An essential part of the UNESCO-listed Wulingyuan Scenic Area, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan is the first national forest park in China. The park was listed on the World Geopark in February 2004 due to its pillar-like mountains of quartz sandstone. Besides being the main reason for most visitors’ travel to Zhangjiajie, the park is also a top destination for people who want to explore some of the best natural wonders during their China tours.
It is about 32 kilometers away from Zhangjiajie city center, covering an area of about 4810 hectares. Boasting not only eye-catching natural landscapes, the park is also home to a wide variety of plant species and wildlife. Some of the most popular scenic areas in the park include Huangshizhai, Tianzi Mountains, Yangjiajie, Yuanjiajie, Golden Whip Stream, and Ten-mile Natural Gallery.
Fast Facts of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
- Location: Located at 279 Jinbian Road, Wulingyuan District, Zhangjiajie City. It lies in the eastern section of the Wuling Mountain Range, and in the southeast of Zhangjiajie city center.
- Area: About 4,810 hectares
- Tickets: CNY 224/person from March to November, CNY 144/person from December to February, with sightseeing bus included. Exclude cable car and elevators in the scenic area.The ticket is valid for four days.
- Opening Hours: 7:00-18:00from March to November, 8:00-17:00 from December to February.
- Highlights: Pillar-like karst mountains, Bailong Elevator, great hiking experience, stunning natural landscapes, inspiration of Avatar.
- Best Time to Visit: March to May and September to November
- Visiting Time Needed: 2-4 days
What to See in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park – Main Scenic Areas
The forest park encompasses several scenic areas, offering some of the most magnificent natural masterpieces in the world. There are scenic areas both on mountain tops and at the foot of the mountains. Golden Whip Stream and the Ten-Mile Gallery are the two popular scenic areas on the mountain foot.
Among the four major mountain-top scenic areas, Tianzi Mountain, Yangjiajie, and Yuanjiajie can be explored in a circular route and each of them has its own transportation equipment for ascending and descending. While Huangshi Village is a scenic area apart from the other three mountain-top scenic areas and can only be accessed by a separate route.
Golden Whip Stream
- Location: At the eastern part of the forest park, about 300 meters from the eastern entrance.
- Visiting Time Needed: about 3 hours
- Features: A relaxing hike experience with scenery, suitable for all ages
- Main Attractions: Golden Whip Rock, Wenxing Rock, Purple Grass Pond, Fish Jumping Pool, Eagle Protecting the Whip Peak
Golden Whip Stream is about 300 meters from the entrance of the park. It got its name because flowing past the Golden Whip Rock. Spanning about 7.5 kilometers long, this scenic area is blessed with clear streams, deep gorges, unique rock formations, lush vegetation, and a variety of wildlife. The hike in this area is enjoyable and leisurely, suitable for visitors of all ages.
Ten-mile Natural Gallery
- Location:At the eastern entrance of the park.
- Visiting Time Needed:About 1.5-2 hours by walk, about 0.5 hours by sightseeing train
- Features: A breathtaking and serene gorge offering leisure walking or train sightseeing.
The Ten-mile Natural Gallery is just next to the eastern entrance of the park. It is actually a gorge 5.8 kilometers long, with picturesque landscapes on both sides. Either by walking or the mini sightseeing train, you will see the unique karst formations, clear streams, waterfalls, charming mists, and sea of clouds unfold before you one by one, just like opening a scroll of traditional Chinese landscape painting.
Yuanjiajie Scenic Area
- Location: In the eastern part of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
- Visiting Time Needed: 2-3 hours
- Features: Sandstone peak forest landform, convenient accessibility (thanks to the Bailong Elevator), verdant valleys.
Yuanjiajie is a core scenic area in the forest park, located in the northern part of the park. Covering about 1,200 hectares with an average altitude of 1,074 meters, this area borders and offers distant views of several major scenic areas in the park. It is a vast and gentle mountain featuring peculiar terrain, mist-covered and overlapping peaks, and lush forests. It is widely titled “Three Thousand Unique Peaks”, with Bailong Elevator offering a quick ascent to its top. The famous attractions in Yuanjiajie include:
- The First Bridge Under Heaven: A natural stone bridge spanning between two mountains.
- Southern Sky Column: Aka Hallelujah Mountain or Avatar Mountain, it is a standalone rock pillar standing at a vertical height of about 150 meters. It is where the floating mountains in Avatar are inspired.
- Bailong Elevator: With a vertical height of 335 meters, Bailong Elevator boasts the highest elevator in the world. It provides a convenient and fast way to ascend to the mountain top in this area.
- Enchanting Platform:An excellent viewing platform offering panoramic views of Yuanjiajie.
- Back Garden: A hidden natural garden that is dominated by primitive forest and diverse rock formations.
Travel tips:
- The roads to Yuanjiajie Scenic Area are steep, so it is necessary for visitors to be careful on road.
- Taking Bailong Elevator can directly get to Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, which only takes 1 minute and 58 seconds. But if you want to get to Yuanjiajie by hiking, it may take 2.5 to 3 hours. So, choosing to take Bailong elevator is the most time-saving and energy-saving way to reach Yuanjiajie.
Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area
- Location: In the northern part of the park
- Visiting Time Needed: Half a day to one full day
- Features: Stone pillar forests, rich cultural heritage, charming waterfalls
- Main Attractions: Helong Park, Yubi Peak, Fairy Spreading Flowers, Tianzi Pavilion, Tianzi Mountain cable car.
