Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (湖南张家界国家森林公园) is a unique place where you won't believe that this is all happening in reality. And if you've watched the Avatar movie, you'll recognize Pandora's moon with its towering rock pillars. The park is located in the southwest of China, on the territory of the Wulingyuan Nature Reserve, in the Hunan province and belongs to mountain system Wulingshan. Zhangjiajie became the first park in China to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The formation of such an unusual landscape is due to prolonged weathering and washing out of rocks. Pillar rocks are composed of quartzite and sandstone. The most beautiful rock has a height of 1080 m, the Chinese called it "Avatar-Hallelujah Mountain" and put several avatars here, where tourists like to be photographed.

In total, there are more than 3 thousand similar rocks in Zhangjiajie Forest Park, a third of which rises more than 200 m. The highest point in the area is Mount Doupeng, its height is 1890 m.

Must see: the most beautiful areas of Zhangjiajie Park

"Bridge across the sky"

"Bridge over the sky", also known as Natural Bridge No. 1 - the most unique creation of nature, which is located at an altitude of 357 m. The bridge connects the tops of 2 rocks. The width is 4 m, the length is 50 m, and the thickness is 5 m.

Tianzishan - Mountain of the Son of Heaven

The terrain of this area is located at an altitude of 1182 m. From here it is possible to contemplate the peaks piercing the clouds. The spectacle is truly incredible!

"Elevator 100 Dragons"

The 100 Dragon Elevator (Baillong Glass Elevator) is an outdoor lift that is also the highest in the world. You can get to the top of a steep slope with a height of 330 m by an elevator. The ascent in a transparent cabin will give you an unforgettable experience. Up to 50 people can fit in the elevator, so not everyone can watch the beauties. It is better to come here in the morning, otherwise you can end up in a 4-hour queue later.

Laowuchang

The most "wild" area of ​​Zhangjiajie National Park, where tourists walk along muddy paths. There are rice fields Spirit Soldiers Gathering and Paddies in the Sky. Photographers especially love this place.

Golden Whip Stream

One of the most popular routes in the park, which stretches for 7 km. The path lies along a lovely stream surrounded by beautiful rocks. Of the minuses - too many people, and always.

Yellow Rocks Region

This area is located slightly north of the Golden Whip. The famous Five-Fingers Peak is located here. Tourists prefer to stop at the observation deck, because it offers an incredible view - and it is not at all necessary to pay for the lift.

It should also be noted that in the Wulingyuan Nature Reserve, on the territory of which Zhangjiajie Park is located, there are several natural attractions where tickets must be purchased separately:

• cave of the dragon king Longwangdong - 81 ¥ ($ 12.5);
• Huanglong Yellow Dragon Cave - ¥100 ($16);
• artificial lake Baofeng - 98 ¥ ($ 15).

Fauna and flora

About 3 thousand species of rare plants grow on the territory. Among the rarest representatives here you can find red and pigeon trees, as well as gingko. And more than 500 representatives of the animal world live in the reserve - various monkeys, civets, salamanders, etc.

Information for visitors

The address: Wulingyuan, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, China, 427400

Schedule: 07:00-18:00

Best months to visit: April, September, October

How much for inspection: 3-5 days

Ticket prices:

• for 4 days for ¥245 ($38);
• for 7 days for ¥298 ($46).

Where to stay

The nearest railway station and airport are in Zhangjiajie. From here to the park is already 50 km, so it makes no sense to stop in the city. Not far from the park there is a small town called (Wulingyuan). There are cafes, hotels and all the necessary tourist infrastructure.

There are also accommodation options on the territory of the national park itself. As a rule, these are hotels with a minimum of amenities.

How to get there

By plane Zhangjiajie can be reached from any big city China:

• from Beijing - $110-130;
• from Guangzhou - $70-80;
• from Shanghai - $115;
• from Xi'an - $70-80.

It is better to get from the airport to the national park by taxi, the approximate cost is $15.

If you prefer trains, then you can consider options:

• from Beijing ($60-100*);
• from Guangzhou ($50-80*);
• from Shanghai ($60-80*);
• from Changsha ($30-40*);

*lower price is for reserved seat, higher price is for coupe.

There are buses from the train stations to Wulingyuan, from where you can take a taxi or walk to the park.

All calculations are carried out in RMB, prices are given for a better understanding.

To visit Zhangjiajie Park in China, do not forget:

• water;
• snack (on the territory everything is quite expensive);
• raincoat;
• comfortable shoes;
• camera;
• park map;
• cash.

Remember the place called Pandora with its fabulous mountains from the movie "Avatar" by James Cameron? It turns out that it really exists, and all the sketches for the film were made exactly here in the park Zhangjiajie (Zhangjiajie National Forest Park 湖南张家界国家森林公园). Of course, there are no rocks floating in the air and unusual waterfalls, alien creatures or unusual animals from the movie, you will not meet here either, but these stunning landscapes will be engraved in your memory for a long time, and photos will amaze friends and acquaintances.,

Zhangjiajie National Park is located in the Wulingyuan Mountains in southeastern China, in the Hunan province. This place is striking in its beauty, but in addition to the luxurious landscapes, Zhangjiajie Park is also a zoo, botanical and geological reserve. The area in which the park is located is famous for its quartzite rocks, the height of which reaches 800 meters, and the most high peaks The Wulingyuan massif reaches a height of more than 3 kilometers. The mountain peaks are covered with dense crowns of trees, many of which are more than one century old.

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The national park was opened in 1982. And 10 years later it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The area of ​​the park is 13,000 sq. km. Over 500 different species of animals live in this territory, as well as quite rare plant species. Among them there are such as gingko, pigeon tree, mahogany, and animal world represented by monkeys, birds, salamanders and even rare representatives of the cat family - civets. Sometimes visitors to Zhangjiajie National Park compare walking through it with visiting an exhibition of traditional Chinese paintings, only all the beauties here can be seen live.

