Overview
The beautiful mountains in China’s Zhangjiajie Nation Park are like gigantic pillars and give an illusion of floating mountains.
The magical landscape of the sandstone peaks in Zhanjiajie National Park offer some stunning views, with densely forested mountains and meandering rivers.
History
This characteristic feature of the mountains is primarily due to the moist weather.
The near-constant moisture in the air results in dense vegetation.
In turn, this tree cover, in addition the to the winter ice, which cause erosion of the mountains, giving them their unique shape.
Inspiring Legends
The notable mountain peak, Hallelujah Mountain, was so named in honor of providing inspiration for the visual backdrop for Pandora in the blockbuster movie Avatar.
The Golden Whip Peak is named after a magic whip flung by a powerful emperor, according to legend.
The highest peak of the range of mountains is the Tianzi Mountain, which gets its name from a local farmer calling himself Tianzi – meaning Son of Heaven – who led a revolution against the Ming Dynasty.
Highlights
The fantastic mountain peaks involve a cable car ride and walking over cliffs and pathways on the narrow mountains.
At over 4900 feet, the Tianmen Mountain offers walks along the cliffs going around the mountain, and is quite exhilarating.
The narrow, quartz-sandstone mountain peak make for a spectacular terrain, now recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site.
These distinct peaks also find a place in traditional Chinese art.
The Zhangjiajie Mountains are spread across the Zhanjiajie National Park, and have five notable areas including Yuangjiajie, Golden Whip Stream, Huangshizhai, Yangjiajie and Yaozizhai.
Hiking
The best way to explore the exciting mountains of Zhanjiajie is to hike along the multitude of pathways along the peaks.
Huang Shi Zhai is the highest area of the mountains, accessible by a stairway.
The spiky columns of Yupi Feng are hundreds of feet high and make for spectacular viewing.
The Xianren Qia is a natural bridge over a deep chasm, offering exciting views at various view points, in addition to offering an adventurous walk.
A similarly stunning natural bridge on the hiking trails also offers great views.
Flora and Fauna
There are more than 2000 sandstone peaks, and this peculiar terrain is home to over 500 species of wildlife, birds and plant life.
These mountains house the rare Dove tree – considered a living fossil by virtue of being around for more than 2.5 million years. Also found are the uniquely shaped lobster flowers and Chinese chestnut trees.
Notable among the birds are the exquisitely colourful water birds, which live right on the mountain tops.
Among the 116 types of animals living in the Zhanjiajie Mountains, rhesus monkeys, macaque monkeys, and anteaters are found most commonly in the mountains.
Accessibility
You can choose to hike up to the mountains from the trails.
Alternatively, you could catch a bus from Zhanjiajie city to the Zhanjiajie National Forest Park, and then get on to the cable car to the mountains.
The cable car is open during winters as well, thus ensuring accessibility during off-season too.
Touring Zhangjiajie with IntoChinaTravel
We aim to give you the best travel experience possible in Zhangjiajie.
Our most popular Zhangjiajie Tours for your reference:
3-Day Zhangjiajie Tour — Zhangjiajie National Park, Grand Canyon and Tianmen Mountain Tour
4-Day Zhangjjajie Tour — Zhangjiajie National Park, Grand Canyon and Tianmen Mountain Tour, Baofeng Lake, Yellow Dragon Cave
We can also customize your trip, contact us and tell us your requirements and we will tailor-make a Zhangjiajie tour for you.
