There are rumors about rare animals like the thousand-year-old python and flying squirrels that roam the depths of the valley. Even more astonishing is that the sound of thousands of soldiers and horses can often be heard echoing from the valley’s depths. So, what is happening here?
In 2014, journalist Sun Ba traveled to Zhangjiajie, China, for a photo shoot. After completing his assignment, he became interested in local customs and began to converse with a villager.
The initial conversation was pleasant, but when the topic of Shentang Bay came up, the villager’s expression changed. They mysteriously told Sun Ba that Shentang Bay is a dangerous place, filled with towering mountains and perpetually shrouded in mist; even the locals are unaware of what lies within.
Sun Ba thought this was nothing to fear, merely a natural phenomenon. The villagers, sensing his skepticism, continued to explain that the most frightening aspect of Shentang Bay is that whenever it rains, the sounds of war horses neighing and battle drums can be heard, as if thousands of troops are engaged in combat.
Intrigued by this, Sun Ba wanted the villagers to take him to see what was happening. To his surprise, they refused. The villagers stated that Shentang Bay is a forbidden area, and for nearly a thousand years, no one has dared to enter; even passing by requires caution.
Moreover, the aforementioned phenomena are just a small part of Shentang Bay, which is said to harbor giant serpents and flying monsters. Some have even claimed to have seen these creatures, not just rumors. After hearing this, Sun Ba felt a bit scared and temporarily abandoned his plan to visit Shentang Bay.
Locals believe that Shentang Bay is a dangerous place. (Illustrative image).
After returning, he couldn’t forget about Shentang Bay and decided to return to Zhangjiajie once more. This time, he consulted Professor Zhai, a geologist. Professor Zhai told him that the phenomenon at Shentang Bay is not uncommon; there is a similar canyon in Peru where a fierce battle occurred thousands of years ago, and after it rains, sounds resembling warfare can be heard.
The cause is attributed to magnetite (a magnetic iron mineral), which interacts with lightning during rainfall, creating a type of “natural recording device” that captures the sounds of battle. After hearing this from Professor Zhai, Sun Ba was momentarily stunned; he never thought such a phenomenon could occur in nature.
He then bid farewell to Professor Zhai and continued on to Zhangjiajie. He sought out the villagers he had spoken to previously and wanted to convince them that the sounds in Shentang Bay were not supernatural. However, to his surprise, the villagers immediately rejected this claim after hearing his story.
The villagers were so certain because no magnetic materials had been found near Shentang Bay. To uncover the truth, Sun Ba felt he must go there himself. He gathered a group of geological team members and, guided by the villagers, ventured to Shentang Bay. They used tools to analyze the mountain’s composition. It turned out that only quartz sandstone was present, with no traces of magnetite. Sun Ba was even more confused—what was the source of the sound?
The geologists could not explain the phenomenon, and due to weather conditions, they had to retreat. As they reached the mountainside, the sky suddenly darkened, and heavy rain began to fall. Sun Ba felt a surge of emotion and wanted to hear the sound the villagers had described for himself.
The sounds in Shentang Bay truly resemble thousands of soldiers engaged in battle. (Illustrative image).
After this idea struck him, Sun Ba suggested they descend the mountain shortly. Although the team members felt a bit frightened, they agreed to his proposal. They found a sheltered spot from the rain and held their breath to listen. Before long, they heard the sounds emanating from Shentang Bay. The noise genuinely sounded like thousands of soldiers in combat. As the rain eased, the sounds gradually faded away. They quickly descended and returned to the village.
When the villagers heard about their experience in Shentang Bay, they were shocked; they never expected that the legend would turn out to be true. For a while, the entire village buzzed with this news. Although Sun Ba had personally experienced the phenomena in Shentang Bay, he still did not believe it was caused by supernatural forces.
Sun Ba later contacted Professor Zhai and invited him back to Zhangjiajie. To investigate the truth of the matter, Professor Zhai arrived with a team of experts. Upon his arrival, Professor Zhai first inquired about the villagers’ experiences. The villagers mentioned that many rock frogs lived in Shentang Bay, and some speculated that the sounds might originate from them. However, both Professor Zhai and Sun Ba believed this was unlikely because the sounds of Shentang Bay could only be heard when it was windy and rainy; they had previously been to Shentang Bay and found it quiet.
They decided to visit Shentang Bay again to uncover the truth themselves. Just as they were preparing to go, they discovered a rock frog next to the stream by the roadside. Sun Ba looked at the rock frog, astonished that it could produce sounds like those from Shentang Bay.
Professor Zhai also agreed, believing that the rock frog was not the source of the sounds. They continued onward to the entrance of Shentang Bay, where they began preparing equipment to descend. Due to his age, Professor Zhai could not descend but stayed at the top of the mountain to direct the team to document the situation below.
The terrain of Shentang Bay resembles a bottle. (Illustrative image).
Two members of the team secured ropes and began to descend slowly. Everyone present held their breath, not daring to relax. At that moment, a terrible scream suddenly echoed from below. Sun Ba trembled in fear, unsure of what was happening. Professor Zhai remained calm, immediately took up the walkie-talkie, and contacted the team below to inquire about the situation. It turned out that while descending, they had discovered a giant snake skeleton on the cliff, which had frightened them into screaming. Professor Zhai sighed with relief and instructed them to collect the snake bones and proceed. A short while later, the communication device relayed good news: two team members had reached the bottom safely.
After mapping the terrain, Professor Zhai observed carefully and then excitedly exclaimed, “I know what the sounds of Shentang Bay are!” He took the terrain map and explained to everyone: “The terrain of Shentang Bay resembles a bottle. When the wind blows into a bottle or a narrow valley, it creates a large airflow, which is the sound we hear. Furthermore, this sound changes with the weather and humidity, sometimes sounding like a battlefield, other times like wailing ghosts or howling winds. This is completely a natural phenomenon and has nothing to do with the supernatural.” After hearing the explanation, everyone realized that the mystery of Shentang Bay had finally been solved. This story teaches us that science and folklore do not contradict but complement each other, helping us understand the world better.
