Do you remember the mesmerizing Pandora from the Avatar movie? In case you didn’t know, James Cameron’s Pandora was inspired by the Wulingyuan Mountain of Zhangjiajie (张家界), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Well, when I first moved to China in late 2017, even I didn’t know much about the Chinese travel attractions. As the time progressed, my love for China kept growing and I found China to be a fascinating country for working/living. In fact, by now, I have been to 46 Chinese cities across the mainland (my trips usually start from Suzhou, my Chinese hometown). Also, in July-2019, I have just finished writing my 3rd book to learn Mandarin Chinese.
As such, travelling to Zhangjiajie was part of my long wish list. Finally, in March 2019, I visited Hunan province of China. It was a bit longer trip and after travelling to Nanyue, I stopped in Zhangjiajie.
- You may also check out the travel reviews of Yueyang city and Changsha (and scenic villages in Anhui province, such as Xidi and Hongcun).
In fact, the most interesting part of my Hunan trip was travelling to Zhangjiajie. It felt like the day spend wandering around the Wulingyuan was one of the finest days of life.
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So in this blog-post, let’s discover Zhangjiajie! In particular, I’d discuss my travelling experience to two main scenic spots in Zhangjiajie, the Tianmen Mountain (天门山) and Wulingyuan (武陵源). Not to mention, these two travel attractions are the top things to do in Zhangjiajie.
Zhangjiajie city brief
Zhangjiajie, formerly known as Dayong City, is a prefecture-level city in Hunan Province. It is located in the northwest of Hunan Province. The city, famous for its skyrocketing mountains, is one of the most important tourist cities in China.
In September 1982, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park became China’s first national forest park. In August 1988, Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic Area was included in the National Key Scenic Spot. In 1992, the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, consisting of three major scenic spots, including Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, was listed by UNESCO as the World Natural Heritage List.
At the end of 2016, the total registered population of the city was 1,708,700, and the resident population was 1,529,100. According to urban and rural areas, the urban population was 704,300, accounting for 46.1%; the rural population was 824,800, accounting for 53.9%. According to gender, there were 773,000 males and 756,100 females.
Zhangjiajie is also a wonderful place to witness China’s ethnic minorities. During the fifth census, there were 33 ethnic minorities in Zhangjiajie City, mainly Tujia, Bai and Miao. The minority population was 1,152,500, accounting for 77.19% of the total population. At the end of 2006, there were 1,016,600 Tujia, 11,21 Bai and 26,700 Miao.
Zhangjiajie weather
Zhangjiajie has a moderate climate due to its location in the north-middle latitude. It is a prototypical monsoon humid climate in the mid-subtropical mountains. Therefore, the rainfall is abundant (the average annual precipitation is 1400 mm), the sunshine is well-enough, the frost-free period is long, the cold period is short, and the annual average temperature is about 16.6 °C. In August, the extreme temperature is around 37.2 °C. The coldest month in winter, January, is about 0 to 4.5 °C. The urban area of Zhangjiajie is 183 meters above sea level, and the average elevation of the scenic spot is 1000 meters. Due to this difference, the temperature difference between day and night could be as much as 10 °C.
Getting to Zhangjiajie – Bus and railway stations
During my trip, I took a bus from Fenghuang to Zhangjiajie. It was about 2 hours long scenic bus drive.
As such, there seems to be no high-speed trains to Zhangjiajie. You can take the slow-speed train or bus. There are direct trains to Zhangjiajie from many cities, including from Changsha. The following railway stations serve the city-
- Zhangjiajie North Railway Station (张家界北站) – far from the scenic areas,
- Zhangjiajie Railway Station (张家界站).
The Zhangjiajie Railway Station is located right in the city center. The station, situated between Wulingyuan and Tianmen mountain, is more close to the Tianmen. In fact, the cable car (to Tianmen mountain) ticket office is right behind the railway station. As such, if you are traveling to Zhangjiajie to explore the travel attractions, you’d better choose a train to/from the Zhangjiajie Railway Station.
Zhangjiajie hotels
There are a lot of hotels (and hostels) in the city. You may choose to stay anywhere you like. I was staying with the Hostel Geographer, very close to the Zhangjiajie Railway Station. Here is the address in English and Chinese-
- Hostel Geographer Address: The last line of Pengjiapu Community, Guanli, Road, Yongding District, Yong Ding, Zhangjiajie, 427000, China. Phone: +86 173 4269 3636
- 地理学家旅舍, 永定区官黎路彭家铺小区最后一排, 永定区, 张家界市
Also, there are so many eateries nearby, the railway station is also near. Moreover, the bus station to get to the Wulingyuan is also not far. Overall, I had a good time staying at the Hostel Geographer.
Zhangjiajie transportation
There are a good number of buses serving the city. Although, Wulingyuan is slightly far from the city center, you can get the minibuses from the bus station behind the railway station (to Wulingyuan for RMB 15 or so). It takes about 50 minutes to get to the Wulingyuan from the bus station. Keep in mind that the Baidu Map was not able to provide me direction for the minibuses; however, it would definitely help you to navigate the city.
Top things to do in Zhangjiajie city, Hunan province
Now let’s go through some of the top things to do in Zhangjiajie. I’ll mainly talk about the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, Tianmen Shan and Zhangjiajie Grand Theatre.
Wulingyuan
Well, the Wulingyuan Scenic Area (武陵源风景名胜区) is located in the northwestern part of Hunan Province in central China. Wulingyuan is located at the junction of quartz sandstone and limestone. The large-scale limestone karst landforms in the northern part of the scenic spot have been eroded and dissolved by the transition of hundreds of millions of years of rivers, forming numerous caves, skylights and springs.
