Huanglong Spring

Huanglong Spring

Huanglong Spring is located to the west of Sinanyu, nestled within over 4,000 acres of stone forest. It gushes day and night, year-round, with water that is golden in color and shaped like a giant dragon—hence its name.

The water of Huanglong Spring is called “colored water” or “golden water,” primarily because of the underground sulfur mines or mineral components containing antimony. Huanglong Spring is indeed a major spectacle among the attractions of Tianzi Mountain.

Serving as the northwest gateway to Tianzi Mountain, it features over 20 main attractions. Gazing up at the towering rock peaks is breathtaking, while walking through the fresh and serene orchid paths is refreshing to the soul.

The Huanglong Spring tour route is situated in the northwest of Tianzi Mountain in Zhangjiajie, about 3 kilometers from Tianzi Mountain Town. It showcases a high-platform red-sand peak forest landscape, with over 20 named attractions. Major sites include General Rock, City Wall Rock, Huanglong Peak, Huanglong Spring, Qinglong Gully, and Monk’s Cave.

General Rock is located 3 kilometers southeast of Tianzi Mountain Town, on the north bank of the Huanglong Spring stream. The rock rises over 200 meters high, shaped like a cone with a pointed top resembling a person standing. Facing southwest, it appears clad in armor, with miscellaneous trees growing densely on its chest and back. Legend has it that this was the spot where a tiger general under King Xiang of Tianzi guarded Sinanyu, choosing death over surrender, and after death remained standing, eventually turning into this rocky peak. Several other peaks stand guard around it, while the valley is thick with trees and shrouded in mist.

City Wall Rock: Walk 200 meters down the road from General Rock to the Mine Cave Slope, where a peak suddenly rises in the valley, splitting Huanglong Spring into two. The front peak has walls as thin as paper, with the thinnest part being less than 1 meter. The rear peak is majestic and is named City Wall Rock. It stretches over 1,000 meters in length and 200 meters in height, with steep walls and a flat top. The top splits into several peaks, resembling walls, battlements, and gun emplacements; the walls are riddled with caves like bullet holes, and there is a continuous mountain ridge resembling a watchtower.

Monk’s Cave: Located at the right turn of the road under City Wall Rock. A section of the rock wall in the middle is flat, with both ends curving upward, resembling a monk’s hat. On the left edge of the brim is a square stone cave. Below the cave is a stream where water flows year-round. The sound of the water can be heard dozens of steps away, yet the stream itself remains unseen.

Huanglong Spring: About 60 meters south of Monk’s Cave are several caves that emit yellow water. Due to high sulfur content, the water is undrinkable. Among them, the largest cave is 30 meters high and 8 meters wide. People have explored as far as 1,500 meters inside but were blocked by deep pools and could not go further. The cave is divided into a water section and a dry section. Just 10 meters into the water cave, an intense cold is encountered. In the dry cave, there is a terraced field model over 20 meters long and wide, formed by sand deposition, known as “Thousand Hills Field.” The ridges between the fields are as thin as blades and as hard as iron.

Huanglong Peak: Located 2.5 kilometers southeast of Tianzi Town. With an elevation of 1,219 meters, it faces General Rock across the stream diagonally. Looking up from the bottom of the stream, the peak rises abruptly from the ground into the clouds, split by a crevice in the middle where dense trees grow, dividing the peak into two. Upon closer inspection, it resembles a couple meeting in secret—the man taller and behind, the woman shorter and in front, the man draping his right arm over the woman’s shoulder to her neck, glancing sideways to the right. Viewed from the mountaintop Post and Telecommunications Villa, it looks like two cats playing together. The river valley below the peak is covered with flowing sand and scattered boulders, with the stream flowing underground, forming a dry valley.

Qinglong Gully: Located 2 kilometers southeast of Tianzi Mountain Town, behind Huanglong Peak. The stream is about 3,000 meters long, with a riverbed 10 to 20 meters wide. The gully is filled with uniquely shaped peaks, dense trees, serene valleys, flocks of birdsong, and a continuously flowing stream. Three peaks stand side by side forming the shape of the Chinese character “山” (mountain), with Huanglong Peak as the central vertical stroke, hunched and stooped like an old man.

Eight Immortals Peak: Walking 100 meters south from Huanglong Spring Bay, you’ll find a circular valley hidden among trees, deep and mysterious. Within the valley are eight peaks, mostly oval-shaped with flat tops like stools, topped with short pine trees.

Stele Bay: Located 40 meters from Eight Immortals Peak, the bay contains two majestic peaks resembling a mountain gate. Inside the gate stands a delicate and unique stele-shaped peak. Legend says King Xiang’s waist plaque was once hung here. To the right of the gate are two peaks that resemble door gods. At Shuangshi Ya, 100 meters left from Stele Bay, the mountains on both sides of the bay resemble two lions playing, exquisitely lifelike.