China. Flying Avatar Mountains

Ladies and gentlemen, I want to introduce you to a unique place in central China's Hunan province, which served as the inspiration for the world famous movie Avatar. Welcome to the lost world of Pandora - Zhangjiajie National Park!

Wulingyuan nature reserve

Zhangjiajie Park, established in 1982, is recognized as the first authorized national forest park in China. It is located on the territory of the most picturesque Wulingyuan Scenic Area (Chin. 武陵源 风景 名胜 区), which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here water and wind have created about three thousand peaks of bizarre shapes, consisting of sandstone and quartz. The picturesque area boasts natural beauty, where mountains, valleys, forests, caves, lakes and waterfalls coexist in perfect harmony. To tell the truth, it was this place that served as the main reason for the trip to China. I really love nature in its original form, so while looking for something that could impress no worse, I found my treasure and began to pave it.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Ch. 张家界 国家 森林 公园) belongs to the Wulingyuan nature reserve and includes 4 zones:

• Suosi Valley (Suoxi Gully, Chin. 索溪峪)
• Yuanjiajie (Chinese 袁家界 风景区)
• Yangjiajie (Chinese 杨家界 风景区)
• Tianzi Mountain (Ch. 天子山)

Other objects located outside the park also belong to Wulingyuan Nature Reserve:

• Lake Baofeng
• Yellow Dragon Cave (Huanglong Cave, 黄龙 洞)
• King Long Wang Dong's Cave (龙王 洞)

A few kilometers south of the city of Zhangjiajie (not to be confused with Zhangjiajie Park) there is another chic park - Tianmenshan. It does not include the Wulingyuan Conservation Area, but it is no less a unique place, but it will be discussed in the next post.

In 2016, another interesting place was opened 20 kilometers northeast of Zhangjiajie Park - the Grand Canyon with a completely transparent bridge. When it opened, it became the longest and tallest glass bridge in the world.

For convenience, I have provided information on how to get to Zhangjiajie and where to stay. But here I will note once again that if you plan to visit the Zhangjiajie National Park, then it would be best to stop at the southeast entrance in the village of Wulingyuan of the same name the day before (Wulingyuan, Southeast Gate, Ch. 武陵源, 东南 门). Just below on the map below, it is marked as Entrance B.

Well, let's go see the great creation of nature? From our hotel to the southeastern entrance to the park 25 minutes walk or 5 minutes by taxi. In order not to waste time, we catch a taxi for 10 yuan to the park.

How much is a ticket to Zhangjiajie National Park?

There are 2 types of entrance tickets:

• For 4 days. Entrance fee is 248 yuan for an adult, 163 yuan for benefits.
• For 8 days. Entrance fee is 301 yuan for an adult, 196 yuan for privileged persons.

Notes:

• The discount ticket can be used by children from 1.2 to 1.5 meters in height, students up to 24 years old, pensioners aged 60-70 years.
• For persons with a 1st or 2nd group of disabilities and pensioners over 70 years old, the cost of an entrance ticket for 3 days is 60 yuan, for 7 days - 80 yuan.
• A free ticket is provided to Chinese military personnel, journalists and children up to 1.2 meters tall.

When buying, your finger is scanned, so if you come the next day, it will be enough to put your finger on the turnstile. Together with the tickets, they give a map of the park with routes and stops. You can move around the park between the main points on free shuttle buses that run every 10-15 minutes. Bus stops at major attractions are marked with a “P” on the map below. I will write the cost of tickets for additional transport in the process of describing the route.

Park opening hours

• The park is open every day from 07.00 to 18.00
• Opening hours of the funicular up from 07.30 to 16.00, down from 07.30 to 18.00
• Buses run from 07.00 to 18.00

Zhangjiajie National Park Map

For convenience, I am posting a map of Zhangjiajie National Park

Zhangjiajie National Park Visiting Route

The park is divided into upper and lower plateaus, between which you can move by funiculars and a huge lift in the rock. There are many routes, including hiking trails. We took 1 full day to visit the park, so we decided to move clockwise.

We go into the park, take the bus and go to the railway station, where the first stop awaits us - Ten-mile Natural Gallery, China. 十里画廊) located in the northwestern part of the Suoxi Valley at the foot of Tianji Mountain . A small railroad 5.8 kilometers long (marked in gray on the map) runs through picturesque landscapes of unusual rocks. The journey takes 10 minutes. Round-trip travel RMB 52 per person. If you don't want to spend money, then there is a path nearby, a walk along which will take no more than 30 minutes.

On both sides, many peaks look like statues, as if carved by someone. The most famous peak is Herb Collecting Old Man 采药 老人 图片... He is a symbol of this valley and looks like an old man with a basket on his back, collecting medicinal herbs.

Not far from the herbal picker, you can also see a towering peak, which, according to the locals, resembles a man with crossed legs, and near him a series of smaller ones. This composition is called Immortals Worshipping Guanyin (Ch. 观音 十里画廊)... According to legend, it is said that the highest peak is the deity Guanyin, and 19 people worshiped nearby, asking for mercy to this world and blessing people with a happy life.

At the final stop you can see Three sisters (Chinese 三 姐妹).

Admire the monkeys living in the cage.

And invest the first money in the Chinese economy by looking at the various counters that sell Chinese herbs, postcards, wood and glass products. Having bought a wooden fruit basket, we return back by train and go to the bus stop.

The next item is Bailong elevator (Chinese 百 龙 电梯)... It is located in the area Yuanjiajie and is installed in the mountain of the same name, and Bailun himself translates as "one hundred dragons" and is considered the tallest external elevator in the world, its height is 326 meters. When you approach this structure, your legs give way, and the lens cannot completely fit it into one shot.

We go upstairs. The cost of the lift is RMB 72 per person. On the way to the elevator, there are posters from the movie "Avatar".

