The Yellow Mountains — a Top National Park
Do you love national parks? You probably know the national parks in your own country, like Yellowstone in the U.S., the Lake District in the U.K., Uluru in Australia, etc. You may have heard of or been to some of the famous ones around the world, like Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Known for outdoor recreation and preservation, breathtaking views of expansive natural areas, camping and picnic sites, and park wardens, they attract nature lovers by the thousands.
China has national parks too, 225 in total! They cover both scenic and historic preservation areas. Here we concentrate on China’s top scenic national parks, featuring five chosen for outstanding scenery and reputation.
Wulingyuan National Park — Zhangjiajie’s Precipitous Pillars
Wulingyuan is usually the only one of China’s national parks to make it to a top-in-the-world list. It features some awesome towering geology, alongside rich wildlife. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park makes up most of it, alongside Suoxiyu Nature Reserve. Its inspiration for the floating rocks inAvatar has added to its fame.
Jiuzhaigou National Park — Multicolored Mountain Lakes
Jiuzhaigou (‘Nine-Village Valley’) National Park is known for its colorful lakes in high-altitude valleys, with waterfalls, snowy peaks, forested slopes, and Tibetan villages. It’s a classic national park.
Guilin Li River National Park, Guangxi — Karst Landscapes
More of a scenic area, with not much of a national park feel, the Li River National Park has no entrance and fee to get in. It covers the 80-km (50-mile) stretch of river between Guilin and Yangshuo, bounded by classic sheer karst hills, which have inspired many a poem and ink painting.
Lijiang Yulong Xueshan National Park — with Tiger Leaping Gorge
Yulong Xueshan (‘Jade Dragon Snow Mountain’ 5,596m or 18,360 ft) National Park includes popular hiking route Tiger Leaping Gorge on its west side. The mountain has glaciers and a small ski resort, and the Yangtze thunders north in the gorge, one of the deepest and most spectacular in the world.
Huangshan National Park — the Legendary Yellow Mountains
Surrounded in myths of ancient immortals, the Yellow Mountains have some bizarrely charming geomorphology. Compact and complex, this National Park has it all in a small area. There are peaks to climb, gorges to hike, and ethereal sights to see.
Do you love national parks? You probably know the national parks in your own country, like Yellowstone in the U.S., the Lake District in the U.K., Uluru in Australia, etc. You may have heard of or been to some of the famous ones around the world, like Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Known for outdoor recreation and preservation, breathtaking views of expansive natural areas, camping and picnic sites, and park wardens, they attract nature lovers by the thousands.
China has national parks too, 225 in total! They cover both scenic and historic preservation areas. Here we concentrate on China’s top scenic national parks, featuring five chosen for outstanding scenery and reputation.
Wulingyuan National Park — Zhangjiajie’s Precipitous Pillars
Wulingyuan is usually the only one of China’s national parks to make it to a top-in-the-world list. It features some awesome towering geology, alongside rich wildlife. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park makes up most of it, alongside Suoxiyu Nature Reserve. Its inspiration for the floating rocks inAvatar has added to its fame.
Jiuzhaigou National Park — Multicolored Mountain Lakes
Jiuzhaigou (‘Nine-Village Valley’) National Park is known for its colorful lakes in high-altitude valleys, with waterfalls, snowy peaks, forested slopes, and Tibetan villages. It’s a classic national park.
Guilin Li River National Park, Guangxi — Karst Landscapes
More of a scenic area, with not much of a national park feel, the Li River National Park has no entrance and fee to get in. It covers the 80-km (50-mile) stretch of river between Guilin and Yangshuo, bounded by classic sheer karst hills, which have inspired many a poem and ink painting.
Lijiang Yulong Xueshan National Park — with Tiger Leaping Gorge
Yulong Xueshan (‘Jade Dragon Snow Mountain’ 5,596m or 18,360 ft) National Park includes popular hiking route Tiger Leaping Gorge on its west side. The mountain has glaciers and a small ski resort, and the Yangtze thunders north in the gorge, one of the deepest and most spectacular in the world.
Huangshan National Park — the Legendary Yellow Mountains
Surrounded in myths of ancient immortals, the Yellow Mountains have some bizarrely charming geomorphology. Compact and complex, this National Park has it all in a small area. There are peaks to climb, gorges to hike, and ethereal sights to see.