The forest coverage rate of Wulingyuan Scenic Area is about 67%. There are more than 400 species of wild animals and more than 850 species of woody plants. There are many types of animal, including leopard, macaque, and pangolin. There are 5 kinds of national first-class protection plants such as Paulownia, Bole tree, and Southern Yew, and 16 kinds of secondary protection plants such as Yew, Eucommia, and Magnolia.
Wulingyuan is also known by other names, such as the maze of nature, the museum of geology, the kingdom of forests, the gardens of plants, and the paradise of wildlife. No wonder, it was included in the first batch of national AAAAA-level tourist attractions in 2007.
The best time to visit Wulingyuan is April and October.
By train, you can reach Zhangjiajie Railway Station. At the Railway Station, there is a bus to the scenic spot, about a 40-minute long drive. Self-driving is not allowed inside the scenic spot, you’ll need to transfer to the scenic area’s eco-car from the entrance gate.
Wulingyuan Ticket price
The price could be different during the off-peak season. The peak season is from March to November, and the low season is from December to February. The average ticket for the peak season is 225 yuan per person. The price for the off-peak season is 115 yuan per person. There is a discount of 50% for the students, seniors, etc. The tickets are valid for four consecutive days.
Wulingyuan Quick facts
- Floor area 500 square kilometers,
- Opening hours 6:30 am – 18:30 pm,
- Attraction level: AAAAA,
- Recommended length of visit: 2-3 days would be enough for a comprehensive exploration.
Wulingyuan Main scenic spots
- Zhangjiajie National Forest Park,
- Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area,
- Yangjiajie Scenic Area,
- Suoxiyu Scenic Area.
Tianmen Mountain
Now let’s go through another top thing to do in Zhangjiajie- Tianmen Mountain (湖南省张家界市天门山), also known as Yunmeng Mountain or Yuping Mountain. It is located 8 kilometers south of Zhangjiajie City. Tianmen Mountain is part of the Zhangjiajie Yongding District. Here are some quick facts-
- Floor area: 2 square kilometers,
- Attraction level: National AAAAA tourist attraction,
- National Forest Park ticket price: 258 yuan (including two-way cable car),
- Recommended length of visit: 3-4 hours,
- Best time to visit: all seasons.
Main Attractions
- Tianmen Cave Opening Scenic Area
- Qixian Wonderland Scenic Area
- Tianjie Foguo Scenic Area
- Biye Yaotai Scenic Area
The Tianmen Mountain is also famous for the longest ropeway in the world. The Tianmenshan cableway construction started from the opening ceremony on January 15, 2003. The construction, completed by August 2005, lasted for more than 2 years and cost 220 million yuan. The ropeway line is 7455 meters long and the height difference between the upper and lower stations is 1279 meters. It is the world’s longest single-line circular detachable rigging car-type cableway.
Tianmen Cave
Throughout the ages, both the emperor and the civilians have used Tianmen Cave as a spiritual place to pray for the blessings. In Chinese mythology, the Tianmen Cave is like a silent poem that carries the dreams of countless people and gives people unlimited imagination. Tianmen Cave has become synonymous with the birthplace of miracles. The cave is: 131.5 meters high, width 57 meters, depth 60 meters.
Tianmenshan Glass Road
The glass path is a suspended glass aisle (completed in September 2011). It is located 500 meters from the starting position of the Ghost Valley Plank Road in Tianmen Mountain. It is made of hard tempered glass, surrounded by metal railings. The bridge, made of transparent glass, is 60 meters long. At the highest point it is 1430 meters above sea level and 1.6 meters wide. Walking through from above, you’ll see the mountain panorama.
In 2015, the newly built east line glass path of the scenic spot was also officially opened. The east line is located above the Tianmen Cave. Walking on the plank road is like floating above the Tianmen Cave. Walking through from above, you’ll feel like flying. If you have a fear of heights, maybe you can avoid the glass bridge. 🙂
Zhangjiajie Grand Theatre
The Zhangjiajie Grand Theatre (张家界大剧院) is located in the Wulingyuan District of Zhangjiajie. It is a key project invested by Zhangjiajie Baoyuan Culture Media Co. Ltd. in Zhangjiajie tourism market. In fact, it has a total investment of 130 million yuan, covers an area of nearly 30 acres, and has a construction area of nearly 10,000 square meters.
Three hundred luxury seats, the entire theater is large in scale, and the architectural style is unique to the ethnic minorities of the Zhangjiajie Xiangxi (湘西). It is one of the landmark buildings of Wulingyuan in Zhangjiajie. Event name: Shengge Wuling Large Folk Song and Dance Party (圣歌武陵大型民俗歌舞晚会).
Zhangjiajie nightlife
Well, in the Downton area, there are quite a few nice restaurants, bars, KTV, etc. Just come out of your hotel and you’ll see many eateries along the railway station. I particularly liked the roasted chicken (烤鸡), one full roasted chicken would cost just for RMB 22. I came to the restaurant again and again. Really, miss the city!
In summary, it was a wonderful experience travelling to Zhangjiajie. Would love to come back again! If you are travelling to Hunan province, you are highly recommended to visit the scenic Wulingyuan and Tianmen Shan, it’s all gonna be a lifetime experience.
That’s all in this post about traveling and top thing to do in Zhangjiajie city. If you have any question about traveling, living or working in China, do let me know in the comments! Feel free to post in our forum so that others could also contribute and learn. For regular updates like us on Facebook, or follow on Twitter!
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Have a pleasant time exploring Zhangjiajie!
Cheers!
Last updated: Saturday, June 6, 2020