The ascent takes 2 minutes. At first, part of the ascent takes place in the rock, but then this height opens up to the eye and you no longer know what to do, whether to photograph, or to be afraid. If you exit the elevator and turn right, you can find a steep observation deck on the elevator itself.

After a little admiring the views and fashionable Chinese slippers with pandas, we moved on to the bus stop, already at an altitude of more than three hundred meters.

Arriving at one of the most important points in the park, McDonalds was discovered. Suddenly. But we decided to support a local producer and tried an unknown fruit for us - yangmey, Chinese strawberry tree or mountain peach. Juicy and tasty.

So, the walking path lies along the cliff. In some places there are observation platforms, from where breathtaking panoramas open up. Where the views are especially good, there are platforms for photographers who, for a fee, will take a picture for you as a souvenir.

The weather was far from sunny, sometimes the mountains were enveloped in a white veil. Moreover, it is not clear whether these are clouds, or fog, however, one way or another, all this added some mysticism to the picture, visually it seemed that the mountains were soaring, and you were as if on another planet, as if in truth now blue would jump out from somewhere. little men. And here, by the way, they are.

Having overcome a few more hundred meters, we came to the most important exhibit. Mount Jiankunzhu (Qiankunzhu, Chinese 乾坤 柱) more than a kilometer high and consisting of quartz sandstone, it translates as the column of the Southern Heaven and has a deep philosophical meaning.

Qian (䷀) is the first trigram in the ancient Chinese philosophy I-Ching, a symbol of the masculine principle, sky, sun, father, husband, fortress.
Kun (䷁) is the second trigram in the ancient Chinese philosophy of the I-Ching, a symbol of the feminine principle, earth, moon, mother, wife, subject.
Zhu is a pillar, a column.

Having deciphered the trigrams, we get another name "The Column Between Heaven and Earth", which, in my opinion, sounds much better.

In 2010, commerce defeated philosophy when Western media spread information that this mountain formed the basis for the creation of the planet Pandora from the movie Avatar. After some time, in order to develop tourism, the mountain was given a new name - Avatar Hallelujah Mountain, Chinese 阿凡 达 - 哈利路亚 山... And then they came up with an inviting slogan: "Pandora is far away, and Zhangjiajie is close!"

However, despite the fact that the park is promoted at the international level, in fact we were the only Europeans who walked in this park. By the way, my girlfriend is blonde, and during these 2 weeks in China she was a celebrity. Here, too, every 10-15 minutes they tried to either settle down to us so that we could get into someone's lens, or they openly asked to be photographed together.

Further on our way - The First Natural Bridge under Heaven (Ch. 天下第一 桥)... It connects two peaks at an altitude of 360 meters and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest natural bridge in the world.

On the bridge, lovers can buy a lock for 40 yuan, ask them to carve names and hang them, and throw the key into the abyss. They say that after that the family will be happy and strong. True, finding a place for your lock will not be easy - the railings and stairs are closely bound by thousands of locks. It seems to me that from time to time they are filed.

Having passed to the end of the path, we come out to another stop. Here we also found a post office, but my attempts to find out whether our postcards will reach Russia were unsuccessful.

To get to the next attraction, which is already in a different area Yangjiajie next to the funicular of the same name, we get off at the next stop "WuLong Village" and set off for a short trekking. First we go down, and then at the T-shaped intersection we turn up to the right. Compared to the previous trails, this is a rather steep climb, and some of the stairs seem to be about to fall apart.

But at the end of the ascent, a surprise awaits us - Tianbo Mansion (Tianbo Mansion, Ch. 天波 府)... From here, an amazing panorama of Great natural wall stone pillars (The Natural Great Wall)... A distinctive feature of this place is the narrow and high natural rock walls, different from the typical pillars.

After that we go down back to the T-shaped intersection and go already in the opposite direction to the next observation deck, which is called One Step to the Heaven (Chin. 一步登天).

I will say that the first one was more interesting. Although it is also beautiful, but after spending half a day in the park you already start to get used to it and the “wow-effect” disappears a little. Some even manage to sleep.

We return back to the bus stop and go to the area Tianzi to the final attractions to date. The Highest Peak of Tianji Mountain, also called Son of Heaven Mountain, is the highest point in the park, at 1182 meters. Friends, just look at this beauty!

Well, let's plunge into history a little? Mountain Tianzi before the reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was called "Qing Yan Mountain". In 1353, Xiang Dakun, the leader of the Tujia ethnic group, started a rebellion in the area and declared himself as Tianji, which means Son of Heaven and is a traditional synonym for the Chinese emperor. In 1385, Xiang Dakong faced a fierce siege by an army commanded by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (1328-1398), the first emperor of the Ming dynasty we have already heard of. Sadly, Xiang died in the battle and fell into Shentang Bay. To show their respect for Xiang Dakun, the settlements were rebuilt and the mountains were named after Tianji. Legend has it that sometimes the sounds of drums, neighing horses and shouts of people can be heard from the canyon, as if an ancient medieval battle is still going on somewhere below!

Confuses Nothing? Right. There is no bay here. So called Valley of Heavenly Abode (Shentang Gulf, Chin. 神堂 湾) where we headed. In order not to go in the opposite direction, you need to ask the driver to stop a little earlier than the last stop. In the heart of the gorge there is a dark pool and there is only one way there - a terrible staircase, as if leading into an abyss. Shentan Bay is still untouched by human footprints, like a mythical labyrinth with a bottomless gorge that bathes in fog all year round. And again, mesmerizing panoramas make us freeze for a moment in order to capture this extraordinary beauty forever in our memory.

At the final stop of the main route, we get to He long Park (Chinese 贺龙 公园), named after the Chinese revolutionary Marshal He Long. The Tianji area was one of the battlegrounds in the 1930s. In these parts, he organized a Soviet Red Army of more than 200,000 men and in 1935 joined Mao Zedong to support him in the uprising. He then led guerrilla forces in Northwest China in both the Chinese Civil War and the Sino-Japanese War, and was generally successful in expanding communist control. By the end of 1945, he commanded a force of 170,000 troops. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, he held a number of civil and military positions, and in 1955 he was awarded the honorary title of Marshal (there are 10 in China) for his invaluable contribution to the victory of the Communist Party. To perpetuate the memory of the great Marshal, at the 90th birthday celebration in 1986, the Zhangjiajie city government established a park and erected a seven-meter bronze statue weighing about 9 tons. It is the largest in China.

