Zhangjiajie

Sandstone pillars, glass bridges and mountain roads in western Hunan.

ProvinceHunan, central China

Best timeApril – May, September – November

Suggested stay3 – 4 days

By airZhangjiajie Hehua Airport

By railZhangjiajie West high-speed station

A forest of stone

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was China's first national forest park and is part of the Wulingyuan World Heritage Site. Thousands of quartz-sandstone pillars rise straight out of the forest, often wrapped in cloud.

Most visitors spend one day among the pillars of Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain, one day walking Golden Whip Stream, and one day on Tianmen Mountain with its cable car, cliff walks and the great stone arch of Tianmen Cave.

Yuanjiajie, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Top sights

Yuanjiajie & the Avatar peaks

The pillar forest that inspired the floating mountains in Avatar.

Tianzi Mountain

Wide viewpoints over a sea of peaks, best just after rain.

Cable car cabin above clouds and a winding mountain road

Tianmen Mountain cable car

One of the world's longest cable cars, rising from the city to the summit.

Tianmen Cave

A natural arch high in the cliff face, reached by 999 steps.

Road with hairpin bends climbing Tianmen Mountain

Heaven-Linking Avenue

The mountain road with 99 hairpin bends up to Tianmen Cave.

Visitors on the glass bridge over Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon Glass Bridge

A glass-floored bridge high above the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon.

Furong Town, western Hunan

Furong Town

A riverside town built on the cliffs around a waterfall, with stilted wooden houses and stone lanes. It pairs well with Zhangjiajie as an overnight stop.

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