Zhangjiajie Travel Guide

Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is named after the natural wonder "Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park - Tianmen Cave." When visiting the attraction, you can enjoy a bird's-eye view of the winding Heaven-Linking Avenue and the stunning mountain scenery from the cable car. The brave can also walk along the cliff-hugging glass skywalk for an exhilarating aerial experience.

Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is located close to Zhangjiajie city. The Tianmen Cave in the park is a natural karst cave, and locals believe it leads directly to heaven. For ordinary travelers, Tianmen Cave is not open year-round. During winter each year, due to snow and icy roads, both Tianmen Cave and the Avenue toward Heaven (a winding mountain road with 99 turns) leading to it are closed.

The lower station of the attraction's cableway is located in Guanliping, Yongding District, and the upper station isTianmen MountainTop. In 2020, the attraction opened the express cableway. The lower station of the express cableway is near the entrance to Tianmen Mountain, and the upper station is atTianmen CaveNear the parking lot.

Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is filled with ancient towering trees and intertwined vines. The attraction is divided into several main areas, including Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park - Tianmen Cave, central route, eastern route and western route. Travelers can choose different routes and areas to explore based on their preferences and physical condition.

The core attraction along the central route is Tianmen Mountain Temple. Nearby lies the "Child-seeking cave," where folk legends claim Guanyin, the child-giving bodhisattva, manifested her divine power—devout prayers here are believed to grant offspring. The western route's highlight is a 60 m-long glass walkway clinging to sheer cliffs, with fully transparent flooring that induces both vertigo and exhilaration as visitors tread above abysses. Currently, the eastern route and Panlong Cliff each feature their own approx. 60 m glass walkways.

No stay is allowed in the attraction, so it can only be visited within one day. There is a "Cherry Bay Restaurant" near Tianmen Mountain Temple, which offers snacks and fast food.

Near the lower station of Tianmen Mountain cableway, there is transportation to the "Grand Canyon Theater", where you can watch the live show and magical musical "Tianmen Fox Fairy". Adapted from the mythological tale "Liu Hai cuts firewood", it tells a touching love story between a human and a fox. With live music, lighting effects, and captivating scenes like a giant moon, fox spirit transformations, snowflakes filling the sky, and high-altitude flying bridges, this legendary romance is vividly brought to life.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is where Zhangjiajie tourism starts.

"The world knows Zhangjiajie, but who knows Wulingyuan?" Many travelers cannot distinguish the relationship between Zhangjiajie and Wulingyuan. Generally, Zhangjiajie has two concepts: Zhangjiajie City and Zhangjiajie Scenic Area. Zhangjiajie Scenic Area refers to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, which together with Tianzi Mountain, Suoxiyu, and Yangjiajie forms the Wulingyuan attraction. Because Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was developed early and is well-known, even Zhangjiajie City was renamed after it, and people are accustomed to using Zhangjiajie National Forest Park or Zhangjiajie Scenic Area to refer to the Wulingyuan attraction.

"Three thousand exotic peaks and eight hundred beautiful waters." The three thousand exotic peaks, in particular, are renowned worldwide.

The mountains of Wulingyuan are entirely different from famous mountains around the world. Within its 398-square-kilometer area, more than 3,000 dense and intact sandstone peak pillars are scattered throughout, including 243 peak pillars over 1,000 meters tall. When the sea of clouds surges, these peak pillars appear to have no base, rising abruptly from the ground and piercing straight into the sky. Together with the redwood forests of North America and the glacial landscapes of Greenland, they constitute one of the world's four major natural geological wonders. Wulingyuan has a low elevation and is located in the subtropical zone. The area features lush forests and abundant water sources, and is home to a large number of endangered animal and plant species. Every peak pillar is full of vitality. Peak pillars, natural bridges, gorges, waterfalls, streams, pools, caves, and dense broad-leaved forests are often shrouded in mist and clouds on site, enhancing the beauty of the view. Together with the unique landforms, they form a distinctive view characterized by "steep mountains, elegant waters, wondrous peaks, secluded gorges, and beautiful caves," and are hailed as "an enlarged bonsai and a miniature fairyland."