Boarding Suoxiyu Scenic Area to the east, Tianzi Mountain is a core scenic area in the northern part of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. This scenic area is known for its peak forest landscape, with thousands of pillar peaks rising sharply from the ground. The unique climatic conditions in the area make Tianzi Mountain often shrouded in a sea of clouds. Visitors can take a cable car to reach these wonders conveniently.
Yangjiajie Scenic Area
- Location: In the western part of the park
- Visiting Time Needed:
- Features: Some sections are steep, and need a certain level of physical fitness.
- Main Attractions: Xiangzhi Stream, One Step to Heaven, Sky Corridor (a walkway along the cliffside), Liulang Peak. Wulong Village, Yangjiajie Cableway.
Located in the western part of the park, Yangjiajie is the last developed scenic area in Wulingyuan, featuring more rugged peaks and wild natural landscapes than other areas. Visitors can reach its best sights easily by the Yangjiajie cable car. This area also stands out for its crisscrossing ravines, streams, and a forest coverage rate of up to 95%.
Huangshi Village Scenic Area
- Location:In the central area of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
- Visiting Time Needed:About 4-6 hours
- Features: Rugged terrain, rich natural landscapes, and a 360-degree panoramic view of the park.
- Main Attractions: Tian Shu Bao Xia (Heavenly Book Treasure Chest), Nan Tian Yi Zhu (Southern Pillar of Heaven), natural rock paintings, Zhai Xing Tai (Star-Picking Platform), Hei Cong Lai (Black Pine Ridge), Tian Qiao Yi Dun (Sky Bridge Ruins).
Huangshi Village is situated in the central part of the park, seeing the most concentrated natural beauty in Zhangjiajie. Thanks to its central location and high elevation, the area is surrounded by peaks on all sides, offering an unobstructed 360-degree panoramic view of the park. Many people ascend to the summit of this vast square-shaped plateau by the Huangshi Village cable car. While there are still multiple mountain trails available for those who love hiking.
Basic facts about Bailong Elevator
Bailong elevator, located in Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, was started to construct in September 1999 and was put into operation in April 2000 with total investment of 180 million RMB. It is the highest, fastest and largest passenger capacity sightseeing elevator in the world. The vertical height of the elevator against the mountain is 335 meters, and it runs only 1 minute and 58 seconds to finish the journey of 326 meters. If you take the elevator, standing beside the window is the best place to enjoy the charming scenery.
How to Buy Entrance Tickets
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Prices of tickets: CNY 225
Notes: The ticket includes four core scenic spots (Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Suoxi Valley, Yangjiajie Scenic Area, Tianzi Mountain). The ticket is valid for 4 days with many scenic spots in the scenic area, so it is necessary for visitors to plan the tour route before travelling.
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Opening time:
| Peak Season (Mar.1st to Nov.30th) | 07:00-19:00 |
| Low Season (Dec.1st to Feb.28th) | 08:00-17:00 |
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Prices of Bailong Elevator:
| Single Trip | CNY 65 |
| Round Trip | CNY 130 |
Notes: If you buy the round-trip ticket, you can go through the fast track without waiting in line.
Opening time: 9:00-18:00
When is the Best Time to Visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park?
The best time to visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is April to October. During these months, the natural scenery is charming with green and density trees and blooming flowers.
Tips: Visitors had better avoid the official holiday in China, because many Chinese citizens choose to travel on official holidays to ease the pressure of their work. As a result, many Chinese tourist attractions are overcrowded and traffic jams are common. Therefore, visiting China at this time will bring tourists a less pleasant travel experience.
Official Holidays in China
| Chinese New Year | Around January or February |
| Winter vacation | January-February |
| Labor Day | May1st -3rd |
| Summer vacation(for students) | July-August31st |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Around mid-September |
| National Day | October 1st-7th |
How to Get to the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park?
Get to Zhangjiajie
A Zhangjiajie travel is not complete without a visit to the forest park. To arrive at the park, you should firstly fly to Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport, which is the closest airport to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. The airport operates frequent flights connecting major domestic cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian, Nanjing, Changsha, etc. You can take a airport shuttle bus to get to the city center conveniently. Or take a taxi to get to the forest park directly, the ride will take about 50 minutes.
Or, you can also take a high-speed train and arrive at Zhangjiajie through Zhangjiajie West Railway Station. Then, take either a bus or taxi to get to the Zhangjiajie Center Bus Station which offers bues to the park.
From Zhangjiajie City Center to the Forest Park
There are multiple buses from Zhangjiajie city center or Zhangjiajie Railway Station to the park, the ride will take about 40 mins – 1 hour. Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station also offers frequent buses to both the south and east entrances of the forest park, the ride will cost about CNY 12-13 per person.
Where to Stay inside Zhangjiajie National Park
To save time and energy, and for your convenient scenic viewing, staying around the park is highly recommended. The best areas for overnight stay include:
- Accommodations near the South Entrance: This entrance is the main gateway to the park, with numerous accommodation options nearby. This area is near Huangshi Village and the source of the Golden Whip Stream.
- Accommodations near the East Entrance: The east entrance is easy to access and offers more accommodation options. This entrance offers shuttle buses to the main scenic areas in the park and is near the Ten-mile Natural Gallery and Golden Whip Stream.
- Zhangjiajie City Area: If you want more luxury accommodation options, the city center area is the best choice. Though it is further than the entrance areas, the city center offers insights into local city life and is equipped with convenient transportation.
√Read more about: Zhangjiajie Transportation – How to Get to Zhangjiajie & Travel Around
