Longgang Scenic Area is located in the southeast corner of Yunyang County, Chongqing. It is adjacent to Wanzhou District in the southwest, Lichuan City, Hubei Province in the south, and Fengjie County in the east. The scenic area starts from Longku Gorge in the southeast of Nixi Township in the west, extends to 500 meters on the right bank of Shisun River in the east, starts from the junction of Chongqing and Lichuan City, Hubei Province in the south, and ends at the exit of Huangling Gorge in the north. It is about 37 kilometers long from north to south and about 19 kilometers wide from east to west. The total area of the scenic area is about 296 square kilometers, and the core scenic area is 17 square kilometers. It is a national 5A-level tourist scenic area, a large comprehensive national geological park mainly featuring the karst sinkhole of Longgang, taking into account the grassland biological landscape and the cultural landscape of the Tujia ethnic group. The karst landform in the scenic area is remarkable, with funnels, stone buds, peak clusters, and karst caves scattered everywhere, and the underground river landscape is unique. The green coverage rate reaches 70%, and the forest coverage rate is 91.7%. It is a typical biodiversity enrichment area with a variety of rare and protected animals and plants.
History and Culture
Before the Western Zhou Dynasty, there were aborigines living in Laozhaizi. This was the hereditary territory of the Cong people and also a place for worshipping and sacrificing the goddess. Later, the Dragon Pillar (sacrificial pillar) was built. Due to its long history of construction, people commonly call it Laozhaizi. Artefacts such as Zheng (a kind of ancient musical instrument), Ge (a kind of ancient weapon), Yue (a kind of ancient weapon), arrowheads, chime bells, and earthenware have been unearthed here, as well as the ruins of the Cong People's Tiger-Beating Building adjacent to it.
Regarding the origin of the name "Longgang", it is said that the area of Qingshui Longgang was once the residence of the dragon family. The giant dragons lived in the Dragon Cave. Due to the inconvenience of living, the old Dragon King ordered the construction of a bathing pool (Longgundang) behind Banbian Street, and also dug a large water tank in Longgang for drinking water, so the common people called it Longgang. And according to the legend of the Tujia people, the old Dragon King instructed that the Longgang should not be filled with water, and the water in Qingshui Pond should be left for the common people. So Longgang is always half full of water, and the three ponds in Qingshui Pond are always clear all year round.
Main Attractions
Longgang Sinkhole
Longgang is an elliptical sinkhole with a long axis distance of 304 to 326 meters, a short axis distance of 178 to 183 meters, and a depth of 335 meters. This depth ranks third in China and fifth in the world. The inner wall of the sinkhole is as steep as a cut, with pine and cypress trees lying across the cracks in the wall, and ancient vines hanging down. The bottom of the sinkhole is green all year round, and hundreds of birds are singing. Because its shape is like a natural large stone tank and there is a love legend between a woodcutter and a dragon girl, it is named Longgang and is known as the "No.1 Sinkhole in the World". The wall of the sinkhole is nearly 90 degrees, extremely steep. There are steep cliffs all around, and there is a narrow path that can be passed through. The widest part is more than 2 meters, and the narrowest part is less than 0.4 meters.
Glass Plank Road
The glass plank road is built on a cliff nearly 1,000 meters high, with a total length of 3.2 kilometers and protruding 2.2 meters outward. More than 300 meters of it is a suspended glass plank road. Walking on it, you can experience a thrilling and exciting feeling and overlook the surrounding canyon scenery.
Laozhaizi
There were aborigines living here before the Western Zhou Dynasty, and it was the hereditary territory of the Cong people. It was once a place for worshipping and sacrificing the goddess, and later the Dragon Pillar (sacrificial pillar) was built. There are attractions such as "Nvxiuchi", "Dragon Pillar", and "White Dragon Cave" in Laozhaizi. You can also enjoy the natural scenery such as "Golden Roc Spreading Its Wings", "Longxia Divine Mist", "Buddha Light Golden Body", "Qiyao Sunrise", "Sunset Glow Melting Gold", "Golden Monkey Making Trouble in the Forest", "Reverse Flow of the Gorge Water", and "White Rock Hanging Cave".
