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Situated in the northwest of Hunan Province , Zhangjiajie is home to the Wulingyuan Scenic Area. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1992, Wulingyuan is arguably one of the most beautiful areas of China . It is a mixture of Yangshuo's karsts formations and Kunming's Stone Forest with more than 3,000 narrow sandstone pillars and peaks covering an area of over 26,000 hectares. 98% of this area is still covered by primeval secondary forests. This area is home to many endangered animal species including the Chinese giant salamander, Asiatic black bear, pangolin, clouded leopard and Chinese water deer. You will see monkeys everywhere, and hundreds of varieties of trees, plants and wildflowers. The Wulingyuan Scenic Area is a place for hiking. Although many of the paths are crowded by tourists, especially on weekends, there are still several tracks that are relatively people-free. In general, aim for the places without cable car or bus access. They are generally missed in the majority of tours. If hiking isn't enough to keep you occupied, there are other options in this area too. A visit to Huanglong (Yellow Dragon) Cave, said to be one of the ten largest caves in China, is definitely worthwhile. Or you could visit Baofeng Lake, an alpine man-made lake surrounded by mountains, where you can take a peaceful boat cruise. Or for some slightly wilder action, white water rafting is available at nearby Maoyan River. |
