By Jackie Zhang (Beijing Today)
Updated: 2008-04-17 13:35

Zibai Mountain Reserve

The reserve is to the south of Fengxian and covers about 83 square kilometers. The channels among Zibai Mountain, Xiongjia Mountain and Wuliang Mountain are the main bodies in the reserve. The forests on Zibai Mountain, the grasslands on its summit and its limestone caves are the reserve’s hghlights.

The air is very humid, and the percentage of plant coverage is high. The reserve is divided into three areas: Zibai Mountain, the limestone caves and Yanziping, a large area of grasslands.

Zibai Mountain is the highest mountain in Fengxian. It is more than 2,500 meters above sea level and rages 500 kilometers.

The many dolines in the mountain is a big attraction. A doline, also called a sink or sinkhole, is a closed depression draining underground in karst areas. It can be cylindrical, conical, bowl or dish-shaped. The diameter ranges from a few to hundreds of meters.

Dolines are on top of the mountain. The biggest ones may be kilometers across. The depths range from dozens of meters to hundreds. Each has different flowers and plants, and more than 20 million square meters of the mountain is covered by the holes.

In limestone caves, stalactites, stalagmites and stelaes are everywhere. Waterfalls and deep pools can be found inside the caves.

Where: Nanxing Town in Fengxian.

Open: 9 am – 6 pmAdmission: 10 yuan

Tongtian River National Reserve

Tongtian River National Reserve is also located along Qinling Mountain. The average altitude is about 1,700 meters. Native vegetation, mountains, rocks, waterfalls and pools are the reserves highlights. It is home to 1,800 kinds of plants and 280 species of animals.

Tangzang Town, the park’s former location, used to be an important food storehouse for the military in ancient times. It is said that Xuanzang, a famous monk during he Tang Dynasty (618-907), visited it on his quest to India to retrieve Buddhist sutras.

Where: Tangzang Town, Fengxian.

Open: 8 am – 6 pmAdmission: 30 yuan

Getting to Fengxian

Baoji, Shaanxi Province, is a convenient stopoff for visitors bound for Fengxian by train. Every major city has a route to Baoji. Take a train from Baoji to Fengxian. and charter a local car to see all of the area’s hot spots.

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