Passing the bronze statue, we find ourselves on Emperor's platform (Tianzi Sightseeing platform, Chinese 天子 观景 台), from which the next breathtaking landscapes open. Of course, nature creates amazing things, somewhere it has created huge canyons, somewhere a magnificent ensemble of rivers and lakes, but here it’s hard to imagine where these isolated mountains appeared, which seemed to stand on a thin leg, and were waiting for something. After 10 minutes, this beautiful picture was again covered with a white veil. The weather here is completely unpredictable. It is believed that the best time to visit Zhangjiajie is during spring and autumn.

There was not much time left until the park was closed, shuttles stopped running at 18.00, and we still have to go down the funicular, so we make the last dash towards the pagoda, which bears the name Pavilion of the Son of God (Tianzi Pavilion, Chin. 天子 阁)... Here you can also grab a bite to eat, buy souvenirs or even go inside.

Further from the pagoda, a long hiking descent into the Suosi Valley starts (remember, we started with it at the very beginning?). Of course, we will not go down it, but go only down a couple of hundred meters to capture the final and one of the most important sights of the park - Imperial Writing Brush Peaks or Yu Bi Feng, Chinese 御笔 峰. These are free-standing sandstone columns surrounded by mountainous green peaks. The tops of more massive peaks smoothly flow into thinner ones. The name Yubi Feng derives from the brush used by the imperial calligrapher, where the thicker end becomes a thin brush. Legend has it that the stone tassels belong to the same king of Xiang. They say that it was these places that served as the reason for the park to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Well, it's time to return to the ground, for this we head towards He Long Park and take another bus that takes us to the upper station of the Tianzi cable car, Chin. 天子山 索道, which costs 67 yuan per person. And finally, probably, Zhangjiajie wants to say to his visitors: "You still have not realized all my majesty and power? So get a flight around my planet!"

Time flew by here unnoticed. Of course, one day to explore the park is not completely enough, but to be honest, you don't need more days either, especially considering that there are other attractions in the vicinity, but Zhangjiajie Park will definitely be included in the top of the most amazing places on the planet that I happened to see. Such places are remembered for a lifetime and give rise to inspiration and a passion for travel inside.

The photographs I want to show are from Zhangjiajie City District in Hunan Province, namely the so-called Avatar Mountains. Heard for the highest elevator in the world, which rises up the mountain and a very beautiful view opens up from there. So I drove without any preparation - what, where, and how? As, however, and always, I don't know where I'm going, and I like it, then the impressions of the trip seem to me stronger, more impressive and more emotional. So this time I went to look at the elevator and a beautiful view from the mountain, and ended up in a fantastic place - Avatar Mountain. The day I climbed the mountains, it was beautiful, sunny weather.

Entrance to the park costs 158 yuan and entitles you to visit the park for two days.

First on foot, then the cable car and again on foot, on foot and on foot, there is a five-kilometer queue for the cable car, and here I am in a booth, together with the Chinese going up, we swim between the rocks, the view is simply amazing.

The cabins are designed for 6 people, if the "people" are small, then it is possible for eight.

The place is not very much in demand among European tourists, for all the time it has met at most two or three Europeans and then not Russians.

That is why I think the Chinese looked at me with interest and surprise, probably the same way I looked at the mountains.

With each turn, more and more breathtaking panoramas opened up.

The mountainous region is famous for its quartzite rocks, up to 800 meters high. The highest peaks of Wulingyuan are more than 3 km above sea level.

Along the way, my attention was attracted not only by the beautiful views of the mountains, but also by the girls dressed in bright national costumes.

You could take a picture with them for 10 yuan.

It was convenient to walk, along the cliff paths were laid out evenly and neatly with exits to observation platforms.

The mountains are a picturesque sight: huge stone pillars above the rainforest.

Met them at one of the viewing platforms.

The kid was scared, but my mother was very happy when I photographed them.

The wife named this photo - "Daddy, don't leave." -)

Mountain flower.

High, horizontally flat rocks. There are observation platforms with a lift over the precipice with a glass bottom.

Almost the entire route is on such steps, you can also relax on them.

For those who are tired, it was possible to relax, enjoying the views from the "minibus" .-) But it is not cheap.

Taxi depot -).

At the transfer points, sale of souvenirs and beautiful pictures with picturesque views of Pandora.

There you can also have something to eat or drink tea, coffee and further on the way, there is little time, and there are so many interesting things ahead.

Leaving the reserve in the evening, a flock of wild monkeys flew in and one of them took the banana from me, which I wanted to eat, and this happened to everyone who had something edible in their hands. And then one of the monkeys starts screaming, her whole flock is running away, and in the distance I saw a running man, he ran up, shot at them with a slingshot into the jungle and ran on. The monkeys instantly appeared and continued their gop-stop chaos.

Well, how not to give a banana to such people, although they do not ask, and do not ask, but take away.

Fruit for tourists is more expensive than for the Chinese, I asked on the fingers of a passerby to buy me apples and bananas, it turned out four times cheaper.

Market, the seller fell asleep.

As in a fairy tale, Masha and the Bear.

Throughout the entire journey, pumps were sold on trays, I could not understand why, then I understood ...

In the evening, returning to the hotel, I could not help but have dinner in a cafe serving very unusual dishes, and made an original order - frogs.

Looking ahead, I will say that the next day I ordered 20 frogs, only of another individual, which were jammed in front of me, thrown to the ground, a sight not very pleasant, but the taste, no worse than chicken, ate all of them.

