Wuling Montain is about 130 kilometers to Beijing and 168 kilometers to Tianjin.  It is situated at the intersection of Xinglong County (Hebei Province), Chengde County (Hebei Province), Luanping County (Hebei Province) and Beijing's Miyun County.

Occupying 14,400 hectares, it was set up as the first state-level natural protection area in Hebei Province. Wuling Mountain was selected as “the most beautiful mountain in the Beijing area” by internet users in 2007. At 2,118 meters above sea-level, its main peak is the highest in the Yanshan range. The mountain has a complex diversity of landforms and terrain, which influence its climate and the level of biodiversity. There are about 1,870 kinds of plant and 173 kinds of wild animals located in the forested areas and the peaks above.

The original name of the mountain was Fuling Mountain, as Fuling in Chinese describes the search for enlightenment. This link to enlightenment was down to the Tianzhen Buddha, patriarch of a Buddhist sect in the Ming Dynasty, choosing this mountain as a place to search for enlightenment.  Due to the often foggy nature of the mountain, it later gained the name Wuling, as "Wu" means fog in Chinese. In 1645, the Qing government closed the mountain to the public, leaving it a hunting reserve. Over 200 years later, is is now reopened and is an important and popular getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.