LOCATEDincentralChina鈥檚HubeiProvince,thesiteconsistsoftwocomponents:ShennongTop/BadongtothewestandLaojunshanMountaintotheeast.ItprotectsthelargestprimaryforestsremainingincentralChinaandprovideshabitatformanyrareanimalspecies,suchastheChinesegiantsalamander,thegoldensnub-nosedmonkey,thecloudedleopard,thecommonleopardandtheAsianblackbear.HubeiShennongjiaisoneofthreecentersofbiodiversityinChina.Thesitefeaturesprominentlyinthehistoryofbotanicalresearchandwastheobjectofinternationalplantcollectingexpeditionsinthe19thand20thcenturies.
ShennongjiawasnamedafterShennong,theYanEmperor,oneofthetwolegendaryancestorsoftheChinesenationalongwiththeYellowEmperor.Hebuiltwoodenladders(jiainChinese)tocollectherbalmedicinesintheregion,hencethenameShennongjia.In1970,itbecameChina鈥檚onlyadministrativeareawhichwasnamedafteraforestdistrictundertheadministrationofHubeiProvince.
ThelandforminShennongjiaisquitecomplexduetocrustalandglaciermovementinancienttimes.Verdantforestscover85percentofthearea,withsteeppeaks,deepvalleysandrivers.ManygeologicalmysteriescanbefoundinShennongjia.ThereisaTideWaterRiverinHonghuaCounty,wheretiderisesthreetimesaday.Moreinterestingisthatthewaterisclearinrainyseasons,butmuddyindryseasons.AnothermysteryistheIceCaveinSongluoCounty.Thewaterinthecaveturnstoiceinhotsummers,whenthetemperatureoutsidereaches28degreeCelsius,buttheicemeltsfromlateautumn;inwinter,temperatureinsidethecaveismuchhigherthanthatoutside.
Shennongjiaisaperfecttraveldestinationtoembracenature.InShennongjiaForestZone,youwillseeprimitiveforests,steeppeaksofallkindsofshapes,limpidriversandvariousplantspecies.Majorscenicspotsinclude:ShennongTop,TianyanPrimitiveEcologicTouristZone,Hongping,YanziyaandtheSourceofFragranceStream.Moreover,thelegendaryShennongherbalmedicines,uniquecustomsofTujiapeopleandthemythical鈥渨ildman鈥漨akeShennongjiamoreattractiveandcharming.
TravelTips
鈥hennongjiahasnoairportsorrailwaystations,andsothebestwaytogetthereisbybusviatheG209NationalHighway.
鈥riedsmallpotatoesarealocaldelicacy.
鈥tisaperfectplaceforescapingthesummerheat.