And at an altitude of more than 1 kilometer above sea level, the Yellow Lion Village is spread, where representatives of three small nationalities live - Tujia, Bai and Miao, which make up 70% of the local population. Despite the fact that Han culture had a huge impact on their traditions, they managed to preserve the national language, as well as traditional costumes, holidays, and even a special architectural style.

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So, after a long 26 hour drive from Guilin to Zhangjiajie, I finally made it to the park.

Entrance to the park is paid, it is possible to buy a two-day ticket for 245 yuan and a subscription for a week for 298. Tickets include domestic bus transportation (yes, the park is large, you can’t walk up here on foot). As it turned out later, they were not included in the price : lifts, escalators and a train that runs through the park. The fee for them is separate, the prices are about 50 yuan one way.

If you are under 24 and have your student ID with you, there is a substantial discount on entry.

Tickets are checked only at the entrances to the park, no one checks tickets in the park itself, so you can easily “live” there for a month with a two-day ticket. But due to relatively high prices in the park itself, you will most likely have to go out to withdraw money or buy provisions.

Accommodation in Zhangjiajie

There are two accommodation options:

• In the town near the park there are many hotels and guesthouses for every pocket.
• In the park itself.

But there is a small nuance here. Living in the city and entering the park in the morning, you will have to wait out huge queues every time, especially during summer holidays and Chinese New Year celebrations.
Living in the park itself, you can walk along it from the moment the buses start running in the morning, but the quality of housing there leaves much to be desired.

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I chose to stay in the park, it was important for me to be there from morning to evening. I stayed at the guesthouse of the Yoth International hostels network (phone 0744-5713568), you can book places through Hostelworld. In order not to get confused, these guest houses in Zhangjiajie are 2-one in the park itself , and the second one is close to railway station.

This is very convenient, because you can come, check in at a guest house near the railway station, from there check if there are free rooms in their branch in the park and the coolest thing is that you can leave large backpacks or ask them to be delivered to a hostel in the park and then you won’t You will need to carry all your luggage with you. Of course, I learned about all this only a few days later, dragging all the luggage on me to the park.

Price:

• 40 yuan per dorm (several beds in a room)
• 120 yuan for a double room (dhusroom room)

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To find a hostel, I recommend visiting these guys http://backpacker-ru.livejournal.com/36853.html, they even have a map on their website that they filled out with useful information.
Bus drivers do not understand English, out of the four respondents, only 1 understood where I wanted to go, despite the fact that I had a map in Chinese and the hostel was marked with a circle, so it’s better to ask questions to the guides that came to hand.

Nuance: The walking road to the hostel is very long, about two hours, and you need to overcome great amount steps (600m up). So it's better to pay 50 yuan and take the elevator.

While I was running around the park with a backpack on my shoulders, local residents approached me and offered to stay with them for the night, so besides this hostel, there are apparently other affordable housing options.

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• During the day, the park is crowded..better to come early or closer to closing
• Buses run until 7 pm, roads in the park are not lit at night, walking is not recommended
• If you come for 2-3 days, use the buses, visit the main viewpoints
• If you come for 3+ days, get off the main route there and it's quieter and much more beautiful
• If you save money, you have to walk a lot

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There were 7 days in Zhangjiajie, a ticket for this period costs 301 yuan. They left for the National Park through the central entrance in the morning (8-9 am) and returned in the evening (4-5 pm). There are many routes inside the park that you get on (from the central square inside the park) on free buses. You reach a certain place, then - at will: on foot or, having visited one place, change to another bus and go further. Inside the park, you can also move around on cable cars (2 closed, 1 small - open), on an elevator located in the rock (from it you can take pictures through the glass), on foot.

The park is located in the mountains, the weather is often rainy and foggy, so you need appropriate shoes (possibly changeable with you), raincoats. You can’t seriously eat in the park, so either snacks (fried potatoes, chestnuts, fish, etc.) or take it with you. Water (drinking) is everywhere, however, it is cheaper to take it with you from the city (village). There are 5 entrances to this "complex" (since the national park is only one of the 5 territories). On one of these territories there is a lake, on the other - a cave (these are separate entrances for a fee). It is better to live in a tourist village, which is close to the main entrance. From the city of Zhangjiajie, you need to get to the entrance to the park by bus (11 yuan) or by taxi, the journey time is about 40 minutes. Huge opportunities for filming with a camera and / or camera, even if there is fog. Worth a visit: Cave (Soxiyue Park), Baofeng Lake, Nat. park - repeatedly, on its territory it is obligatory to drive on all cable cars, the Bailong elevator, take a short trip by funicular train (round trip), walk along different paths along the Golden Whip Stream (you can take a rickshaw, about 300 yuan), walk along path with a glass floor: unforgettable, because there is an abyss under your feet, and there are rocks all around, and from the city itself on a cable car (7 km) climb Mount Tianmen, where the Heavenly Gate is located, 999 steps lead to it, which must be walked (up / down), down to the entrance then take the bus down the serpentine road.

Stunning impressions! You should also visit Huanglong Cave ( underground lake, on which they ride a boat, many stalactites, stalagmites, the largest is 19.4 m, everything is highlighted, it turns out well in photographs). So, to travel around the park, you need to have: a camera and / or a camera, shoes (including interchangeable ones), waterproof clothes, food and drink with you in a backpack (optional), it’s better to live on a tour. village near the entrance to the nat. park, get ready for almost no one SPEAKING ENGLISH, signs inside the park are in Chinese and English, there are also maps with routes inside the park, but it is desirable to have a skill in order to understand them, a slightest desire and the ability to walk (a lot!), And also - A GREAT DESIRE TO SEE ALL THIS! You need to prepare to either study everything in advance (Internet forums, testimonials from those who have visited), or take a guide-interpreter with knowledge of English (at least!) Language, and also - if you can find - texts in Russian (English) with a number written in Chinese characters denoting a particular place or name, so that you can show what exactly you need.

