Avatar china national park tour. Entertainment and attractions of Zhangjiajie National Park. Zhangjiajie National Park - how to get there

Zhangjiajie National Park 张家界. Zhangjiajie.

It is also called Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve, Wulingyuan Nature Reserve 武陵源区 Wulingyuan. Locals simply call Zhangjiajie "Forest Park" (Senlin Gongyuan) Hunan Province.

A few dozens tourist routes.

You will see: Pandora mountains, glass path over the abyss, picturesque valleys (without climbing the mountains), Heavenly Gate. Rafting. Take a boat ride through the Yellow Dragon Cave. Numerous observation platforms. Amazing scenery is guaranteed everywhere, get your cameras ready!

Included by UNESCO in the World Heritage List under the name Wulingyuan.

Attention! An airport, a city, a village and a National Park have ONE name. Don't confuse them with each other.

The name of the Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve is translated as “Homeland of the Zhang Family.” Its area is not small - about 400 sq. km, and the concentration of sheer peaks directed towards the sky is the first in the world.

Best time to travel: April – September

Preferably at least 3 - 4 days.

Reserve symbol– gigantic salamanders (up to 160 cm in length). After all, this is the place natural habitat this endangered amphibian species. But you are unlikely to see them: during the day, salamanders hide under stones. But there is no reason to be sad. One of the most beautiful places on Earth awaits you.

How to get there

1.By plane. Zhangjiajie Airport. Located 4 km southwest of Zhangjiajie city, but 40 km from the entrance to the National Park (Zhangjiajie Village - its southern entrance)

There are flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Xi'an, and from the administrative center of this province itself, Hunan - Changsha. And the list is expanding.

From the airport you can, without visiting the city of Zhangjiajie, go straight to the National Park itself and stay at a hotel in the village of Zhangjiajie, where you will find accommodation there too.

2.By bus. From the administrative center of the province itself (Changsha) to Zhangjiajie it is approximately 350 km to the northwest. Travel time is about 4 hours.

3.By train. The railway station is located 8 km southeast of Zhangjiajie city.

Communication with the cities of Beijing (23 - 27 hours), Guangzhou (14 hours), Huaihua (about 5 hours), Yichang (5 hours), Jishou (2 hours).

But no matter how you get to the city of Zhangjiajie, you still have to drive 30 km to the Reserve itself.

Minibuses run from the city of Zhangjiajie to the village of the same name (the stop is called “Forest Park”).

They depart from the intercity bus station every 15 minutes. Travel time is 40 minutes. (The last bus returns at 19:00)

The bus station is located on Huilong Lu Street.

Attention! Check which entrance to the Reserve your bus goes to. Is it what you chose? If you suddenly make a mistake and arrive at the eastern entrance, in general, it’s okay: you can stop there quite well. Choose a different route to start, or take another bus to the south entrance (Zhangjiajie Village). They travel around the Reserve frequently. And if you buy an entrance ticket to the park, you do not pay for the trip between these entrances (everything is included in the price).

Since bus fares within the park are included in the price entrance ticket, many tourists who don’t particularly like hiking, even choose to travel on these buses as a mode of travel.

Where to stay

Zhangjiajie City. The best choice of hotels, but then you still have to get to the park itself. At the same time, there are more restaurants and grocery stores here.

Zhangjiajie village. There are some good hotels. Mainly located on the main street of Jinbian Lu. The choice of comfortable living conditions is smaller, but there are undeniable advantages: the entrance to the Reserve (southern, also central) is nearby.

Eastern entrance to the Reserve(from Wulingyuan side, Sosi Lake). A good choice hotels.

Northern entrance to the Reserve. (From the side of Tianzi Mountain). There is also a good selection of hotels.

You can also stop at the park itself, if you agree with local residents spend the night with them (for example, with those who sell drinks, food and souvenirs in the park).

There is a fee to visit the reserve. The ticket is valid for two consecutive days (without a break). Your thumbprint will be taken at the entrance, and from that moment on, only you can use this ticket. This ticket includes transportation within the park; entrance to some attractions along the route is paid separately. In hotels in Zhangjiajie town and village, there is a tourist map of Zhangjiajie National Park and a map of the area in English at the ticket office.

Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve

South entrance (central)

Most popular route: From Zhangjiajie village, located at an altitude of approximately 600 meters above sea level. You are immediately greeted by mysterious sheer cliffs.

The Huangshi 黄石 Zhai Plateau is considered the most beautiful in the reserve. Located at an altitude of 1048 meters. You can climb it on foot, heroically overcoming almost 4000 steps (or rather, 3878) in about 2 hours. You can take the cable car and just go down.

At the top is the Qingping Temple from the 17th century. This is the highest place in the Reserve near the southern entrance.