The next day the weather let down a little, it started raining. It was windy and cloudy, but that didn't stop me from taking the bus to the world's highest elevator. The elevator is transparent glass, the floor is ordinary, not transparent, when you go up, you can contemplate all the beauties, if you want to see something, you must, if possible, go in first and stand at the glass wall, the latter will see only the back of their heads and listen to enthusiastic ahs. Part of the ascent goes along the mine inside the cliff, then a beautiful view opens up sharply. The rise of the elevator to the top, height 326m., Ascent time 1m 58s. It was not possible to take pictures of the elevator from the outside, as it was raining well, and all attempts were unsuccessful, only the camera and the lens had to be wiped off the water.

With fog even lucky, the feeling of Pandora's Hanging Mountains.

Fumes of fog slowly float, now closing, then not for a long time opening the peaks of the peaks.

On this day, the rain did not interfere, its drops fell far down and disappeared from my gaze, only emphasizing the height and splendor of the mountains.

The mountains are covered with moss - in fact, they are trees.

The dragon flies off the cliff onto the rock, the Chinese have tried, everything reminds of the film.

When I got to the famous Mount Hallelujah, I was already soaked through (the camera was saved by an umbrella that I took from the hotel), and did not expect that I might be so unlucky. The mountain was covered in fog, and nothing was visible at all.

After about 10 minutes my joy knew no bounds, the fog began to dissipate and Hallelujah appeared in front of me in all its glory, probably so that I could take a picture of her, and as quickly hid in the fog as it appeared.

The fences along the trail were covered with locks so that I had the impression that the Chinese are not 1.5 billion, but 6 billion are the inhabitants of planet Earth.

Locks are shaped like a heart, lovers come here to fasten their lock.

Crossing from one rock to another, this huge stone arch is a natural bridge.

On the right on the rock, we attached a banner with the inscription.

After looking at the mountains that were in the filming of Avatar, I went to the funicular to go down and move to another part of the reserve by bus. Lucky, I defended a three-kilometer line, still less than when I was climbing.

The cabins fell into the fog, as if into an abyss.

To be continued in - Planet Pandora from "Avatar" is real!

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (湖南 张家界 国家 森林 公园) is a unique place, once in which you will not believe that all this is happening in reality. And if you watched the movie "Avatar", then you will recognize the satellite Pandora with its towering rock pillars. The park is located in southwestern China, on the territory of the Wulingyuan reserve, in the Hunan province and belongs to the Wulingshan mountain system. Zhangjiajie became the first park in China to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The formation of such an unusual landscape is due to the prolonged weathering and washing out of rocks. The pillar rocks are composed of quartzite and sandstone. The most beautiful rock has a height of 1080 m, the Chinese called it "Mount Avatar-Hallelujah" and put several avatar figures here, where tourists like to take pictures.

In total, there are more than 3 thousand similar rocks in the Zhangjiajie Forest Park, a third of which rises by more than 200 m.The highest point of the area is Mount Doupeng, its height is 1890 m.

Must see: the most beautiful areas of Zhangjiajie Park

"Bridge over the sky"

"Bridge over the sky", also known as Natural Bridge No. 1, is a unique creation of nature, which is located at an altitude of 357 m. The bridge connects the tops of 2 rocks. The width is 4 m, the length is 50 m, and the thickness is 5 m.

Tianzishan - Mountain of the Son of Heaven

The terrain of this area is located at an altitude of 1182 m. From here it is possible to contemplate the peaks piercing the clouds. The spectacle is truly incredible!

"Elevator 100 Dragons"

The 100 Dragons Elevator (Bailong Glass Elevator) is an open lift, which is also the tallest in the world. An elevator takes you to the top of a 330 m high steep slope. Ascent in a transparent cabin will give you an unforgettable experience. The elevator can accommodate up to 50 people, so not everyone is able to observe the beauty. It is better to come here in the morning, otherwise later you can get into the 4-hour queue.

Laowuchang

The wildest area of ​​Zhangjiajie National Park, where tourists walk on muddy paths. Here are the rice fields Spirit Soldiers Gathering and Paddies in the Sky. This place is especially loved by photographers.

Stream "Golden whip"

One of the most popular routes in the park, which stretches for 7 km. The path lies along a lovely stream surrounded by beautiful rocks. Of the minuses - too many people, and always.

Yellow Rocks Region

This area is located slightly north of the Golden Whip. The famous Five-Fingers Peak is located here. Tourists prefer to stay at the observation deck, because from here an incredible view opens up - and it is not at all necessary to pay for the lift.

It should also be noted that in the Wulingyuan Nature Reserve, on the territory of which Zhangjiajie Park is located, there are several natural attractions, where tickets must be bought separately:

• Dragon King's Cave Longwandong - 81 ¥ ($ 12.5);
• Yellow Dragon Cave Huanglong - 100 ¥ (16 $);
• Baofeng artificial lake - 98 ¥ (15 $).

Fauna and flora

About 3 thousand species of rare plants grow on the territory. Among the rarest representatives here you can find red and pigeon trees, as well as gingko. And more than 500 representatives of the animal world live in the reserve - various monkeys, civets, salamanders, etc.

Information for visitors

The address: Wulingyuan, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, China, 427400

Schedule: 07:00-18:00

Best months to visit: April, September, October

How much is needed for inspection: 3-5 days

Ticket prices:

• 4 days for 245 ¥ (38 $);
• 7 days for ¥ 298 ($ 46).

Where to stay

The nearest railway station and airport are in Zhangjiajie city. From here to the park as much as 50 km, so it makes no sense to stop in the city. Not far from the park, there is a small town called (Wulingyuan). There are cafes, hotels and all the infrastructure necessary for a tourist.

There are also accommodation options on the territory of the national park itself.As a rule, these are hotels with a minimum of amenities.

How to get there

By plane you can fly to Zhangjiajie from any major city in China:

• from Beijing - $ 110-130;
• from Guangzhou - $ 70-80;
• from Shanghai - $ 115;
• from Xi'an - $ 70-80.

