Lifting the Mysterious Veil of

Named after the legendary Shennongshi （one of the ancestors of Chinese people）， Shennongjia Nature Reserve located in the northwestern area of Hubei Province is considered as a treasure of wildlife. In 1990， Shennongjia Nature Reserve was placed on the World Heritage List. Legend has it that there is another kind of primate — wild man. Since the big footprints of wild man were found there， Shennongjia has been an enigma in Chinese history， arousing people’s curiosity all the more. From the uncommon golden monkeys to the mysterious legend of wild man among those lofty mountains， is it possible that Shennongjia witnesses the traces of human evolution？

Tales spreading on this land

Legend has it that more than 3，000 years ago， Shennongshi， a legendary tribal chief， collected and tasted many kinds of herbs to find out their medicinal purposes and use them to relieve people’s illness and pain， which played a very important role in the history of China’s civilization. Later， he invented ladders for people to collect some of the most precious herbs from the sheer cliffs， hence the name Shennongjia （literally meaning the ladder of Shennongshi in Chinese）.

Have you ever had an interest in unsolved mysteries since your childhood？ If you come to Shennongjia， you will not feel disappointed. The tales of Shennongshi， the world-famous mystery of wild man， the local custom as well as the primitive and mysterious mountains have endowed this land with profound cultural connotation and characteristics. The most attractive is the discovery of wild man， which serves as one of the most mysterious figures as famous as Nessie and UFO. It is said that more than two hundred persons have seen the appearance of wild man in the mountains， making Shennongjia a mysterious place. Stories about wild man are countless among the area but nobody knows what to make of it. So whether these stories are in the human mind or the reality is hard to tell.

Many people think that these stories and sightings are probably nothing more than lies. But stories about wild man have existed since the Middle Ages in Europe and Asia. It is a surprise to consider that people in distant places believed the same legend. According to many ancient Chinese books， stories about this part were recorded for many times. Relics of such creatures also exist on some museums. In 1995， in a cave of Shennongjia， relics of ancient human beings， rhinoceros， pandas and elephants were unearthed， which is of great significance for archaeological research.

Since the last century， many people living or travelling in Shennongjia declared that they once spotted the wild man. According to their descriptions， the wild man looks like an ape covered by red or brown hair， about two meters tall. Even more amazing， it can run at a rapid speed. Many people believed that the wild man should be an ancient species similar as giant panda and monkey in size. Some scientists also claimed that the traces of this creature， such as footprints and hairs， have been found. However， no hard evidence has been found to prove the creatures’ existence.

It should go without saying that Shennongjia Nature Reserve is an attraction boasting virgin scenery and folk legends， awaiting the enjoyment and exploration of leisure tourists and researchers alike.

Shennongjia tells the history of geological evolution

Famed as the last well-preserved subtropical forest ecosystem in the inland of China but also in the middle latitude zone of the world， Shennongjia Nature Reserve owns numerous travelling resources. Climatically， it lies in an area where warm and cold air masses from north and south meet， making Shennongjia an ideal green park for research on biodiversity as well as its natural wonders.

The splendid geological sights of the Shennongjia area are the results of geological evolution， during which the deposition in the area experienced several tectonic movements. It is precisely because of those geological movements that we can easily find various forms of rocks， which look like monkeys， swallows and pandas. For those who are familiar with Guilin landscape， they will be quite clear about the Karst formations in Shennongjia.

Shennongjia is probably one of very few virgin forests remaining in the world. Known as the “Roof of Central China”， the 3，105.4-meter-high Shennongding （Peak of Shennongjia） is a large area with well-preserved virgin forest， becoming a treasure trove of wildlife. There are more than 3，700 species of plants in this ecological system and 40 of them are listed among key national preserved species. Animals of every size can hide easily in such places and many are recorded， such as the takin （a kind of big mountain goat）， golden monkey and leopard. Surrounded by blossoming flowers and thriving trees， you can experience and enjoy the beauty of four distinct seasons at different altitudes on the way to the top of the Shennongjia.

Water is considered as another great gift of Shennongjia. Stream， lake and pool are scattering every corner of the region， looking like belts， neckties and hats of the splendid park. To amaze visitors， peculiar caves formed by the erosion of water are dotted across the mountains. The Swallow Cave， one of the famous caves in the area， is inhabited by thousands of rare swallows. When entering a cave， the intense heat of summer could be easily forgotten， together with the outside world. In summer， the temperature in the cave is between 10 to 20 degrees lower than outside. In winter， however， the temperature in the cave is higher than outside. In addition， the water droplets never freeze all year round.

For nature lovers， walking in the Shennongjia Nature Reserve is an incredible experience. The primitive and picturesque scenery consisting of virgin forests， clear streams and pleasantly cool caves would make them feel completely relaxed and refreshed.