[2025 Yuanmou Attraction] Travel Guide for Wumao Earth Forest Scenic Area (Updated Apr)

👉The famous Ming Dynasty traveler Xu Xiake described Yuanmou Earth Forest in his book "Xu Xiake's Travels" as "golden sand shining like mica, yellow and bright." 👉I visited Yuanmou Earth Forest many years ago, and my memory of it has faded. Now, I can't even remember which earth forest I visited back then. This shows how necessary it is to revisit Yuanmou Earth Forest. This article will start with Wumao Earth Forest in Yuanmou. ～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～ 🌈Highlights: 1️⃣The shuttle bus takes you to the highest station (there is only one station). The viewing platform overlooks the earth forest, which looks like a vast primeval forest. A main gully winds its way to the distance at the bottom of the valley. This is the walking trail of Wumao Earth Forest. Wumao Scenic Area consists of a Y-shaped main gully and more than 30 valleys, divided into 4 sections, with 9 main attractions and more than 100 small attractions. 2️⃣Walking down the trail, you will suddenly feel that the earth forest, which looked like a primeval forest, now looks like a grand group of artistic sculptures, magnificent and unique. The deep and quiet valley crevices, the cave gates hanging in mid-air, the primitive and rough sand gully desert, the strange shapes, and the diverse ancient plants form the rich landscape of the scenic area. 3️⃣The ingenious workmanship and meticulous carving of nature have created bizarre sand sculptures and mysterious geological landforms, making Yuanmou Earth Forest a fascinating art palace. ～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～ 🌼About the tour route: 1️⃣There is a fork at the end of the Y-shaped trail at the bottom of the valley. There are more attractions on the left trail, but the "Yuanmou Man Cave" is not far from the right trail. If you go in the morning, you can also see the "golden light through the hole." So, it is recommended to go right to the cave first and then return to the left trail to visit the attractions until you reach the exit. 2️⃣In addition to the main gully trail, don't miss the small trails with obvious footprints on both sides. Walking in or climbing up will bring you some surprises, such as the "Great Pirate" cave. ～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～ 🚗Address and transportation: 1️⃣Wumao Earth Forest is located 30 km north of Yuanmou County, about 190 km from Kunming City and about 130 km from Chuxiong City. 2️⃣Since you usually don't visit a single scenic area, it is recommended to drive or rent a car in Yuanmou to visit the attractions. ～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～ 🎫Ticket information: 1️⃣Adult ticket: CNY 70 per person. Half-price tickets are available for people aged 60–70. Free admission for people aged 70 and above. 2️⃣Shuttle bus: CNY 10 for a one-way trip (only a one-way ticket is needed). ～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～ ✨Tips: 1️⃣Enter the scenic area in the morning and visit for 3–4 hours. In the afternoon, you can go to Langbapu Earth Forest until sunset. 2️⃣Wide-angle and medium-focus lenses are relatively practical, and drones are a must-have.

📅**Travel Plan**: Arrange a 3-day, 2-night trip, take it slow and enjoy the magnificent natural wonders. 🎒**Travel Essentials**: Sunscreen🧴, hat🧢, camera📷, and a pair of comfortable hiking shoes, as every spot here is a perfect photo opportunity! 🚗**About Transportation**: Depart from Kunming, self-driving offers the most freedom, and the scenery along the way is amazing! Alternatively, take the high-speed train🚅 to Yuanmou Station, then transfer to local vehicles to reach the destination. 🛡️**Safe Travel**: Be mindful of sun protection and mosquito repellent. The terrain of the Earth Forest is complex, so follow guided tours or marked routes for safety first! 📍**Must-Visit Attractions**: 1. **Wumao Earth Forest**🏞️: The Earth Forest at dawn, where gold and brown intertwine, feels like stepping into an alien world. 2. **Langbapu Earth Forest**🏜️: The silhouette at sunset, every frame looks like a blockbuster. 3. **Tiger Mouth**🐅: A unique 'V' shaped canyon, perfect for taking photos and making your social media posts stand out! 📸**Photo Spots**: Don't forget to use the light and shadows to capture the mystery and grandeur in the gullies of the Earth Forest. You'll be the coolest one in your social circle! 🍽️**Local Delicacies**: Taste the authentic Yuanmou cold chicken🍗, which is tangy and refreshing, adding a fresh touch to your journey. 💡**Tips**: Bring enough water🥤, as the Earth Forest is quite dry. Respect nature, don't leave trash, and help protect this pristine land. Come to Yuanmou Earth Forest and embark on a spontaneous fantastic journey! Remember to follow me for more travel tips!👇

