Stashed away in the remote northwestern corner of Hunan Province, the Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (Wulingyuan Scenic Area) consists of four major parts: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Suoxiyu Nature Reserve, Yangjiajie Nature Reserve and Mount Tianzishan (son of heaven) Nature Reserve. It is dubbed “a natural museum and arboretum” and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992.

Covering an area of 369 square kilometers, the Wulingyuan Scenic Area presents a harmonious mixture of high mountains, grotesque peaks, beautiful waters, deep and secluded ravines, marvelous caves and exuberant forests. The spot enjoys a world-renowned reputation for its unique grotesque quartz sand peaks. The peaks stand one next to another like bamboo shoots, fantastic, grotesque, lofty, and elegant, making up a forest of peaks and shaping the land into a natural labyrinth. Among 3103 sandstone peaks in the spot are the best-known Golden Whip Cliff (Jinbian Yan) and the Mount Tianmen (the gate of Heaven) which is said to be the soul of Wulingyuan. Low cloud coverage and an endless array of streams often leave the reserve covered in a primordial mist bringing about the magnificent sea of clouds. Beneath the peaks in Wulingyuan are numerous ravines and gorges, many containing attractive streams, pools and waterfalls. The site also contains a number of diversified karst features (about one-third of the site is limestone) among which is the Yellow Dragon Cave (Huanglong), one of the ten largest caves in China. There are many other marvelous spectacles in Wulingyuan, such as the mysterious Spirit Palace Bay (shentangwan), the stone peak which shines once a year, and the red moon. Wulingyuan is also a huge green treasure house as well as a natural zoo with 85% forest coverage and 99% vegetation coverage. Large primeval secondary forests are well preserved in the Spirit Palace Bay and the Heicongnao. Within the site there are more than 3000 species of plants and 28 species of animals under state protection.