2010 Latest Recommended Tourist Attractions in Zhangjiajie. Detailed Explanation of Classic Attractions
Recommended Tourist Attractions in Zhangjiajie. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was approved in 1982 by the State Planning Commission under the authorization of the State Council, becoming China's first national forest park. In 1983, the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Management Office was established, administering Zhangjiajie Village and Yuanjiajie Village on behalf of the government. The park covers a total area of 4,810 hectares, with a forest coverage rate of 98% and a timber volume of 350,000 cubic meters. The park combines "majesty, wonder, seclusion, wildness, and elegance" into one. The park has opened up premium...
Recommended Tourist Attractions in Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was approved in 1982 by the State Planning Commission under the authorization of the State Council, becoming China's first national forest park. In 1983, the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Management Office was established, administering Zhangjiajie Village and Yuanjiajie Village on behalf of the government. The park covers a total area of 4,810 hectares, with a forest coverage rate of 98% and a timber volume of 350,000 cubic meters. The park combines "majesty, wonder, seclusion, wildness, and elegance" into one. The park has opened up premium tour routes including Huangshizhai, Golden Whip Stream, Yaozizhai, and Yuanjiajie, with over 130 highlight attractions. The park not only features extraordinary natural scenery but also boasts exceptionally rich flora and fauna resources. There are 93 families and 517 species of woody plants, 720 species of ornamental plants, 41 species of birds in 13 families, and 28 species of mammals, earning it the titles of "Natural Botanical Garden" and "Animal Kingdom." With the continuous development of the tourism industry, the park is constantly undergoing new changes. Since its establishment, it has received 16 million domestic and international visitors and generated 2.7 billion RMB in tourism revenue.
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is renowned for its wondrous peaks, its secluded valleys, and its elegant forests. Three thousand stone peaks rise from the ground at steep angles, each with a different shape, with deep valleys and babbling streams among the peak forests. In spring, mountain flowers bloom in profusion with fragrant scents; in summer, cool breezes blow gently, making it the ideal place to escape the heat; in autumn, red leaves cover the mountains with fruit hanging from branches; in winter, it is wrapped in silver, with snow-white peaks all around. The park has pleasant weather year-round with ever-changing scenery, making it an ideal destination for tourism, vacation, and leisure.
Three thousand wondrous peaks and eight hundred beautiful waters unfold the legend of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and showcase the beauty of nature. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park welcomes you with open arms!
Recommended Tourist Attractions in Zhangjiajie:
Recommended Tourist Attraction in Zhangjiajie No. 1: Zhangjiajie Forest Park
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park has over three thousand wondrous peaks and extraordinary rocks, resembling people or objects with both spirit and form—some rugged, some intricate, some bizarrely unique, some mysterious, with a blend of simplicity and slight wildness, and a mix of ferocity and charm. With precipitous cliffs and elegant grandeur, Zhangjiajie combines six wonders—wondrous mountains, waters, rocks, clouds, animals, and plants—into one, and gathers five excellences—beauty, primitiveness, tranquility, completeness, and freshness—into one body. It embraces the scenery of north and south and combines the beauty of all mountains. It is a labyrinth of nature and the original of Chinese painting! The forest coverage rate in the park reaches 97.7%, and all five of the world's major plant families are found here. In terms of tree species, there are 93 families and 157 species, twice as many as in all of Europe; moreover, there are many rare and precious tree species, such as dove tree, Chinese tulip tree, eucommia, and ginkgo. The flowers in the park are also very beautiful and unique, such as the five-colored flower that can change into five colors in a day, and the Zhangjiajie-exclusive lobster flower.
Recommended Attractions in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (1) Huangshizhai
It is named after an ancient Taoist named Huang Shigong who lived in seclusion here. It stands at an altitude of 1,080 meters and is a platform supported by numerous cliffs, higher in the south and lower in the north, covering an area of 16.5 hectares. This scenic area is the essence of the Zhangjiajie tourism area and the place where Zhangjiajie gathers its wonders. Its main attractions include: Heavenly Book Treasure Box, Stabilizing Sea Needle, Southern Sky Pillar, Golden Sea Probing Turtle, and more. Because of the wondrous mountains, waters, rocks, clouds, forests, and animals here, a Six Wonders Pavilion was also built on the summit. Standing on the platform and gazing into the distance, one can see countless scenes of distant peaks and nearby valleys, with the Thousand-Mile Meeting Peak, Cloud-Piercing Cave, and others all visible at a glance. Looking east, one can see the forest of peaks on both sides of Golden Whip Stream, like a tray of exquisite jade—truly a feast for the eyes. Only then can one experience the feeling that without visiting Huangshizhai, one has wasted a trip to Zhangjiajie.