The Wuma Earth Forest, also known as the Hǔtiàotān Earth Forest, is 36 kilometers away from Yuanmou County and is the most accessible one among the three major earth forests in Yuanmou (the other two are the largest Langbapu Earth Forest and the less popular Bangguo Earth Forest). The Wuma Earth Forest is truly stunning. Although it feels familiar, it resembles the dreamy canyons of Alxa's western region, the ice gully Danxia landform in Zhangye, and the Tianshan Grand Canyon in Wensu Tuomuer... 🪨 Wuma Earth Forest It mainly consists of 4 areas, 9 main scenic spots, and over 100 minor attractions. The earth forest is mostly made up of clay and sand grains. Over the long years, the earth pillars gradually emerge to form the forest, and the quartz, agate, and other substances on the pillars refract different colors under the sunlight. The shapes of the Wuma Earth Forest are mostly castle-like or screen-like. Standing on the mountain top and looking down, the ravines crisscross, and the peaks and pillars are tall and peculiar, very spectacular. 🪨 Touring tips The most effortless way to tour: Take the scenic area's electric cart to the final stop - the highest point of the earth forest, walk down the trail to the bottom of the ravine to play, and then walk back to the entrance of the scenic area. The road at the bottom of the ravine is flat, suitable for walking and playing, and is appropriate for all ages. The descending steps are slightly steep, and the uphill is in stages, with moderate difficulty. It takes about 3 to 4 hours to cover the bottom of the ravine completely. If you walk back along the essence route, it takes about 2 hours. The Lingxiao Treasure Hall and the East Sea Dragon Palace are the castle-like earth forests that I personally find most resembling. Although primitive and rugged, they are indeed well-arranged tall buildings, or rather, huge artistic relief works. Watching the sunrise at Wuma Earth Forest is even better. If you don't want to get up early, there are hotels at the entrance, but the conditions are said to be average. The scenic area is also very humane, closing at 18:00. It's fine to enter before this time and come out before it gets dark. To get to the Wuma Earth Forest, you need to take a mountain road, which is steep and narrow, and there are always dump trucks passing by. Please pay attention to safety when driving. 🪨 Yuanmou Earth Forest Scenic Area (Wuma Earth Forest) Address: Wuma Earth Forest Scenic Area, Yuanmou County, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00 Ticket: 70 yuan/adult Electric cart: 10 yuan

Yuanmou Wuma Tu Lin Scenic Area is geographically located in Wuma Township of Yuanmou County, about forty kilometers from the county town, and is also known as the Hutiao Beach Tu Lin. This scenic area is a group of columnar landforms shaped by earthen deposits, named for its distant forest-like appearance, and is a great natural wonder, looking very magnificent.

Many people may not know much about the Yuanmou Earth Forest. Geologically speaking: Earth forests generally appear in basins or valleys, with the Yuanmou Earth Forest being the most typical, reflecting the changes in ancient geography and the process of geomorphological development. The Yuanmou Earth Forest is a wonderful natural wonder in China and even the world. After millions of years of crustal movement, the god of wind and rain has carved the land of Yuanmou into various strange shapes. Many photographers use this place as their creative base, and it also attracts many geologists and famous directors to visit and take pictures. Zhang Yimou filmed 'Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles' here, and later Chen Kaige also filmed 'The Promise' here. Therefore, the Yuanmou Earth Forest has become a popular tourist spot.

Today, I came to the filming location of many movies, Wuma Tuolin (Hutiao Beach Tuolin) in Yuanmou County, Yunnan Province. Because I live in Yuanmou County, it takes about 40 minutes to drive to the destination, half of which is on the highway and half on the national road. It is recommended to drive by yourself, as public transportation is not very convenient. The ticket price is 70. If you don't want to walk inside the entrance, you can take a battery car up, 10 yuan per person, and the tour time is about two hours. The landscape here is very distinctive, completely a masterpiece of nature. Apart from the pedestrian walkway, there is no artificial carving. It is a good place to take pictures and check in. It is easy to produce big movies, especially at sunset and sunrise. Unfortunately, we didn't have the right time this time.

Passing by Chuxiong Yuanmou, I went to Wumao Tulin. The miraculous workmanship of nature, Xiaojiu said as soon as he saw it, we have arrived at the Grand Canyon You need to take a battery car to enter the scenic spot from the gate. It may take two or three hours to complete the whole journey, and it may take even longer with children. It started to drizzle as soon as I got off the electric car, and the stairs were relatively high and slippery. So I got off the car and took some photos without officially entering the scenic spot, so I took the car back to the gate and left. It’s a pity. I’ll go hiking next time 70/person, battery car 10/person one way If you have enough travel time, you can go and see it. The very special landform is not suitable for children under three years old and the elderly. It is all physical work.

Earth forests are loose deposits of clay, sand and gravel from the Quaternary lake and river phases, formed by erosion and scouring by seasonal rainwater in a dry climate environment. This type of deposit is gently sloping and has been cut into numerous gullies by the erosion of surface water. In some strata, due to the enrichment of iron cement, a hard iron cap is formed after weathering, which protects the clay and gravel layers underneath and weakens the erosion of rainwater, thus forming earth forests like towers and pillars, like the ruins of an ancient castle, with anthropomorphic images in various poses and lifelike. Earth forests are generally distributed in small basins of lake sediments, with Banguo and Waibao in the Yuanmou Basin in Yunnan being the most typical.

Wumao Earth Forest is also known as Hutiaotan Earth Forest. Its characteristic is that the top of the earth column is covered with black substance, similar to the cap of a mushroom. It looks like an ancient Roman building. The height is generally 10-15 meters, and the highest is 27 meters. You can take an electric car to the highest point, and then walk down to visit it without getting tired and without missing any attractions. The tour takes about 2 hours. You will admire the bizarre shapes of earth pillars, cracks in the valleys, cave gates hanging high in the air, and primitive and rugged sand ditches and deserts. Each place is independent and forms a unique chapter, and you will deeply appreciate the wonders of nature. A good place for photography, camping, leisure vacation, starry sky, sunrise and sunset, film and television shooting, and off-road adventure. If you have enough time, you can also visit Langbapu Earth Forest and Banguo Earth Forest. Huxi Highway, Yuanmou County, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province