The famous film "Avatar" with stunning special effects made an impression on the whole world. Flights among high rocks made one watch with bated breath the rapid movements of the heroes. Most viewers believe that the mountains from the movie "Avatar" are completely computer-generated and do not exist in nature. It turns out they are real!
The country of Pandora in the vastness of China
It was not by chance that the creators of the film chose the strange mountains. The special effects are just an addition to the unusual appearance of the Wulinyuan mountain range. The mountains of the unearthly Pandora on Chinese soil are real natural wonders of our planet.
You can visit Wulinyuan National Park, which contains the mountains from the famous movie “Avatar,” at any time. Only 158 yuan - and you can explore the unearthly landscape for 2 whole days. So easy to touch! In China they now say: “Pandora is far away, but Mount Avatar is close!” And they are waiting for guests who want to see the high cliffs that inspired the creators of Avatar.
Mountains from the movie Avatar in China photo
Giving this area a resemblance to the protected forests of the planet Pandora. However, in China there are landscapes that are directly related to the famous film “Avatar”.
Wulingyuan is a scenic area in Hunan Province, China. Wulingyuan is best known for its natural sandstone columns; some reach more than eight hundred meters in height. The panoramas that open in the reserve are so impressive that when creating incredible landscapes of the planet Pandora - and in particular, the legendary flying rocks (the so-called "floating mountains Hallelujah") – from the Hollywood blockbuster “Avatar”, film director James Cameron was inspired by the views of Wulingyuan.
Amazing mountains of Wulingyuan landscape area
In total, there are approximately three thousand one hundred such columns in Wulingyuan. The most picturesque of these columns is "Southern Sky"(1080 m) - in 2010 renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain.
The area is part of the Zhangjiajie settlement; It is divided into four main zones - Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and three Zhangjiajie National Geoparks - Suoxiyu, Tianzishan and Yangjiajie. The total area of the region is about 391 square meters. km; 250 of them are quite picturesque places open to tourists. In addition to the legendary columns, there are karst caves, waterfalls and untouched virgin forest areas.
The area was founded in 1982 as one of the first Chinese nature reserves; a huge number of varieties of flora, fauna, as well as small ethnic tribes are preserved here in their original form. This area has been entered into and is heavily protected, such as no fires of any kind (including a ban on smoking), conveniently located trash cans throughout, and paved trails to protect the soil from erosion.
The quartz sandstone that forms the columns is interesting, among other things, for its extraordinary purity - the quartz content in it ranges from seventy-five to ninety-five percent. Outside of China - in fact, outside of Wulingyuan itself - such a pure mineral is extremely rare.
Wulingyuan was formed quite a long time ago; The basis of the local geological structure was laid by the movement of tectonic plates that created the Himalayas. After the foundation was laid - during the ancient Paleozoic and Devonian - natural erosion processes took over; under the continuous influence of water and wind, Wulingyuan took on the appearance that is known to us to this day.
The difficult terrain, mild climate and heavy rainfall contributed to the growth of lush forests in Wulingyuan; The growth rate of forest cover significantly exceeds similar indicators in neighboring regions. In total, about seven hundred and seventy species of different plants grow here, including a number of quite rare ones that are found in the wild exclusively here.
The fauna of Wulingyuan is no less extensive - at least twenty-eight species of local inhabitants are considered rare and protected by law; these include giant salamanders, clouded and common leopards, and a number of more common large predators.
Zhangjiajie National Park is China's first forested national park. The area of this natural area is about one hundred and thirty square kilometers; It is located in Wulingyuan, closer to the Wulin Mountains. The landscape of Zhangjiajie is quite diverse - dense forests suddenly give way to high mountains. The climate here is warm and humid; It is in Zhangjiajie that the most famous attractions of Wulingyuan are located.
This reserve is home to three small national ethnic groups of China - Tujia, Miao and Bai, who continue to live according to tradition. Zhangjiajie Village has the Tujia Culture Museum, which houses a large collection of traditional handicrafts. Traditional folk songs and dances are also performed here, which provides an opportunity to experience the local flavor. However, this is not just a show to please tourists, this center is run by the Tujia family, and its main purpose is to preserve traditional culture. The Tujia are considered the last remaining descendants of the mystical prehistoric kingdom of Ba.
