Zhangjiaie, located in the northwest of Hunan Province, is a world-famous tourist destination all over the world. As an important tourist city with abundant natural resource and high vegetation coverage, there are many renowned tourist attractions. The most famous one must be the Yuanjiajie scenic spot that is the shooting location of the popular movie Avatar. In addition, it is also inhabited by many ethnic minorities, which includes 33 ethnic minorities in total and the typical ethnic groups are Tujia, Bai and Miao. Statistics in 2018 showed that the population of ethnic minorities account for 75% of the total population in this place, and there are more than 70 kinds of intangible cultural heritages in categories, among which the folk songs of Sangzhi are the first batch listed in the to it at first.
Geographic Position: in southern China (109.40°— 111.20°E, 28.52°— 29.48°N)
Climate: Mid-subtropical humid monsoon climate (four distinctive and pleasant seasons, hot summer and warm winter, abundant rainfall, long forst-free period )
Nearby Airport: Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport (DYG)
Nearby Train Stations: Zhangjiajie Railway Station, Zhangjiajie West Railway Station
Chinese: 张家界 zhāng jiā jiè
Population: 1.7M
Area: 3,675 sq miles
Airport: DGY
Zip Code: 427000
Time Zone: GMT+8
Top Things to Do in Zhangjiajie
Here are some top things to do in Zhangjiajie for tourists, which may help tourists learn the culture of Zhangjiajie, taste the delicious food and have a better travel experience.
- Pay a visit to the renowned tourist attractions such as Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Yangjiajie Scenic Area, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, Tianmen Mountain and other must-visit attractions we highly recommended above.
- When you have a tour in Fenghuang Ancient Town, you can taste authentic Hunan cuisine and local snacks that are spicy and soul, walk along the Tuo River, enjoy the unique architectural style of ancient buildings or experience the primitive life custom of Tujia People.
- Having a try to walk on the Glass Skywalk of Tianmen Mountain or walking on the glass bridge of Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon isnot only a way challenge yourself, but also provides a chance to appreciate the magnificent scenery.
What to Eat in Zhangjiajie
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Sanxia Guo Sanxia Guo (a hot pot with three ingredients)
Zhangjiajie Sanxia Guo, also known as Tujia Sanxia Guo, is a specialty in Zhangjiajie, which is a hot pot with three ingredients. In the early years, preserved meat, tofu and radish were stewed in one pot. Nowadays, ingredients contain pork intestines, pork stomach, beef tripe, lamb tripe or pig feet, and local chef. The dish has two kinds: the dry pot and soup pot. Dry pot without soup tastes spicier, so if you can’t eat spicy food, you had better try the soup pot.
- Tujia Steamed Pork Belly
Tujia Steamed Pork Belly is a main course for Tujia people, which is usually served as the main course when local people hold banquets or great events. It usually takes pork belly as ingredient, then cook it by boiling, frying, steaming and other ways, and people may put some pickles under the pork belly when finish. Although it is made of fat meat, it tastes delicious rather than greasy.
- Smoked Blood Tofu
Smoked Blood Tofu is mainly made of tofu and fresh pig blood. By using the seasoning such as pork diced and pepper and mixing or mashing them together. The most important procedure is smoking the chunk for a long time and cut it into pieces, then cook them with
garlic or pepper. Although the dish looks ordinary, it tastes delicious. It is a famous and
nutrient-rich Tujia specialty, and the microelement of it is beneficial to human healthy.
- kiwi-fruit juice
Kiwifruit has rich nutritional value, it contains calcium, potassium, selenium, zinc, germanium and other microelement, vitamins and 17 kinds of amino acids needed by the human body. So it is known as the “king of fruit”. Because of the unique geographical location and climate of Zhangjiajie, the kiwifruit here is abundant and famous, and the kiwi-fruit juice is delicious as well as cheap, which is a popular drink for people.
Zhangjiajie Travel Guide
1)How to plan your Zhangjiajie tour?
There are various travel plans of Zhangjiajie besed on different travel needs such as time, budgets, interests and preferences, and tourists can choose the most appropriate one as their travel plan.
A. How many days willyou spend in Zhangjiajie?
a. One day tour
If you only have one day in Zhangjiajie, you can go to one scenic area of Wulingyuan Scenic Area (Zhangjiajie national forest park, Suoxi Valley in Cili county, Tianzi Mountain Sangzhi county or yangjiajie Scenic Area), where the combo ticket is vaild within four days. It is also wise for you to go to Tianmen Mountain and Yellow Dragon Cave in one day, and the two scenic spots both have time-saving and energy-saving transportation, so visitors can choose how to tour in it depend on personal travel plan. Visiting Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon and walking on the glass bridge in one day is also a good choice.
