Zhangjiajie Avatar Mountains
Zhangjiajie City is a national key ecological function zone, boasting six “golden name cards”: a World Natural Heritage site, one of the world’s first World Geoparks, the namesake of the “Zhangjiajie landform” in the world, China’s first national forest park, one of the first batch of national 5A-level tourist attractions, and a national civilized scenic spot. It is also the permanent venue for the World Wingsuit Flying Championship.
1. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China’s first national forest park, is world-renowned for its unique quartz sandstone peak forest landform. The park boasts a wealth of natural landscapes, including strangely shaped peaks and rocks, streams and waterfalls, and deep forests and secluded valleys, resembling a natural landscape painting.
Jinbian Stream:
Jinbian Stream is 7.5 kilometers long and is named after the Jinbian Rock it flows through. The stream is crystal clear, with towering peaks lining both banks, creating a picturesque landscape. Strolling along the stone path by the stream feels like being in a fairyland.
Yuanjiajie:
Yuanjiajie is one of the core scenic areas of Zhangjiajie, boasting famous attractions such as the First Bridge Under Heaven and Hallelujah Mountains. The First Bridge Under Heaven is a natural stone bridge spanning between two mountain peaks, exuding a majestic aura. Hallelujah Mountains served as the inspiration for the floating mountains in the movie “Avatar,” with unique and breathtaking peak shapes.
2. Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park
Tianmen Mountain, the first sacred mountain in western Hunan, is located in Guanliping, on the southern outskirts of Zhangjiajie City. The glass walkway, Tianmen Cave, the 999-step staircase leading to heaven, the 99-bend mountain road, the world’s longest high-altitude passenger cableway, the mountain-penetrating escalator, and Tianmen Mountain Temple are all worthwhile attractions for visitors. Tianmen Mountain is also a mecca for wingsuit flying performances in China, a paradise for wingsuit flying and other extreme sports enthusiasts worldwide. Lucky visitors can witness thrilling sporting events such as wingsuit flying and stunt driving performances.
Glass Plank Road:
The Tianmen Mountain Glass Skywalk hangs precariously on a cliff face, stretching 60 meters long and 1.6 meters wide. Walking on it, with a sheer drop below, is thrilling and exhilarating. While some visitors may feel their hearts pound, others will experience an unprecedented thrill.
Tianmen Cave:
Tianmen Cave is the world’s highest natural through-mountain cave, 131.5 meters high, 57 meters wide, and 60 meters deep. The cave entrance is shrouded in mist year-round, resembling a fairyland. Visitors can take a cable car or hike to the bottom of Tianmen Cave to experience its magnificent grandeur.
Tongtian Avenue:
Tongtian Avenue is a winding mountain road leading to Tianmen Cave. It is 10.77 kilometers long, with an elevation that rises sharply from 200 meters to 1300 meters. The road is flanked by towering cliffs and deep valleys, featuring 99 bends, including numerous 180-degree hairpin turns, making it a true “world’s first highway wonder.”
3. Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon
The transparent glass bridge suspended above the deep canyon has attracted countless tourists with its unique charm. With the opening of the world’s highest bungee jumping platform, the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge has become a hell for those with a fear of heights and a paradise for adventurers.
Glass Bridge:
The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge is the world’s longest and highest glass bridge, spanning 430 meters in length and 6 meters in width, with the bridge deck approximately 300 meters above the valley floor. Walking on the glass bridge feels like strolling in the air, offering unobstructed views of the stunning canyon scenery below.
The Heavenly Ladder Plank Road:
A major attraction of Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, the Heavenly Ladder Plank Road is built along a steep cliff with 1680 steps. Visitors can slowly ascend the plank road while admiring the natural scenery of the canyon.
Butterfly Spring Waterfall:
Butterfly Spring Waterfall is the largest waterfall in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, with a drop of approximately 50 meters. It rushes down fiercely, boasting a majestic and imposing momentum. Under the sunlight, the water spray splashed by the waterfall shimmers like pearls, exquisitely beautiful.
4. Huanglong Cave
Huanglong Cave in Zhangjiajie is hailed as the all-around champion among China’s karst caves. A typical karst cave, its highest point reaches a vertical height of 100 meters. It is famous for its expansive caverns, deep underground rivers, suspended waterfalls, and dense stalagmites, and was named China’s most beautiful tourist cave in 2005. Highlights within Huanglong Cave include the Xiangshui rive , the”Sea-Stabilizing Needle,” and the “Dragon King’s Throne,” the maze.
Xiangshui River:
Xiangshui River is an underground river inside Huanglong Cave, with a total length of 2,800 meters and an average depth of about 6 meters. Visitors can take a boat tour to admire the stalactite landscape inside the cave and experience the mysterious charm of the underground river.
Dragon King’s Throne:
The Dragon King’s Throne is the largest stalagmite in Huanglong Cave. Standing 12 meters tall, it is composed of countless stalagmites and resembles a giant chair. Legend has it that this is the throne of the Dragon King, and visitors can take photos here.
Ocean-Calming Divine Needle:
One of the iconic attractions within Huanglong Cave, the Sea-Stabilizing Needle is a 19.2-meter-tall stalagmite, thick at both ends and thinner in the middle, with its narrowest point only 10 centimeters in diameter. Experts estimate that the Sea-Stabilizing Needle has been growing for 200,000 years and continues to grow.
❤️Best time to visit
Spring and autumn (April to October) are the best times to visit Zhangjiajie, as the climate is pleasant and suitable for outdoor activities.