Due to low clouds and endless streams of water, this area is often covered in fog. Pristine vegetation still covers 60% of the park's area and includes 550 species of trees. Some of them, such as ginkgo, were considered extinct before 1948.
In the valleys and mountain peaks grow medicinal plants highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine. Less noisy areas are home to wild animals and many rare birds. Rhesus macaques, giant lizards, civets and golden pheasants inhabit the wild forest. This is a fabulous land with sandstone cliffs and jagged limestone mountains, luxurious subtropical forests in which clear mountain streams flow, bordered by greenery. As you would expect from a nature reserve, most of the attractions here are related to natural views.
Natural attractions of the Wulingyuan landscape area
One of the most popular places here is the village of Huangshi, located on the top of the mountain. For those who love mountain walks, you can climb there on foot; it will take about 2 hours; 3878 stone steps lead to the top. For those who prefer to look at the surrounding landscape, the funicular is more suitable, which will take you to the top of the mountain for 48 yuan.
In 2002, a real miracle appeared in the park - the Baylong lift, which is called the “Hundred Dragons Elevator”. The design of this lift is unique. The elevator is built directly into the cliff and takes passengers to the very top. In 2015, the Bailong lift was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's highest open lift (326 m).
In 2016, the world's longest glass bridge over the abyss and rocks opened in the park - a real attraction for daredevils. For safety reasons, no more than 600 people can be on board at a time to avoid overload. In addition, in bad weather the bridge is closed. But, if you are lucky enough to get there, you will have enough emotions and impressions for years to come. It’s not for nothing that this bridge is called the “glass Celestial Empire.”
One of the main attractions of the Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve is Tianmen Mountain (1518.6 m) – 8 km from Zhangjiajie city. The mountain is famous for its giant “window” in the rock called “ . This is the highest mountain cave in the world, which was formed in 263 when, as a result of an earthquake, a piece of the mountain fell off, leaving a cavity 131.5 m high, 57 m wide and 60 m deep.
A staircase of 999 steps and a mountain serpentine of 99 turns lead to the “Heavenly Gates”. This is because in Buddhism, as in other teachings, the number “9” means the highest spiritual power and heavenly number.
The longest and highest cable car in the world (7455 m) leads to the top of the mountain, the spans of which reach 500 m! In some places the road rises sharply at an angle of 70º, suddenly crashing straight into the clouds.
At the top of the mountain there is a glass path right along the edge, which very often ends up above the clouds.
The descent from the mountain along one of the most impressive serpentines in the world - the 11 km long "sky highway" - turns into a separate adventure for travelers.
In the same place there is a Buddhist temple of the same name, built during the Tang Dynasty. Nowadays, it occupies many renovated buildings in a huge intermountain depression with a wide view. This temple is one of the main pilgrimage sites in Hunan Province.
Yellow Dragon Cave is also one of the most beautiful caves in China. It is located in the Wulingyuan Nature Reserve, a 20-minute drive from the town of the same name and the Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve, an hour's drive (40 km) from the city of Zhangjiajie.
The height of this cave reaches 140 m. This is a real underground palace of 13 large halls and 96 galleries. The interiors are decorated with hundreds of thousands of stalagmites, columns and stalactites, three pools, four waterfalls and two underground rivers.
There are several surprisingly complete natural compositions: “Immortal Waterfall”, “Dragon Castle”, “Ballroom” with draped stone curtains.
Traveling through the cave takes more than 2 hours, during which you have to walk about 2.5 km and swim about a kilometer along the river.
Baofeng Lake is located just two kilometers from the entrance of Wulingyuan Park. In addition, there is also the Baofen Waterfall, the Hawk's Nest mountain peak, an ancient temple and a Narrow Gorge.
The highest point in the northern part of the reserve is the 1250 m high Tianzi Peak, which offers stunning views of the park, and for those who climbed there on their own, it gives the feeling of being on the roof of the world. As in most other Chinese parks, poets and artists who visited these places for thousands of years gave the local mountain peaks and ridges picturesque names.
The picturesque Tianzishan region is no less interesting for tourists. It is located in the northern part of Wulingyuan; its area is approximately sixty-seven square kilometers. The area is mostly covered by mountains; the highest point of Tianzishan is Kunlun Peak, 1262.5 meters high, the lowest is only 534 meters.