It is better to get from the airport to the national park by taxi, the approximate cost is $ 15.

If you prefer trains, then you can consider the options:

• from Beijing (60-100 $ *);
• from Guangzhou (50-80 $ *);
• from Shanghai (60-80 $ *);
• from Changsha ($ 30-40 *);

* the lower price is for a reserved seat, a higher price is for a coupe.

From the railway stations there are buses to Wulingyuan city, from where you can take a taxi or walk to the park.

All calculations are in RMB, prices are for better understanding.

To visit Zhangjiajie Park in China, don't forget:

• water;
• snack (everything on the territory is quite expensive);
• raincoat;
• comfortable shoes;
• camera;
• a map of the park;
• cash.

Zhangjiajie National Park in China is considered one of the most beautiful places in the Middle Kingdom. The well-known film Avatar originates from here, and the landscapes of Zhangjiajie Park became the prototype of the soaring mountains in the film. I would like to add that this is not just a publicized place. Zhangjiajie Park is really beautiful and is worth going here for inspiration and photos.

Today in the article we will analyze in detail the routes in the park, we will understand how to get to it and how much it will cost in total. Since I already visited Zhangjiajie Park several years ago during the winter season, today there will be a mix of "summer" and winter photographs. This is due to the fact that being in Zhangjiajie in October 2017 was caught in a typhoon and visibility was practically zero. Accordingly, only a few photographs were taken. Therefore, do not be surprised at snow-covered photographs and their almost complete absence. More practical information today

How to get to Zhangjiajie

There are several ways to get to Zhangjiajie Park. You can fly by plane, take a bus or train. We will consider the option with a train, I see it as the most budgetary and convenient. After a while I will write a separate article on how to book trains online in China, it's pretty simple. In a nutshell, just install the ctrip application on your phone, which has, among other things, a Russian interface. Choose the name of the city you are leaving from (the names of cities can be written in Russian) and the city of arrival - the city of Zhangjiajie. You book, pay, at the railway ticket office with your passport, you get a ticket in your hands and calmly get on the train. Just in case, here is the name of the city of Zhangjiajie in Chinese (in pinyin brackets) - 张家界 （Zhāngjiājiè）

So, we need to get to Zhangjiajie National Park in China. To do this, first we reach the city of the same name Zhangjiajie. Next, we have two options. Stop for a few days in Zhangjiajie city or get a little closer to the park by taking a bus to Wulinyuan town. I highly recommend the second option as Wulinyuan is located right next to the entrance to Zhangjiajie Park.

In order to get to Wulinyuan, you need to take a mini bus that departs from the bus station of Zhangjiajie city. The bus station is a five-minute walk from the railway station. Enter the bus station building, bypassing the ticket office, immediately go to the waiting room. To your left there will be exit number 1. Feel free to go to this exit, exit to the parking lot and then you need to take a bus to Wulinyuan. All foreigners travel in this direction and the Chinese know very well where you need to go, so you will hardly be able to get on the wrong bus. Just in case, here is the name of the bus station in Wulinyuan town - 武陵源 (Wǔlíngyuán).

From the city of Zhangjiajie to Wulinyuan, it will take about an hour and a half by bus, the ticket price is 20 yuan per person.

Where to stay in Zhangjiajie

I can recommend a hostel in which I myself spent several days. The hostel is called Wulingyuantuniu Youth Hostel, is located just five minutes from the entrance to Zhangjiajie National Park. The road on foot from Wulinyuan Bus Station will take about 15 minutes, no more.

Entrance gate to the park from Wulinyuan side

We figured out how to get to the park and where to stay for the night. Let's talk about how much the entrance ticket to Zhangjiajie Park and movement inside the park cost, and then let's move on to the route options.

Prices in Zhangjiajie Park

Below you can see a photo with the prices for the entrance to the park (photo for October 2017). Also, it will not be superfluous to indicate the prices for cable cars and an elevator inside the park. Prices are in RMB. The ticket is valid for 4 days. You can also buy a ticket that will be valid for a year (whether it is valid for 12 months after purchase or only until the end of the current year, I don’t know).

Zhangjiajie National Park admission ticket during high season is 245 per adult, 160 discounted (most likely discounted for children, students, and senior citizens).

Low season admission ticket 136 per adult and 82 discounted.

Cable cars in the park from RMB 65 to RMB 72

Baylong elevator 71 yuan

Below are two parts of the same map. The first image is the eastern part of the park, from where we enter Zhangjiajie Park. The second image, the western part, is where most of the points of interest are located. On the map, I numbered the areas and points of the park to make it easier for you to navigate. Detailed route descriptions follow immediately after the maps of Zhangjiajie Park.

Place with good hostels in Wulinyuan

Entrance to the park. Here they buy a ticket and take buses

Lower cable car station

Upper cable car station

Observation deck

The beginning of the walking path along the lower part of the park. From the entrance to the park by bus you get to this point in 20 minutes. Walking distance to the beginning of the ascent to Avatar (point 12) will take 30 minutes. It will take about 1 hour to reach another entrance to the park (point 10).

Baylong elevator

Hiking to the site with Avatar (takes about an hour).

Turn to a deserted path. It will take about one hour to walk the trail and return (the end of the trail is marked with number 11 on the map).

The beginning of the ascent to the mountain. Ascent and descent takes about 3 hours. Alternatively, you can go down by cable car.

End of the trail. The map shows that there is no passage. In fact, the road splits into two more. One leads to the cable car (about 10 kilometers), the second uphill with access to the road with buses (you can go up in 1 hour).

Observation deck with Avatar.

Lower cable car station leading to the Yangjiajie area.

The beginning of the Yangjiajie route. The passage of the selected area takes about 3 hours.

An asphalt road with no buses running. The road in both directions will take about 3 hours at a brisk pace.

