Xiaodangyang

　　     Xiaodangyang is home to the Shennongjia Ancient Botanical Garden, where many ancient living plant species are preserved. The most famous is a thousand-year-old Iron Fir, standing about 36 meters tall with a diameter of 2.45 meters — so large that it takes six people to encircle it. Its trunk is extremely hard and produces a resonant sound when struck. It is said that this tree has survived through the Song, Liao, Western Xia, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Once, it was struck by lightning, and in an effort to save it, people applied mud to the struck area at the base and placed a clay statue of Shennong gilded in gold inside. People from near and far came to burn incense. Today, the tree’s wound has healed, and the golden statue has become encased within the trunk — a truly miraculous sight.

　　    Transportation:

　　    It is 6 kilometers from Muyu Town and sits at an altitude of 952 meters. It takes just 10 minutes to get there by car from Muyuping.

　　    Time Needed

　　    1–2 hours

　　    Transportation

　　    It is 6 kilometers from Muyu Town and sits at an altitude of 952 meters. It takes just 10 minutes to get there by car from Muyuping.

　　    Location

　　    Muyu Town, Shennongjia Forestry District, Hubei Province