Zhangjiajie

In depth

Zhangjiajie, originally named Dayong City, was renamed in 1994 for tourism purposes and is the first city in China named after a tourist attraction. Located in the heart of the Wuling Mountains in western Hunan Province, it holds multiple statuses, including World Natural Heritage sites, World Geoparks, and one of the first national 5A-level tourist attractions. This land boasts over 3,000 quartz sandstone peaks and more than 800 streams, praised as an "expanded bonsai, a miniature fairyland," and was the inspiration for the floating mountain in the movie "Avatar."
Wulingyuan Core Scenic Area
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is China's first national forest park. Within the scenic area, Yuanjiajie is the prototype for Hallelujah Mountain in 'Avatar.' The Pillar of Heaven and Earth stands majestically, and the Maze Terrace offers panoramic views of the peaks and forests. Tianzi Mountain is renowned as the 'King of Peaks and Forests,' with an elevation of 1,262 meters, making it an excellent place to watch the sea of clouds and sunrise. Jinbian Creek is 7.5 kilometers long, with crystal-clear water, strange peaks lining both banks, and monkeys playing among them. The scenic area also features the Bailong Heavenly Ladder, the world's highest outdoor elevator, which climbs over 300 meters in just over a minute.
Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park
Tianmen Mountain has an elevation of 1518.6 meters and is named after the natural karst cave at the summit, Tianmen Cave. To reach Tianmen Mountain, you need to take the world's longest high-altitude passenger cable car, which is 7,455 meters long, offering panoramic views of the city and mountains along the way. The glass walkway at the summit hangs 1,430 meters high, and the abyss below is breathtakingly deep. The 999-step ladder leading to Tianmen Cave is a popular spot for self-challenge and blessing and wish-making. Tianmen Cave is also famous worldwide for its airplane crossing performance.
Grand Canyon and Karst Cave Wonders
The Yuntiandu Glass Bridge in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon is 430 meters long, with the bridge deck about 300 meters above the valley floor. It is entirely paved with transparent glass, making it the world's longest and tallest pedestrian glass bridge. Standing on the bridge, you can take in the canyon scenery, where thrills and grandeur coexist. Huanglong Cave is one of the largest karst caves in Asia, filled with stalagmites, stalactites, and stone flowers, stretching about 30 kilometers in total. Baofeng Lake is known as the "Jade Pool on Earth," with waters as emerald green as jade, surrounded by strange peaks, making a boat tour feel like stepping into a painting.
Ethnic Culture and Performing Arts
Zhangjiajie is the main settlement area for the Tujia and Miao ethnic groups, with a rich and diverse ethnic culture. After nightfall, Xibu Old Street is brightly lit, with song and dance performances and authentic snacks intertwining to create a strong lively local atmosphere. The large-scale landscape live performance "Tianmen Fox Immortal" uses Tianmen Mountain as the backdrop to portray the classic legend of Liu Hai chopping wood; The indoor grand play "Charming Xiangxi" showcased the charm of Xiangxi through authentic ecological songs, dances, and thrilling acrobatics, with every show fully occupied; "Zhangjiajie Eternal Love" condenses millennia-old culture onto a stunning stage. Enjoying the mountains and rivers during the day and watching grand operas at night has become a unique way to travel in Zhangjiajie.
Authentic local cuisine
Tujia Sanxia Guo is a signature dish of Zhangjiajie, originating from a farewell banquet for Ming dynasty soldiers fighting against the Japanese pirates. Choose any three dishes such as cured meat, pork intestines, or pork tripe, and stew them to create a fragrant, spicy, and rich flavor. Rock Ear Stewed Free-Range Chicken is a mountain delicacy—rock fungus grows attached to sheer cliffs, is difficult to pick, and after slow stewing with native chicken, the broth turns golden, clear, and fresh, mellow, and sweet. In addition, there are local snacks such as Tujia cured pork, drum skin cakes, cili rice noodles, and pig brain cold noodles, each with its own unique sour, spicy, and savory flavors.
Zhangjiajie is suitable all year round—enjoy the blooming mountain flowers in spring, enjoy the coolness of the canyon in summer, admire the vibrant forests in autumn, and admire the snowy peaks and rime in winter. No matter when you visit, this fairyland of three thousand wondrous peaks and eight hundred streams will greet every traveler from afar with its own unique appearance.