Mountains means "place of tigers and leopards" in the Yi language, which is not a mountain, but a group of mountains stretching hundreds of kilometers across the boundary between the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau and the Hengduan Mountains.
The prefecture-level cities of Chuxiong, Yuxi, and Pu'er were separated by the Ailao Mountains, which were situated in central Yunnan. Some people called the mountains the "Forest of Death" because of their deep forests, ravines, and erratic weather. According to available data, it is recognized as the world's largest, least damaged, and most intact subtropical highland wet evergreen broadleaf forest habitat at these latitudes.
There are several "mysterious stories" associated with this place because of its distant position and undeveloped state.
Most of the deeper, unreachable regions of the Ailao Mountains are made up of virgin forests without adequate roads; these regions are still off-limits to tourists. Altitude sickness and hypothermia can strike visitors to these regions frequently due to harsh weather. Compasses may become worthless in this location due to the abnormal magnetic field, increasing the likelihood of getting lost.
Upon reaching the Ailao Mountains' interior in November 2021, four geological surveyors gave their lives while performing their duties. According to CCTV news, forensic examination and a collaborative on-site investigation revealed that the primary causes of the four personnel's deaths were extreme physical strain and fast temperature decreases brought on by wind gusts.
In actuality, certain parts of the Ailao Mountains have been transformed into picturesque locations with better amenities and services. Many tourists come here to enjoy themselves, but they stay out of the underdeveloped portions of the original forest.
On Oct. 5, Yunnan Ailao Mountains officials issued a safety tip, "the depths of the Ailao Mountains is dangerous, do not rush to the unknown zone and the undeveloped area."
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