In 1992, a new park district was inaugurated - Yangjiajie. Its total area is 3400 hectares. The territory of Yangjiajie covers a huge area and includes three parts: the Longquan and Baihou valleys and the Xiangzhi Stream. In total there are more than 200 landscape areas.
You know, this is so strange - I never got around to watching the movie “Avatar”, but I titled the post quite in the spirit of the times and trends! Yes, James Cameron borrowed a number of panoramic scenes for his famous blockbuster from here. Well, God bless him, James. A visit to the wonderful Janjiadze National Park in the Chinese province of Hunan became for me another link in the chain of collecting fantastically beautiful karst landscapes of Southeast Asia. It seems that nowhere in the world except in Asia will you find these huge rocks sticking vertically out of the water (as in), or in China, but a little further south, in an equally wonderful place, or in the southern part of Thailand, south of Phuket, there Where was "" filmed? This visit of mine to China is very short and its purpose is completely different - to ride a train from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar and further to Russia. I’ve always dreamed of riding the Trans-Siberian from end to end, but I definitely can’t stand 6 days in a carriage (I’m not as much a fan of railways as periskop.su ), so I’ll limit myself to its most exotic part, the Trans-Mongolian. But that will be in three days, but for now let’s return to the world of “Avatar” -
Let's just say that Dzhandzyadze is one of the least known national parks in China to mass foreign tourism. Why do I emphasize that it is foreign? Yes, because there are so many local, Chinese tourists in the park, there are so many of them that you will spend a considerable part of the trip in queues. But yes, I didn’t meet any Europeans during all three days in the park. Unfortunately, queues are the cost of huge and heavily overpopulated countries like China and India. In the latter, by the way, there are even more people, because with the same population, the territory is three times smaller.
All major national parks in China are well equipped and extremely easy and convenient to travel to. Here you will find efficient and frequent bus, funicular and cable car services to any more or less interesting point, there will be toilets at every turn, “Information” booths (however, if you don’t know Chinese, they are of little use to you, everything there will be in Chinese, and the staff in 99% of cases will not speak a word of English). Dzhandzyadze Park begins with a huge gate and tower, where ticket offices, turnstiles and behind them are boarding for free buses plying around this large (about 30 by 60 kilometers in size) national park -
Above I talked about free buses, sorry, in truth, they can only be called free conditionally. A ticket to the park costs an ungodly 250 yuan ($45), a ticket is valid for 3 days, but its price does NOT include the cable cars inside the park, the cable car and a whole series of buses going to the most picturesque parts of the park. For orientation, I’ll mention that the Bailong Sky lift, which takes you almost 400 meters up, from where the same view from the movie “Avatar” opens, costs 150 yuan round trip ($25), and the cable car to Mount Tiamen (the most The longest cable car in the world, its length is 7,455 meters) will cost 252 yuan ($40) in both directions. Caves and secondary cable cars cost a little less, but in total, if you want to see all the most interesting things, the park will cost you about $200 just for tickets. It’s definitely worth it, although such hellish expenses are jarring, to be honest.
China is one of those countries for which it is advisable to carefully prepare for a trip and remember that you will face a difficult language barrier and difficulties with communication (almost all social networks are blocked by the government here, and even in LiveJournal I am forced to access it in difficult ways, starting from using auxiliary programs like Freegate and ending with requests to friends to publish even this post remotely) and a slightly different understanding of the world and life in comparison with the Chinese. Nothing critical, but if this is your first trip to China, nothing will be too easy for you. Everywhere you will strain all your intellect to solve small and large problems. How can I explain this clearly? Place earplugs in your ears and a gag in your mouth. Now imagine that everything around you is in an unreadable language, and the usual Google translator is blocked. Of course, I’m exaggerating, but this is approximately the situation. But it’s even interesting, believe me!
Very rare English-speaking Chinese sometimes ask, how do you travel here without knowing the language and not being able to even read the name of the station where you are going? How-how... yes, just like that, in the guidebook all the names of the cities are duplicated in Chinese. You turn to your neighbor and show him a hieroglyph with your finger, saying, is this city now? He nods, yes, now. Thank you, I mean “sese.” Station names, of course, are written only in Chinese. It's more difficult with food. The menu is unreadable, so if you don’t clearly know the name of the dish you want, look for a cafe where there are pictures of the dishes, otherwise they will bring you something other than what you ordered.