If you don't want to climb the mountain, there are several routes through beautiful valleys, starting right from the main entrance.

Behind the southern entrance, if you turn left, there is a route along the Pipa stream (Pipa Xi). Forest, pagodas, bridges. The journey takes 4 hours.

If you turn left from the entrance into Shadogou Valley, you can reach the Black Dragon Village (Heilongzhai) in a day. On this route you will see the Gates of Heaven. And if you turn right from the entrance, several routes begin. The shortest and most popular of them is the seven-kilometer long one along the Golden Whip (or whip) stream - Jinbianxi. The route along this gorge is considered the most beautiful: mountains, waterfalls.

East entrance from the Wulingyuan side, east of the lake Suck it. Sosiyu National Park. Sosi Gorge in the northeast of the Wulingyuan Nature Reserve.

North entrance from the side of Tianzi Mountain - Tianzishan National Park.

Located in the north and northwest of the main Wulingyuan Valley - Ten Mile Gallery Nature Reserve. There is a kaleidoscopic succession of picturesque landscapes in it and those extending from it.

You can see if you keep to the left:

Mount Tianzi (in the translation: Son of Heaven, i.e. Emperor), waterfalls and mountain streams and streams.

Mountain attraction: “Bridge of the Immortals” - a narrow ledge, like a bridge, connected the two edges of the gorge at a length of 26 m and 100 m above the abyss. You are not immortal, so don’t try to walk along it. There is a minibus from the village entrance to Tianzishan area. There is a route to Jiutian (Ninth Heaven) Cave, which includes rafting. The scenery is amazing and the descent is not very dangerous. Trip 4 hours + descent 4 hours.

Story

380 years ago the sea roared here, and when it retreated, an uneven bottom rose from the water. The skillful work of wind and rain went on for thousands of years. Nature carved an extraordinary temple for itself. Its quartz columns rise almost vertically. It has a mild climate and lush vegetation (3000 species!). Among the animals there are very rare species: salamander and black bear. Those living in these places did not disturb them. The fields here were not cultivated: they were cramped and could not be properly cultivated. They only wandered in to buy medicinal plants and firewood. After all, almost the entire area is covered with forests. And somehow it was not comfortable.

The most famous places

Pandora Mountains.

This is now often called the fantastic rocks of the Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve. One of them is officially (since January 2010) called "Avatar Hallelujah". After all, it was here that the unrealistically beautiful landscape of Pandora, the famous film “Avatar,” was filmed. But the Huangshan Mountains are also related to the floating mountains of Pandora, as Cameron, the creator of the film, says.

A glass transparent path over the abyss (on Mount Tianmen) is 60 m long and only 6 cm thick. A peculiar attraction for tourists since 2011, making their hearts skip a beat. They write that the height of the abyss underfoot is 1430 meters. I don’t know who measured it and how, but it’s really high and scary.

Mount Tianmen (in Heavenly Gate lane).

And earlier, the mountain was famous for the fact that a long time ago, in 263, a huge piece broke off from the rock and got stuck between the rocks, blocking the passage at a length of 60 meters and the height of the “gate” with a little more than 130 m with a slope of up to 28 m. Since 1999 No, no, planes began to fly through the gates - these were pilots showing their skills. The Russians, of course, did not stand aside. And one was among the first, and in 2006 a group of “Russian Knights” flew through these Heavenly Gates.

The mountain is covered in legends: both the mountain is a predictor and the keeper of the countless treasures of the leader of the peasant uprising, although they searched for centuries, but found nothing. Or maybe they found it, but didn’t tell anyone)))

You can climb to the top by 999 steps called the “Heavenly Staircase”. By bus on a 99-turn road called the “Road to Heaven.” Or you can easily, but expensively, by taking the world’s longest cable car at 7456 meters. Most often they go up by cable car and go down on foot, admiring and photographing the stunning, simply unearthly landscapes.

Lake Baofeng(Baofeng Hu), and mountain rivers The reserve is a habitat for giant salamanders. But you are unlikely to see them: they are nocturnal. However, the lucky ones manage to be caught early in the morning by the lake, blissfully under the gentle rays of the sun, but, thanks to their color, they blend perfectly with the stones. These animals reach 160 cm in length. Salamanders are very sensitive to the purity of air and water, and to silence. Twice a year, animals are ceremonially released during a traditional holiday. Then you can look at them without any difficulty.

And in Zhangjiajie you can take a photo with a Chinese woman in the national costume of these places.

In China, in the north of Hunan province, is located national park Zhangjiajie, which was one of the first in the country. It included the protected natural areas of Tianzishan, Zhangjiajie, Sanzhi, Xuoxiu, Yangjiajie, as well as Lake Baofeng.

