Fantastic Mangshan Mountain brings sci-fi fantasy

Many people are believed to be deeply impressed by the “space elevator” described by the author Liu Cixin in his science fictions “The three-body problem” and “The Wandering Earth”.

Every time when it is mentioned, countless book fans and movie fans will feel excited. Now, with the two fiction novels have been made into TV series and films, the “space elevator” has once again become a hot topic of conversation among the public.

What you may not know is that there is also a “space elevator” in Mangshan Mountain of Chenzhou.

Fantastic Mangshan Mountain brings sci-fi fantasy.

Tourists who have been to the Mangshan Mountain must be impressed by its fantastic mountains, beautiful waters, tranquil forests, jagged rocks and grotesque peaks.

Especially when you enter the General Stockaded Village Scenic Spot, you will be able to see the “miraculous scenery” carved out by nature. As soon as you reach the scenic area, you can hear the mighty roar resounding in the mountain. Walking closer, you will see a waterfall cascading down 100 meters.

On the left side of the waterfall in general stockaded village is the famous general rock and the general shield. The majestic general rock, like an ancient general in battle armour, stands proudly among the peaks with its shield in hand, sheltering the peace of the area in the same way that Mangshan Mountain once sheltered thousands of creatures.

There is also an ancient and poignant legend about general rock. It is said that in ancient times, a general in Mangshan Mountain was on an expedition and his wife climbed the cliff every day to look into the distance, hoping for her husband’s return in triumph.

However, the general died on the battlefield and his soul returned to his home for love, but when the couple were about to meet, he lost his strength and fell to the bottom of the valley and turned into the general rock. His wife, in extreme grief, was transformed into husband-gazing rock, where they would look at each other for eternity in the Mangshan Mountain.

The naturally formed General Rock tells tourists the story of shelter and love year after year, while the man-made elevator at Motian Ridge of Wuzhi Peak in Mangshan Mountain is a testament to Liu Cixin’s fantasy. Built on a 1,600-metre cliff, the 140-metre-high elevator is a perfect combination of natural workmanship and modern technology. Tourists will be able to enjoy the space elevator as if in a sci-fi world in 49 seconds.

Diverse species bring more possibilities.

If the cloud elevator, strange peaks and grotesque rocks, and unique rime are the boosters for Mangshan Mountain to create a science fiction background, then the 2,700 species of higher plants, 300 species of vertebrates, and many tertiary or older plants living in Mangshan Mountain National Forest Park are the catalysts of science fiction.

Mangshan Mountain has always been known as “the largest biological gene bank in Hunan” and “a natural museum of flora and fauna”. It is one of the best preserved areas of native evergreen broad-leaved forest in the world, with one of the richest biological populations and best ecological protection at the same latitude on earth.

It is home to three species of plants protected at the national first-class level, including water shield (Brasenia schreberi), Southern red bean fir( Taxus wallichiana var. Mairei) and Bole tree (Bretschneidera sinensis), and 15 species of trees protected at the national second-class level, including Fokienia hodginsii, Pinus kwangtungensis, Pseudotaxus chienii and Disanthus cercidifolius Maximowicz var. longipes H. T. Chang, etc.

In addition, there is a wide variety of wildlife living in Mangshan Mountain, including national first-class level protected animals such as the yellow-bellied tragopan, clouded leopard, leopard, South China tiger, sika deer and protobothrops mangshanensis, which is a unique species in Mangshan Mountain, as well as 26 national second-class level protected wildlife species such as tiger frog, silver pheasant, crested serpent-eagle and grass owl. And these diverse species of flora and fauna, through millions of years of unique evolutionary history, add more colour to the fantastical story of Mangshan Mountain.

Biodiversity can also be a source of inspiration for science fiction creations. During the Chinese New Year when the hit film“The Wandering Earth 2” was showed in cinemas, Liu Cixin also mentioned that he would “walk into the ‘fantastic fairyland of Mangshan Mountain’ in a scientific way” when he strongly recommended Mangshan Mountain. We believe that he will have a perfect encounter with Mangshan Mountain, the source of inspiration for science fiction.

The rural cultural tourism represented by Mangshan Mountain has found a new growth point in this trend of “science fiction plus cultural tourism”.

The fantastic mountains, beautiful waters, tranquil forests, strange rocks and grotesque peaks make up the miraculous cultural background of Mangshan Mountain. Mangshan Mountain is worth a visit for everyone, as you can feel the sci-fi fantasy in the fantastic landscape.