Wulong Karst, Chongqing
And Xueyu cave
Wulong Karst located in the southeast of Chongqing, the transitional area of Guizhou plateau and Sichuan basin and this region is the low gorges area of Wujiang River which is a tributary of Yangtze River. Wulong karst area is composed of Furong cave-Furong river, Natural three bridges and Houping Erosional Tiankengs. 
"Wulong karst" has the most abundant and fantastic geology background and scenic compositions to reflect the development of karst and the evolution of earth in Three Gorges area since the late of Neogene period. "Karst in south China" was inscribed on the World Natural Heritages list by the UNESCO in June, 2007, witch consist of Shilin karst, Wulong karst and Libo karst. Wulong karst is the typical Gorges karst.
The three sub-systems of Wulong karst are formed in the Yangtze Three Gorges area, since the late of Neogene period, about 2.6 Million years ago. The macroscopic incontinuous uplift of lithosphere, deep erosion of rivers, decline of regional drainage base level, thickening of aquifer aeration zone and different hydro-geology and geomorphology conditions synthetically controlled the develop of this style of gorges karst system. These three karst systems combined with various karst gorges、the most typical erosional Tiankeng、world scale natural bridges、the deepest shaft of China, the highest scientific and esthetics value. Wulong karst is the most outstanding natural phenomenon and important esthetic value area in the karst region of south China. Gorges, caves, swallet streams, shafts, dolines are all the forms to dramatically record the detailed uplift of earth crust and the evolution process of karst. This is the interesting idea and advanced scientific field that to study the development of Great Yangtze Gorges by research on the developing characters and features of karst.
Xueyu cave located in Fengdu county, eastern of Chongqing city, about 200 km away from the downtown. Xueyu cave situated in the Karst Gorges area, it developed in the Triassic stratum, and the Shuiming cave and Yangzi cave are formed within 2 km distance from it at different altitude; and they together composed the "Xueyu group caves". Xueyu cave is a relatively young cave; all kinds of speleothems are very abundant in it, with very white color as snow. So this cave is called Snow Jade Cave too. Compared with Furong cave of Wulong county, which is famous for its big hall, Xueyu cave is well known for its refinement and exquisite.
The scholars of geographical science school of Southwest University have set up long time observation stations in Furong cave and Xueyu cave , the sedimentary processes at modern times in these two caves are being in research. Furthermore, the preliminary researches have reconstructed the climate change of Asia Monsoon since the last interglacial, based on the plentiful stalagmites which collected from Furong cave and Yangzi cave; and the variations of stable isotope 18O shown that the amplitude and pattern for the change of Aisa Monsoon is remarkably different to the records achieved from ice core records in the polar. Take the MIS3 periods as an example, the Asia monsoon strength is nearly the same as that in Holocene and even in MIS5. This is very interesting and unimaginable. Further researches are in progress.
Wulong County, under the administration of Chongqing Municipality, is located at the southeast edge of the Sichuan Basin. The Wulong Karst includes three karst systems: Three Natural Bridges, Furong Karst Grotto, and Houping Karst Pits.
The calcareous Furong Karst Grotto is located beside the Furong River, some 4,000 meters away from Jiangkou Town, Wulong County. Its largest chamber, in which stand massive columns, comprises an area of 37,000 square meters. Its amazing stalactite formations include almost all the grotto karst features found around the globe.
Twenty kilometers southeast of the Wulong county seat, the Three Natural Bridges, located in a 1.2-km-long gorge, constitute the world's most impressive group of natural bridges. With an average height of more than 200 meters, the average width of the three natural bridges is about 100 meters.
Houping Town is the site of the five natural pits that evolved through erosion. Occupying a total area of 150,000 square meters, the five pits are hidden among dense forests and bamboos. With both diameter and depth at about 300 meters, all the five pits are in the shape of barrels.
Travel Tips:
Transportation: It is roughly a five-hour drive from Chongqing to the Three Natural Bridges and the Houping Karst Pits.
Accommodations: There are many family-style hotels providing various levels of service in this area. Prices are generally reasonable. And one may be able to bargain for a discount.
Local Specialties: Dried bean curd, sweet potato noodles, Wulong dried beef, and wild-growing medicinal herbs.
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