Yuntaishan World Geopark

Located at Jiaozuo City, Henan Province, Yuntaishan World Geopark (云 台山世界地质公园) is hikers and nature enthusiasts’ heaven. This mountain is a natural reserve of 240 square kilometers that ranks as a AAAAA scenic area, the highest rank awarded by the China National Tourism Administration.

The easiest way to get there is by taxi from the city of Jiaozuo (the ride should cost around 70-80 Yuan). Notice that it’s quite common to share the taxi to go back to the city center.

Or you can take bus no. 3 to or from Jiaozou Raiway station to Yuntaishan entrance for about more than 1 hour bus ride. (Prepare to join with the crowds if you take this bus in the afternoon from Yuntai mountain)

My journey started from Zhengzhou city, and took the direct bus to Yuntai Mountain entrance from  the bus station (in front of Zhengzhou Railway station).

After 2 hours bus ride from Zhengzhou, we arrived at the entrance of Yuntai Mountain.

 

The entrance ticket (April 2015) is RMB 240/person (including free bus at Yuntai area to all tourist spots), when first time you enter the entrance gate (near to Yuntai Mountain area bus station), you will have thumb/finger registration at the entrance machine gate, and the ticket valid to use for 2 days.

You don’t need to be particularly fit to climb the mountain as the path has no steep slopes and is well delimited. However, you’ll need a special skill: patience. Yuntai Moutain is a quite popular destination among Chinese tourists and every day is invaded by many tourists.

 

An imposing site of Yuntai Mountain is Hongshi Valley (Red Rock Valley), named after the color of the quartz sandstones.
A rock catches my attention at the entrance of Hongshi Valley. The wave pattern delicately shown on its surface makes people think that nature acts like an artist who spent millions of years working to shape the amazing feature.
Experts say those rocks were formed between 1.2 billion and 1.4 billion years ago, and the valley came into being about 2.6 million years ago through crust movements and corresponding intermittent evolution.

 

The Red Stone Gorge in Yuntaishan Geopark (Hongshi Valley)

My first stops for this 1st day is the famous Hongshi Valley (it's a must place you should go if you are in Yuntai Mountain), it is a valley with steep cliffs of red rocks standing straight up on both sides. It is the geologic relic of a crustal movement that took place 1.4 billion years ago, and rare Danxia landform in northern China.   The water is only about 10m wide on the widest part of the slow flowing river and gives the impression of a small stream but in fact it is deceptively deep. Visitors are cautioned of the potential danger of the water; however, the walk paths are clearly defined with barriers.

Stretching 190 km long and 68 meter deep, sheltering the most exquisite and marvelous sceneries, it wins a well-deserved name: "God's Bonsai Valley”. Consisting of 11 scenic sites, this 1500 meters long valley takes about one and half hour to tour around.

Red Rock Valley’s earth stratum is divided into three parts from upper to lower part: limestone of Ordovician Period (400million years ago), limestone of Cambrian Period (470million to 510 million years ago) and purple Quartz sandstone formed one billion to 1.4 billion years ago. In Bailong Pool(白龙潭), the 3.4 billion years’ old Zircon was founded, which is the most ancient rocks discovered in the world. Besides, water wave stones and turtle back stones are found in here also.

It's took me around 3 hours walk up and down steps, due to too many tourist and that time I went here and have to wait patiently to get some good photos..

 

Above is the entrance near to Heilong Cave( Black Dragon Cave,黑龙洞), it's too dark to take photo there, and additional with so many tourist around you....This 30 meters’ long cave is crooked and cool, decorated with steep cliffs and accompanied by the murmuring streams, and below photo is the landscape after we exit from the Heilong Cave.

 

Tanpu Valley( Pool Waterfall Valley,潭瀑峡)

Located in the north of Yuntai Mountain, the 1,270 meters (1,389 yards) long valley travels from south to north.

Dozens of waterfalls compete each other in beauty here, such as Lover Waterfall with whispering sound the waterfall covered a cave like curtain and the Y-shaped waterfall. Scenic sites here include Dragon Phonex Wall and Butterfly stone pool. Besides, the Forever Young Spring extends a distance of over 50 km is the precious mineral water.

 

 

Furthermore, the U-shaped cliffs formed by the joint forces of underground water as well as surface water over the past 2.6 million years. Surrounded by cliffs on three sides, this morphology with one open side, small mouth and big belly, which looks like a pot, is also called Pot Vally morphology.

Sheer cliffs and steep mountains at both sides rise skyward in an elegant shape.

 

 

The still waters in Duxian Pond run deep and the water there is as green as an emerald. It is said that people can become immortal by drinking its water. Tanpu Valley is over 2000 meters long, and takes me around 2 hours tour.

Almost at the end of the Tanpu valley, we can see several strange stones. “The stone tested by the emperor of Tang’s sword” and “Commanding Stage” is about the emperor Li Shi Min of Tang Dynasty, and it ends at Butterfly stones.

 

One of the most popular areas in Yuntai is the Macaque Valley (猕猴谷)

Along with all these beautiful sights, you can also enjoy the Taihang Macaques (monkeys)!

After Yuntaishan was ratified as national macaque protection zone in 1998, it homes large quantities of wild macaques. Taihang macaque is under the national second level protection. Dwelling in the highest altitude in North, these macaques adapt to the cold and steep mountains environment successfully and evolve into the most advanced specy of its kind. They have handsome body, long furs, shot tails, good at jumping and climbing, agile and clever, thus if of high aesthetic and scientific study value. They usually live in communities formed by about one hundred members, ruled by a king and protected by the guard macaques. They hunt for food in daytime and sleep on the cliffs.

They have a macaque nature reserve in the park, and the macaques have been trained to pull carts, dance, and do military displays in a show which has 3 times in the morning, and another 3 times in the afternoon. When I was there, the wild macaques are far away playing at the valley, so I need to use my tele lens to take photo of them.