Zhangjiajie National Forest Park 张家界国家森林公园Zhāngjiājiè Guójiā Sēnlín Gōngyuán

Why go to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is a maze of quartz-sandstone columns, some hundreds of metres tall, capped with pines and often veiled in mist. Walk Golden Whip Stream along the valley floor, then ride the cliffside Bailong Elevator or the cable cars up to Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain for the views from above.

The story

This became China's first national forest park in 1982 and is part of the wider Wulingyuan UNESCO site. The pillars went global after the film Avatar, and in 2010 one column was renamed 'Avatar Hallelujah Mountain'.

What to see at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

• Golden Whip Stream 金鞭溪: A mostly flat walk of about 7.5 km along a clear stream between towering pillars, the gentlest way into the park.
• Bailong Elevator 百龙天梯: An open-air glass lift built against the cliff that carries visitors up to the Yuanjiajie plateau. Queues can be long at peak times.
• Yuanjiajie and Avatar Hallelujah Mountain 袁家界: The plateau of pillars that inspired the film's floating mountains, with the Hallelujah Mountain renamed in 2010 among the viewpoints.
• Tianzi Mountain 天子山: A high viewing area reached by cable car, with pillars rising from deep mist; sunrise and sunset are popular.
• Ten-Mile Gallery 十里画廊: A flat valley of about 5 km lined with pillars shaped like figures, travelled by a small tourist train.

How to visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Take the Forest Park gate, walk Golden Whip Stream, then use the Bailong Elevator to reach Yuanjiajie, or enter by Yuanjiajie and walk down. Eco-buses link Yuanjiajie, Yangjiajie and Tianzi Mountain, and many visitors spend a day on Yuanjiajie, Tianzi Mountain and the Ten-Mile Gallery and a second on Golden Whip Stream. The Grand Canyon glass bridge lies outside the park, has its own ticket and suits a separate half day; Tianmen Mountain is another day trip.

How to get to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie has an airport and a high-speed rail station. From the city, buses and taxis take about 45 minutes to the park's Forest Park gate or to Wulingyuan town.

Where to stay

Wulingyuan town sits beside the main park entrance and has the widest range of places to stay, so you can start before the tour groups. Zhangjiajie city suits travellers who also want Tianmen Mountain or the train station.

What to eat

• Sanxiaguo (three-in-one pot) 三下锅: A Tujia pot of smoked bacon, offal and vegetables in spicy broth, served griddle-cooked or as soup.
• Steamed smoked pork with dried green beans 干豆角蒸腊肉: Smoky Tujia cured pork steamed with chewy dried beans.
• Yan'er stewed chicken 岩耳炖土鸡: Free-range chicken stewed with yan'er, a cliff lichen, in a silky broth.

Tips for visiting Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

• Park tickets are tied to your passport and valid for several days; plan at least two full days inside.
• Stay in Wulingyuan town, beside a main entrance, so you can start early.
• Mist adds atmosphere, but on clear days reach Yuanjiajie early, before tour groups crowd the viewpoints.

Nearby

• Tianmen Mountain 天门山 30 km
  A cliff-top walk to a natural arch known as Heaven's Gate, above the city

Also within 30 km: Baofeng Lake 宝峰湖 (10 km), Xibu Street 溪布老街 (10 km), Huanglong Cave 黄龙洞 (20 km), Tujia Folk Custom Park (Tusi City) 张家界土家风情园 (20 km), Former Site of the Hunan–Hubei–Sichuan–Guizhou Revolutionary Base (Dayong) 湘鄂川黔革命根据地旧址 (20 km), Puguang Temple 普光禅寺 (20 km).

Trips with Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

• Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang from Changsha: sandstone pillars and a river town 5 days · Changsha, Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang

On the map

Open Zhangjiajie National Forest Park on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)