Monkey-playing Platform
It is a favorite playing place for wild monkey groups. The wild macaques here are familiar with and live in harmony with humans, and sometimes they will come forward to ask tourists for food. Standing on the Monkey-playing Platform, you can overlook the canyon scenery. After the rain, you can also watch the landscapes of "Longxia Divine Mist" and "Golden Monkey Making Trouble in the Forest".
Dragon Cave
It consists of two halls, the front hall and the back hall. The front hall is circular, more than 40 meters wide, nearly 50 meters high, 120 meters long, and covers an area of 4,800 square meters. It is filled with stalactites, and there are natural landscapes such as "White Jade Dragon Bed", "Dragon Umbrella", "Dragon Pot", "Dragon Chair", "Dragon Stool", "Lotus Platform", and "Heavenly Rooster Crowing at Dawn". The back hall is pentagonal, 30 meters high, more than 300 meters long, and covers an area of 6,000 square meters. The stalactites are shaped like lions, elephants, dragons, phoenixes, etc.
Yingyue Cave
It is located in the cliffs more than 100 meters northeast of Longgang and is the first layer of karst cave of Longgang. The cave is 43 meters long, with a direction of 25° northeast. The south cave entrance is 3.9 meters high and 3.4 meters in diameter; the north cave entrance is 2.4 meters high, and the north end is the exit of the underground river. On every Mid-Autumn Night, soon after the moon rises, the moonlight fills the entire cave body, and a bundled silver light shoots out of the cave from north to south, forming the landscape of "Moonlight Passing through the Cave".
Qixi Tower
It is located at the highest peak of Longgang Scenic Area, with an altitude of 1,185 meters. The tower is seven floors high, a total of 33.44 meters, symbolizing that love lasts forever and will never separate. The building area is 1,000 square meters. Due to the narrow and steep terrain, the construction is difficult, but its high position provides a good visual effect, allowing a 360° view. It is also a special scenic spot for worshipping the Saltwater Goddess and integrating love culture.
Qingshui Lake
It is located in Longgang Scenic Area in Yunyang, with an average altitude of 800 meters. It got its name because it is located in Qingshui and the lake water is clear all year round. The lake dam is 160 meters high, and the ratio of thickness to height is only 0.106, making it the thinnest double-curved arch dam in Asia. The water storage level is 392 meters, the average depth is about 100 meters, the deepest part is more than 150 meters, the lake surface area is 6.85 square kilometers, and the lake capacity is 354 million cubic meters. The lake water connects the three gorges of Laoya, Yulong, and Shisun, which are 15 kilometers long in Shisun River, into one.
Shisun River
It starts from Gaixia Dam in the north and ends at Shuanghekou in the south, with a total length of 12.5 kilometers, and it is a canyon landscape of karst landform. The river water is clear and rich in turtles and soft-shelled turtles. There are also plants such as strange pine trees, green cypresses, secluded bamboos, and fir trees, precious medicinal materials such as Vitex negundo, Gastrodia elata, Fritillaria cirrhosa, and Coptis chinensis, as well as animals such as serow, musk deer, Reeves's muntjac, golden monkeys, wild boars, and birds such as golden pheasants, orioles, cuckoos, kingfishers, and parrots.
Cuisine
Yunyang Wonton
It is a characteristic food in Yunyang, divided into red soup and clear soup. The skin is thin and chewy, and the filling is usually made of pork and other ingredients. The red soup has a spicy, fragrant, and savory taste, and the clear soup has a fresh and refreshing taste.
Tujia Oil Tea Soup
It is a traditional Tujia food. It is made by stir-frying a variety of ingredients such as tea leaves, tea oil, Chinese prickly ash, and ginger, then adding water and boiling. Then add ingredients such as fried puffed rice and fried soybeans. It has a rich taste and a fragrant smell.
Surrounding Specialty Snacks
There are also some specialty snacks around the scenic area. For example, the high-mountain potatoes. Grown in a unique geographical environment, these potatoes have a powdery and waxy texture and can be eaten in various ways, such as roasting and frying. And the specialty cured meat. After being cured and smoked, it has a unique flavor and can be stir-fried or eaten directly after being steamed or boiled.