But I digress. Let's return to Dzhandzyadze. This is a small town located right at the entrance to the park. From any hotel in the town it takes at most 10-15 minutes to walk to the entrance to the park. Sometimes this town is confused with another, hefty city with the same exact name, but 35 kilometers to the east. So, you will arrive in big Dzhandzyadze by train (or fly) and then from there you will travel 35 km to the park of the same name. I arrived here by plane from Beijing. A bus ride from the airport to the city costs about 10 yuan ($1.8), then from the big Dzhandzyadze bus station you take another bus for 7 yuan ($1.2) to small Dzhandzyadze, the one next to the park. You can take a taxi directly from the airport, the price after a long bargaining is about 120-140 yuan ($27-32), but this option is optimal only if there are several of you and you are in a hurry.
The park is wonderful, beautiful, unique, fantastic! I could list many more epithets, but even a thousand words cannot express this creation of nature -
There is also a funny elevator in the park, which you get into from the depths of the tunnel, and then take off almost 400 meters up -
The elevator will take you exactly to where all these panoramas from the film are.
The downside is the fact that you are not the only one who will find Dzhanjadze wonderful. But also to the thousands of Chinese who visit this place every day. There will be queues everywhere: for buses, for the cable car, for the cable cars, even just on the trail where you intend to do the trek. Have time to take photos quickly before someone pushes you under the elbow. Not on purpose, no, but simply there are a lot of people and they are jostling, especially at the observation decks. Accept this fact and try not to be distracted from contemplating nature -
Avatar wings, if I'm not mistaken -
Some valuable tips:
1. Don't overestimate your strength. Trekking is a good thing for health, but even the healthiest person runs the risk of completely hurting his knees if he first climbs up 4 thousand steps and then goes down about the same amount by another route. Remember what trouble happened last year during the conquest of the sacred Chinese city, which is not far from Xi'an, and do not repeat my mistake. Sometimes it makes more sense to take the cable car up at least one way and walk down.
2. Chinese parks are not a cheap pleasure, the price list is higher. Therefore, figure out in advance what you need to invest in and what is not necessary. For example, there are three cable cars in Janjiadze, but the coolest view will be from Mount Yuanjiajie, where the Bailong elevator will take you. All other landscapes will be similar to this one, only slightly less impressive. I don’t recommend spending money on the Ten Mile Gallery tourist train, because firstly, it’s not 10 miles, but only one and a half, and secondly, you can easily cover this picturesque route in an hour on foot. Choose the best, because after paying another 40-50 dollars for the next cable car, you will understand that you have already seen all this two hours ago. But what I strongly recommend is an absolutely free trek through the Golden Whip gorge, you will find it on the maps and in the guidebook.
3. Accept that you won’t see the entire park. This takes 10-12 days. Only if you go to China specifically to visit the park, but most likely this is not your option and the park will only be part of the route around the country. Therefore, most likely you will have 2-3 days left and you will have to think in advance what to see.
That's all for now, I think! With greetings from the small working-class town of Jishou, which is about 150 kilometers south of Dzhandzyadze. I arrived here by train today at lunchtime and there is nothing to see in this town. But it is convenient as a base for visiting the beautiful places of Dehang and Fenguang. Google these names and appreciate the beauty. I haven't gotten there yet, I'm just going by bus from Jishu tomorrow.
p.s. And why did I say that there is nothing to see in Jishu? An interesting city, the center of the tobacco industry, according to Wikipedia. I don’t know what about tobacco, but the chimneys of the metallurgical plant smoke black smoke with such force that I remember my native Urals.
Just a city without tourist attractions, namely an ordinary working district center, where tourists are an exceptional rarity and you will be photographed on phones. The people are very nice, they are sincerely happy to see you, surprised and want to communicate. But how? There's that language barrier again. I’ll tell you about the town separately, it’s worth it.
Want to see the floating Avatar Mountains with your own eyes? Then go to China's Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. The amazing rocks of this unique park have become real prototypes of the world famous “floating Hallelujah Mountains”. We can talk about this park endlessly. The beauty and uniqueness of nature is simply incredible. Mountains, streams and parks calm, inspire, delight and make you think about the eternal. No photographs can convey all the splendor and grandeur of this place.
