Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie national forest park, the first national forest park in China, was listed on the World Nature Heritage Site List in 1992 and listed on the World Geopark in February 2004 due to its splendid mountains of quartz sandstone. It is located 32 kilometers away from the city of Zhangjiajie, and it covers an area of 4810 hectares that is not only rich in natural resources but also various kinds of wild animals.

Basic Facts about the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park:

• In the park, there are more than 3,000 rock mountainsrising out of the ground, among which more than 1,000 are over 200 meters high, and the Golden Whip rockis as high as 350 meters. The main landscape of park is the unique sandstone hoodoo forest, which is formed by the Yuntaiguan Formation sandstone of middle Devonian System under the condition of special geological structure, neotectonic movement and external forces.
• Zhangjiajie National Forest Parkcan be divided into six scenic spots: Huangshi Zhai, Pipa Brook, she trench knife, Yaozi Village, Golden Whip Stream and yuanjiajie. In the world-wide famous scenic spot–Yuanjiajie,visitors can see a column-shaped mountain which is the prototype of the “Hallelujah Mountain” in the movie Avatar, and it is popular to take a photo with the “Hallelujah Mountain” as the background among visitors. In addition, there are other recommend attractions such as the Back Garden, Enchanting Stage, the First Bridge under the Sun and so on. The bridge is two meters wide and four meters thick with a span of more than 20 meters and a height of more than 300 meters. It is the largest natural stone bridge ever discovered in the world formed by weathering and erosion.
• Golden whip stream is the core scenic spot of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, with a total length of 6.5 kilometers. It runs through the park from west to east, and the area which the stream passes is called as “the most beautiful canyon in the world”. The main scenic spots here are Golden Whip Rock, Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, Drunken Arhat Peak, the Welcoming Guests Rock and so on.
• As the saying goes “one who fails to get to Huangshi Zhai can not say he once come to Zhangjiajie.”Surrounded by precipiceand trees, Huangshi Zhai is the largest viewing platform in the park. The top of Huangshi Zhai is a good place to overlook the beautiful and amazing panoramic view of natural landscape.
• Pipa brook, located in the west of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, is the upstream of the Golden Whip Stream.With it as the central axis, the charming landscape of mountainand forest spread along the north of the stream. The famous scenic spots here are the rock of Waiting for Lover, Couple’s Rock, etc.
• Yaozi Village, also known as the Eagle cliff, is located in the northeast of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. A narrow ridge as a viewing platform is at the peak of the village with an altitude of 1050 meters. It is standing tall in the sky with cliffs more than 300 meters deep on the west, north and east sides, andis well-known for precipitous landscape.
• She Trench Knife is located in a v-shaped canyon which is on the north side of the middle reaches of Golden Whip Stream. There isastream flowing from northwest to southeast. it originates from Yuanjiajie and flow into the Purple Grass Pound with a total length of 5 kilometers.

Travel tips:

1. The roads to Yuanjiajie Scenic Area are steep, so it is necessary for visitors to be careful on road while
2. Taking Bailong Elevatorcan 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.

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:

• Prices of tickets: CNY 225

Notes: 1The 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.

Opening time:

• Prices of Bailong Elevator:

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?

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

How to get to the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park?

• Bus

Visitors can take the direct shuttle bus at the Zhangjiajie Bus Station to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.