"I've been to many places in the world, but Zhangjiajie is still the most beautiful." "If there is a most beautiful place in the world, besides heaven, it's Zhangjiajie." In July 2013, then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised Zhangjiajie highly after seeing the picture album "Zhangjiajie, China," calling it "radiantly charming." In October 2019, Ban Ki-moon finally embarked on his dream trip. When the unique peak forest scenery in the picture album appeared in front of him, he was deeply moved and couldn't help but say these words.
Zhangjiajie, which Ban Ki-moon praised, is located in the northwest of Hunan Province. It is a window to Hunan tourism, a living room that attracts distinguished guests from all over the world, and a beautiful name card for China to go global.
Zhangjiajie boasts unparalleled natural landscapes, with over 3,000 unique peaks and 800 beautiful streams, encompassing abundant natural resources such as peak forests and canyons, karst caves and hot springs, lakes and streams, and primeval forests. The floating "Hallelujah Mountains" from the movie *Avatar* were filmed here, making it a "holy land" in the hearts of movie fans worldwide.
It is an ecological civilization city, and has successively won the titles of National Sanitary City, National Forest City, National Ambient Air Quality Standard City, and Outstanding City in Practicing Ecological Civilization Development.
It is a major transportation hub, home to the only national first-class air port, the second largest international airport in Hunan Province, and a well-developed high-speed rail network. Tourist trains can directly reach more than 50 large and medium-sized cities across the country, forming a comprehensive transportation network of air, high-speed rail, and expressways.
It is a multi-ethnic region where 33 ethnic groups live and thrive, with ethnic minorities accounting for 75.28% of the total population. It boasts a rich cultural heritage, including Chu culture, Tusi culture, and folk culture, and possesses 818 intangible cultural heritage items in 10 categories.
It is a world-renowned tourist destination and one of the 25 key tourist cities in the national "14th Five-Year Plan" for tourism development. It boasts over 300 scenic spots and attractions, including 31 national 3A-level or higher scenic areas, among which are 2 5A-level scenic areas. In 2021, it was listed among the top 10 Chinese cities with the highest overseas cultural and tourism influence, alongside Beijing and Shanghai. In the South Korean tourism market, it is known as "A man who has not been to Zhangjiajie in his lifetime cannot be considered an old man at 100," and the "International Zhang" brand resonates both domestically and internationally.
Zhangjiajie, known as the "Fairyland," is attracting increasing global attention. Data shows that Zhangjiajie currently receives inbound tourists from 133 countries and regions, and its annual inbound and outbound passenger volume ranks first among non-provincial capital airports in the six central provinces.
Visitors to Zhangjiajie are invariably awestruck by its unique and magnificent karst landforms and sandstone peak forests, feeling as if they are in a "fairyland on earth." Due to its unique quartz sandstone peak forests, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and later as a World Geopark.
It's worth mentioning that Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was the first national forest park in China. It's renowned for its magnificent peaks, secluded valleys, and lush forests. Three thousand stone peaks rise abruptly from the ground, each with a unique shape, while deep valleys and babbling streams flow between them. Spring brings a riot of wildflowers and their fragrant aroma; summer offers cool breezes and is perfect for escaping the heat; autumn paints the mountains red with leaves and branches laden with fruit; and winter transforms the landscape into a pristine white wonderland. With its pleasant climate and diverse scenery throughout the year, the park is an ideal destination for tourism, vacations, and leisure.
Tianmen Mountain, hailed as the "First Sacred Mountain of Western Hunan," is one of the most representative scenic areas of the forest park. Like a natural screen for Zhangjiajie, its unique geological formations and magnificent natural scenery captivate visitors. Here lies a magical aerial stone forest, vibrant with wild charm year-round. Moss covers the ground, ancient trees reach for the sky, and strange rocks and beautiful trees rise together, creating natural bonsai landscapes everywhere—a veritable bonsai garden crafted by the gods. The world's highest-altitude natural through-mountain cave, "Tianmen Cave," hangs high above a sheer cliff, constantly breathing in clouds, mist, and lightning, exuding a mystical aura of a celestial palace.
Tianmen Mountain is renowned for its profound cultural heritage and diverse historical sites, and is revered as the cultural and spiritual soul of Zhangjiajie. Buddhist and Taoist cultures flourish here, and its folk legends are widely known. Since the Ming Dynasty, it has been a thriving center of Buddhism in western Hunan. The misty mountains and the unsolved mystery of "Tianmen Cave opening and Guigu appearing" further enhance its enigmatic and otherworldly atmosphere.
The karst formations and underground karst caves are truly exceptional. Huanglong Cave and Jiutian Cave are representative of Zhangjiajie's underground karst topography. They integrate caves, cave rivers, underground rivers, sinkholes, and funnels. The stalactites, stalagmites, and columns inside the caves are incredibly diverse and varied.
Huanglong Cave is a famous karst cave scenic spot in Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic Area. It is renowned for its vast scale, comprehensive content, and beautiful scenery, encompassing all aspects of cave science. It features caves within caves, mountains within caves, caves within mountains, and rivers within caves. Huanglong Cave is famous for its enormous three-dimensional cave space, rich karst landscapes, and combined land and water tour routes, earning it the reputation of "World Karst Cave Wonder" and "China's Most Beautiful Karst Cave for Traveling Through the Milky Way."
In addition, Huangshi Village, Ten-Mile Gallery, Tianzi Mountain, and Jinbian Stream are all famous scenic spots in Zhangjiajie. The unique peaks and rocks, mountain springs and waterfalls, deep forests and rare trees, as well as rare birds and animals, together form a series of charming and beautiful natural landscapes, like entering a paradise on earth.
Zhangjiajie boasts a large number of ethnic minorities and a rich folk culture. The Tujia people of Zhangjiajie, in particular, have a rich folk culture that has been passed down for thousands of years. Upon entering Tusi City, you will first witness the welcoming ceremony, where Tujia men welcome guests with drums, blow ox horns, and release firecrackers, while Tujia girls sing welcoming songs and offer welcoming wine. Inside the city, a grand Tujia ancestral worship ceremony with hundreds of people is held in front of the ancestral hall, where men, women, and children sing the Baishou song and dance the Baishou dance. In the Tujia village, you can listen to Tujia songs and enjoy the most representative Tujia customs, such as the weeping marriage, the three-stick drum, and flower lantern performances.
Today, when you come to Zhangjiajie, you can not only leisurely appreciate the world's unique natural landscape and experience the ethnic minority customs, but also experience unique and exciting projects such as the popular glass bridge, via ferrata, vertical elevator, high-altitude zipline, high-altitude bungee jumping, and rock climbing in this "fairyland on earth". You can also watch the "Charming Xiangxi" live-action cultural performance. The rich and colorful travel experience will make you linger.
Final travel advice
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Follow this China travel guide to make your journey safe, efficient, and unforgettable.
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