* Pay attention to the map. There are numbers next to the bus icons. They indicate how many minutes the bus takes from one station to another.

Zhangjiajie itinerary for 1 day

No matter how many days you have to visit the park, my advice is to always come to the opening. The park opens at 7 am. There are about a dozen routes in the park, and they all have the right to life. It depends how much you want to rush to see everything or you need a leisurely pace, whether you will use cable cars and an elevator, or prefer walking ascents. I will offer one of the options, and you yourself will edit it to your liking.

For the first day, the Zhangjiajie route can be constructed as follows. We arrive at seven in the morning, when the park is just opening. There will already be many tourists, but still not crowds. We pass the turnstile, get on the bus and reach the Baylong elevator (marked with number 7 on the map). We rise on the elevator and go to the observation deck with the Avatar (12). The option with a morning arrival and an elevator is the only one when you can really be alone on this observation deck. It is very crowded and noisy all day long. If the crowds of people do not bother you, you can take a bus from the entrance to the beginning of the hiking route (6), walk alone half an hour before the ascent to Avatar (8) and go directly to the observation deck (12). It will take you about two hours on the way from the entrance to the Avatar at an average pace.

Bridge near the observation deck with Avatar

Anyway, we are at the observation deck marked on the map at number 12. Then you can take a bus and get to the beginning of the western part of Zhangjiajie Park called Yuanjiajie. Inspection of this area of ​​the park takes from 3 to 5 hours. Depends on your fitness and free time. First, it is better to inspect the right side (on the map, the end point of the right side of Yuanjiajie is marked as Tianbo Mansion), since there is a chance that it will not be as crowded as in the afternoon. Then the left side, which will take more of your time. On the map of Zhangjiajie Park, the left side of this area ends with a place called Corridor the Cliffs.

One of the typical species in the Yuanjiajie area

Would highly recommend Yuanjiajie. Especially, on the left side of Yuanjiajie you practically will not meet people, the views are sometimes very beautiful, and at the end of the path you will find a fenced cliff, where you can fully enjoy what we came here for - the views of Zhangjiajie National Park with its hills and fogs.

After visiting Yuanjiajie, we take a bus and go to point 5, the next observation deck. The views are beautiful, but be prepared that there will be no crowds of tourists. You can return to the entrance to the park either by going down the cable car or walking down the stairs. Alternatively, you can spend 3 hours exploring a completely deserted area (15). If in general Zhangjiajie is a lot of steps, then this area is an ordinary asphalt road with practically no cars. It's hard for me to judge how beautiful the views are. When I was there, everything was in a fog, like milk. But if you have time, why not take a walk.

On this route for 1 day in Zhangjiajie Park is over. We return to the hostel, rest and gain strength for tomorrow.

Zhangjiajie itinerary for 2 days

If you want to build a route for 2 days in Zhangjiajie Park, on the second day you can also come to the opening, take a bus and get to the beginning of the walking route along the lower path of the park (6). In this case, you have a great chance to stroll under the quaint hills almost alone, enjoying the nature of Zhangjiajie. The road from the beginning of the hiking trail (6) to the turn to the right, onto a completely deserted path (9), will take about 30 minutes. I highly recommend walking along the trail marked on the map at number 9. The way back there will take about an hour. Along the way, you can contemplate the nature of Zhangjiajie alone and most likely meet the local inhabitants - monkeys. In this park, monkeys are not at all aggressive and you should not be afraid of them. Photos of our smaller brothers are below in the article.

After passing the secondary trail and returning to the main trail, you can continue along the lower part of the park, reaching the other Zhangjiajie gate (10). Here you will have the opportunity to climb one of the observation platforms. A pretty temple awaits you at the top. The walk up and down on foot at a calm pace will take about three hours. Alternatively, you can go down the cable car.

Temple at the top of the mountain

Panorama from the temple

If you only have two full days to explore Zhangjiajie Park, after lunch on the second day, you can drive to a cave located near Wulinyuan. Or spend more time in the park itself. There are many options, all the information is in front of your eyes.

If planning for Zhangjiajie Park seems a difficult task to you, you do not want to waste your time on it, and there is also a desire to combine Zhangjiajie National Park with other equally beautiful places in China, in May 2018 my first program in China will be organized. All the details are in a separate article. In a nutshell, in 11 full days we will travel from Shanghai to Guilin and see a lot.

Pictures of monkeys in Zhangjiajie park

Since I had the opportunity to take photos of the park as many as I would like, below you can see photos of monkeys, which are very numerous in the park. After the photos, the article will tell you what you can see in the vicinity of Zhangjiajie.

Places around Zhangjiajie Park

In addition to the park, there are several places that can be visited at once. But you need to think a hundred times before going to them. Any entrances to the natural attractions of China are not cheap. Below I will tell you about three popular places located in the vicinity of Zhangjiajie National Park.

Glass bridge

A highly publicized place, just under an hour by bus from Wulinyuan. As for me, a waste of time and money. It will take you about four hours to get to the bridge, check tickets, inspect the bridge and return. And it will take about an hour to stand in lines with hordes of Chinese. When you get to the bridge, respectively, those Chinese with whom you stood in line will be on the bridge with you. The pleasure is doubtful.

In addition, the bridge is not entirely glass. In the pictures below you can see that on the bridge just made rectangular transparent areas, in which you can see the canyon below. The views from the bridge are the most common, especially, they are not impressive after visiting the park itself. You will walk across a bridge through a hundred Chinese tourists jumping in place or lying with selfie sticks. I understand that everyone has their own tastes and preferences, but I was not impressed by this place at all.

If you are going to the glass bridge, the entrance price is about 260 RMB. You need to book a ticket at least one day before arrival. This can be done at the hostel. By the way, in the hostel where I stayed ( Wulingyuantuniu Youth Hostel), you may be helped to buy a ticket with a discount of about RMB 80. The name of the glass bridge in Chinese is 玻璃 桥 (Bōlí zhàndào / Bōlí qiáo)... You can get there from the Wulinyuan bus station in 40-50 minutes. You cannot bring cameras with you; you will have to leave them in the storage room next to the first checkpoint upon arrival at the bridge. Your ticket will indicate that you need to arrive before 10 am. If you are late, you will have to pay an extra 20 RMB on top. The bridge is open for visits from 7 am to 3:30 pm.

