The Avatar Mountains of Hunan
Plan My Trip →Zhangjiajie, in Hunan province, is a landscape from another world — thousands of towering sandstone pillars rising from misty forests. This UNESCO site inspired the floating mountains of the film 'Avatar.' Here are its essential attractions.
The core of Zhangjiajie is the Wulingyuan UNESCO World Heritage area, a vast landscape of quartz-sandstone pillars, gorges, and forests. The Yuanjiajie area — the 'Avatar Hallelujah Mountain' — and the Tianzi Mountain viewpoints are the highlights.
The Bailong ('Hundred Dragons') Elevator rises 326 meters up a cliff face in glass-walled cabins — the world's tallest outdoor elevator. It offers a thrilling (and fast) way to reach the Yuanjiajie plateau, though queues can be long.
Separate from Wulingyuan, Tianmen Mountain features the 'Heaven's Gate' — a natural arch in the cliff — reached by the world's longest cable car and a series of dizzying switchback roads. The glass skywalk along the cliff is a must for thrill-seekers.
Zhangjiajie is famous for its glass-bottomed bridges and walkways: the Grand Canyon Glass Bridge (the world's longest and highest) and the cliff-hugging skywalks on Tianmen Mountain. Not for the faint of heart!
A gentle 7.5-kilometer walking trail through the valley floor, Golden Whip Stream offers the classic view of the pillars rising from the forest, with monkeys and clear streams along the way. It's the most scenic easy walk in the park.
A 2-3 day itinerary covers the area: Day 1 Wulingyuan (Yuanjiajie and the elevator), Day 2 Tianmen Mountain, Day 3 the Grand Canyon and Golden Whip Stream. Visit in spring, autumn, or early winter for the best misty scenery and manageable crowds.