And one more note: if you are not too fond of national Chinese food, then it will be a little difficult, then you can eat in small cafes where you can show what you specifically want to eat (chicken, rabbit, fish, vegetables), they will immediately cook for you , not bad, or eat fast food in Chinese, we found only one burger. But this is all about living in the countryside, and not in the city, where there is McDonald's and, I think, many other restaurants and cafes. Good luck! Go - you won't regret it!

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Feelings that you experience while in the mountains of Zhangjiajie National Park or the Wulingyuan place are indescribable in words and photos. These protected places in the Hunan province of southeast China must be seen with your own eyes. Mysterious mountain paths, the abyss along the edge of which you walk in search of fantastic landscapes, clouds leaving from under your feet and rocks surrounded by subtropical forests, the intoxicating air of the Suosi Valley, the magic of Baofeng Lake…

You can fly to Zhangjiajie from almost any major city in China, you can also come by train. It is more convenient to settle in the village of Wulingyuan or in the village at the entrance to national park Zhangjiajie. Entrance to the park for 3 days costs 245 yuan. The territory of the reserve is huge, it is worth downloading a map in advance and exploring the area, you can buy a map at the entrance to the park, you should take a compass with you, secluded tempting paths can lead to unexpected places. Walking through the park tourist buses, a cable car was built, and even a Bailong elevator with a transparent cabin, which lifts through the rocks to the very top. If you are hungry, you can have a bite of fried potatoes, fish, chestnuts, flatbread, cooked in the old fashioned way in the fresh air by locals, and again on the road for impressions.

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Zhangjiajie park in China is now famous not only as the most beautiful national forest park, but also as a place where the acclaimed "Avatar" was filmed. It seems to me that being here is a great success. The park makes you fall in love with it from the first glance at its unusual rocks floating in the morning haze and from the first breath of its fresh forest air.

A bit about the history of the park

China's Zhangjiajie National Park was founded in 1982, and shortly thereafter it was deservedly accepted into the list world heritage UNESCO. In general, these most beautiful places have long been known to mankind, many legends and tales are associated with them. One of them says that a long time ago, during the times of fierce wars, one of the commanders of the Yang clan set up his camp at the foot of the city of Tianzi. Since the war lasted for many years and decades, the sons and grandsons of the commander and his army settled these lands. After that, the area acquired its name, which in Chinese means "land of Yang."

Zhangjiajie has always been popular with tourists, but after the fantastic Avatar was released and the audience heard that this particular park was the prototype of the landscapes depicted in the film, the influx of visitors became even greater.

Important! There are especially many tourists in the park from May 1 to May 3 and from October 1 to October 7 (national Chinese holidays), as well as in July-August during the summer holidays. If you want to explore the park calmly and leisurely, without waiting half the time in lines and without crowding to take pictures of some beautiful place I strongly advise you to choose another time for your trip.

Zhangjiajie main attractions

First of all, the park fascinates with natural beauties. Stretching over a huge area, the park combines picturesque mountain landscapes, the peaks of which are lost in the clouds, dense green slopes covered with forests and thin sparkling streams of streams and waterfalls.

Did you know? A characteristic feature of the park are frequent fogs, which, softly enveloping the ground, give the landscapes an even more mysterious look.

The park has the richest flora and fauna, there are many rare animals and plants, including salamanders, civets, rhesus monkeys, ginkgo trees, mahogany and many others.
Thanks to the mild climate and the absence of sudden changes in temperature, walking in the park will be a real pleasure.

Important! You will really have to walk a lot in Zhangjiajie - I advise you to think about comfortable shoes and clothes in advance. If you are not in the best physical shape, or just to save time, I recommend using cable cars to climb the mountain peaks. Although this will require additional financial costs, it will save your energy for sightseeing.

So, what are the main attractions of the park?

Mountains of Avatar. First of all, most tourists tend to see this particular attraction, thanks to which the park has gained a new life.

There are a lot of high lonely mountains, as if floating in a fog, in the park. Their formation is associated with the gradual weathering of rocks.

Did you know? One of these rocks was even renamed "Avatar Aliluyah" after the release of the film.

The zone of the park, in which there are especially many "soaring" mountains, is called Yuanjiajie. Here, by the way, there are many sculptures depicting those very avatars - hardly anyone can resist the opportunity to take a picture with these fairy-tale characters.

yangjiajie park. Some consider it a separate park, others - only the Zhangjiajie zone. Be that as it may, this attraction attracts crowds of tourists.

Mount Tianzi. This attraction is popular not only for its natural beauty, but also for another interesting architectural object- The Imperial Palace.
As for me, this is too big a name for a building of this size, but the building is really beautiful, made in the traditional style.

golden whip stream. This is a very picturesque stream, walking trails along which stretch for 8 km. There are not as many tourists here as in other places, so if you want to enjoy the babbling of a stream and the singing of birds in relative solitude, this is the place for you.

By the way, a big plus of this place is the ease of overcoming the route - the stream is located in a valley at the foot of the mountains, so your walk here will not require steep and long climbs.
There are many more valuable and unusual places in the park, but these are perhaps the most important ones.
On many routes and paths of the park you will meet wild monkeys. These cute creatures make visitors fall in love with themselves - especially their kids.

Important! But do not lose vigilance - one of the most favorite activities of monkeys is theft. They often snatch packages and bags from the hands of tourists and run away with them high into the trees.

What to see around Zhangjiajie?

• tianmenshan mountain. The most popular among tourists is Mount Tianmenshan. It reaches 1518 m in height and is one of the main attractions of the area.

Did you know? There is a legend associated with the mountain that it warns local residents about upcoming changes. They say that before important historical events with mountain top the waterfall starts flowing.