Zhangjiajie National Park (Hunan Province) can be visited throughout the year. Spring gives this unique nature reserve the aromas of tropical flowers and magnificent greenery, summer - stunning vegetation and mountain coolness, autumn fascinates with a riot of colors, winter wraps you in a fluffy snow cover, turning the park into a fairy tale.

Zhangjiajie: history

Thanks to several photographs in popular publications and paintings by artists that were painted in Wulingyuan, the world learned that there was a natural pearl located in the mountains of China. The Chinese government has officially recognized forest part Wulingyuan region Zhangjiajie National Park. It was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1992.

Ten years later, the Ministry significantly expanded this territory, and in 2004 the huge natural geopark entered the World Wide Web national parks.

Description

Zhangjiajie is a national forest park, the territory of which is divided into several large zones, each of which has its own characteristics and picturesque landscape. The park consists of huge sandstone pillars located above the tropical forest, a labyrinth of karst caves, majestic waterfalls, amazing travertines, a picturesque lake, and powerful rivers.

Mount Tianmenshan

Locals more often call it Tianmen. Its height is one and a half thousand meters. This mountain is famous for the “Heavenly Gate” cave located very high. Its height is one hundred thirty-two meters, length - sixty meters, width - fifty-seven. The cave was created as a result of erosion. During the collapse it broke off from the mountain huge block rocks. Sometimes this cave is called fabulous due to the belief that it is connected with the sky.

"Yellow Dragon"

Zhangjiajie National Park, a photo of which you can see in this article, is famous for its caves. The four-tiered building is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. karst cave"Yellow Dragon" Its height is more than 140 meters, and its depth is about fifteen kilometers.

Inside there are thirteen halls, more than a hundred galleries, four waterfalls, two underground rivers and three lakes, thousands of stalagmites, stalactites, and stalagmates. The rarest stalagmite reaches twenty meters in height and only ten centimeters in diameter.

Yangjiajie

In the northeast, Zhangjiajie National Park neighbors this protected area. It includes the Xiangzhi Stream, the Longquan and Baihou valleys. These places are famous for the sheer steep cliffs and the Dragon Spring waterfall. It throws streams of water from a high cliff, which is very picturesquely entwined with ivy and amazingly beautiful flowers.

Elevator Bailung

Every year everything large quantity tourists are interested in Zhangjiajie National Park. We will tell you how to get here a little later, but for now we will continue to get acquainted with its sights.

For tourists, the park has all the conditions for a comfortable exploration of the unique reserve. Most tourist routes are connected by funiculars and cable cars, which greatly facilitate the ascent to the peaks.

The glass elevator “Hundred Dragons” (Bailong Elevator) was created to transport tourists to the three-hundred-meter mountain. It is located in the very center of the park and connects the upper and lower levels of the reserve. Before his appearance, tourists were forced to climb the stairs. The road was quite tiring and long. Today, most travelers prefer to quickly take a glass elevator. If you are lucky, you will be able to sit in the front row of passengers, allowing you to admire the stunning views that open up from the observation glass of the lift.

It should be noted that this elevator is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest, highest, with an open view and also the most powerful - it can lift fifty people at the same time.

Glass Bridge

This unique structure was opened in the park in August 2016. Zhangjiajie National Park, whose photos are mesmerizing, has become the owner of the longest and highest glass bridge in the world. By unusual project became the architect Chaim Dotan. The cost of development and then implementation of the project amounted to almost three and a half million dollars.

The structure is located at an altitude of three hundred meters above a deep abyss. The length of the bridge is four hundred and thirty meters and the width is six meters. The glass bridge in Zhangjiajie National Park connects two cliffs and is made of highly durable steel structures and ninety-nine slabs of triple-layer glass. This structure can support eight hundred people at a time.

It's interesting that on his day grand opening the number of people wishing to see the building with their own eyes was a record figure - eight thousand people. Everyone who was lucky enough to visit Zhangjiajie National Park that day left rave reviews. Nothing can compare to a walk over a bottomless abyss, which can be viewed through glass slabs.

Due to the huge influx of visitors, just two weeks later the park administration temporarily closed the bridge for reconstruction. However, management assured that this was not associated with any damage. After carrying out preventive work to strengthen the structure, the bridge was reopened to the public.

Golden Whip Creek

This area is considered the easiest to explore, as it is located at the foot of the mountains in a valley and does not have steep climbs. Along the stream, a walking trail stretches for almost eight kilometers. From this area you can climb to Yuanjiajie or walk to the Yellow Stone Village.

Tourists note that a walk here is very pleasant - one feels the much-desired unity with nature. Crowds of tourists are found only in some areas, so you can enjoy the sound of water in the stream, the cheerful chirping of birds, and picturesque views of the mountains to your heart’s content.

