Wulingyuan

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Type	Natural
Criteria	vii
Reference	640
UNESCO region	Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription	1992 (16th Session)

Wulingyuan ([ù.lǐŋ.y̯ɛ̌n]; Chinese: 武陵源) is a scenic and historical site in south-central China's Hunan Province. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.^[1] It is noted for more than 3,000 quartzite sandstone pillars and peaks across most of the site, many over 200 metres (660 ft) in height, along with many ravines and gorges with attractive streams, pools, lakes, rivers and waterfalls.^[1] It features 40 caves, many with large calcite deposits, and two natural bridges, Xianrenqiao (Bridge of the Immortals) and Tianqiashengkong (Bridge Across the Sky).^[1]

The site is situated between 29°16′0″N 110°22′0″E / 29.26667°N 110.36667°E / 29.26667; 110.36667 and 29°24′0″N 110°41′0″E / 29.40000°N 110.68333°E / 29.40000; 110.68333 in the Zhangjiajie City and lies about 270 kilometres (170 mi) to the northwest of Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province. The park covers an area of 690 square kilometers (266 square miles).^[2] Wulingyuan forms part of the Wuling Mountain Range. The scenic area consists of four national parks, which are the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve, Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve and the recently added Yangjiajie Scenic Area. Overall there are over 560 attraction sights to view.^[2]

Panorama of the Five Fingers Peak of Huangshizhai

Zhangjiajie River

References

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Wulingyuan.

• China’s Ancient Skyline
• About Wulingyuan

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wulingyuan.

World Heritage Sites in China
East	Classical Gardens of Suzhou Fujian Tulou Lushan National Park Huangshan Mount Sanqing (Sanqingshan) Mount Tai (Taishan) Mount Wuyi (Wuyishan) Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and Kong Family Mansion, Qufu Ancient villages in Southern Anhui, Xidi, and Hongcun West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou
South Central	Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains Historic Centre of Macau Hubei Shennongjia Kaiping Diaolou and Villages Longmen Grottoes Historic Monuments of Dengfeng, including the Shaolin Monastery and Gaocheng Observatory Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area Yin Xu
Southwest	Chengjiang Fossil Site Dazu Rock Carvings Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, including the Jokhang and Norbulingka Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area Old Town of Lijiang Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas
North	Mount Wutai (Wutaishan) Chengde Mountain Resort and its outlying temples, including the Putuo Zongcheng Temple, Xumi Fushou Temple and the Puning Temple Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian Ancient City of Pingyao Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing Temple of Heaven, an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing Site of Xanadu Yungang Grottoes
Northeast	Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang
Northwest	Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor Mogao Caves Xinjiang Tianshan
Multiple regions	The Great Wall China Danxia Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties South China Karst The Grand Canal Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor Tusi Sites