Wulingyuan (, zh, c=武陵源) is a scenic and historical site in the

Wulingyuan District Wulingyuan District () is one of two urban districts in Zhangjiajie City, Hunan Province, China, it is also the smallest district by population in Hunan. Located on the central area of Zhangjiajie, the district is surrounded by Cili County to th ...

South Central China South Central China, South-Central China or Central-South China ( zh, c = 中南, p = Zhōngnán, l = Central-South), is a region of the People's Republic of China defined by State Council that includes the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Hen ...

Hunan Province Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi t ...

. It was inscribed as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in 1992. It is noted for more than 3,000

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tect ...

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

pillars and peaks across most of the site, many over in height, along with many ravines and gorges with picturesque streams, pools, lakes, rivers and waterfalls. It features 40 caves, many with large calcite deposits and a natural bridge named Tianqiashengkong (meaning 'bridge across the sky'), which is one of the highest natural bridges in the world. The site also provides habitat for many vulnerable species, including the

dhole The dhole (''Cuon alpinus''; ) is a canid native to Central, South, East and Southeast Asia. Other English names for the species include Asian wild dog, Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red dog, red wolf, and mountain wolf. It ...

Asiatic black bear The Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), also known as the Asiatic black bear, moon bear and white-chested bear, is a medium-sized bear species native to Asia that is largely adapted to an arboreal lifestyle. It lives in the Himalayas, sou ...

and

Chinese water deer The water deer (''Hydropotes inermis'') is a small deer superficially more similar to a musk deer than a true deer. Native to China and Korea, there are two subspecies: the Chinese water deer (''Hydropotes inermis inermis'') and the Korean wat ...

. The site is situated in Zhangjiajie City and lies about to the northwest of

Changsha Changsha (; ; ; Changshanese pronunciation: (), Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is the capital and the largest city of Hunan Province of China. Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China with a population of over 10 million, an ...

, the capital of Hunan Province. The park covers an area of 690 square kilometers (266 square miles). Wulingyuan forms part of the Wuling Mountain Range. The scenic area consists of four national parks, which are the

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Zhangjiajie National Forest Park () is a national forest park located in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China. It is one of several national parks within the Wulingyuan Scenic Area. History In 1982, the park was recognized as China's first nati ...

, Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve, Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve and the recently added Yangjiajie Scenic Area. Overall there are over 560 attraction sights to view.

Geology

The quartzite sandstone pillars and the surrounding regions were formed during the

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, whe ...

period (400 to 350 million years ago) from a combination of tectonic uplift and water erosion. The highest area in the park is Huang Shi Zhai (). It reaches a height of and is accessible via cable car or a set of stairs.

Gallery

File:1 zhangjiajie huangshizhai wulingyuan panorama 2012.jpg, Panorama of the Five Fingers Peak of Huangshizhai File:ZhangJiaJie River 1.jpg, Zhangjiajie River File:湖南-张家界-武陵源 - panoramio.jpg, Wulingyuan park entrance

References

External links

China’s Ancient Skyline
National parks of China Parks in Hunan Quartzite formations Tourist attractions in Zhangjiajie World Heritage Sites in China AAAAA-rated tourist attractions {{Hunan-geo-stub