Wulong Karst Tourist Area is located in the lower reaches of the Wujiang River in the southeast of Chongqing Municipality. It is a national-level tourist resort, a national eco-tourism demonstration zone, a China forest tourism demonstration zone, rated as a "China Forest Oxygen Bar", included in the "World Heritage List", and a national 5A-level tourist attraction. The tourist area centers on Wulong urban area, radiating to various scenic spots. It has a subtropical monsoon humid climate with obvious three-dimensional climate, an average annual temperature of 17.4 degrees Celsius, and negative ion content of more than 5,000 per cubic centimeter. Within the tourist area, there are mainly five scenic spots: Fairy Mountain, Tiankeng Three Bridges, Longshuixia Ground Fissure, Furong Cave, Furong River, and the large-scale real-scene landscape performance "Impression Wulong".
Historical Culture
In May 1993, five villagers in Jiangkou Town discovered Furong Cave. On May 1, 1994, Furong Cave was officially opened to the public. From 1994 to 2001, five high-quality scenic spots including Furong Cave, Fairy Mountain, Tiankeng Three Bridges, and Longshuixia Ground Fissure were successively developed. On June 27, 2007, the Wulong karst landform in Chongqing was successfully inscribed on the World Natural Heritage List. Wulong Karst Tourist Area is developed while being protected and protected while being developed. It has issued the "Measures for the Protection of Wulong Karst World Natural Heritage in Chongqing Municipality", established a joint meeting system, set up a joint law enforcement team, and issued special "Linked Management Rules" to ensure the naturalness, authenticity and integrity of Wulong Karst. At the same time, Wulong compiled the country's first popular science textbook on world natural heritage, "Wulong Karst and World Heritage", and incorporated it into the curriculum of local primary and middle schools in Wulong to enhance people's awareness of protecting world natural heritage.
Main Attractions
Fairy Mountain National Forest Park
Fairy Mountain National Forest Park is a national 5A-level scenic spot with a total area of 8,910 hectares, an average altitude of 1,900 meters, and a maximum peak of 2,033 meters. It is known as the "Oriental Switzerland" for its charming alpine grasslands unique to the south of the Yangtze River, rare forest and snow landscapes in southern China, and beautiful green jungle landscapes, and enjoys the reputation of "Mountain City Summer Palace". The scenic spot has developed more than 20 amusement projects such as sightseeing trains, horse riding, skiing, and racing, as well as brand activities such as the "Fairy Mountain Grassland Camping International Music Festival" and "International Mountain Outdoor Sports Open".
Tiankeng Three Bridges
Tiankeng Three Bridges is the core area of the World Natural Heritage site, a national 5A-level scenic spot, and a national geopark, and is a rare geological wonder ecotourism area in China. The scenic spot is famous for three majestic stone arch bridges: Tianlong Bridge, Qinglong Bridge, and Heilong Bridge, which belong to the largest natural bridge group in Asia. The average height of the stone bridges is over 300 meters, and the span of the bridge deck is over 500 meters. Having three such tall natural stone bridges within a 1-kilometer distance is unique in the world. It is the only location for the international famous director Zhang Yimou to shoot the film "Curse of the Golden Flower" and the only natural landscape shooting location for Michael Bay to shoot the film "Transformers 4".
Longshuixia Ground Fissure
Longshuixia Ground Fissure is the core area of the World Natural Heritage site, a national geopark, and a national 4A-level scenic spot. The canyon is 5 kilometers long and 200-500 meters deep, consisting of three sections: the entrance ground fissure, the middle cave, and the exit gorge. As its name suggests, the ground fissure is like a deep crack in the earth. The narrowest part of the valley bottom is only 1 meter, the widest part is less than 10 meters, and the height between the fissure mouth and the valley bottom is over 350 meters. The scenic spot is delicate and beautiful with beautiful scenery, featuring deep and steep canyons, primitive vegetation, waterfalls and flowing springs, and rapid deep pools.
Furong Cave
Furong Cave is a core scenic spot of the World Natural Heritage, a national 5A-level scenic spot, and a national geopark. With a total length of 2,700 meters, Furong Cave is famous for its numerous vertical shafts, complete types of cave sediments, perfect shapes, and pure texture. Its vertical shafts are the largest group of vertical shafts found at home and abroad. Various secondary chemical sediments in the cave are dazzling and colorful, almost covering all sediment types of stalactites. It is evaluated as "a splendid underground art palace and a rich cave science museum", rated as "the most beautiful cave in China" by "Chinese National Geography", and called "the first cave in the world" by tourists.
Furong River
Furong River is a national scenic spot and a national 4A-level scenic spot. Originating from Suiyang County, Guizhou Province, Furong River is the largest tributary in the lower reaches of the thousand-mile Wujiang River, with a total length of 243 kilometers and 35 kilometers within Wulong District. It is most famous for its peaks, rivers, and canyon scenery. The entire canyon is magnificent and winding.
Impression · Wulong
"Impression · Wulong" is a real-scene vocal concert with the "Iron Triangle" of Impression series: Zhang Yimou as artistic consultant, Wang Chaoge and Fan Yue as chief directors. More than 100 characteristic actors perform live with real emotions, focusing on the dying "haunting calls" (a kind of work song), allowing the audience to experience the magnificent natural landscape of the natural heritage site and the unique customs of Bashu land in a 70-minute performance. The theater is located in Taoyuan Grand Canyon, Wulong County, Chongqing, about 9 kilometers from Fairy Mountain Town. The canyon is U-shaped with a height difference of 180 meters, with mysterious distant mountains, majestic nearby mountains, and quiet gullies. The choice of the theater not only protects the ecology but also provides an excellent space for the performance. The theater is designed with about 2,700 audience seats, with the stage extending to the stands and the stands integrating into the stage, allowing actors and audience to have zero distance contact. "Impression · Wulong" real-scene vocal concert will re-sing the long-lost "haunting calls" in the quiet valley.
