Zhangjiajie, located in Hunan Province, central part of China, has become a super-hot travel destination in recent years. How and why? One reason is that it boats of strange-shaped peaks and rocks, hidden valleys, wandering waters and limestone caves.

The Hallelujah Mountain in the film Avatar is enlightened by one peak in Zhangjiajie. Also, Zhangjiajie owns several world’s No.1s: the fastest and highest outdoor sightseeing elevator - Bailong Elevator, the longest passenger cable way - Tianmen Mountain Cable Way, and the highest and longest glass bridge - Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge. You can never find such a place similar to Zhangjiajie on the earth. As the core attraction in Zhangjiajie and also the first national forest park in China, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park boasts thousands of peaks, caves, lakes and waterfalls, thus get the reputation of “owning 3,000 unique peaks and 800 scenic lakes”.

All of these cover 48 sq. km (18.5 sq.mi) that you need at least 1 day for a brief tour, while 2 - 4 days are best for a thorough trip. The admission ticket of the park is valid for 4 days, friendly for those who want to have an in-depth tour. Below are the top scenic sites inside: 

Yuanjiajie, along with Tianzi Mountain, rank among the 2 most important attractions in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. By taking the fastest and highest elevator in the world - Bailong Elevator, you can get to the summit of Yuanjiajie within 1.5 minutes. It also has the prototype of Hallelujah Mountain in Avatar - 150-meter-high (490 feet) Qiankunzhu Peak.

There is a 20-meter-long (65 ft), 1.5 - 3-meter-wide (5 - 10 ft), and 5-meter-thick (16 ft) No.1 Stone Bridge in the world, standing at the height of 350 meters (1,150 ft) and linking 2 peaks together. Local saying has it that walking through the Bridge, you will get longevity and wealth.

Located in the northern part of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianzi Mountain rises 1,262 meters (4,140 feet) above sea level. Due to the many peak forests of various shapes on its 3 sides, the Reserve is also called King of Peak Forests. The peaks have their characteristics, with some like hundred-meter-high pencils, some a group of girls holding flowers, and some generals and soldiers. The most popular tourist sites here are Yellow Dragon Spring, Teaboard Tower, Lao Wu Chang, Feng Qi Mountain and Shi Jia Yan.

Tianzi Mountain Cable Car can help you travel between the mountain foot and summit in 6 minutes for a single trip. When there is misty among mountains, you will feel like flying in the air. 

 

Although not so well equipped with tourism facilities compared with other attractions of the city, Yangjiajie Scenic Area with less tourists may give you better travelling experience. By now, three areas - Xiangzi Stream, Qingfeng Gorge, and Hundred Monkey Valley have been opened. The must-see attractions include: Natural Great Wall – the peak wall groups having longer history than Beijing’s Great Wall and A Step to Heaven Peak with a section of steal vertical ladder leading to the peak. 

The 7.5-km-long (about 4.7 mi) Golden Whip Stream is the most beautiful place in Zhangjiajie Forest Park. Known for its pristine waters, steep cliffs and green mountains, Golden Whip Stream got the name - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The Scenic highlights include Golden Whip Rock, Zicao Pond and Chonghuan Tree. 

Suoxi Valley is on the south side of Tianzi Mountain. It consists of 6 attractions: Baofeng Lake, Yellow Dragon Cave (Huanglong Cave), Shuiraosimen, 10-Mile Gallery, West Sea, and Hundred-Feet Gorge. Among them, the most famous are:

Baofeng Lake – “Classic of All Lakes in the World” is featured by the so-called 'Four Wonders' - Baofeng Lake with 72-meter (236 feet) deep water beneath, Baofeng Waterefall, Yingwo Stronghold and A Gleam of Sky.

Yellow Dragon Cave is the best place in Zhangjiajie to see karst caves. 13 caves have been open to the public and even if the smallest one is 6,000 square meters (7,175 sq. yards) large. The best one is Migong Cave where you can see thousands of stone columns and stone bamboos, as well as waterfalls.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park ticket allows visiting all above attractions except Baofeng Lake and Yellow Dragon Cave, which require separate tickets.

Tianmen Mountain (Heavenly Door) Scenic Area is located in the south suburb of Zhangjiajie City, about 30 km (20 mi) far from Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. It is designated as the second national forest park in Zhangjiajie. Rising nearly 1,520 meters (about 4,987 feet), Tianmen Mountain is the highest peak of the city. Below are some must-see attractions in the Scenic Area:

Tianmen Mountain

 

Tianmen Cave is the most representative sight in the Scenic Area. As the highest natural mountain cave in the world, Tianmen Cave is like a gateway to the sky. It is regarded as a spiritual place for making wishes and praying for blessings like wealth, longevity, and good luck. Between the mountain foot and the Cave, there are 999 staircases, which was reputed as one of the 10 Most Magnificent Staircases in the World.

Tianmen Mountain Cable Way is the longest Tourist Cable Way in the World. It has lower, middle and upper 3 stations and from its middle station and upper station, you can go to Tianmen Cave and Guigu Boardwalk & Glass Walkway separately.

This 10.77-km-long (6.69 mi) twisting mountain road is characterized by thrill and danger. On the one side is steep cliff, and the other is the hundred-meter-deep abyss. If traveling by car, you can experience 99 turns, sometimes with 180 degrees, and the altitude would rise quickly from 200 to 1,300 meters (655 - 4,265 feet).

The Scenic Area has many other sites including Guigu Boardwalk and the transparent Glass Walkway, both of which are set on cliffs above 1,000 meters (3,280 ft), thus a challenge for your courage.

It usually takes you 5 – 7 hours to visit Tianmen Mountain.

Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Scenic Area is about 60 km (37 mi) far from the city center and 40 km (25 mi) to the northeast of the National Forest Park. Wandering on the plank roads in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, big or small waterfalls, meandering streams, dense forests and difform cliffs always accompany you on both sides. In addition, the fresh air must make you refreshed. 

In the Grand Canyon, the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge can’t be missed. The 400-meter-high (1,310 ft) and 370-meter-long (1,210 ft) Bridge has become the highest and the longest glass bridge in the world since being built. Through the transparent glass, the panoramic canyon scenery can be clearly seen beneath.

Other than the Glass Bridge, the spot is famous for a series of other high altitude challenge events including the 260-meter-high (850 ft) bungee jumping, cliff climbing, and ziplines in canyons.

4 hours at least are needed for travelling in the Grand Canyon.

Not far from Zhangjiajie, there are many sites with cultural air worth visiting, like:

It is a small town lived by Miao and Tujia ethnic groups. Many folk residences constructed in Ming and Qing Dynasty (1368 – 1911), ancient streets, and celebrities’ former houses are still preserved.

In Furong Ancient Town, you can see Tujia ethnic group’s traditional wooden residences and folk dancing and song performances, as well as historical palaces.