It is located about 30 kilometres from downtown Zhangjiajie. This is a must-visit, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Wulingyuan Scenic Area is famous for its pillar-like sandstone peaks, which could be seen throughout the park.
Well, even before we reached this area, we could see the majestic pillars at a distant. MH told us that there were 3,000 stone columns! The tallest peak stood at around 400m high.
When we reached the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, I felt like we had arrived at a small resort town, as this place was packed with so many hotels, colourful tour buses and hordes of tourists. The Wulingyuan Scenic Area had to cater to about 15,000 tourists daily.
The park entrance
Due to the heavy tourist traffic, everything here was rather systematic. The ticket or entry pass was in the form of a card. We had to queue up, get the card scanned, followed by a fingerprint scan. Once done, we headed to queue for the shuttle bus.
Here at Wulingyuan, there were free shuttle buses transporting tourists to designated spots around the park. We did not have to wait for long, because there were so many buses and they moved as soon as they were filled up by tourists. And they filled up so quickly!!
Our first destination was the Golden Whip Creek, a must-see attraction at the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. To get there, the bus climbed uphill for 8 kilometres. The road was again, narrow and winding, but I knew that these drivers were experienced.
I could already see the peaks from inside the bus .... they were really awe-inspiring
Some stalls along Shuiroasimen station
These rugged peaks were looming ahead of us ... it was said that Zhang Liang's grave was on top of the peak on the left .... while on the peaks on the right were featured in the famous Chinese epic drama, Journey to the West.
I had no idea who Zhang Liang was. But apparently, he was a statesman in the Han Dynasty ... and that was a looooooong time ago back in 189 BC.
Neither does this photo help ....
The water was so clear! And cool. We soaked our feet for a while in there .... I'd love to bath here if only I could!
I had no idea who Zhang Liang was. But apparently, he was a statesman in the Han Dynasty ... and that was a looooooong time ago back in 189 BC.
The Golden Whip Creek or Jinbianxi was an attraction here at Shuiraosimen. The gurgling crystal clear waters meanders through the lush green vegetation and uniquely shaped peaks. Poets were known to wax lyrical over this place. We strolled along the pathway just next to the creek.
See these unique round structures along the pathway beside the creek ... they looked like little drums. People could actually step on them.
Ok ... I'm not doing the stream any justice in this photo
A fruit stall
I saw some people eating cucumbers, and so I was tempted to give them a try. The cucumbers sold for RMB2.00 each. I paid and had the vendor peel the skin off for me. Guess what? The cucumbers were so young and tender and sweet and juicy. I'd never eaten cucumbers this yum! Even now, when I think about the cucumbers, I crave for them!
How about some pickled chopped chilli for souvenir?
Some interesting fruits and vegetables that I had not seen before ...
Xiang Gua or Aromatic Melon
I'd never seen this melon back home, but I think it's a species of the honey dew melon.
Niang shu ... a type of jicama, I think
We hung around Golden Whip Creek for about an hour, and then took the bus down to the entrance again. We were going for lunch first. More spectacular views awaited us in the afternoon.
Thanks for the post. I came here in winter and there were not that many tourists around. I ordered a bowl of rice noodles at a stall. My tourist guard told us that a stone peak resembled Zhubajie,a fictitious character in the novel Journey to the west. Some stone peaks resembled animals and one resembled a baby-carrying woman.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome ... I enjoyed the walk here pretty much :)
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