Guniujiang National Park

Guniujiang National Park is a geological park and the biggest national nature reserve in East China. It is located between the counties of Shitai and Qimen, Anhui Province, covering an area of 66.7 square kilometers. The park is the western expansion of Mt. Huangshan, hence also named the Western Mt. Huangshan. It boasts the picturesque mountain landscapes, where there are 36 big peaks piercing against the sky, and 72 small beautiful peaks hiding in the mist. The highest peak Guniugan (Guniu means bull in Chinese) is at an elevation of 1727.6 meters, looks like a big bull standing under the sky.

Guniujiang is one of the important nature reserves of forest and wild life in China as well as an ideal place for making expedition trips. The reserve is of complex geological structure, with numerous cliffs, peaks, grotesque rocks, waterfalls, brooks and lakes. Sometimes, Buddhist halo with rainbow colors appears around the peaks, adding great fascination to the mountain. The natural vegetation is well preserved here, with distinct vertical distribution of plants. At the mountain top is growth of grass.

Half way up the mountain are deciduous leaf trees and evergreen broadleaf trees, Rare species of trees and plants abound, such as Xiangguo tree, which is under priority state protection, large tracts of Yellow Mountain pine, tulip tree, ginkgo, Chinese catalpa, Wild Jujube tree, Nanmu tree, Qingqian willow, languo tree, Tenghuang sandalwood and cancer- resistant Sanjian fir as well as a dozen species of azalea. The reserve is also a haven of wild animals where sikas, summon antelopes, black muntjaks, cloud leopards, macaques, short-tailed monkeys, civets, otters, white cranes, white-neck pheasants and long tail-mandarin ducks, pangolins and owls etc. roam around.

Guniujiang National Park has many famous attractions: Fairy Pool, Yellow Dragon Pool, Guniu Lake, Hiding Dragon Valley, the Site of faerie Meeting, the Ruin of Shanqing Temple, Tomb of Fayun Buddhist Monk, the Site of New 4th Army and many legends about the Guniujiang.

Guniujiang National Nature Reserve has been developed by a Huangshan tourist company in 2002. Many facilities such as park lots, water entertainment center, tea houses, bamboo-wood villas, Museum of Anhui art, suspension bridges, and plank roads built along the cliffs were built. In the daytime, tourists can take many activities in the park: go fishing, go rock-climbing, go trekking, take forest naked shower, take some cups of the famous Qimen Tea, or have a wild war. In the evening you can enjoy the barbecue on the platforms that built on the water, take part in the camp-fire party, enjoy the local opera Mulian Opera, Huangmei Opera (Huangmei Xi) and ethnic dances by the Wa People (a minority of China).

Guniujiang National Park is about 40 kilometers away from Huangshan. It is known as one of the ten famous trekking destinations in China. If you enjoy trekking in this beautiful park you should not miss it.