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Wulingyuan

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

Wulingyuan is a famous and historic place in China. It sits in the Wulingyuan District of Hunan Province. This area is part of the Wuling Mountain Range. It is located in Zhangjiajie City. The site is about northwest of Changsha. Changsha is the capital of the Hunan Province. This huge park covers 690 square kilometers.

Nature shaped this land in a special way. The stone pillars formed during the Devonian period. This was between 400 and 350 million years ago. Moving earth and water erosion worked together. This process created over 3,000 quartzite sandstone pillars. Many of these peaks are very tall. You can also find deep ravines and gorges. These areas have lovely streams, pools, and lakes.

Many people have visited this site over the years. In 1992, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means the site is very important to the world. The park is split into four national parks. These are Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve. There is also Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve. The Yangjiajie Scenic Area was added recently. There are over 560 different sights to see.

There are many amazing things to find here. The park has 40 different caves. Many of these caves have large calcite deposits. One cave has a natural bridge called Tianqiashengkong. This name means "bridge across the sky." It is one of the highest natural bridges on Earth. You can visit Huang Shi Zhai to see the highest area. You can take a cable car or stairs to get there. The Bailong Elevator can also take you to a cliff.

Animals also find a home in this big park. Many species live here that are vulnerable. This means they need extra care to stay safe. You might find an Asiatic black bear there. The dhole also lives in these woods. You might even see a Chinese water deer. It is a busy place for many living things.

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