14 Days in Shennongjia

Base in Muyu, the visitor town at about 1,200 metres — fly-ins land at the 2,584-metre airport opened in May 2014, or ride up from Xingshan on the 2022 Zhengwan line. A first look at the 21-metre figure at Shennong Tan fills the afternoon.

1. shennongjia shennong tan

A second look at the memorial grounds in morning light, then the Xiangxi source walk south of town, where the stream that feeds the Yangtze tributary rises.

1. shennongjia shennong tan
2. shennongjia xiangxi source

The ridge tops out at 3,106.2 metres, the highest point in central China; the Shennong Valley boardwalk runs some 4 km along the cliffs, and Xiaolongtan's rescue station keeps golden monkeys rescued from the wild — a 2022 survey counted 1,471 across roughly 400 sq km of habitat.

1. shennongjia shennong ding

West over the pass, nine lakes string across a 1,700-metre basin of peat and pasture; the boardwalk loops make an easy half-day before the ride back over the pass.

1. shennongjia dajiuhu

A second Dajiuhu entry for the mist-over-water mornings and the far boardwalk loops, back through the pass by mid-afternoon.

1. shennongjia dajiuhu

North toward Songbai, the Tianyan pass runs near 2,200 metres; the swallow cave hosts colonies of short-tailed swifts in season, and the Rainbow Bridge spans the gap between the ridges.

1. shennongjia tianyan

Markets, laundry and tea houses — the high roads open again tomorrow.

1. shennongjia city markets

The Banbiyan rock slabs and rhododendron thickets sit at roughly 2,600 metres along the high road, with views over the tree line.

1. shennongjia banbiyan

The Hongping valley road lines up its cliff walls below, best walked in the morning light; the gallery stretch runs along the valley floor.

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Guanmenshan's museum halls lay out the geology — the reserve joined the UNESCO Man and Biosphere network in 1990 and the World Heritage list in 2016; the cliff-side bee boxes are the landmark of the entrance road.

1. shennongjia guanmenshan

The Tianshengqiao trail near Muyu passes a cave bridge and waterfall on a half-day loop, with tea houses at the trailhead.

1. shennongjia tianshengqiao

A labelled neighbour day, long by road at about four hours each way — Shiyan is the prefecture that anchors the Wudang range to the north; most of the day belongs to the transfer, so start before dawn.

1. shiyan

The forestry district's seat at Songbai keeps a slow pace — markets, park promenades and a last short walk by the water, packing in the evening.

1. shennongjia city markets
2. shennongjia xiangxi source

One more town breakfast, then the ride down to Xingshan for the HSR on the 2022 line.

1. shennongjia city markets