Baiyun Mountain, Natural mountain area in northern Guangzhou, China.

Baiyun Mountain is a mountain in northern Guangzhou with several distinct zones, including Luhu Lake, Yuntai Garden, Mingchun Valley, and the Moxing Summit observation platform. The zones are linked by trails and shift between open lake views, planted gardens, and wooded valleys.

The area around the mountain was inhabited before Guangzhou was founded and served as a reference point in the region from at least the 3rd century BCE. Over the following centuries, temples, memorials, and gardens were added across the slopes, layering history into the landscape.

Baiyun means "white clouds" in Mandarin, named for the mist that shrouds the peaks in late spring or after rain. The mountain is nicknamed the "City's Lung" for its greenery and praised as the "First Beauty in Guangzhou." Its old English name, Pakwan, comes from the Cantonese pronunciation.

The mountain can be explored on foot along marked trails or by cable car to the upper areas. Paths vary in difficulty depending on the zone, so sturdy footwear is a good idea.

Near the summit, a collection of around 300 stone steles carved with poetry and calligraphy from different dynasties forms what is known as the Guangzhou Stele Forest. Many visitors walk past without knowing that some of the inscriptions date back over a thousand years.