What Is the Wulong Karst? Bridges, Gorges and Caves of Chongqing

The three listed systems

UNESCO lists the Wulong Karst as a cluster of three core zones, each with its own buffer zone. The Wulong District government names them as the Furong Cave system, the Three Natural Bridges karst system and the Houping erosional tiankeng karst system. The district's protection scope covers the Three Natural Bridges area including Longshuixia Fissure, the Furong Cave area including the Furong River basin, and the Houping erosional tiankeng area.

For a practical visit, the Chongqing government describes the tourism area as three parts: Three Natural Bridges, Fairy Mountain and Furong Cave. In Chinese, locals say Wulong Tiankeng when they mean the Three Natural Bridges, which is a different place from the Fengjie Tiankeng Difeng scenic area. The table shows what each area holds and where it sits.

Why UNESCO listed it

Wulong was inscribed on 27 June 2007 as part of Phase I of the South China Karst, together with Shilin and Libo, and became China's sixth World Natural Heritage Site. South China Karst is a serial property of seven karst clusters in four provinces, and Wulong is one of them.

UNESCO's criterion (vii) text singles out Wulong for giant collapse depressions called Tiankeng and exceptionally high natural bridges between them, with long stretches of deep unroofed caves. UNESCO says the component consists of high inland karst plateaux that have experienced considerable uplift, and that the dolines and bridges provide evidence for the history of the Yangtze and its tributaries. The three Wulong core zones total 6,000 hectares, with buffer zones of 32,000 hectares.

The bridges themselves

The Three Natural Bridges, named Tianlong, Qinglong and Heilong, stand within a 1.2 km stretch of the middle Yangshui River canyon and form the largest group of natural bridges in Asia. Tianlong Bridge is 235 m high and Heilong Bridge 223 m high, and Qinglong is the tallest of the three. The Chongqing local chronicles office gives the scenic area a total area of 64 square km with a visitor walking route of 2,300 m, while the provincial scenic area approval sets a total area of 35.69 square km with a 7.22 square km core.

Inside the boundary, quarrying, mining, land clearing and grave building are banned.

Movies shot here

The Chongqing government says Transformers: Age of Extinction was filmed at Three Natural Bridges in 2014 and made Wulong known internationally. Wulong government guides also name Three Natural Bridges as the only exterior location of Curse of the Golden Flower and a location of Once Upon a Time in Three Lifetimes. The Tianfu Post courtyard, 600 m from the scenic area entrance, was rebuilt in 2006 for Curse of the Golden Flower.

The Wulong government also notes that the local name Wulong Tiankeng means the Three Natural Bridges. That is a different place from the Fengjie Tiankeng Difeng scenic area, so check the district before you book a ticket or a driver.

By train

The Yuxia high-speed line from Chongqing East to Qianjiang stops at Wulong South station. At its opening, 12306 listed five daily trains from Chongqing East to Wulong South, the fastest taking 34 minutes. The line is designed for 350 km/h and runs up to 54 trains a day along its length.

An official report puts the trip from Chongqing main city to the foot of Fairy Mountain at about one hour by high-speed rail, against three to four hours by car in traffic. Fares are set on 12306, so check the current price there when you book.

By car or coach

The Banan to Wulong section of the Yuxiang second expressway runs 127 km, with a toll of about $15.29 (¥102) for a small car, per the Chongqing government. A guided tour removes both legs from your planning. The Wulong Karst Small-Group Day Tour from Chongqing drives about 3 hours each way within a 12-hour day, and the Wulong Karst English-Language Small-Group Tour has an English-speaking guide on board over a 10-hour day.

What fits in a day

The visitor walking route through Three Natural Bridges is 2,300 m, and the tours give it 1.5 to 2 hours. Every day tour from Chongqing also drives about 3 hours each way, which is why the tours run 9 to 13 hours even with one or two areas.

The table lists the day tours by length. Prices are per person except the private tour, which is priced per group. On the private tour the Three Natural Bridges ticket and the park battery car are paid on top. On the English-language group the entry tickets, shuttle and lifts cost $38.97 (¥260) per person from March to November or $31.48 (¥210) from December to February, paid to the guide on site.

Adding Fairy Mountain or Furong Cave

Fairy Mountain rises to 2,033 m at Mocaowan, the highest point in Wulong District, and its average summer temperature is 22 C. Furong Cave sits in Jiangkou town, 21 km from Wulong urban area, and its visitor path is 1,860 m. The one day tour that fits the bridges, Longshuixia Gorge and Furong Cave gives each 1 to 1.5 hours. For a slower pace, the 2-Day Wulong Tour: Bridges, Furong Cave, Boat and Show adds Fairy Mountain, a Furong River boat and the Impression Wulong show.

Official prices

The district's official list of Wulong A-level scenic areas gives peak-season gate tickets of $10.49 (¥70) for Three Natural Bridges, $7.49 (¥50) for Fairy Mountain and $11.99 (¥80) for Furong Cave, with lower off-season prices for the bridges and the cave. The Chongqing Culture and Tourism Commission's 5A list shows the same prices and names the operator as Chongqing Wulong Karst Tourism Industry (Group) Co. Ltd. A first-gate ticket does not cover the transfer bus, battery car, cable car, elevator or small train, which are separate charges.

Reserve through the WeChat mini-program Wulong Karst Tourism Area, the WeChat public account Wulong Jingqu, or online agencies such as Qunar, Meituan and Ctrip, as listed by the district. The official contact phone for the tourism area is 4000235666. The Three Natural Bridges or Longshuixia Gorge Ticket at $15 includes the shuttle bus and elevator, and the Wulong Karst ticket guide explains each option.

Why it earns its reputation

The Chongqing government lists the Wulong Karst tourism area among Chongqing's national 5A scenic areas, approved on 6 July 2011, and UNESCO inscribed South China Karst under natural criteria (vii) and (viii). The area sits in southeastern Chongqing on the lower Wujiang River, with a humid subtropical monsoon climate and an average annual temperature of 17.4 C. The landscape is described as seven parts mountain, one part water and two parts farmland. The table gives each area's official distance from Wulong urban area.

Reading the map

Three Natural Bridges lies east of Fairy Mountain town, 20 km from Wulong urban area. Longshuixia Fissure lies west of Baiguo town, 15 km from the urban area. Furong Cave sits on the right bank of the Furong River in Jiangkou town, 21 km out.

Fairy Mountain is on the north bank of the Wujiang River and peaks at 2,033 m. The Impression Wulong theatre is in Taoyuan Grand Canyon, about 9 km from Fairy Mountain town. Houping erosional tiankeng, the third listed heritage system, is visited on the 10-hour private day with Furong Cave and Houping Tiankeng.

Planning the combination

Every Wulong day tour compared here starts and ends in Chongqing, and the 4-Day Wulong Karst and Chongqing Tour begins and ends at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport. So the simple shape is Chongqing first, a Wulong day trip, then your onward journey from the city. The Yuxia high-speed line runs from Chongqing East through Wulong South to Qianjiang, is designed for 350 km/h and runs up to 54 trains a day along its length.

Check the onward train on 12306 before you fix the order of your trip. Wulong is one of seven South China Karst clusters, alongside Shilin, Libo, Guilin, Shibing, Jinfoshan and Huanjiang, if karst is the theme of the route.