On December 14, 1992, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee unanimously approved the inclusion of Wulingyuan in the World Heritage List, filling the gap of China having no World Natural Heritage sites. The recognized outstanding universal value is: the quartz sandstone peak forest landform is rare in the world and has extremely high aesthetic value.

UNESCO points out: "In terms of scenery, Wulingyuan can be compared with several national parks and monuments in the United States, such as the Grand Canyon, and can also be compared with the prominent sandstone peak areas of the Kimberley in Western Australia. However, because Wulingyuan has a lower elevation and is located in the subtropics, it has lush forests and abundant water sources. It also possesses a large number of peaks, displaying a more vertical profile than the heritage sites of the United States and Australia."

At the end of 2009, the mesmerizing planet Pandora in the globally popular movie "Avatar" attracted countless viewers, and the prototype of its floating mountains originated from Wulingyuan. Meanwhile, Wulingyuan is also a live-action filming location for the Chinese classics "Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Journey to the West," as well as for films and TV dramas such as "Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal" and "Monster Hunt."

In 2010, the unique landform of Wulingyuan was named "Zhangjiajie landform," becoming a globally recognized term and a rare landform type in the world named after a region.

Attraction highlights

• Yuanjiajie: Landing on Pandora, the planet of Avatar

Yuanjiajie is the filming location for the "Hallelujah Mountain" in the movie "Avatar," where you can explore the magical world of floating and scattered mountains from the film. If you happen to encounter a light rain in the mountains, or wait until the sky clears after the rain, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of misty fog and layered peaks even more. The Mihun Platform is an ideal viewing spot; standing on it, you are surrounded by hundreds of towering stone peaks with magnificent momentum.

• Tianzi Mountain: once you've seen Tianzi, no other mountain will do

When visiting Tianzi Mountain, you will see various uniquely shaped geological views and oddly formed peaks, such as Yubi Peak, Fairy Presenting Flowers, Dianjiang Terrace, Hanging Garden, and Immortal Bridge. There is no need to worry too much about whether these natural formations resemble what they are named after, because "the primitive scenery and natural beauty" are what make Tianzi Mountain so captivating. Especially in the hazy fog after a fresh rain, it feels as if you are in a fairyland. By winter, when the mountain is covered in silvery white, the scenery becomes even more enchanting.

• Huangshizhai: see all the other mountains as small from the summit

"If you don't climb Huangshizhai, your trip to Zhangjiajie is in vain." Huangshizhai is a viewing platform in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, surrounded by sheer cliffs and lush trees, and the top of the village is often shrouded in mist and clouds. Standing atop Huangshizhai and looking around, you can experience the lofty sentiment of "seeing all the other mountains as small."

• Yangjiajie: Thrills found in danger

Yangjiajie is primarily known for its pristine natural beauty. With high mountains and narrow paths, it is famous for being "perilous" and is deeply favored by backpackers and adventurers. Wulong Village within the attraction is a very magical place in Zhangjiajie. It was once inhabited by bandits from western Hunan, and was later renamed after the TV series "Tales of Suppressing Bandits in Wulong Mountain." The village is built along the mountain, and there is a path up and down the mountain that requires using both hands and feet to climb to the summit.

• Suoxiyu: A natural ink wash landscape painting

Suoxiyu is also called Suoxi, named because the stream within the attraction is shaped like a rope. Unlike other parts of the forest park, which are so steep and rugged, this place is shrouded in mist and clouds year-round, with clear streams flowing continuously through all four seasons and graceful peaks visible everywhere. Ten-Mile Gallery is the highlight attraction of Suoxiyu; within the 5 km-long gorge, wildflowers fragrance the air and fantastic peaks and unusual rocks abound. Walking through it is like stepping into a natural landscape painting.

• Golden Whip Stream: filming location of Journey to the West

Jinbian Stream Gorge is the earliest developed area in the attraction. A clear stream runs through the valley, with towering peaks on both sides and lush greenery as far as the eye can see. This is also one of the filming locations for the classic version of Journey to the West, where fans can come and see iconic scenes such as the Water Curtain Cave and Cleaving the Mountain to Save the Mother.

The Zhangjiajie Seventy-two Strange Towers Attraction is located at No. 1 Wuling Mountain Avenue, with a very advantageous geographical location. It is divided into three major sections: Tiangong Strange Towers, Fireworks Old Street, and Seventy-two Strange Villages. It is known as the "Zhangjiajie Cultural Landmark" and the "New Engine of Night Economy."