Recommended Attraction in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (2) Golden Whip Stream
Located in the eastern part of the forest park, with a total length of 15 li, it flows from Laomowan to Shuiraosimen and through Suoxi into the Lishui River, one of the four major river systems in Hunan. It is named after the Golden Whip Rock by the stream. This scenic area features continuous stone peaks and plunging waterfalls. The stream winds through deep ravines and secluded valleys, with thousands of peaks standing on both sides, towering into the clouds, and dense trees blocking the sun. Here, the stream babbles, waterfalls cascade like glass, and rare flowers and grasses coexist with rare birds and animals, forming an extremely beautiful, quiet, and natural ecological environment. It is called "the most beautiful canyon in the world" and "the most poetic stream."
Recommended Attraction in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (3) Tianzi Mountain
Tianzi Mountain stands at an altitude of 1,262.5 meters, towering over all others with its height. Legend has it that it was named after Xiang Dakun, a Tujia leader in the Song Dynasty, who led an uprising here and called himself "Heavenly King." Viewing the scenery from Tianzi Mountain offers a broad field of vision, majestic momentum, and rich layers, especially for watching peaks, sunrises, mist, and snow. Hence the saying, "After seeing Tianzi Mountain, no other mountains are worth seeing." There are also vast stretches of primitive secondary forest here, with rare flowers and unusual trees everywhere, and rare birds and animals seen at every turn.
Recommended Attraction in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (4) Ten-Mile Gallery
It is a high mountain canyon over 6 kilometers long. This canyon features overlapping wondrous peaks and a forest of grotesque rocks. On both sides of the canyon, peaks stand in solemn array with different shapes, forming a vivid natural sculpture painting. After touring it, the poet Li Shengming wrote: "Wondrous peaks vie to rise and stir the long sky, with a hundred forms and thousand postures from the work of creation. In the elegant valley and clear stream along ten li of road, how many visitors are within the gallery." The sculptor Qian Shaowu called it "a corridor displaying a group of masterpieces of natural sculpture." Along the way, one can see sights such as Zhuan Ge Lou, Fierce Tiger Roaring at the Sky, and Old Man Rock. Among them, the Herb-Gathering Old Man and the Immortals Worshipping Guanyin on both sides of the canyon are the best attractions.
Recommended Attraction in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (5) Yuanjiajie
Yuanjiajie is located in the northern part of Zhangjiajie Forest Park and is a pearl set in the core scenic area of Wulingyuan. The name Yuanjiajie is said to originate from the late Tang period. After the failure of Huang Chao's uprising, the court posted notices everywhere to arrest rebels in order to thoroughly eliminate dissidents. At that time, one of Huang Chao's generals, surnamed Yuan, came to this remote deep mountain wilderness—Qingyan Mountain—to live in seclusion in order to avoid capture. He built a hut here, cleared land and planted grain, and named the place after his own surname, calling it "Yuanjiajie." The scenery of Yuanjiajie is known for its majesty, wonder, steepness, and ruggedness. Along the more than ten-li mountain touring path, the scenery is too numerous to count. There is a village on the mountain, where dozens of Tujia families have lived for generations among the green mountains and clear waters. They are hardworking and kind, and contend with no one. On the outer walls of their homes hang strings of fiery red chili peppers, strings of sweet potatoes, and potatoes; inside, on the heated kang, are dazzling arrays of cured meat, cured fish, sausages, cured tofu, and more. If you are fortunate enough to be a guest in their home, you will enjoy a kind of honor and privilege you have never experienced before. The mouth-watering Ten Great Bowls and the Tujia rice wine with an inviting mellow fragrance will make you dream of home and never forget it!
Recommended Attraction in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (6) Yangjiajie
Legend has it that when the Yang family generals of the Northern Song Dynasty besieged Xiang Wang Tianzi, they once set up camp at Tianzi Mountain. Later, because the war dragged on for a long time, the Yang family multiplied here, making this place "Yangjiajie." Today, Yangjiajie still preserves the Yang Family Genealogy and the Yang family ancestral tombs from the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as place names such as "Tianbo Mansion," "Liulang Bay," "Qilang Bay," and "Zongbao Bay."
Here there are eight stone peaks arranged on three sides, magnificent in momentum and grand in appearance. Legend says that when the Yang family generals were stationed at Yangjiajie, they held only one military meeting, after which they went off in different directions to fight. After they died, they turned into eight stone peaks standing here to commemorate that military meeting.
The place names and mountain names of Yangjiajie are also very distinctive. Place names and mountain names such as "Zongbao Peak," "Liulang Bay," and "Yangjiajie" were given by the descendants of the Yang family generals living here to commemorate them, and for over a thousand years they have remained unchanged. Therefore, when touring Yangjiajie, you can not only enjoy the primitive natural scenery here but also trace the footsteps of the descendants of the Yang family generals.
