Flora and Fauna
Wulingyuan is a green treasure store and natural zoo. It lies in the Central China Botanic Region of the Sino-Japanese Botanic Zone, and was a refuge for many ancient species during the Quaternary Glacial Era. There are over 3000 species of plants, above 700 types of trees, up to 450 kinds of ornamental flowers, and about 116 species of vertebrates falling into 50 families.
Over 97.7% of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is clad with a vast expanse of primitive sub-tropical forests. There are 191 species of trees, of which many are rare, including ginkgo and spruce. There are quite a few exotic flowers, too, such as the unique lobster flower, giant mountain lotus and various azaleas, iron plum and orchid blooms. Flowers blossom here all the year round, giving the area a beautiful fragrance.
In addition, hundreds of species of animals are found in Wulingyuan. Among them are rare animals such as Chinese giant salamander, Asiatic wild dog, Asiatic black bear, clouded leopard, Chinese water deer, rhesus monkeys, civets and pangolins, and some 20 rare birds such as tragopan, golden pheasant, white-headed duck and red-billed leiothrix.
Historic and Cultural Value
In ancient times, the Wulingyuan area was regarded as remote and inaccessible. Local legends indicate that Zhangliang, a lord in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), lived here in seclusion and was buried below Qingyan (now Zhangjiajie) Mountain. Some references to the beauty of the area are made by Liu Zongyuan, a famous Chinese writer of the Tang Dynasty (618-906).
Major inhabitants of Wulingyuan area are ethnic minorities, including the Tujia, Miao and Bai peoples. They still kept their traditional customs and habits. The city of Zhangjiajie (formerly Dayong), close to this area, abounds in relics and places of historic interest.
Places of cultural interest in this area include Puguang Temple–a temple combining Chinese Buddhism and Taoism and the architectural traditions of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties; the 200-year-old grotto in the Yuhuang Cave, with a total of 19 stone-carved figures and more than 50 other carvings; Tianmen Mountain (Gateway to Heaven); and the 50 km-long Maoyan River which flows through magnificent scenery.
(Source: chinaculture.org)