Tour Zhangjiajie and visit the Seventy-two Wonderful Towers! The Seventy-two Wonderful Towers deeply implement the core idea of ​​"host-guest sharing and industrial integration" of the whole-region tourism, restore the mysterious legend of "Nine Bows, Eighteen Villages and Seventy-two Wonderful Towers" in Wuling Mountain Area, and create an immersive local style national trend theme Attraction. The project takes the 109.9-meter Guinness World Stilt House and the 360° immersive real-life performance block as the core creativity, and the first food street in Hunan and the One Thousand and One Nights theme hotel as the core business format. It integrates a variety of leisure formats such as characteristic bars, national trend travel photography, intangible cultural heritage workshops, and "Eight Views of Wonderful Towers". There is everything for eating, drinking, playing, and shopping. With cultural empowerment, it creates a model of diversified night economy consumption formats! It has become a milestone in Zhangjiajie's transformation from mountain sightseeing tours to cultural leisure tours!

Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon is located in Cili County, Zhangjiajie City. The canyon features lush vegetation, fresh air, and cascading waterfalls, streams, and springs everywhere, making it a natural oxygen bar. In addition to enjoying the natural scenery, the must-try experience at the attraction is the Glass Bridge — Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (Glass Bridge). Standing on the bridge, you can take in the canyon floor nearly 300 m below, a true test for your heart.

There are direct buses from Zhangjiajie city center and Wulingyuan attraction to the Grand Canyon, taking about 20-30 minutes to arrive. Upon entering the attraction, the first thing that catches your eye is the glass bridge spanning both sides of the canyon. The bridge deck is entirely paved with transparent glass. Friends who love taking photos can lie on the bridge and start snapping away. When you reach Yixiantian (One Line of Sky), you can get up close and personal with the canyon's cliffs. Continue walking forward, take the slide down to the bottom of the mountain, and then board a cruise to exit the attraction.

Huanglong Cave is renowned for its lofty caverns, deep underground rivers, and dense stalagmites. The cave is adorned with various stalactites such as stone milk and stone pillars, which appear vibrant under the lighting. Particularly notable is the iconic attraction "Sea-fixing needle": Nearly 20 m tall, thick at both ends and thin in the middle, with the thinnest part measuring only approx. 10 cm in diameter. It is estimated to have grown for nearly 200,000 years and is still slowly 'growing taller'. The attraction once invested heavily in insuring it, demonstrating its rarity.

After passing the ticket office of Huanglong Cave, there is still some distance before entering the cave. Besides the long corridor for queuing, there is also a spectacular group of interconnected waterwheels. This attraction fully utilizes the underground water resources of the cave, featuring waterwheels with various functions, shapes, and purposes, such as grinding flour and irrigation. With designs ranging from pagodas to mechanical types, the exquisite craftsmanship resembles a real-life "Mohist mechanical city," leaving visitors in awe.

Huanglong Cave covers a vast area, stretching approx. 7 km in total length with a vertical height of over 100 m inside the cave. The entire cave features interconnected chambers and underground rivers. Travelers can admire a large quantity of stalactites in various forms such as stone milk, stone pillars, stalagmites, stone curtains, stone pianos, and stone flowers. Among them, the most distinctive is the iconic attraction inside the cave – Sea-fixing needle", thick at both ends and thin in the middle, is estimated to have grown for two hundred thousand years.

The "land-and-water" sightseeing route in the cave is particularly fascinating. Travelers first explore on foot, then board a cruise at the dock by the underground river to admire the scenic views and spectacular stalagmites along the waterway. The cruise lasts about 15 mins. After disembarking, the walking tour continues, leading to a magical cave waterfall. The route is one-way, with the exit located near but separate from the entrance.

The Bailong Elevator connects major attractions such as Golden Whip Stream, Yuanjiajie attraction, and Tianzi Mountain scenic area within Zhangjiajie National Forest Park into a single entity. From near the Golden Whip Stream Grand Canyon to Yuanjiajie attraction, hiking uphill takes about 2 hours, while taking the elevator at "Water Winding Around Four Gates" takes only about 1 minute to arrive.