More Zhangjiajie tour planning guide
b.Two days tour
Visitors can have a deeper tour of the core scenic. For example, visiting Golden Whip Stream, Huangshizhai, Ten-mile gallery and other scenic spots are a good choice to appreciate the great workmanship of nature.
c. Three days tour
If you have three days in Zhangjiajie, you can not only have a deep tour in the core scenic spots of Wulingyuan Scenic area, but also visit other tourist attractions such as Fenghuang Ancient Town or Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, both of them can be reached by convenient transportation.
d. Four days and more days tour
If you have enough time in Zhangjiajie, we also offer the service of making a personal tour in Zhangjiajie according to your own preferences and interests.
B. What are you interested in or what is your tour type ?
a. Family Trip
If you plan a family trip for Zhangjiajie, we highly recommended that you can go to some attractions equipped with convenient public transportation and advanced tourist facilities, which are available for all ages tourists to visit, such as the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, Tianmen Mountain or Fenghuang Ancient Town.
b. Gourmet Food Trip
The food in Zhangjiajie is one kind of typical Hunan Cuisine, which is famous for its sour and spicy flavor. If you have a trip in Zhangjiajie, the popular specialties Sanxia Guo and Smoked Blood tofu cannot be missed. They are very common dishes in Zhangjiajie, so you can eat it in any restaurant. And the kiwi-fruit juice is also popular in Zhangjiajie, so you can have a try after a meal. There are also some traditional ethnic food for visitors to taste, and if you want to eat the more authentic local food, Miao Village around Fenghuang Ancient Town is the best choice for you.
c. Historical Trip
Visitors who are interested in ancient architectures and cultures cannot miss visiting Fenghuang Ancient Town built in 1704, the 43rd year of the reign of emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty, which is one of the ten cultural heritages in Hunan province. And the Miao Village is also a tourist attraction for you, where visitors can experience authentic life custom and know traditional culture of Miao people. In addition, visitors here can not only enjoy the unique ethnic songs and dances of the Miao people and taste traditional food, but also buy some handmade silver products or embroidery and other souvenirs with ethnic characteristics.
d. Adventure Trip
For person who is adventurous, there is no denying that the Yangjiajie Scenic Area is the best tourist destination for you. It is mainly well-known for the primitive and beautiful scenery and steep mountains. The scenic area is not fully open and developed yet, so some sections of the road have no cement pavement or stone steps, but there is sand-gravel road that can pass through. It takes about 5 hours to visit the scenic spot on foot, which definitely is an activity physical fitness demand. And the Oolong Village is used to be the place where bandits lived. So the road is not easy for most visitors. In addition, taking a walk on glass bridge of Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon or glass skywalk of Tianmen Mountain is also a challenging activity that needs enough brave to have a try.
e. Photographer Trip
The natural landscape of Zhangjiajie is magnificent and breath-taking, so visitors can take beautiful pictures in almost every scenic spots. But where you must visit and take a photo is the “Hallelujah Mountain” of Yunajiajie Scenic area which is the prototype of Avatar. Yellow Dragon Cave is also a must-visit place, where there is a typical karst landform with the amazing and unique view inside the cave. Visitors in the cave can appreciate different kinds of fantastic stalagmite, stalactite, small caves and other great workmanship of nature. In addition, taking photos on the glass bridge or glass skywalk is a popular activity for visitors.
C. What is your travel budget?
a. If your trip is low- budget, we highly recommend that you can take part in any group tour and live Youth Hostel, which not only can help you save money, but will also help you make some new friends who have the same hobbies.
b. If you want to have a better travel experience, you can choose to rent a car and driver, make a personal travel plan and live in a luxury hotel during the days you stay in Dunhuang, which is more comfortable and free than taking part in a group tour.
2) Zhangjiajie Transportation
A. Flight
Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport
Zhangjiajie Hehua international airport, located in Hehua village, Yongding district, Zhangjiajie of Hunan province, is 10 kilometers away from the downtown area. It was put into use on August 18, 1994, and nowadays it has 55 domestic airlines and 25 airlines of foreign countries and regions, which plays an important role in the development of tourism industry in Hunan province.
- Direct international flights:
- Beijing Capital International Airport-some Asian Countries and region:Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Thailand, Socialist Republic of Vietnam,the Kingdom of Cambodia, Taiwan
- Popular travel airlines: Zhangjiajie-Shanghai, Zhangjiajie-Shenzhen, Zhangjiajie-Xi’an, Zhangjiajie-Chengdu, Zhangjiajie-Guilin, Zhangjiajie-Beijing
B. Cab
Taking a cab in the city is very cheap. The flag-down fare of cab in Zhangjiajie is CNY 5 for the first 1 kilometers（0.6 miles), and when the mileage exceeds 1 kilometer, the fee is CNY 1.6 per kilometer, and when the mileage exceeds 6 kilometers, the fee is extra CNY 3.2 per kilometers.