Read also about other places in Zhangjiajie:
Formation of mountains
The world-famous Zhangjiajie Park, or more specifically the wider Wulingyuan Scenic Area, is the first Chinese park to receive UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
As a result of the weathering of sandstones and limestones, as well as the erosion of soil, about 3,000 peaks and cliffs of the most bizarre shapes were formed. The mountains are covered with dense vegetation and are separated by deep gorges with rivers, lakes and waterfalls. These distinctive 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 “Avatar Park”, is located in the northwest of Hunan Province in China and is part of the huge Wulingyuan Nature Reserve(Wulingyuan Scenic Area). The nearest airport and train station are located in Zhangjiajie (张家界市). However, The park is located 50 km from Zhangjiajie city, so staying in city hotels to visit the park is not recommended. Near the park there is the town of Wulingyuan, also known as Zhangjiajie Village, with all the necessary infrastructure, including hotels and restaurants.
In China it is always difficult with names. They are duplicated and nested inside each other like nesting dolls. I will try to explain a little about the situation with 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| 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).
The Zhangjiajie Park ticket allows you to enter all of the above areas.
However, there are attractions in Wulingyuan Scenic Area that require separate tickets:
- Yellow Dragon Cave (黄龙洞) – 100 RMB
- Cave of the Dragon King Longwang Dong (龙王洞) – 81 RMB
- Artificial Lake Baofang – 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 of 100 dragons
The most picturesque, but crowded with tourists area of the park. In this zone are located (the same one that is the main attraction of the entire park and renamed the “Avatar Mountains” in honor of the well-known film), The First Bridge under Heaven(natural bridge between two rocks), Lost Souls Platform, Bailong Elevator(the world's tallest elevator).
Bailong Elevator - the world's tallest elevator
Bailong Glass Elevator | Hundred Dragon Elevator
Hundred Dragons Elevator – highest outdoor lift in the world. It takes tourists to the top of a 330-meter sheer slope in the heart of Zhangjiajie Park. A ride in the glass elevator will give you stunning views of the plain. The main thing is to get closer to the window, because 50 people can fit in a booth, and not everyone will be able to enjoy the beauty opening from above.
Avatar Hallelujah Mountain
1080 meter mountain The Southern Sky Column was renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain in honor of the landmark film Avatar. The mountain is located in the Yuanjiajie region.
Natural Bridge No. 1 (The First Bridge under Heaven)
Natural Bridge No. 1 (The First Bridge under Heaven | Tianxia Diyi Qiao) or “Bridge over Heaven” 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. This is the highest natural bridge in the world.
Tianzishan | Mountain of the Son of Heaven | Emperor's Mountain (Tianzi Mountain)
Forest of rocks | Stone Peaks Forest
The most important advantage of this area is its height. The height of 1182 meters gives a great opportunity to see the famous mountains in the clouds. Here the mountains really seem to float. 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
Ten Li Gallery | Ten-Li Gallery
Yellow Stone Village
Five Finger Peak | Five Fingers Peak
The area is just north of the Golden Whip stream. In this part of the park there is the famous Five-Fingers Peak. The area is equally scenic but less popular than Yuanjiajie. Many people go to the main observation deck, which offers views of Five-Fingers Peak on foot, without using the expensive lifts.
Yangjiajie Scenic Area
This area for real researchers. Here you will have to walk not along paved paths, but along dangerous and slippery paths. No infrastructure, but also no tourists or queues. Real nature.
Laowuchang Area
One of the most “wild” areas of the park. You will have to walk on dirt paths. But this is the best area for photographers. Rice fields are located here Paddies in the Sky and Spirit Soldiers' Gathering'.
Golden Whip Stream
A pleasant walk along a beautiful stream surrounded by incredible mountains is the park's most popular route. The path is quite long - 7 km, but not at all difficult. Everything is fine, except that there are always a lot of people here.
How much does a ticket to Zhangjiajie cost?
The park ticket is worth it 248 R.M.B. for 4 days or 298 RMB for a week. Prices for students, seniors and children are 160 RMB and 193 RMB respectively. Children under 1.2 meters tall are free. The price is far from low, but it's definitely worth it! You won't regret a penny.
The ticket price includes all of the areas and observation decks listed above, as well as all bus transportation within the park. However, trips on cable cars, trams and elevators require a separate fee.