The lower station of Bailong Elevator is located at the "Shuirao Simen" attraction (about 300 m away) near the "Jinbianxi Grand Canyon," and the upper station is in the Yuanjiajie scenic area. The elevator has a vertical drop of 335 m and an operating height of 326 m, consisting of a shaft inside the mountain body and a derrick attached to the mountain. Three elevators run side by side, each made entirely of transparent glass. While riding the elevator, visitors can enjoy one of Zhangjiajie's greatest spectacles through the glass: the Gathering of Divine Soldiers. The Gathering of Divine Soldiers is located directly opposite Bailong Elevator and consists of dozens of relatively independent stone peaks.

Located in the northwestern part of Hunan Province lies Wulingyuan. A part of the Wulingyuan District of Zhangjiajie City, this area is home to many natural attractions, such as the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park as well as three national Geoparks: the Suoxiyu, Tianzishan, and the Yangjiajie. There is spectacular scenery to be enjoyed, and all year round, at the Wulingyuan Scenic Spot; it's like a Penglai Wonderland. For those who enjoy long walks, they will not be disappointed by the abundance of dense forests and high mountain peaks that are ready to be explored. The changing cloudscapes provide an ever-changing view.

The Tianmen Mountain Cableway is located in Zhangjiajie's Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park. The cableway has three stations: lower, middle, and upper. The lower station is in Guanliping, Yongding District (within the city), while the upper station is at the mountaintop, providing access to attractions like the Ghost Valley Plank Walk and the Tianmen Mountain Glass Walkway. The middle station serves as a transfer hub where visitors can switch to eco-friendly shuttle buses heading to Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park - Tianmen Cave. The cableway stations feature a white-and-green color scheme, symbolizing clouds and nature, creating a magnificent yet elegant structure. Visitors can enjoy panoramic views of Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park - Tianmen Cave during the cableway ride.

Tianmen Cave, located in the central part of Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park, is an underground karst cave on the edge of a plateau. Due to the pressure, collapse, and erosion caused by the synclinal tectonic forces, rock layers at both the north and south ends collapsed. Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park was formerly known as Songliang Mountain. In the sixth year of Yong'an (263 AD) during the Three Kingdoms period, the mountain suddenly opened up a sheer cliff, forming a mysterious gate-like opening, creating a rare world wonder – Tianmen Cave. Emperor Sun Xiu of Wu considered this an auspicious omen and renamed Songliang Mountain to Tianmen Mountain. Tianmen Cave is 131.5 meters high, 57 meters wide, and 60 meters deep. Opening from the north and south sides of a sheer cliff, it seems to soar into the sky, its appearance ever-changing, like a bright mirror inlaid on the azure sky. Year-round, white clouds and purple mist rise and swirl, creating a magnificent and awe-inspiring sight. It is a rare high-altitude natural karst cave in the world.

"At the beginning of the mountain, at the beginning of the water. The beauty of the strange peaks is at ease, and the mountains and rivers are like a book. Mandarin ducks coo, ducks coo. The goddess is lingering in the coo, and Baofeng enters Cuihu." Holy mountain, holy water, saint, holy love, holy song. Baofeng Lake, a holy lake in the sky, is a lake hanging on the top of Zhangjiajie's landform.

Baofeng Lake is the soul of Zhangjiajie's landscape, and is also known as the "classic of the world's lakes". It is located in Wulingyuan, Zhangjiajie. It is one of the first national 5A-level Attraction and an integral part of the world natural heritage Wulingyuan Scenic Area. It is one of the first batch of China's world natural heritage sites and China's first batch of world geological parks. It is the real-life filming location for TV series such as "Journey to the West" Water Curtain Cave and "Xiangxi Bandit Suppression". It is one of the five boutique tourist routes promoted by the Zhangjiajie Municipal Government. It is a scenic spot dominated by mountains and waters in Zhangjiajie, and is known as the Fairyland on Earth.

As you step into Baofeng Lake, you will immediately see the magnificent Baofeng Waterfall. In front of the waterfall is a natural green landscape stage, the venue for the Chinese Folk Song Festival, and the large-scale landscape performance of the Tima Sacred Song. The performance uses music, dance and other artistic techniques to express the origin, war, migration, production and life of the Tujia people, a glorious national epic.