• Another popular attraction is located on Tianmenshan - the picturesque Heaven's Gate Cave. The best way to get to the top of the mountain is by using the services cable car. By the way, this cable car is the longest in the world. There is also an interesting route - Faith Path in Zhangjiajie, which is an interesting structure: it is a narrow path with a glazed bottom, laid along a cliff. Not everyone decides to go through it, although in fact it is absolutely safe.
• Yellow Dragon Cave. An equally popular attraction is the huge Yellow Dragon Cave, which reaches a height of 140 m. It is one of the largest karst caves on the planet. Thanks to the most beautiful interior "decoration", consisting of bizarre and unusual shapes and shades, the cave is considered magical. Inside, you can also see numerous underground rivers and pools, as well as waterfalls.
• fenghuang. This, although small, is very ancient and beautiful city, which attracts tourists primarily with its architecture. His little wooden houses look really "Chinese" and very picturesque. The atmosphere in the city is indescribable.
• Lake Baofeng. This picturesque reservoir fits so harmoniously into the surrounding landscape that it is hard to believe that it does not have a natural origin.
• Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. Close to national park There is another popular attraction - Grand Canyon Zhangjiajie, where in addition to beautiful walking trails and a magnificent lake, there is another iconic place: suspension glass bridge - the longest and narrowest in the world.

Yellow Dragon Cave

Entertainment and attractions of the park

• Undoubtedly, the main entertainment of Zhangjiajie is the walk itself in the park.
• In addition, climbing to its sights with the help of cable cars or Bialong lift can also become an exciting adventure.
• It also has its own small Railway . You can comfortably and have fun seeing some of the sights while traveling by mini train.
• Many come to large glass bridge or on the path of faith to "tickle" your nerves.
• The park has many cafes and restaurants where you can have a good time and have a tasty meal.
• In Zhangjiajie, located near the National Forest Park, there are many restaurants and entertainment establishments where you can enjoy your leisure time.

Elevator Bialong

How to get to Zhangjiajie National Park?

Getting to the park is quite easy.

1. First you need to get to the city of Zhangjiajie. Since it has its own airport, the easiest way is to fly here by plane. There are regular flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi'an, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and many others.
2. From the airport, you can either get to the city or directly to the park using taxi or bus. If you are thinking about how to get to Zhangjiajie as quickly as possible from Beijing or Shanghai, perhaps air travel would be the best option.
3. Also you can get to Zhangjiajie by train. It will take much longer, but the cost of such a trip is lower.
4. If you are already close to Zhangjiajie, you can use bus services. However, from cities such as Shanghai, Changshi, Wuhan, etc., buses also regularly travel here, but this is far from the most convenient way to travel - traveling by train or plane is much more comfortable. I advise you to choose them in order to save energy and nerves for visiting the park.
5. From the city you can get to the national park by bus or order a taxi.

Important! Taxi drivers like to overprice a ride, insist they use a meter or bargain.

Immediately I advise you to choose the sights that you want to see in the first place - the park has three entrances, and you need to get to the entrance that will be closest to the objects you have chosen.

Zhangjiajie Park or Avatar Mountains (video)

Beautiful video about Zhangjiajie park. Enjoy watching!

Prices, promotions and opening hours of Zhangjiajie Park

The opening hours of the park differ between summer and winter.

• In summer, the park is open from 6:30 to 19:00, in winter from 7:30 to 17:00.
• Prices for visiting the park also differ at different times of the year. In winter, visiting is much cheaper.
• You can buy two types of tickets: a ticket for 4 days will cost you about $38, a ticket for 7 days will cost about $46.
• For an additional fee, you can also order a porter service.

Important! The ticket price also includes transportation by buses within the park. You will have to pay extra for the use of cable cars, an elevator and a local train.

The park is constantly running a lot of promotions.

• Students under the age of 24 pay half the cost of visiting.
• The same applies to pensioners from 60 to 69 years old. People over 69 pay even less.
• Children up to 120 cm can visit the park completely free of charge, and children from 120 to 150 cm also pay half the price of tickets.

I sincerely invite you to visit the Avatar Mountains in China - my favorite Zhangjiajie National Park.
I hope I have given you all the information you need to plan your trip. If you have any questions or you have already been to Zhangjiajie Park and you have something to add to what has been said, I will be very glad to hear your comments.

Want to see the soaring mountains of Avatar with your own eyes? Then go to Chinese Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. The amazing rocks of this unique park have become real prototypes of the world-famous "soaring Hallelujah Mountains". You can talk about this park endlessly. The beauty and unusualness of nature is simply incredible. Mountains, streams and parks soothe, inspire, delight and make you think about the eternal. No photographs can convey the splendor and grandeur of this place.

Read also about other places in Zhangjiajie:

Mountain formation

The world-famous Zhangjiajie Park, or rather the wider Wulingyuan Scenic Area, is the first Chinese park to receive the status of a World Cultural and natural heritage UNESCO.

As a result of weathering of sandstones and limestones, as well as washing out of the soil, about 3000 peaks and cliffs of the most bizarre shapes were formed. The mountains are covered with dense vegetation, and they are separated deep gorges with rivers, lakes and waterfalls. These peculiar mountain formations are a distinctive feature of the Chinese landscape depicted in numerous ancient paintings.

Geography of Zhangjiajie Park

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, known as the “Avatar Park”, is located in the northwest of Hunan province in China and is part of the vast Wulingyuan Nature Reserve(Wulingyuan Scenic Area). The nearest airport and railway station are located in Zhangjiajie (张家界市). But, the park is located 50 km from Zhangjiajie city so it is not recommended to stay in the hotels of the city to visit the park. Near the park there is the town of Wulingyuan, also known as the village of Zhangjiajie, with all the necessary infrastructure, including hotels and restaurants.

Names are always difficult in China. They are duplicated and nested in each other like nesting dolls. I will try to explain a little how things are with the parks near Zhangjiajie.

Wulingyuan Nature Reserve(Wulingyuan Scenic Area, 武陵源) consists of four parts:

• Zhangjiajie national park(Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, 张家界国家森林公园),
• Mount Tianji| Tianzishan (Tianzi Mountain Natural Resource Reserve, 天子山),
• Yangjiajie region(Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, 袁家界),
• Suosi Valley(Suoxiyu Natural Resource Reserve, 索溪峪).