Prices for ski lifts and trams:
- Bailong Glass Elevator | 100 dragon elevator (Bailong elevator) - 72 RMB.
- Tianzishan Cable Car - 67 RMB one way / 134 RMB round trip.
- Huangshi Zhai Cable Car (Yellow Stone Village Cable Car) - 65 RMB one way / 118 RMB round trip.
- Tram in the Ten Li Gorge (Tenli Gallery’s Mini Train) - 38 RMB one way / 52 RMB round trip.
Main entrances to the park
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park has two main entrances. A park ticket allows you to visit all attractions located inside.
- Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Gate (on map A): southwest entrance, convenient if you want to follow the Gold Whip Stream.
- Wulingyuan Gate (on map B) : Closest to hotels in Wulingyuan Town. It has convenient access to Bailong Elevator, Tianzi Mountain Cable Way and Ten-Li Gallery Train.
How long does it take to visit the park?
We only had 3 days to do everything about everything, and even during the Chinese holidays. We walked quite a lot and in one and a half days we managed to see all the interesting things in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. We went to the Yellow Dragon Cave for half a day, and on the last day we visited 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 an awful lot. You may have to stand in line for hours at the lifts.
- It's very cold in winter, and in February, the park may be closed for reconstruction.
- From April to June good time but high humidity and a high probability of rain and fog. But if this doesn’t scare you (and I advise you not to be afraid of a little rain), then this is a great time.
- From May to October high season. Accordingly, prices are higher, and on average there are more tourists.
- September and October - best time to visit the park. It’s still quite warm, but this is already the low season, and therefore there are no queues and the prices are not high.
Where to stop to eat?
The 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, stinky tofu, fruit, water and other snacks. Everything is quite expensive and not particularly tasty. So I recommend taking sandwiches, nuts or fruits with you. You can eat well in the town of Wulingyuan or near attractions outside the park, such as Yellow Dragon Cave.
Hotels in Zhangjiajie
I recommend staying in Wulingyuan Town, also called Zhangjiajie Village, or inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. You definitely shouldn't stop in the city of Zhangjiajie, because it is located quite far (50 km or an hour's drive) from the park.
Hotels in Wulingyuan Town
Walking distance to the entrance to the park. You can come early in the morning and return late in the evening. The infrastructure of the village is much better than inside the park. Restaurants, shops, everything is there. Hotel level from hostels to 5 stars.
Hotels inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Hotels inside Zhangjiajie Park do not differ in comfort and quality. But you don’t need to stand in lines at the entrance and you can come to the most interesting places before others, and also watch 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 the Avatar Mountains?
Getting to the famous Avatar Park is not at all difficult:
- Fly to Hunan Airport. Airplanes fly to Zhangjiajie from any major city in China.
- Take a taxi or bus to the park or hotel.
I recommend a taxi, since the journey is not close, taxis in China are not expensive, and there are always plenty of cars near the airport. The price to get to the park and to the village of Wulingyuan will be about 300 RMB, but in fact they can take you there for 100 (these prices are offered to the Chinese). They don't like to turn on the 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 of the park. The stop is called Wulingyuan Menpiaozhan (武陵源门票站). The fare costs 12 yuan, the controller takes 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 of them. You can spend 2-4 hours (as we did on May 1) in line for an elevator or an hour in line for a bus. Therefore, more walking, less transport.
- Get to the park early. It's better to sleep early in the evening. The bulk of tourists arrive after 10, and the park opens at 7.
- If you are traveling on your own, then learn the most important phrases in Chinese better. In China, almost no one speaks English.
- Must be able to pronounce the hotel name and address, taxi drivers often cannot read and do not always know the area well.
- Cash money (yuan, of course) will save you always and everywhere. Currency and Visa, Master Card may not be accepted. Don’t be surprised, China uses its own banking system.
- If you take map park at the entrance, choose English-Chinese. It is most similar to the truth.
basic information
- Place: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (张家界国家森林公园).
- Nearest city: Zhangjiajie, Hunan province, China.
- Location: Wulingyuan Scenic Area (武陵源).
- Size: 48 sq. km
- Ticket price: 248 / 298 RMB
- Opening hours: 7.00-18.00
- Time for inspection: 2-4 days
- Number of visitors: a lot of
- Best time to visit: September, October.
- A must visit: Yuanjiajie, Yellow Stone Village, Tianzi Mountain areas.
