Take an optional excursion to the Mt. Wuling Great Rift Valley, a natural oxygen bar embraced by dense forests and river gorges. This is an ideal place to escape from the summer heat of the city, and the lowest temperature in summer could be 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius). This optional excursion is only available in the 5 Days 4 Nights Yangtze River cruises sailing from Yichang to Chongqing.
The valley is in karst landforms, and deep canyons and winding narrow valleys making travelers feel truly enamored with the wonders of the natural world. The forest coverage rate of the scenic spot is more than 92.7%, and it is the home to 2000 species of animals and plants. The whole valley is about 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) long. The altitudes of this area ranges from 600 meters to 1980 meters.
Main Attractions
- Bodao Ridge:
It is a massive stone wall, with 1000 meters in length, and about 90 meters in average height. This stone wall is a limestone formed in Permian period about 260 million years ago. From a close-up view, we can clearly identify the submarine relics hundreds of millions of years ago.
- Qingtian Gorge:
Qingtian Gorge is located in the lower part of the valley, which is a natural fissure. It is about 1,500 meters long and 2-5 meters wide. The cliffs on both sides are 200-300 meters high, and when you look up, you can only see a gap of light. There are many strange stones and stalactites are in various shapes.
- Wanzhangkeng:
Wangzhengkeng, which means a bottomless pit. It is located at the end of the Qingtian Gorge fissure, an underground river entrance with a diameter of over 10 meters. The water of Wuling Mountain rift flows into this cave after passing through the earth fissure of Qingtian Gorge. A British expedition team, came here twice and explored the cave for four days without reaching the end. The waterfall formed by the underground river is 34 meters in height and 30 meters in width. It is the largest underground waterfall in China.
