Shennongding Scenic Area 神农顶

About Shennongding Scenic Area

The area covers more than 800 square kilometres between about 1,500 and 3,106.2 metres, with 98 per cent forest cover and a well-preserved northern subtropical forest ecosystem. The forestry district records more than 3,900 species of higher vascular plants and more than 330 vertebrate species here, of which over 100 are under national key protection, among them the golden snub-nosed monkey, the golden eagle and the leopard. The Shennongjia golden snub-nosed monkey belongs to the Sichuan species and is the easternmost population known in China, the smallest in number and the lowest in genetic diversity of the country's golden monkey populations. The ridges of peaks that run through the area are known as the roof-ridge of central China, and the forest is treated as an important water-source catchment and ecological barrier for the Three Gorges Project and the South-to-North Water Diversion.

Visiting is organised around the scenic road, along which the district lists more than ten named points: Dalongtan and Xiaolongtan, Jinhouling, Shennongyuan, Shennongying, Shennong Valley, the lookout tower, Liangfengya, Mirenchong, Banbiyan and Taiziya. Two built routes take walkers off the road: a stairway of 2,999 steps known as the Qingyun Ladder, and a plank walk about five kilometres long through Shennong Valley. Shennongding is one of the six scenic areas that Shennongjia ticketed together, alongside Guanmenshan, Shennongtan, Tianshengqiao, Tianyan and Dajiuhu.

What to look for

• Jinhouling, an area of old-growth forest where the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys of Shennongjia range
• The stone-pillar formations at Banbiyan and Fengjingya, and the rock known as Houzishi
• Shennong Valley, followed by a plank walk about five kilometres long
• The Qingyun Ladder, a stairway of 2,999 steps
• The lookout tower and Taiziya, among the named points along the scenic road

Location & getting there

Getting to Shennongding Scenic Area

Check weather, trail access and the last return service. A mountain or forest area is not one entrance, and a map’s central pin may be far from the trailhead.

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