Two, Attractions Around Zhangjiajie
Recommended Attraction Around Zhangjiajie (7) Zhangjiajie's Beautiful New Legend—Tianmen Mountain
The uplift of Tianmen Mountain began with the Yanshan Movement, and after the Himalayan orogeny and then wind and rain erosion, it formed a karst platform landform standing alone in the sky. It is famous throughout the world especially for the world's rare natural wonder, Tianmen Cave. Tianmen Mountain is high and precipitous, steep and towering, with majestic and magnificent scenery, and the sights change in countless ways throughout the four seasons. The summit area of Tianmen Mountain is nearly 2 square kilometers, preserving complete primitive secondary forest, rich in plant resources, with many precious plant species under state protection, and even rare and uncommon primitive alpine dove tree communities, with a forest coverage rate of over 90%. Among them are ancient trees reaching the sky, tangled vines, moss everywhere, and stone bamboo shoots and stone buds at every step. Everywhere is like a naturally formed bonsai, just like a fairyland, praised as a most beautiful sky garden. Tianmen Cave opens north and south on a sheer wall of a thousand fathoms, magnificent and grand, and because its scenery is unpredictable and shrouded in mist and clouds all year round, it appears even more mysterious and wondrous.
Tianmen Mountain has always been regarded by the local people as a sacred mountain and holy mountain. Many magical legends have been passed down through the ages, and it is praised as the "First Sacred Mountain of Xiangxi" and the "Soul of Wuling." Tianmen Mountain has now built and opened the world's longest high-mountain sightseeing cableway, the Tianmen Mountain Cableway, and the Tongtian Avenue, known as the "Number One Highway Wonder in the World." These two projects are magnificent, thrilling, and extraordinary, leaving people deeply awestruck and adding another world-class wonder to Tianmen Mountain.
Recommended Attraction Around Zhangjiajie (8) Underground Magic Palace—Yellow Dragon Cave
Yellow Dragon Cave is a typical karst landform. It has now been surveyed to have a total area of 48 hectares, a total length of 15 kilometers, and a vertical height of 140 meters. It is divided into two layers of dry cave and two layers of water cave. In Yellow Dragon Cave, there are caves within caves and rivers within caves. Stalactites, stalagmites, stone flowers, stone curtains, stone branches, stone tubes, stone pearls, stone corals, and other cave landscapes formed by the condensation of calcareous solutions are found throughout, with nothing that is not wondrous and no wonder that is not present, as if it were a magical underground "magic palace."
With its high and broad cave chambers, deep dark river, suspended waterfalls, and dense stalagmites and other top-grade tourism resources, Yellow Dragon Cave constitutes a uniquely distinctive underground cave palace both domestically and internationally. The investigation conclusions of more than 70 experts from Chinese and foreign geological circles are: Yellow Dragon Cave includes almost all the contents of caves and is the "all-around champion" of the world's karst caves.
Recommended Attraction Around Zhangjiajie (9) Mortal Jade Pool—Baofeng Lake
World Natural Heritage—Baofeng Lake: known as a "world classic lake," it is located in the core area of the Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area in Zhangjiajie, 8 km from Tianzi Mountain, 1.5 km from the Wulingyuan District government, and 8 km from Yellow Dragon Cave. Baofeng Lake Scenic Area combines mountains and waters into one and blends folk customs into one, and is especially famous for the wondrous and beautiful high-gorge flat-lake scenery, the Baofeng Flying Waterfall that "flies down three thousand feet," and the mysterious ancient temple deep in the mountains. As the saying goes: "The emerald waters dye the mountains green, and peach-blossom faces reflect red in the water.
Recommended Attraction Around Zhangjiajie (10) China's Most Beautiful Small Town—Elegant and Refined Fenghuang
This "Fenghuang Ancient Town," once called one of China's most beautiful small towns by New Zealand writer Rewi Alley, was built during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. This "Pearl of Xiangxi" is truly "small," so small that within the town there is only one decent east-west main street, but it is a green corridor. As the sun sets in the west, many women by the bridge and banks are washing clothes with wooden clubs, and the rhythmic pat-pat sound ripples out with the water. Naughty children strip completely naked and play in the water, and some girls soak their bodies in the shallows to enjoy the gentle caress of the flowing water. Along the banks there are also many students sketching, adding another scenic touch to the small town.
The most famous part of Fenghuang Ancient Town is the rows of antique stilted houses rich in Tujia charm, but most of the stilted houses by the river are no longer there. Only at Huilong Pool are more than ten old houses still preserved, with slender wooden pillars standing in the river, supporting a heavy stretch of history.
This place is not only beautiful in scenery but also produces outstanding people and many famous worthies. To uphold national dignity, Tian Xingxu, a first-rank imperial commissioner and Guizhou provincial military commander, angrily executed lawless foreign missionaries; Zheng Guohong, a national hero who fought the British in bloody battle at Dinghai and whose fame lasts forever; Xiong Xiling, the first democratically elected cabinet premier of the Republic of China and "Hunan prodigy"; the literary giant Shen Congwen; and the master of Chinese painting Huang Yongyu.