Zhangjiajie Park Ticket allows you to visit all the above areas.

However, there are attractions in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area that require separate tickets:

• Yellow Dragon Cave Huanglong (黄龙洞) - 100 RMB
• Longwang Dong (龙王洞) Dragon King's Cave - 81 RMB
• Baofang Artificial Lake - 98 RMB
• Museums, river rafting, etc.

Also near the city of Zhangjiajie there is (Tianmenshan National Forest Park, 天门山森林区). It is located in a completely different direction from Zhangjiajie and is not included in the Wulingyuan Nature Reserve. This is an absolutely beautiful, majestic and unique place. With a completely different atmosphere from Zhangjiajie Park.

Main Areas of Zhangjiajie Park

Yuanjiajie

View from the elevator 100 dragons

The most picturesque, but crowded with tourists zone of the park. In this zone are located (the one that is the main attraction of the entire park and renamed the "mountains of Avatar" in honor of the well-known film), The First Bridge under Heaven(natural bridge between two rocks), Lost Souls Platform, Bailong Elevator(the highest elevator in the world).

Bailong Elevator - the world's tallest elevator

Bailong Glass Elevator | Hundred Dragon Elevator

Hundred Dragon Elevator – the highest open lift in the world. It takes tourists to the top of a 330-meter steep slope in the heart of Zhangjiajie Park. A ride in a glass elevator will give you a stunning view of the plain. The main thing is to get closer to the window, because 50 people can fit in the booth, and not everyone will be able to enjoy the beauties opening from above.

Avatar Hallelujah Mountain

1080 meter mountain The Southern Sky Column has been renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain in honor of the landmark movie Avatar. The mountain is located in the Yuanjiajie region.

Natural Bridge No. 1 (The First Bridge under Heaven)

Natural bridge number 1 (The First Bridge under Heaven | Tianxia Diyi Qiao) or "Bridge through the sky" is a kind of unique natural creation in the world. At an altitude of 357 meters it connects the peaks of two rocks. Its length is 50 meters, width - 4 meters, thickness - 5 meters. It is the highest natural bridge in the world.

Tianzishan | Mountain of the Son of Heaven | Emperor Mountain (Tianzi Mountain)

Forest of rocks | Stone Peak Forest

The most important advantage of this area is the height. The height of 1182 meters gives a great opportunity to see the famous mountains in the clouds. Here the mountains really seem to soar. The area is popular with photographers. In this area you can see Dian Jiang Tai, Yubi Feng, Ten Li Gallery.

Emperor's Pavilion | Tianzi Pavilion

Gallery of ten li | Ten Li Gallery

Yellow Stone Village

Peak of five fingers | Five Finger Peak

An area just north of the Golden Whip stream. In this part of the park is the famous Five-Fingers Peak. The area is just as scenic but less popular than Yuanjiajie. Many go to the main observation deck, which offers a view of Five-Fingers Peak on foot, without using expensive lifts.

Yangdzyadze (Yangjiajie Scenic Area)

This area for real explorers. Here you will have to walk not along the laid out paths, but along dangerous and slippery paths. No infrastructure, but no tourists and no queues. Real nature.

Laowuchang (Laowuchang Area)

One of the most "wild" areas of the park. You will have to walk on dirty paths. But this is the best area for photographers. Here are the rice fields Paddies in the Sky and Spirit Soldiers' Gathering' .

Golden Whip Stream

A pleasant walk along a beautiful stream surrounded by incredible mountains is the most popular route in the park. The path is quite long - 7 km, but not difficult at all. Everything is good, except that there are always a lot of people here.

How much is a ticket to Zhangjiajie?

The ticket to the park is worth 248 RMB for 4 days or 298RMB for a week. Students, seniors and children are 160 RMB and 193 RMB respectively. Children under 1.2 meters tall are free. The price isn't cheap, but it's definitely worth it! You won't regret a single penny.

The ticket price includes all the above zones and viewing platforms, as well as all transportation by buses within the park. However, funiculars, trams and elevators require a separate fee.

Price for lifts and trams:

• Bailong Glass Elevator | Elevator 100 dragons (Bailong elevator) - 72 RMB.
• Tianzishan Cable Car - RMB 67 one way / RMB 134 round trip.
• Huangshy Zhai Funicular (Yellow Stone Village Cable Car) - 65 RMB one way / 118 RMB round trip.
• Ten Li Gorge Tram (Tenli Gallery's Mini Train) - RMB 38 one way / RMB 52 round trip.

Main entrances to the park

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park has two main entrances. The park ticket allows you to visit all the attractions located inside.

• Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Gate (Map A): southwest entrance, convenient if you want to go along the Gold Whip Stream.
• Wulingyuan Gate (on map B) : Closest to Wulingyuan town hotels. It is convenient to get to Bailong Elevator, Tianzi Mountain Cable Way and Ten-Li Gallery train.

How long does it take to visit the park?

We had only 3 days for everything about everything, and even during the Chinese holidays. We walked quite a lot and in a day and a half managed to see all the most interesting things in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. We went to the Yellow Dragon Cave for half a day, and on the last day we saw Tianmenshan National Forest Park.

When is the best time to visit Zhangjiajie Park?

• Avoid Chinese holidays(May 1-3, October 1-7) and the Chinese holiday period (July and August). There will be not just a lot of tourists, but a lot of horror. You may have to stand in line for hours at the lifts.
• Very cold in winter, and in February, besides, the park may be closed for reconstruction.
• April to June good time but high humidity and a high chance of rain and fog. But if that doesn’t scare you (and I advise you not to be afraid of small rains), then this time is great.
• May to October high season. Accordingly, prices are higher, on average there are more tourists.
• September and October – best time to visit the park. It is still quite warm, but it is already the low season, and therefore there are no queues and prices do not bite.

Where to stop to eat?