Unlike the glass bridge, I would recommend going to the cave. You can get from Wulinyuan in 20 minutes by taxi or bus, the entrance ticket costs 100 yuan. Plus 15 yuan can be paid to enter a separate small area while already in the cave. Yes, you will not be alone in the cave, you will also have to fight your way through the crowds of Chinese tourists, led by guides with loudspeakers. However, the main feature of the cave is its river. More precisely, the opportunity to ride a small boat along the water channel of the cave. It's really worth the time.

In Chinese, the name of the cave will be 黄龙 洞 (Huánglóng dòng)... The cave is open from 7 to 15.30. It is better to lay the inspection for about two hours.

boat trip through the cave

Tianmen Mountain

To tell the truth, I don’t know whether to recommend this mountain or not. When I happened to be there, it rained all day, a stormy wind blew and everything was in fog. Judging by the photos from the internet, the place is quite interesting. If you've seen pictures with a huge hole in the mountain and a staircase leading there, this is the place. Most importantly, remember that when you buy a ticket you have two options. Or, first, go up the cable car and then, having completed the walking route, going down, go back by bus. Or take the bus and return to the cable car. This is a prerequisite. You won't be able to go there and back only by bus or just by cable car. Heard many recommendations that the best option is to take the cable car and then return by bus.

(6 voted. Vote and you !!!)

One of the most popular films of recent years is James Cameron's sci-fi drama Avatar. The mountains in China, in which this picture was filmed, really exist. This is not computer graphics, but nature, which everyone can see on planet Earth with their own eyes.

National park

They are in which now they even began to call the Avatar Park. The mountains in China, in which the shooting was organized, are located in the southwest of the country, this is a real unique natural wonder. They are located in the province of Hunan, which is approximately three hundred kilometers from the capital of the province of Changsha. Where Avatar was filmed, the mountains in China belong to the Wulingshan system.

The main asset of this national park is the rocks. Bizarre mountains in the form of pillars rise to the sky, creating an amazing natural landscape, which is formed as a result of the washing out of rocks and prolonged weathering.

Many admit that this place becomes a favorite to visit as soon as they learn of its existence. It should be noted that even while living in China, it is not so easy to go to the mountains ("Avatar" impressed many viewers). You need to guess with time and weather, calculate finances.

Tourist boom

It is said that they inspired Cameron to create the famous soaring mountains on the fictional planet Pandora in the Avatar photo of mountains in China. This became the most powerful advertisement for the national park in its entire history, because after the release of the picture on the screens, the flow of tourists here increased significantly. In gratitude for this, the Chinese even renamed one of the mountains "Avatar-Aliluyah", having installed several figures of "avatars" on the territory of the park, near which long queues of people wishing to take a memorable photo are constantly lining up.

During a walk through the filming locations of "Avatar" in China, through the mountains in Zhangjiajie National Park, one really gets the impression that he is on some other distant planet - such incredible landscapes open up before your eyes.

Features of Zhangjiajie

It should be noted that not only mountains attract such a number of tourists to this national park. Diverse flora and fauna, amazingly beautiful and picturesque landscapes play a certain role. For example, certain species of birds, plants and animals that are found in these places are so rare that they are listed in the Red Book. These include the civet, giant salamander, clouded leopard, pangolin, rhesus monkey, and many more.

All nature lovers will find many amazing things here; the local landscapes will especially appeal to them.

When to travel?

To get the full experience of visiting a mountain park in China, you need to choose the right time when you plan your trip. Of course, the national park is open to visitors all year round, but the weather does not always allow you to fully enjoy the beauty of the local nature. Therefore, when planning a trip, you need to decide what you expect from this visit, what landscapes you want to see.

Autumn is considered the best time to visit the mountains in China, where Avatar was filmed. The best period is from mid September to early November. During these months, there is almost always extremely warm and sunny weather, and the temperature is comfortable enough to spend the whole day in the territory of the national park. At the same time, experienced travelers claim that it is in the fall that these mountains will be best viewed.

The rest of the seasons

If you go here in winter, then be prepared that it will be too cold. In addition, due to bad weather, some trails can be closed for safety reasons, and fog and snowfall can cause poor visibility, so it will be very problematic to consider at least something.

But even this does not stop tourists, many go to take photos of mountains in China in winter, striving to see fantastic snow-covered landscapes, to admire these views almost completely alone. The undoubted advantage of winter travel will be the fact that tickets at this time of the year are much cheaper.

In spring, the rainy season begins in these places, which lasts from March to June. Agree, it is unpleasant and uncomfortable to go along the trails and inspect the mountains when it is constantly dripping from the sky. True, it is at this time that fogs cover the entire valley; many go to enjoy the effect of the soaring peaks. In the moments when the fog hides the bases of the mountains, it seems that the mountains are simply hanging in the air. However, there is a possibility that behind the veil of fog, nothing can be seen at all.

But the amount of time that you need to allocate to visit the park is strictly individual. Better to plan for an extra day anyway to visit the Avatar filming location in China, the mountains in Zhangjiajie National Park, in case the weather turns bad.

If you're lucky, you can visit other local attractions as well. Among them are Huanglong Cave, Baofeng Lake, Tianmen Mountain. In order to enjoy the beauty of the mountains themselves, one day is enough for someone, while someone needs at least two to explore the main beauties without haste, and another couple of days to travel to other remarkable places that also deserve the attention of travelers, since they already got so far.

If you want to avoid a large crowd of people, then it is better not to plan a trip for the first week of May and October (at this time a lot of local tourists come to the park because of the holidays), during the summer holidays it is not crowded due to vacations and vacations.

