Zhangjiajie National Park
Zhangjiajie National Park is a nature reserve in southeastern China’s Hunan Province, located 32 kilometers from the city of the same name. It was created primarily to protect unique plant and animal species and fantastic rocky landscapes, but in its 33 years of existence, the reserve has risen to the second most visited conservation areas in the country, just behind the Jiuzhaigou Waterfalls Valley in Sichuan.
Video: Zhangjiajie National Park
Contents- Highlights
- History of the name Zhangjiajie
- National Park in numbers
Zhangjiajie Rocks – a unique natural monument - Main tourist routes
Plant and animal life of the reserve - Population of the natural park
- Information for tourists
- Where to stay
Cost of a walk in the park - How to save money while traveling in the park
- How to dress and what to bring
European tourists have also appreciated the beauty of this part of the Wulingyuan mountain system. They are advised to plan their trips for fall and spring, except for early May and October, when China celebrates national holidays and the park is filled with crowds of vacationers. In summer, during the peak season, the park is also very crowded: if it is still realistic to find deserted corners during walks in the park, then squeezing into an overcrowded bus or staying without a place to sleep because of booking problems is a below average pleasure. In winter, the rocky peaks look extraordinarily spectacular, but walking on snowy mountain paths is simply dangerous.
.Zhangjiajie National Park became particularly popular in James Cameron’s movie Avatar, where it acted as the setting for the planet Pandora. It was from the unusual rocks of the park that, thanks to special effects, fantastic mountains floating in the air were created. To attract tourists and in appreciation of Cameron’s publicity, the Chinese officially renamed the 1,080-meter-high Southern Sky Column as Avatar Hallelujah Mountain in 2010.
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History of the name Zhangjiajie
On Tianmen Mountain, to the top of which 999 steps rise, the Heavenly Gate is built. For the strong of heart, there are glass-floored roads: the nerve-jangling sensation of crossing over the abyss is hard to put into words.
As an alternative for those who are not ready to move a lot, there is the Yuanzhazhzhe area with the spectacular Enchanting Terrace. Slightly more transitions await park guests in the central zone. Crowds of tourists penetrate the territory during the day, in the morning and evening it is relatively less crowded. Unaccompanied night walks are not recommended for safety reasons, as the park is unlit.
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Plant and animal life of the reserve
Zhangjiajie is first and foremost a zoological, botanical and geological reserve and only then a natural attraction for tourists. Scientists have discovered more than 500 species of animals here, including monkeys and predatory civets that try to stay away from humans. Travelers will remember the fan-shaped leaves of gingko – a valuable species that came to us from the Permian period. There are no animals, insects or reptiles dangerous to tourists.
.Population of the natural park
Tourist Information
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The second option is to rely on public transportation. There is a city bus from the bus station that will take guests to one of the three entrances to the park in about an hour. In terms of cost, it is 5-10 times cheaper than a cab – 11-12 yuan. Orientation in the stations and entrances and exits to the reserve is easiest with a map, which is sold in the tourist office at the train station. Russian-speaking tourists can use a map with English names. Most of the signs in the park and on the approaches to it are written in Chinese and English, in other cases: in restaurants and hotels – travelers are invited to explain themselves by gestures.
.Where to stay
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Experienced tourists warn that even on weekdays, when there are not too many people, it takes at least 2 hours to wait for everyone who got up early to pass.
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The cost of accommodation in the park is quite affordable: one place in a shared room will cost 40 yuan, in a room for two – 120 yuan, but those who know how to haggle guests discount the price by a third. You can eat in rather expensive restaurants at hotels or buy food at markets near bus stations. There guests will be offered unpretentious fried potatoes, flatbreads, fish.
.Cost of a walk in the park