Restaurants in the park are small and very authentic. The most European place is McDonald's on Tianzi Mountain. But on every corner there are street vendors with sausages, tofu stinks, fruits, water and other snacks. Everything is quite expensive and not particularly tasty. So I recommend bringing sandwiches, nuts or fruit with you. You can eat well in Wulingyuan or near attractions outside the park, such as near Yellow Dragon Cave.

Hotels in Zhangjiajie

I recommend staying in Wulingyuan Town, also called Zhangjiajie Village, or inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. It is definitely not necessary to stop in Zhangjiajie city, because it is located quite far (50 km or an hour drive) from the park.

Hotels in Wulingyuan

Walking distance to the entrance to the park. You can arrive early in the morning and return late at night. The infrastructure of the village is much better than inside the park. Restaurants, shops, everything is there. The level of hotels from hostels to 5 stars.

Marvelous a beautiful hotel with bright, fully equipped rooms, a swimming pool, a terrace overlooking the mountains. And all this from $30.

3*, the best combination of price and quality and the highest rating of 9.6! Prices below $30.

Hotels inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Hotels inside Zhangjiajie Park are not distinguished by comfort and quality. But there is no need to stand in lines at the entrance and you can come to the most interesting places earlier than others, as well as meet sunrises and sunsets in the park. In terms of infrastructure, you will have to rely on the hotel and what you brought with you.

How to get to Avatar Mountains?

Getting to the famous Avatar Park is not at all difficult:

1. Fly to Hunan Airport. Planes fly to Zhangjiajie from any major city in China.
2. Take a taxi or bus to the park or hotel.

I recommend a taxi, since the path is not close, a taxi in China is not expensive, and there are always a lot of cars near the airport. The price to the park and to the village of Wulingyuan will be asked for about 300 RMB, but in fact they can take you for 100 (such prices are offered to the Chinese). They don’t like to turn on meters, especially at night, so bargain furiously.

If you want to get there to the park by bus then go to the bus station (next to the train station and McDonald's). You need a bus that goes to the main entrance to the park. The stop is called Wulingyuan Menpiaozhan (武陵源门票站). The fare is 12 yuan, the controller takes the money during the trip.

The entrance to the park is marked by a huge pagoda., it can be seen from afar.

• Queues. There are a lot of Chinese. And during the holidays there are even more. You can spend (as we did on May 1) waiting in line for the elevator for 2-4 hours or an hour in line for the bus. Therefore, more walks, less transport.
• Come to the park early. It is better to sleep off in the early evening. Most tourists arrive after 10, and the park opens at 7.
• If you are traveling on your own, then better learn the most important phrases in Chinese. Almost no one in China speaks English.
• Must be able to pronounce hotel name and address, taxi drivers often do not know how to read and do not always know the area well.
• Cash money (of course, yuan) will save you always and everywhere. Currency and cards Visa, Master Card may not be accepted. Do not be surprised, in China they use their banking system.
• If you take map entrance park, choose English-Chinese. It is the closest to the truth.

basic information

• A place: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
• Nearest city Location: Zhangjiajie, Hunan province, China.
• Location: Wulingyuan Scenic Area, 武陵源 Nature Reserve.
• Size: 48 sq. km
• Ticket price: 248 / 298 RMB
• Opening hours: 7.00-18.00
• Time for inspection: 2-4 days
• Number of visitors: many
• Best time to visit: September, October.
• Must visit Areas: Yuanjiajie, Yellow Stone Village, Tianzi Mountain.
• We were in Park: May 1-2, 2014

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Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to a unique location in central China's Hunan province that inspired the world-famous movie Avatar. Welcome to the lost world of Pandora - Zhangjiajie National Park!

Wulingyuan Nature Reserve

Zhangjiajie Park, established in 1982, is recognized as the first authorized national forest park in China. It is located on the territory of the most picturesque Wulingyuan Mountains (Wulingyuan Scenic Area, Chinese 武陵源风景 名胜区), listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, water and wind have created about three thousand peaks of bizarre forms, consisting of sandstone and quartz. The picturesque area boasts natural beauty, where mountains, valleys, forests, caves, lakes and waterfalls coexist in perfect harmony. To tell the truth, this place was the main reason for the trip to China. I really love nature in its original form, so when looking for something that could impress no worse, I found my treasure and began to lay it.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Chinese 张家界国家森林公园) belongs to the Wulingyuan Nature Reserve and includes 4 zones:

• Suoxi Valley (Chinese: 索溪峪)
• Yuanjiajie (Chinese: 袁家界风景区)
• Yangjiajie (Chinese: 杨家界风景区)
• Tianzi Mountain (Chinese: 天子山)

The Wulingyuan Nature Reserve also includes other objects located outside the park:

• Lake Baofeng (Chinese: 宝峰湖)
• Yellow Dragon Cave (Huanglong Cave, 黄龙洞)
• King Long Wang Dong's Cave (龙王洞)

A few kilometers south of the city of Zhangjiajie (not to be confused with Zhangjiajie Park) there is another chic park - Tianmenshan. It is not included in the Wulingyuan protected area, but it is no less unique place, but it will be discussed in the next post.

In 2016, another interesting place was opened 20 kilometers northeast of Zhangjiajie Park - the Grand Canyon with a completely transparent bridge. When it opened, it became the longest and tallest glass bridge in the world.

For convenience, I have provided information on how to get to Zhangjiajie and where to stay. But here I will note again that if you are planning to visit the Zhangjiajie National Park, it would be best to stop the day before at the southeastern entrance to the village of the same name Wulingyuan (Wulingyuan, Southeast Gate, Chinese 武陵源, 东南门). A little lower on the map below, it is marked as Entrance B.

Well, let's go see the great creation of nature? From our hotel to the southeast entrance to the park 25 minutes on foot or 5 minutes by taxi. In order not to waste time, we catch a taxi for 10 yuan to the park.

How much is a ticket to Zhangjiajie National Park?