3) Zhangjiajie Weather& What to wear& The Best Time to visit Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie is typical Mid-subtropical humid monsoon climate, which has four distinctive and pleasant seasons with abundant rainfall and long frost-freeperiod, and hot in summer and warm in winter.
The Summer (June, July and August) in Zhangjiajie is hot and rainy, so it is necessary for tourists to travel with an umbrella and sunshade, and wear a cap and sunglasses or use some sun scream to protect your skin against ultraviolet ray.
More Zhangjiajie Weather Information
| Month | Average Temperature | What to Wear |
|---|---|---|
| January | 3℃~10℃ | thick coat, cotton-padded clothes, sweater, thick pullover hoodie and zip up hoodie ,thick pant |
| February | 5℃~12℃ | thick coat, cotton-padded clothes, sweater, thick pullover hoodie and zip up hoodie ,thick pant |
| March | 10℃~19℃ | Leather jacket, Dust coat, thick coat, thin sweater |
| April | 15℃~25℃ | Dust coat, knitwear, hoodie, T-shirt with long sleeves, jeans |
| May | 19℃~29℃ | T-shirt with long sleeves, knitwear, skirts, thin jeans, cloth in cotton or linen fabrics that are comfortable and breathable |
| June | 23℃~31℃ | T-shirt with short sleeves, skirts, thin jeans, short trousers, polo shirt, cloth in cotton or linen fabrics that are comfortable and breathable, hat, sunglasses |
| July | 26℃~35℃ | T-shirt with short sleeves, skirts, short trousers, cloth in cotton or linen fabrics that are comfortable and breathable, hat, sunglasses |
| August | 26℃~35℃ | T-shirt with short sleeves, skirts, short trousers, cloth in cotton or linen fabrics that are comfortable and breathable, hat, sunglasses |
| September | 21℃~30℃ | T-shirt with short sleeves, skirts, thin jeans, short trousers, polo shirt, cloth in cotton or linen fabrics that are comfortable and breathable |
| October | 16℃~24℃ | Dust coat, knitwear, hoodie, T-shirt with long sleeves, jeans |
| November | 10℃~17℃ | Leather jacket, Dust coat, thick coat, thin sweater |
| December | 5℃~12℃ | thick coat, cotton-padded clothes, sweater, thick pullover hoodie and zip up hoodie ,thick pant |
Notes: The Summer (June, July and August) in Zhangjiajie is hot and rainy, so it is necessary for tourists to travel with an umbrella and sunshade, and wear a cap and sunglasses or use some sun scream to protect your skin against ultraviolet ray.
- When is the best time to visit?
We highly recommended that the best times to visit Zhangjiajie is from April to October. During these months, the weather is pleasant and the scenery is charming. If you travel at these months, the scenery will definitely make a deep impression on you.
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 |
5) Where to Stay in Zhangjiajie
Five–star hotel
Although the accommodation fee of each five-star hotel is higher, the convenient location and transportation, advanced facilities, great accommodation environment and professional services are advantages.
- Pullman Zhangjiajie Hotel
Pullman Zhangjiajie Hotel is located in the core area of Wulingyuan Scenic Area. It is 30 minutes’ drive from Zhangjiajie city, airport and railway station, and 3.5 hours’ drive to Changsha. What’s more, it is only a few minutes’ drive to the entrance of Tianzi mountain, Yellow Dragon Cave and Baofeng lake of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
More Zhangjiajie hotels
Four – star hotel
- Xiangruige Boutique Hotel
Xiangruigue Boutique Hoteli, in Wulingyuan district of Zhangjiajie, is located at the entrance of Xibu street (special style street) and only 2 kilometers away from Baofeng lake scenic spot, Wulingyuan scenic spot and Wulingyuan bus station with the convenient transportation.
Hostel
- Homeward Mountain Hotel
Homeward Mountain Hotel is located at the west gate of the core scenic area of Wulingyuan, which is about 20 minutes’ drive to Golden Whip Stream and Huangshi Zhai. Scenic spots around the hotel include Qingfeng gorge hiking base, Hallelujah Mountain, the first bridge under the sky, Tianzi mountain, Oolong Village, etc.
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Homeward Mountain Hotel
5 Valley Inn
No. 5 valley Inn, located in Yangjiajie scenic area, is surrounded by green mountains and clear streams. At present, it is composed of 5 independent houses, covering an area of about 10,000 square meters. The hotel facilities include a bar, a swimming pool, a lotus pond and a beautiful valley with hundreds of acres of rice fields. What is offered here is not just accommodation but a lifestyle of rural life which makes people forget all the chaos of modern life. The Inn has received guests from more than 30 countries and won a great reputation.