- We were in Park: May 1-2, 2014
Request
If the post was useful to you, please share it on Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte or any other social network. There are "social" buttons at the bottom of each page. So what needs to be done just one click! Thank you!Zhangjiajie National Park is located in central China, in the northwest of Hunan Province, more than 1000 kilometers from Shanghai and Beijing. Zhangjiajie is famous for its stunning scenery! The nature of the park amazes with its splendor: huge sandstone pillars located above the tropical forest, a labyrinth of karst caves, majestic waterfalls, a picturesque lake, and powerful rivers.
Zhangjiajie Park became famous all over the world thanks to the incredible landscapes of the film "Avatar", because it was the picturesque landscapes of Zhangjiajie that served as inspiration for creating the fairy-tale nature of the film "Avatar"! And in 1982, Zhangjiajie Park, with an area of 264.6 km², became China's first national forest park.
Best time to travel to Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie Park is open to visitors all year round, and at different times the mountains are particularly beautiful. The most successful time is considered to be from April to June and from September to October - favorable weather will allow you to enjoy magnificent views and silence.
During the period from April to June it can be rainy, but there is a chance to see an unforgettable view - mountains in a sea of clouds. From May to October it is usually crowded, but it rarely rains. In addition, in autumn Zhangjiajie Park feels a refreshing wind, bright sun, comfortable temperatures and fairy-tale-colored vegetation.
We strongly recommend using the services of a professional guide, who will book tickets for you in advance and choose the best route, avoiding queues if possible. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Every year, more than 35,000 clients from different countries trust us to conduct tours around China for them - and for that there are reasons!
In winter, from December to February, it is cold in the mountains, snow and frost are possible, and there is ice on the roads, so we do not recommend our tourists to travel during this period. But if you still choose this time of year for your trip, then you will find magnificent scenery of snowy mountains, as well as favorable hotel rates. 
How to get to Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie, located in northwest Hunan Province (south-central China), is about 320 kilometers north of Changsha, the provincial capital.
Despite the development of infrastructure and promotion of tourism, Zhangjiajie is still considered a small city, surrounded by mountains, with a small airport and no high-speed rail service (although there is a high-speed train from other cities to Changsha).
There are a limited number of direct trains and flights from China's main tourist cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Xi'an) to Zhangjiajie. If there are no direct flights or trains from your host city, you may want to consider a connecting flight in Shanghai, Guangzhou or Changsha.
We do not recommend direct train journeys from the main tourist cities as they take at least 10-20 hours. The nearest major city from which you can reach Zhangjiajie by high-speed train is Changsha. However, it is also quite far away - the trip will take about 5 hours and will bring you a lot of trouble.
Bring some light snacks with you in case you are not satisfied with the local food. If necessary, your guide will help organize a picnic (with food prepared at the hotel).
Travel to Zhangjiajie with China Highlights
In Zhangjiajie, it is recommended to use the services of a private guide and driver. The national park is quite large, with confusing roads and crowded with tourists most of the time. The guide will help you get where you want to go and also find a way to avoid queues.
Below you will find most popular tours in Zhangjiajie:
- Classic tour to China + Mount Avatar (Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai + Zhangjiajie), 10 days
In order to explore the main attractions of Zhangjiajie, three or four days will be enough. You can choose a ready-made tour, create your own, or take the tour you like as a basis and make your own changes. And we will help you draw up logical route, because this is the advantage Individual tour with China Highlights .
What to take with you
- Documents (passport, visa)
- Chinese money (at least 1,000 RMB / 150 USD) + credit/bank card
- Camera
- Clothes for the season, comfortable for hiking
- Rain protection (especially in spring)
- Sun protection (especially in summer)
- Anti-slip sports shoes or shoes suitable for walking
- Layered clothing in spring and autumn
- Umbrella or sun hat
- Insect repellent
- Toiletries (bring your own toilet paper)
- Necessary medications
- Snack
The fairytale landscapes of Zhangjiajie sandstone pillars are famous all over the world. The picturesque nature and rich ethnic culture of Zhangjiajie enchant and make the trip unforgettable!
We organize individual tours throughout China!
Write to us and our Russian-speaking experts will be happy to help organize your trip. We will provide you with an advantageous offer of a tourist program that meets your wishes as quickly as possible and answer all your questions.