There are 2 types of entrance tickets:

• For 4 days. The cost of the entrance ticket is 248 yuan for an adult, 163 yuan for beneficiaries.
• For 8 days. The cost of the entrance ticket is 301 yuan for an adult, 196 yuan for beneficiaries.

Notes:

• A reduced ticket can be used by children from 1.2 to 1.5 meters tall, students under 24 years old, pensioners aged 60-70 years old.
• For persons with 1st or 2nd group of disabilities and pensioners over 70 years old, the cost of an entrance ticket for 3 days is 60 yuan, for 7 days - 80 yuan.
• A free ticket is provided to Chinese military personnel, journalists and children up to 1.2 meters tall.

When buying, your finger is scanned, so if you come the next day, it will be enough to put your finger on the turnstile. Along with tickets, they give a map of the park with routes and stops. You can move around the park between the main points on free shuttles that run every 10-15 minutes. Bus stops at major attractions are marked with a “P” on the map below. I will write the cost of tickets for additional transport in the process of describing the route.

Park opening hours

• The park is open every day from 07.00 to 18.00
• Funicular working hours up from 07.30 to 16.00, down from 07.30 to 18.00
• Buses run from 07.00 to 18.00

Zhangjiajie National Park Map

For convenience, I post a map of Zhangjiajie National Park

Itinerary to visit Zhangjiajie National Park

The park is divided into upper and lower plateaus, between which you can move by funiculars and a huge lift in the rock. There are a lot of routes, including hiking trails. We took 1 full day to visit the park, so we decided to move clockwise.

We go into the park, take the bus and go to the railway station, where the first stop awaits us - Ten-mile Natural Gallery (Chinese: 十里画廊), located in the northwestern part of the Suoxi Valley at the foot of Mount Tianji . A 5.8 km long small railway (marked in gray on the map) runs through picturesque landscapes of unusual rocks. The journey takes 10 minutes. Round trip fare 52 yuan per person. If you don’t want to spend money, then there is a path nearby, a walk along which will take no more than 30 minutes.

On both sides, many peaks look like statues, as if carved by someone. The most famous peak Herb Collecting Old Man (Chinese: 画廊采药老人图片). He is the symbol of this valley and looks like an old man with a basket on his back, collecting medicinal herbs.

Not far from the herb picker, you can also see a towering peak, which, according to locals, resembles a man with crossed legs, and near it a series of smaller ones. This composition is called Immortals Worshiping Guanyin (Chinese: 观音十里画廊). According to legend, it is said that the highest peak is the deity Guanyin, and 19 subjects worship near it, asking for mercy to this world and blessing people with a happy life.

At the last stop you can see 3 sisters (Chinese: 三姐妹).

Admire the monkeys living in a cage.

And invest the first money in the Chinese economy, looking into various stalls that sell Chinese herbs, postcards, wood and glass products. Having bought a wooden fruit basket, we return back by train and go to the bus stop.

Next item - Bailong elevator (Chinese: 百龙电梯). It is located in the area Yuanjiajie and is installed in the mountain of the same name, and Bailong itself is translated as "one hundred dragons" and is considered the highest external elevator in the world, its height is 326 meters. When you approach this structure, your legs give way, and the lens cannot fully fit it in one shot.

I'm going upstairs. The cost of lifting is 72 yuan per person. On the way to the elevator, there are posters from the movie "Avatar".

The rise time takes 2 minutes. At first, part of the ascent passes in the rock, but then this height opens up and you no longer know what to do, whether to take pictures, or to be afraid. If you exit the elevator and turn right, you can find a steep observation deck on the elevator itself.

After a little admiring the views and fashionable Chinese slippers with pandas, we moved on to the bus stop, already at an altitude of more than three hundred meters.

Arriving at one of the most important points of the park, McDonald's was discovered. Suddenly. But we still decided to support the local producer and tried an unknown fruit for us - yangmei, Chinese strawberry tree or mountain peach. Juicy and tasty.

So, the walking path lies along the cliff. In some places there are observation platforms from where breathtaking panoramas open. Where the views are especially good, there are platforms for photographers who, for a fee, will take a picture for you as a keepsake.

The weather was far from sunny, sometimes the mountains were shrouded in a white veil. Moreover, it is not clear whether these are clouds or fog, however, one way or another, all this added some mysticism to the picture, visually it seemed that the mountains were floating, and you were as if on another planet, as if the blue ones would actually jump out from somewhere little men. And by the way, here they are.

Having overcome a few hundred meters more, we approached the most important exhibit. Mount Jiankunzhu (Chinese: 乾坤柱) more than a kilometer high and consisting of quartz sandstone, it translates as the pillar of the Southern Sky and has a deep philosophical meaning.

Qian (䷀) is the first trigram in the ancient Chinese philosophy of I-Ching, a symbol of masculinity, sky, sun, father, husband, fortress.
Kun (䷁) is the second trigram in the ancient Chinese philosophy of I-Ching, a symbol of the feminine, earth, moon, mother, wife, subject.
Zhu - pillar, column.

Having deciphered the trigrams, we get another name "Column between heaven and earth", which, in my opinion, sounds much better.

In 2010, commerce won over philosophy when the Western media spread the word that this mountain formed the basis for the creation of the planet Pandora from the movie Avatar. Some time later, in order to develop tourism, the mountain was given a new name - Hallelujah Avatar (Chinese: 阿凡达-哈利路亚山). And then they came up with an inviting slogan: “Pandora is far away, but Zhangjiajie is close!”

However, despite the fact that the park is promoted at the international level, in fact we were the only Europeans to walk around this park. By the way, my girlfriend is blonde, and during those 2 weeks in China she was a celebrity. Here, too, every 10-15 minutes they tried to either join us so that we got into someone's lens, or openly asked to be photographed together.

Further on our way - The First Natural Bridge under Heaven (Chinese 天下第一桥). It connects two peaks at an altitude of 360 meters and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest natural bridge in the world.

