Shennongjia Forest Zone

Shennongjia Forestry District is located in the northwest of Hubei province, which is bounded by Mountains series. Legend has it that in ancient times Shennongshi once tasted many kinds of herbs to find out the ones of medical value and used them to cure people of different diseases; because of the lofty mountains and hazardous passes, he built ladders for people to gather medicine herbs... Later, people named the place Shennongjia to commemorate Shennongshi.

Shennongjia Forestry Zone is a county-level administrative unit (a "forestry district") in northwestern Hubei province, China, directly subordinated to the provincial government. With an area of 3,253 square kilometers (about 803,833 acres), Shennongjia contains four towns, four villages, one national forest park and one national natural reserve area. Because of its marvelous natural scenery, rare foliages, endangered animals and famous legends such as the mysterious "Wild Man" (Chinese Yeti) said to be found in the mountains, the forest zone has attracted many tourists every year, amongst them researchers and scientists.

Shennong Peak, 3,105 meters in altitude, is named "the first peak of Central China ". The inner part of mountain area is covered by dense woods which seem to be isolated from the outer world. Not only is the scene of primitive society preserved well, but also the source of plants and animals is rich. In 1990, Shennongjia is listed as a member of Man and Biosphere Program by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In 1995, Shennongjia is also listed as "biodiversity conservation demonstration" by WWF.

The most peculiar species founded in the forest zone are certainly the "white animals". The first albino animal spotted in the scenic area was a white bear, which looks like a giant panda in white skin. White monkeys, white roes, white deer, white squirrels, white snakes, white crows and even white toads have also been gradually discovered by scientists. Aside from the endangered animals, Shennongjia is a natural garden for herbal medicines as well. More than two thousand kinds of precious herbs like Jiaogulan and actinidia can be easily found in the Shennongjia Forest Zone.

The Wild Man of Shennongjia is a mysterious figure as famous as Nessie and UFOs. The records of the Wild Man appear many times in ancient Chinese books, and since the 1970s, many people have declared that they had spotted The Wild Man. They are described to be ape-like, about two meters (6 ft.) high, covered by red or brown hair and can move very fast while standing erect. There have been many research studies held, which have yielded some evidence of the creature, such as the footprints and hair of The Wild Man. It is believed by many people that The Wild Man is an ancient species just like the giant panda and the golden haired monkey. Recently, some hikers and visitors also announced their sightings of The Wild Man. But to this day, no Wild Man has yet been caught.

Tip: The forest zone is very large, so people who wants visit there had better find a guide and renting a car is another good choice. In addition, tourists will probably want to pack their raincoat and some plastic bags so that they can keep their clothes and camera dry. It's usually very cold in the night, so you'd better pack more clothes; wear boots and trousers in the forest so that you can prevent bites from mosquitoes and other insects.

For more information, please visit www.top-chinatour.com