Tour Route
The following is a common two-day tour route:
Day1: Fairy Mountain National Forest Park — Tiankeng Three Bridges — Impression Wulong
In the morning, go to Fairy Mountain National Forest Park, known as the "Mountain City Summer Palace", and take a European-style sightseeing train through the forest secrets. In the afternoon, visit Tiankeng Three Bridges, the largest natural bridge group in Asia, to appreciate the unique karst geological wonder of "three mountains forming three bridges, three bridges sandwiching two pits". Stay in the Fairy Mountain National Tourist Resort at night and watch the large-scale real-scene performance "Impression Wulong" to feel the magical charm of the intangible cultural heritage — Chuanjiang Haunting Calls.
Day2: Longshuixia Ground Fissure — Furong Cave — Furong River
On the second day, go to Longshuixia Ground Fissure, "the most beautiful crack on earth", to view natural hazards and visit unique scenery. Then explore Furong Cave, the "underground art palace", shuttling between various landscapes. After visiting the cave, you can take a cruise on Furong River, enjoy the mountains and rivers, and appreciate the beautiful artistic conception of "a river tour through a painting".
Travel Suggestions
- Plan your itinerary in advance, choose attractions according to your time and interests, and arrange the visiting order reasonably.
- Pay attention to the weather conditions of the scenic spots, and bring appropriate clothes and equipment. For example, when visiting Fairy Mountain, if the weather is changeable, you can prepare warm clothes and rain gear.
- During the visit, abide by the regulations of the scenic spots, take good care of the environment, and do not arbitrarily damage natural landscapes and public facilities.
- If you have enough time, you can choose to stay in the resort within the scenic spot for one night to enjoy a leisurely vacation and better feel the beauty of the scenic spot.
Precautions
- Some sections in the scenic area have complex terrain. When walking, pay attention to safety and follow the guidance of signposts and tour guides.
- When visiting in summer, take sun protection and anti-mosquito measures; in winter, pay attention to anti-slip, especially in areas with snow such as Fairy Mountain.
- When taking transportation, keep your personal belongings, pay attention to the transportation number and seat number, and take your seat in order with intervals.
- When watching the performance "Impression Wulong", arrive at the venue in advance, abide by the performance order, and do not walk around or make loud noises at will.
Transportation
- Self-driving: Starting from the main urban area of Chongqing, you can go to Wulong Service Area (or Wulong West) via Yuxiang Expressway (or Yinbai Expressway), then go to various scenic spots in Wulong.
- Train: Take a train from Chongqing North Railway Station to Wulong Railway Station, then transfer to transportation to various scenic spots.
- Bus: Take a bus from Chongqing Sigongli Bus Hub Station to Wulong Bus Station, then transfer to vehicles to various scenic spots.
- Plane: You can first arrive at Fairy Mountain Airport from all over the country, then go to various scenic spots in Wulong.
Opening Hours
The opening hours of each scenic spot in Wulong Karst Tourist Area are roughly as follows:
- Fairy Mountain: 24-hour admission system. The opening hours of entertainment projects are from May 1 to 31: 8:30 — 17:00; from June 1 to August 31: 8:00 — 17:00; from September 1 to April 30 of the next year: 8:30 — 16:30.
- Tiankeng Three Bridges: from May 1 to 31: 8:30 — 17:00; from June 1 to August 31: 8:00 — 17:00; from September 1 to April 30 of the next year: 8:30 — 16:30.
- Longshuixia Ground Fissure: from May 1 to 31: 8:30 — 17:00; from June 1 to August 31: 8:00 — 17:00; from September 1 to April 30 of the next year: 8:30 — 16:30.
- Furong Cave: from May 1 to 31: 8:30 — 17:00; from June 1 to August 31: 8:00 — 17:00; from September 1 to April 30 of the next year: 8:30 — 16:30.
- Furong River: from May 1 to 31: 8:30 — 17:00; from June 1 to August 31: 8:00 — 17:00; from September 1 to April 30 of the next year: 8:30 — 16:30.
The large-scale real-scene performance "Impression Wulong" lasts about 70 minutes. The specific number of performances will be arranged according to the number of tourists and seasons. It is recommended to check and book tickets in advance.
Tickets
The ticket prices of each scenic spot in Wulong Karst Tourist Area are as follows:
- Tiankeng Three Bridges: 70 yuan/person in peak season, 40 yuan/person in off-season.
- Fairy Mountain: 50 yuan/person in peak season, 50 yuan/person in off-season.
- Furong Cave: 80 yuan/person in peak season, 65 yuan/person in off-season.
- Furong River: 100 yuan/person for boat tickets.
- Longshuixia Ground Fissure: 55 yuan/person in peak season, 35 yuan/person in off-season.
There may be preferential activities in different time periods. For example, before June 30, 2024, individual tourists can get free admission to the first gate of Furong Cave with their personal ID cards; tourists born in 1994 can visit Furong Cave for free (including tickets and round-trip cableway) with their personal ID cards, etc.
You can search for the official public account "武隆景区" on WeChat to get the latest updates or buy tickets online.