Route options

How to get to the mountains in China? Avatar has inspired many travelers to visit this unique place. To visit the national park in which they are located, you first need to come to the city called Zhangjiajie. After that, you should get to one of the villages directly at the entrance to the park.

There are several options to get to Zhangjiajie. You can take a plane, bus or train.

By plane

First, let's take a look at how to get there by plane. If you are faced with the task of spending the minimum time on the trip, then this is the ideal option. The easiest way to get here will be by plane from some other Chinese city.

The local airport is located five kilometers from the city center. On a daily basis, it receives flights from Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Changsha, Qingdao, Wuhan, Tianjin and other cities. There are also several international flights. At this airport, planes land from the capital of Thailand - Bangkok and the South Korean city of Busan.

The fastest way to fly is from Xi'an or Guangzhou - about an hour and a half. The ticket will cost approximately 70-80 dollars (5-5.5 thousand rubles). From Shanghai to fly here about two and a half hours, you will have to pay $ 115, and from Beijing - almost three hours. The ticket will cost from 110 to 130 dollars (7.5-9 thousand rubles).

You can get from the airport to the city itself by bus or taxi. However, public transport is extremely rare. A taxi will cost from two and a half to five dollars, depending on where exactly you have to go. For a taxi before entering the national park, you will need to pay about 15 dollars (1000 rubles).

The main thing - do not forget to bargain with taxi drivers, since the distances here are relatively short, while drivers take advantage of the fact that tourists do not know the area, they can ask too much.

A train

Now, knowing where the shooting of "Avatar in China, where the mountains are located, you can get to your destination by train. There is a railway connection between Zhangjiajie and many major cities of the country. It should be noted right away that this method is suitable only for patient travelers. which are time consuming.

The journey from Beijing will take from 22 to 26 hours, depending on which train you choose. At the same time, a ticket for a reserved seat costs 60 dollars (4200 rubles), and in a compartment - 100 (7000 rubles). The train from Shanghai runs from 20 to 22 hours, the ticket price is 60 and 80 dollars, respectively (4-5.5 thousand rubles). You can get from Guangzhou in 13-17 hours by paying $ 50 (3.5 thousand rubles) for a reserved seat carriage and 77 (5500 rubles) for a compartment car. The closest is Changsha, which is only five hours away by train.

It should be noted that the railway station in Zhangjiajie is located as conveniently as possible. It is located near both the airport and the city center. Within walking distance is the cable car station to Tianmen Mountain, which is considered another must-see. From the central bus station you can get to the national park.

Bus

Another option is a bus. The city has several bus stations at once, which are regularly visited by regular flights from neighboring large cities.

For example, buses run from the central station to Shanghai, Wuhan, Changsha, Zhuhai and several other smaller cities. Buses run quite often.

The path to the national park

The last segment of the road to the cherished mountains will be the path from the city of Zhangjiajie to the national park of the same name. To get to the territory of the reserve itself, you need to go to one of the entrances, near which there are small villages. In one of them, you can stay overnight so as not to waste time returning to the city, if you have devoted a few days to this attraction.

The nearest entrance to the city is located 32 kilometers from it. The local village is also called Zhangjiajie. 40 kilometers from it there is an entrance in the Wulingyuan area, and 50 kilometers away - an entrance directly at Tianzi Mountain.

Where to stay?

When you get to your destination, you need to decide where you will stay for the night. The first option is to rent a room in one of the hotels in the city of Zhangjiajie. There are a lot of hotels and restaurants here. There are options for how to have fun and usefully spend your leisure time. But if you stay in the city, then every day you will have to spend about two hours on the road to the park and back.

Staying in one of the villages at the entrance to the park will save you much more time. There are also hotels and cafes here. For example, in Wulingyuan, there is a hostel just a 10-minute walk from the park entrance. Within walking distance there is a market with souvenirs and fruits, several shops, a pretty decent cafe and an ATM. Apart from hostels, there are also quite expensive hotels.

It is better to book your accommodation in advance as all rooms are occupied during the high season. Housing is sold out in about a month.

Park opening hours

The park officially opens at 6.30 am. As a rule, the entrance is opened at about seven o'clock in the morning, by which time a rather large crowd of tourists, mainly Chinese, has accumulated.

In summer, the park is open until 19:00, and in winter - from 7.30 to 17.00. At the entrance you can buy two types of tickets: for four days for 38 dollars / 2700 rubles. and for a week for 46 dollars / 3200 rubles. In the winter season, the cost of visiting will be only 22 dollars / 1500 rubles.

Separately, you will have to pay for the Baylong lift (11 dollars / 800 rubles), the cable car to the Tianzi mountain (10 dollars / 700 rubles), the cable car to Huangshinzhai (11 dollars / 800 rubles), the cable car to Yangjiajie (12 dollars / 850 rubles), tourist mini-train (from six to eight dollars / 400-550 rubles).

For children up to 120 centimeters in height, admission is free, for children up to 150 centimeters, only half of the cost is paid. With an admission ticket to the national park, you can travel by bus between parking lots.

At the entrance, there is quite strict control - fingerprints are tied to the tickets. So do not buy tickets hand-held, even if their price turns out to be very favorable, and do not lose, otherwise you will have to buy new ones.

Experienced travelers are advised to come to the park early to enjoy these beautiful views, while there are very few people.

If you want to use the Bailong elevator, then it is better to go to it in the morning, and descend around 15-16 hours, otherwise you can get into a queue that will stretch for at least an hour.

Please note that you will have to walk a lot, so make sure you have comfortable shoes that will not chafe, comfortable clothes, just in case, take an adhesive plaster with you.

Since the distances are long, it is better to combine walking crossings with cable cars. If you rely only on yourself, then you can simply not have time to see a lot. The most convenient way is to go up the cable car and go down on foot. Be prepared for the possibility of wild monkeys on some of the trails. Some are aggressive, so don't tease them.