Go up the ladder, walk across the Happiness Bridge, climb up the Hero Slope, and you will see the high gorge and flat lake. The clear water is surrounded by strange peaks, lush trees, and small islands covered with green, like green pearls, adding a bit of magical charm to the mountains and lakes. "A mirror is hidden deep in the mountains, and moved around the Three Gorges. When the Cruise enters the high mountains, it startles the mandarin ducks to fly in pairs." This is a true portrayal of the scenery of Baofeng Lake. Surrounded by green mountains and a pool of clear water, it is clear enough to reflect people, peaceful and quiet. Boating here is refreshing. There is a saying: "The clear water dyes the mountains green, and the faces of peach blossoms are reflected in the water."

In addition to the beautiful natural scenery, the pure and authentic Tujia folk songs, like the sounds of nature, looming in the lake, mysterious and romantic, have become another beautiful scenery of Baofeng Lake. When the Cruise rowed to the center of the lake and approached A-mei's boat, tourists could invite the shy and delicate Tujia girl with warm applause. The sweet singing voice was pleasing to the ears, and the lingering love song duet kicked off. Tourists were also excited to sing folk songs with A-mei, conveying feelings with songs and establishing love with songs. This is a chance for single men to show their skills, because as long as they can sing three folk songs, they have a chance to win the beauty.

When boating on Baofeng Lake, you can also enjoy the peacock spreading its tail, the golden toad holding the moon, the half-faced Bajie, the mandarin duck bay and other scenic spots. Of course, the most amazing thing is the Baofeng Goddess. The masterpiece of the gods and the lifelike goddess interpret a touching love story - a long time ago, in the mysterious Greater Xiangxi, a pair of lovers fell deeply in love. Their love that transcended the secular world was punished by the "clan rules". The handsome brother was turned into a frog in Baofeng Lake by witchcraft and could never be a human being... The sister learned that she only needed a passionate kiss to turn the brother back into a human being, but the price was to exchange her own life. The sister came to Baofeng Lake without hesitation, but the brother would not allow the sister to sacrifice herself no matter what... The sister waited for the brother to change his mind, and the brother hoped that the sister could find her own happiness as soon as possible... In this way, they stayed together for a thousand years for each other... The Baofeng Goddess used her story to inspire people that true love is for each other and to make each other live better.

Located within the Suoxiyu Attraction Attraction , the Ten-Mile Gallery is one of its highlights. Along its five-kilometer-long valley, wildflowers and trees abound, while in the distance, unique peaks and rocks appear. Walking through it, visitors feel like stepping into a natural landscape painting, completely captivated by the pristine natural beauty.

The rocks Souvenir the gallery have formed many stone sculptures that resemble people, objects, birds and animals. Among them, "The God of Longevity Welcoming Guests", "Seniors Collecting Herbs", "Reading Books to the King" and "Conch Peak" are popular among tourists.

Tianmen Mountain Glass Plank RoadIt is the most distinctive tourist trail in Tianmenshan National Forest Park. The glass plank road is divided into three parts: the west line glass plank road, the east line glass plank road and the Panlong Cliff glass plank road. To play on the glass plank road, you need to pay a 5 yuan plank road service fee (i.e. shoe cover fee) on site.

Tianmen Mountain Glass Plank RoadThey are all built on cliffs, and the roads are all made of transparent glass. When you walk on them, you can see the abyss under your feet. While you are frightened, you can also feel the joy of walking in the air.On sunny days, the reflections of the blue sky and white clouds cover the entire plank road, making people feel nervous about the transparency of their feet, but also enjoy the pleasure of walking on the clouds; on foggy weather, the glass plank road appears and disappears in the fog, and the beautiful scenery of heaven on earth is even more amazing.

The glass plank road is another daring masterpiece created by Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain Attraction after the Guigu plank road hanging on the cliff, the glass observation deck extending out of the air, and the wooden suspension bridge across the canyon. In order to allow tourists to see the beautiful scenery through the glass plank road without any flaws, tourists playing on the glass plank road are required to wear shoe covers to keep the glass plank road transparent and clean. The excitement and shock of the glass plank road can be compared with the world-famous "Sky Road" glass corridor in the Grand Canyon of the United States, so it has the reputation of "Sky Road" in the East.