In 1982, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park became China’s first national forest park.
In Hunan Province, in South Central China about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Hong Kong, sits Zhangjiajie, a large prefecture-level city containing spectacular landforms and parks. These include Tianmen Mountain and the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, which encompasses the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve, Yangjiajie Scenic Area, and more.
Made famous by the highest-grossing film, Avatar, Zhangjiajie is on many travellers’ bucket list and rightfully so! Home to awe-inspiring mountains, valleys, forests, caves, lakes and nature spots, it impossible to deny its beauty.
For those who love nature, wish to seek adventure, and want to escape from the daily hustle and bustle, Zhangjiajie is right place for your travel itinerary.
The whole of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (the inspiration of Avatar) is huge with many different scenic areas. The top-rated scenic areas are Yuanjiajie, Tianzi Mountain, and Gold Whip Stream. These three areas can be visited by tourists any age. Walking is not hard at the main attractions, where cable cars, elevators, a tram, and shuttle buses are available andconcrete paths and steps have been built.
The off-the-beaten-path scenic areas are quieter but require more hiking: Yangjiajie, Yellow Stone Village, and Old House Area.
Tianmen Mountain
Tianmen Mountain, by Zhangjiajie city, in central China’s Hunan Province, has been called “one of the most beautiful mountains in the world” by many travelers who have been there. The stunning views including ‘Heaven’s Door’ and the 99 Bends, vertical cliffs, the thrilling cliff-hanging walkway and glass skywalk, and the world’s longest cable car ride, make it unquestionably one of the best mountains to visit in China. Come, climb the ‘Stairway to Heaven’!
Made famous by the highest-grossing film, Avatar, Zhangjiajie is on many travellers’ bucket list and rightfully so! Home to awe-inspiring mountains, valleys, forests, caves, lakes and nature spots, it impossible to deny its beauty.
Top Highlights You Should Not Miss
The World’s Longest Cable Car Ride up to the Mountain Top
The mountain is best reached by cable car. The aerial tramway ride is the longest in the world, taking about 30 minutes for over 7 kilometers. The last part of the cable way is very steep, going up at 37 degrees over sheer cliffs to one of the mountain peaks. The cable car starts close to the bus station and railway station. It is often very busy, and waiting in line is normal. The cable car starts at 7:30 in summer and 8:00 in winter.
The Cliff-Hanging Walkway
The walkway was built along the edges of this mountain’s summits, clinging to the vertical cliffs. The walkway is about 1.6 kilometers long, about 1,400 meters high. The cliffside loop takes about 1½ hours. At the end of the walkway, there is a hanging bridge linking two peaks.
The Famous Original Skywalk — “The Walk of Faith”
The first glass skywalk on Tianmen Mountain called “the Walk of Faith” opened in November 2011. Since then it has been a must-see tourist attraction on the west side of the mountain. (A less-known glass skywalk on the east side opened in April, 2015.) It gives a thrilling feeling like walking in the sky. It is definitely not suitable for the faint-hearted.
Open Chairlift for Two Persons
The open chairlift is at the end of the hanging bridge. Two persons share a chair. It goes up to the summit of the mountain, where there is a tower. At the top of the tower, travelers can get an eye’s-bird views of the surrounding mountains. The chairlift takes about 20 minutes over densely forested peaks.
The 99 Bends
There are 99 sharp curves on the road up to Tianmen Cave, the famous 99 Bends. The best place to see and take photos of these bends is from the cable car. The road is built for tourist use, taking tourists from the mountain foot to the top of the mountain and Tianmen Cave. Tourist buses take travelers from the midway cable car station along some of these 99 bends to Tianmen Cave.
Tianmen Cave — ‘Heaven’s Door’ and the “Stairway to Heaven”
Tianmen (‘Heaven’s Door’ 天门 Tiānmén /tyen-mnn/) Cave is a large (30 meters or 100 feet wide) water-eroded hole between two peaks, like a huge doorway in the cliff face. It’s the highest hole of its sort in the world. To reach the cave, take a tourist bus (usually a mini-bus) on the 99 Bends (see above). Then there are 999 steep and narrow steps up to the cave — “the Stairway to Heaven”. It is a hard and tiresome climb (about 30 minutes).
The best way to get to Zhangjiajie is to take a plane straight from Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou. They have daily flights to Zhangjiajie and are international flight hubs.
Trains to Zhangjiajie are generally not recommended: There is no bullet train to Zhangjiajie yet. Direct train journeys from major tourist cities take at least 10 hours.
There are international hotel chains in Zhangjiajie, such as Pullman Zhangjiajie, but the hotels are generally of a lower quality compared with hotels of the same star rating in major Chinese tourist cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guilin. Except for 5-star hotels, the hotels generally don’t provide a Western breakfast and spoken English is limited.
Most of the hotels in Zhangjiajie are concentrated in two areas: downtown Zhangjiajie and a small town adjacent to the national park, called Wulingyuan.
