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

South Central China South Central China, South-Central China or Central-South China ( zh, c = 中南, p = Zhōngnán, l = Central-South), is a List of regions of China, region of China. It consists of eight provincial administrative regions, namely Henan, Hubei, ...

Hunan Province Hunan is an inland province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Guangdong and Guangxi to the south, and Guizhou and Chon ...

. It was inscribed as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

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

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock that 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 tecton ...

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

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 South, East and Southeast Asia. It is anatomically distinguished from members of the genus ''Canis'' in several aspects: its skull is convex rather than concave in profile, it lacks a third ...

, Asiatic black bear, and

Chinese water deer The water deer (''Hydropotes inermis'') is a small deer species native to Korea and China. Its prominent tusks, similar to those of musk deer, have led to both subspecies being colloquially named vampire deer in English-speaking areas to which t ...

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

Changsha Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...

, 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 nat ...

, 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 period (geology), geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era during the Phanerozoic eon (geology), eon, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the preceding Silurian per ...

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. Another cliff is accessed by the Bailong Elevator.

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