On the bridge, lovers can buy a padlock for 40 yuan, ask them to cut out names and hang it up, and throw the key into the abyss. They say that after this the family will be happy and strong. True, it will not be easy to find a place for your lock - the railings and stairs are tightly bound with thousands of locks. It seems to me that they are filed from time to time.

Having passed to the end of the path, we go out to another stop. We also found a post office here, but my attempts to find out whether our postcards would reach Russia were unsuccessful.

In order to get to the next attraction, which is already in another area Yangjiajie next to the funicular of the same name, we get off at the next stop "WuLong Village" and go on a small trek. First we go down, and then at the T-shaped intersection we turn up to the right. Compared to the previous trails, this is quite a steep climb, and some of the stairs seem to be about to fall apart.

But at the end of the ascent, a surprise awaits us - Tianbo Mansion (Tianbo Mansion, Chinese 天波府). From here you have an amazing panorama of great natural wall stone pillars (The Natural Great Wall). A distinctive feature of this place are narrow and high natural rock walls, different from typical pillars.

After we go down back to the T-junction and go in the opposite direction to the next lookout, which is called One Step to the Heaven (Chinese: 一步登天).

I will say that the first one was more interesting. Although it is also beautiful, but after spending half a day in the park you are already starting to get used to it and the “wow effect” disappears a bit. Some even manage to sleep.

We return back to the bus stop and go to the area Tianji to today's final sights. The highest peak of Tianji Mountain, also called Heaven Son Mountain, is the most high point in the park, its height is 1182 meters. Friends, just look at this beauty!

Well, let's dive into history a bit, shall we? Tianzi Mountain was called "Qing Yan Mountain" before the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In 1353, Xiang Dakun, the leader of the Tujia ethnic group, started a rebellion in the area and declared himself Tianji, which means Son of Heaven and is a traditional synonym for the Chinese emperor. In 1385, Xiang Dakong faced a fierce siege by an army commanded by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (1328-1398), the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty whom we have already heard about. Unfortunately, Xiang died in battle and fell into Shentang Bay. To show their respect to Xiang Dakun, the settlements were rebuilt and the mountains were named after Tianji. Legend has it that sometimes the sound of drums, the neighing of horses and the cries of people can be heard from the canyon, as if an ancient medieval battle is still going on somewhere below!

Doesn't bother you? Right. There is no bay here. So called Heavenly Abode Valley (Shentang Gulf, Chinese 神堂湾) where we went. Not to go to reverse side, you need to ask the driver to stop a little earlier than the last stop. In the heart of the gorge there is a dark pool and there is only one way to get there - a terrible staircase, as if leading into the abyss. Shengtang Bay still remains untouched by human footprints, like a mythical labyrinth with a bottomless gorge that is bathed in mist. all year round. And again, bewitching panoramas make us freeze for a moment in order to imprint this extraordinary beauty forever in our memory.

At the final stop of the main route, we get to He Long Park (Chinese: 贺龙公园), named after the Chinese revolutionary Marshal He Long. The Tianji region was one of his battlefields in the 1930s. In these parts, he organized the Soviet Red Army of more than 200,000 people and in 1935 joined Mao Zedong to support him in the uprising. Afterwards, he led guerrilla forces in Northwest China in both the Chinese Civil War and the Sino-Japanese War, and was generally successful in expanding communist control. By the end of 1945, he commanded a force of 170,000 troops. After the founding of the Chinese People's Republic in 1949 he held a number of civil and military posts, and in 1955 he was awarded the honorary title of Marshal (there are 10 in China) for his invaluable contribution to the victory of the Communist Party. In order to perpetuate the memory of the great Marshal, at the 90th birthday celebration in 1986, the Zhangjiajie city government established a park and erected a seven-meter bronze statue weighing about 9 tons. It is the largest in China.

Passing the bronze statue, we find ourselves on Emperor's platform (Tianzi Sightseeing platform, Chinese 天子观景台), from which the next breathtaking landscapes open. Of course, nature does amazing things, somewhere it created huge canyons, somewhere a magnificent ensemble of rivers and lakes, but here it doesn’t fit in my head where these isolated mountains came from, which seem to be standing on a thin leg, and waiting for something. After 10 minutes, this beautiful picture was again covered with a white veil. The weather here is completely unpredictable. It is believed that the best time to visit Zhangjiajie is spring and autumn.

There was not much time left before the closing of the park, the shuttles stop running at 18.00, and we still have to go down the funicular, so we make the last spurt towards the pagoda, which bears the name Pavilion of the Son of God (Tianzi Pavilion, Chinese 天子阁). Here you can also have a bite to eat, buy souvenirs or even go inside.

Further from the pagoda, a long foot descent into the Suosi Valley originates (remember, we started from it at the very beginning?). Of course, we will not go down it, but we will only go down a couple of hundred meters to capture the final and one of the most important attractions of the park - Imperial brushes or Yubi Feng (Imperial Writing Brush Peaks or Yu Bi Feng, Chinese 御笔峰). These are free-standing sandstone columns surrounded by green mountain peaks. The tops of more massive peaks smoothly flow into thinner ones. The name Yubi Feng comes from the brush used by the imperial calligrapher, where the thicker end becomes a thin brush. Legend has it that the stone tassels belong to the same King Xiang. They say that it was these places that served as the reason for the park to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Well, it's time to return to the ground, for this we will head towards He Long Park and take another bus that takes us to the upper station of the Tianji cable car (Chinese 天子山索道), the cost of which is 67 yuan per person. And finally, probably, Zhangjiajie just wants to tell his visitors: "You still have not realized all my majesty and power? So get a flight on my planet!".

Time flew by here imperceptibly. Of course, one day is not enough to fully explore the park, but to be honest, more days are not needed either, especially considering that there are other attractions in the vicinity, but Zhangjiajie Park will definitely enter the top most amazing places on the planet that I have seen. Such places are remembered for a lifetime and give rise to inspiration and passion for travel inside.