Zhangjiajie Travel Guide

Zhangjiajie City Map

Zhangjiajie (张家界) is a prefecture-level city in the northwestern part of Hunan Province, China. Located in the hinterland of the Wuling Mountains, Zhangjiajie is a city renowned for its magnificent natural scenery and rich cultural heritage.

Zhangjiajie City comprises the district of Yongding(永定区), Wulingyuan(武陵源区) and counties of Cili(慈利县) and Sangzhi(桑植县). It contains the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, part of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

Zhangjiajie City was previously named Dayong (大庸) and has a recorded history dating back to 221 BC. While in 1994, the new name of Zhangjiajie City was adopted. It is named after the National Forest Park in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, in order to give it more prominence, and because this site had been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Features

Zhangjiajie Tourism Resources

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

When it comes to Zhangjiajie, the first thing that foreign friends may think of would be hiking or the movie Avatar. In fact, Zhangjiajie has already became a sisters city with Hadong in South Korea since 2006. In 2023, Zhangjiajie received about 687,400 inbound tourists, of which over 280,000 were from South Korea, accounting for approximately 40% of the total number of inbound tourists. With the opening of more direct flight routes, the implementation of visa-free policies, and ongoing cultural exchange activities, it is expected that Zhangjiajie will continue to attract a large number of international tourists in the coming years.

Zhangjiajie's terrain is mainly mountainous, with mostly medium to low mountains and hills, and significant differences in altitude. The highest peak is the main peak of Tianmen Mountain, with an elevation of 1,518.6 meters. The sandstone peak forest landform is an iconic feature of Zhangjiajie, especially in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, where there are over 3,000 sandstone columns forming a unique and spectacular natural landscape. This type of landform is relatively rare on a global scale. Due to long-term erosion by flowing water, numerous deep canyons and underground cave systems have been formed, such as the Jinbian Creek Canyon and Huanglong Cave.

Zhangjiajie has a high forest coverage rate and a wide variety of vegetation types, making it a habitat for various rare animals and plants, such as paulownia, ginkgo, and South China tiger (although it is extremely difficult to see in the wild).

Zhangjiajie is one of the main settlements of the Tujia ethnic group. Many traditional ethnic cultural customs have been preserved here, such as hand waving dance, Maogusi and other performance forms.

Zhangjiajie Tourist Attractions

1. Wu Ling Yuan -- Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Wulingyuan National Scenic Area, with a total area of about 500 square kilometers, is a world natural heritage and a national AAAAA tourist attraction. Known for its unique sandstone peak forest landform, it has over 3,000 peculiar peaks and rocks of diverse shapes. The scenic area consists of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (张家界国家森林公园), Suoxiyu (索溪峪), Tianzi Mountain (天子山), and Yangjiajie (杨家界), showcasing magnificent natural landscapes and rich biodiversity.

The main attractions of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park include Huangshi Village (黄石寨), Golden Whip Stream (金鞭溪), as well as Yuanjiajie (袁家界), which was the filming location for the "Hallelujah Mountains" in the movie "Avatar".

2. Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park

Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area is known as the "Number One Divine Mountain in Western Hunan". This used to be a place for ancient worship of heaven and earth, and many beautiful legends have been passed down. In recent years, with a series of cultural events such as the International Wing suit Flying World Championships, Tianmen Mountain has gradually become a comprehensive tourist destination that integrates nature sightseeing, extreme sports, and cultural exchange.

The main peak of Tianmen Mountain has an elevation of 1518.6 meters, and the highest peak is Yuhu Peak, with an elevation of 1609 meters. The most famous landmark in the scenic area is the naturally formed Tianmen Cave, which is a stone cave that passes through the mountains. It is 131.5 meters high, 57 meters wide, and 60 meters deep, like a gateway to the heavens, breathtaking.

3. Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon

Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon is a tourist attraction that combines natural beauty and exciting outdoor activities. The canyon is about 30 kilometers long, with its steep terrain and clear streams.

Here we can see the world's longest and tallest fully transparent glass bridge - Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge. This bridge spans both ends of the canyon, with a total length of 430 meters and a height of about 300 meters from the bottom of the valley. When people walk on it, it feels like they are suspended in the air, and underfoot is the bottomless canyon, giving a thrilling visual impact. The glass bridge is not only a spectacular architectural wonder, but also a paradise for extreme sports enthusiasts. It has hosted multiple international events such as low altitude skydiving and bungee jumping.

4. Huanglong Cave

Huanglong Cave literally means yellow dragon cave. It is an important part of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area and is a typical karst landform. The area of the cave is very large, with a height of more than 100 meters, a deep dark river, and dense stalagmites. Among them, the “Dinghai Shenzhen”, which is 20 meters high, is an iconic attraction. Visitors enter the cave, walk for a while, then board the ship at the pier on the dark river in the cave. Here, visitors can take a cruise on the river and see the wonders of the stalagmites.

>>More Tourist Attractions in Zhangjiajie, Hunan

Best Time to Visit Zhangjiajie

Depending on your preference, you will enjoy different scenes in different seasons and weathers. Based on geographical features of Zhangjiajie city and our experiences, the following information may help you better discover beautiful Huangshan. >>Best time to visit Zhangjiajie

Zhangjiajie has distinct four seasons, abundant rainfall, ample sunshine, short cold periods, and an average annual temperature of about 16.8 ℃. At the turn of spring and summer, there are many rainstorm. From July to September, there is drought in the summer. Occasionally, extreme weather conditions such as drought, flood, gale, hail, etc. are encountered. >>Zhangjiajie Weather