Admission Tickets
The full price is 100 yuan, and the half price is 50 yuan.
Other play items in the scenic area require additional fees, such as the Cloud Swing and the Cloud Rainbow Swing.
You can search for the official WeChat public account, "重庆云阳龙缸景区", to get the latest ticket prices, opening hours, and other information.
Opening Hours
The scenic area is open throughout the year, usually from 08:30 to 17:30.
However, in case of special weather (such as heavy rain, blizzard, and other severe weather) or maintenance needs, the opening hours may be adjusted or the scenic area may be temporarily closed. It is recommended that tourists check the latest information on the scenic area's WeChat public account before traveling.
Tour Routes
Tourists can first arrive at the Longgang Sinkhole to feel the steepness and magic of the sinkhole; then go to the Glass Plank Road to experience the thrilling feeling of hanging in the air; then go to Laozhaizi to explore the ancient history and culture and enjoy the natural scenery; then go to the Monkey-playing Platform to interact with wild macaques and overlook the canyon; after that, visit the Dragon Cave to admire the wonders of stalactites; go to the Yingyue Cave to learn about the unique "Moonlight Passing through the Cave" landscape on Mid-Autumn Festival; climb the Qixi Tower to have a 360° view and feel the love culture; then go to Qingshui Lake to enjoy the lake and mountain scenery; and finally visit the Shisun River to appreciate the unique style of the canyon. The whole journey takes about 1 to 2 days, and you can adjust the stay time according to your personal physical strength and interests.
Transportation
- Self-driving: Starting from the main urban area of Chongqing, passing through Shanghai-Chengdu Expressway, Zhangnan Expressway, etc., the whole journey takes about 2.5 to 3 hours to reach the scenic area. Starting from Yunyang County, passing through roads such as S305, it takes about 1.5 hours to reach the scenic area.
- Public transportation: You can first go to Yunyang County, take a bus to Qingshui Township at Yunyang Bus Passenger Station, and then transfer to the traffic vehicle to the scenic area. You can also take a bullet train to Yunyang at stations such as Chongqing North Railway Station, and then transfer to a car to the scenic area after arriving in Yunyang.
Must-visit Attractions
- Longgang Sinkhole: An elliptical sinkhole that ranks third in depth in China and fifth in the world. The wall of the sinkhole is steep, and the scenery is spectacular and extremely impressive.
- Cloud Corridor: Built on a cliff 1,010 meters above sea level, it overhangs 26.68 meters, 5.34 meters longer than the glass corridor of the Grand Canyon in the United States. It is the longest overhanging glass corridor in the world, allowing a 720-degree all-round view of the beautiful scenery and experiencing the thrill.
- Dragon Cave: The stalactites in the cave are in various shapes. The two halls, the front hall and the back hall, have different landscapes, which are amazing.
Tour Suggestions
- Pay attention to the weather of the scenic area in advance and choose a sunny day to go there, which is convenient for enjoying the scenery. If it rains, some roads may be slippery, affecting the tour experience.
- Wear comfortable sports shoes because the tour route in the scenic area is long and you need to walk a lot of mountain roads.
- You can bring some snacks and drinking water, as there may be fewer selling points in some areas of the scenic area.
- If you want to experience exciting projects such as the Cloud Swing, you can learn about the queuing situation in advance and arrange your time reasonably.
- In historical and cultural attractions such as Laozhaizi, you can hire a tour guide to explain, so as to better understand the historical and cultural connotations of the scenic area.
Notes
- Comply with the regulations of the scenic area, do not climb or touch the attractions and facilities casually, protect the environment of the scenic area, and do not litter everywhere.
- When playing in thrilling attractions such as the Glass Plank Road and the Cloud Corridor, follow the instructions of the staff and do not run or jump on them.
- When interacting with wild macaques, do not feed them unsuitable food to avoid being scratched.
- The signal in some areas of the scenic area may be poor. Inform your family or friends of your itinerary and expected return time in advance.
- When taking the traffic vehicle in the scenic area or participating in the play projects, fasten your seat belt to ensure your own safety.