Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area Travel Guide

Brief Introduction
A spectacular area stretching over more than 26,000 hectares in China´s Hunan Province, the site is dominated by more than 3,000 narrow sandstone pillars and peaks, many over 200 m high.

Between the peaks lie ravines and gorges with streams, pools and waterfalls, some 40 caves, and two large natural bridges. In addition to the striking beauty of the landscape, there are dense forests, colorful springs and streams and changing mist and cloud. The simple rustic scenery constitutes a stereoscopic, long picture scroll, which impresses all visitors.

Wulingyuan is a world natural heritage site with natural sciatica value as well as virgin, wild aesthetic value. There are seven rustic sceneries in graceful, harmonious, and serene setting. The Shaping Farmland has two streams that flow through it.

The tenain ascends upward gradually and gently and meets the peaks. The fields are dotted with cottages, which are surrounded by green trees and bamboo groves. Smoke rises form the chimneys. The rustic air is intoxicating. Well Preserved Ecological System and Rare Species of Wild Animals and Plants.

Features
Grand Scenery and Majestic Steep Peaks
The quartz sand and stone peaks are incomparable, can not replaceable and inseparable as they present themselves as outstanding and spectacles.

There are more than 3,000 stone peaks. As you stand on the high platform of the Tianzishan( Son of Heaven Peak) or Huanshizhai(Yellow stone Village), you´ll find densely wooded peaks. Some are high and some are low, fantastic or grotesque and lonely and elegant. The strong co-exist with what is soft in appearance.

The Camel Peak is shaped exactly like camel. With head, neck and tail clearly visible. The hump is in particular lifelike. The Drumen Stone Peak, 200m, is bigger in the upper part but smaller in the lower. It is a jagged peak, straight and upright in shape, with the body sloping to the south in an angle of 19 degrees. Standing down below it, you feel it is about to fall on your head. In front of the Five-finger Peak a huge palm seems to be opening straight forward to you.

Rich, Beautiful Water Scenery Stream, Brook, Spring, Lake, Waterfall and Pool.
Wulingyuan is reputed to be simmering in watercourses that number eight hundred (meaning a great many). Even in long drought water never runs out in Wulingyuan. Ginbianxi(Golden Whip Brook) is linked to Suoxi Brook, forming a chain of excellent natural scenes, much like a long scroll of beautiful Chinese traditional painting.

The Yuanyang or Mandarin Ducks waterfalls drop from a 100m-high cliff like two silver dragons that descend into the pond. The sight, sound and color of the scene in Wulingyuan are in deed very impressive.

Graceful and Harmoniously Blended Scenery
There are seven rustic sceneries in graceful, harmonious and serene setting. The Shaping Farmland has two streams that flow through it. The tenain ascends upward gradually and gently and meets the peaks. The fields are dotted with cottages, which are surrounded by green trees and bamboo field are dotted with cottages, which are surrounded by green trees and bamboo groves. Smoke rises form the chimneys. The rustic air is intoxicating.

Well-preserved Ecological System and Rare Species of Wild Animals and Plants
The primeval botanical community in the Yangtze River Valley is being well preserved in Wulingyuan, where ancient flora is intact. The ancient gingko tree, 50m high and 1.59m in diameter, is described as a living fossil of the natural heritage. The dove tree, yew, are rare species.

The Wuling pine is distributed over an extensive area. So well preserved is the pine that it has come to be called hundred over an extensive area. So well preserved is the pine that it has come to be called hundred and eighty thousand pine- reference to its great multiplicity.

Some 13 species of rare animals, enjoying first-and second class state protection, are found in Wulingyuan. There are in the list of animals receiving state protection. They have important scientific value to the study of the relationship between wild animals and ecological system in Wulingyuan.