In this area, at one of the stops, very insidious monkeys live. Tourists try to treat them with all sorts of sweets. Do not do that. These cute, at first glance, animals are very cunning and dexterous - they can completely unnoticed leave you without wallets, phones and other valuables. In addition, they often show aggression towards humans.

Vegetation

China's Zhangjiajie National Park amazes tourists with its diversity of flora and its beauty. Scientists believe that the tropical, humid climate and varied topography contributed to the appearance of dense forests in Wulingyuan. Vegetation here is developing much faster than in neighboring provinces of the country.

More than seven hundred and seventy species of plants grow in the park. Among them there are very rare samples. These include gingko biloba, chestnut (Chinese), pigeon tree, and on the plains travelers can see compact tangerine groves.

But visitors to the park are especially impressed by the large white stipules of the pigeon tree swaying in the wind, which resemble a huge flock of white doves.

Animals in the park

Zhangjiajie National Park is home to more than five hundred species of different animals. Twenty-eight of them are rare and therefore are under constant protection. These include:

gigantic salamander;
big panda;
golden snub-nosed monkey;
leopard

In the 20th century, a waterfall unexpectedly collapsed into the gorge from the top of Mount Tianmen. This happened four times. The flow of water broke down for fifteen minutes, and then just as suddenly stopped.
The staircase, numbering 999 wide steps, leads to the Heaven's Gate Cave.
Along the top of the massif, at an altitude of 1500 m, there is a pedestrian path. Above particularly picturesque and steep cliffs, it was made of high-strength glass.

China, Zhangjiajie National Park: how to get there?

If you want to see incredibly beautiful landscapes, then you need to visit this unique place. To see Zhangjiajie National Park, you must first get to the city of the same name, and then get to the small villages located at the entrances to the park. There are several ways to get to the city: by plane, train, bus. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

By plane

If you are planning to visit Zhangjiajie National Park and spend as little time on the road as possible, then this option is more suitable for you than others. You can fly by plane from other major cities countries. The airport is located five kilometers from the city center. There are flights here every day aircraft from Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Tianjin and other cities in the country.

From the airport to the city you can take a bus or taxi, which will take you to the park entrance for 100 yuan ($15).

By train

Zhangjiajie National Park is of great interest to all tourists coming to the country, so many trains go here. We would like to warn you that this option is suitable for those who have a supply of free time and patience. A little information: the road from Beijing to your destination takes about twenty-six hours, and a ticket will cost sixty dollars (reserved seat) and one hundred (compartment). Zhangjiajie Railway Station is conveniently located, close to the city center and the airport.

By bus

There are several bus stations in the city. They receive flights from different cities China. The departure schedule, cost of the trip, travel time must be checked at the bus stations.

When you arrive in the city in a way convenient for you, all that remains is to find Zhangjiajie National Park (China). How to get to the territory of the reserve? You need to go to one of the entrances, where small villages are located. You can stay there for the night.

The closest entrance to the city is 32 km away, and is called Zhangjiajie Village. Forty kilometers from the city there is an entrance in the Wulingyuan area. The third is the furthest from the city. It is located near Tianzi Mountain and is not very popular among tourists.

Where to live?

The city of Zhangjiajie offers a good selection of hotels, but if you stay here, you will have to spend money and time on the road every day. And this is about two hours a day. It is more advisable to stay in a village at the entrance to the park - you will save time on the road.

Almost all of these villages have several comfortable hotels. If you wish, you can stay in a hotel on the territory of the park, unless, of course, you are not afraid of the spartan living conditions: there are frequent interruptions in electricity, water, and Internet outages. After the park is closed, tourists living in it are not allowed to leave its territory, which, you see, is not very convenient.

Opening hours and cost of visiting

Zhangjiajie National Park can be visited throughout the year. Opening hours depend on the season:

in summer - from 7.00 to 19.00;
in winter - from 7.30 to 17.00.

In summer it is not at all hot here, and in winter there are no severe frosts.

Entrance tickets can be purchased in two types:

for seven days - 298 yuan;
4 days - 245 yuan.

It is better to come to the park early, then you will have the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty in relative silence.
If you want to use the Bailong elevator, it is also better to do this in the morning and go down before 16:00. Otherwise, you can spend about four hours in line.
You will have to walk a lot in the park, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes to prevent chafing. The same can be said about clothes: they should be comfortable.
To save energy for exploring the park longer, combine walking with the use of cable cars and a ski lift.
When going to the park, be sure to take a map (you can buy it at the entrance), sunscreen, cash, water and food. You can buy food in the park, but the prices are excessively high. The most affordable items in these shops are fruits, corn, and fried potatoes (about 10 yuan).
Chinese and international students studying in China can purchase tickets at half price. But this applies to young people under 24 years of age. At the time of buying discount tickets You must present your passport.
Keep purchased tickets separate from those of friends or family. The fact is that each of them has a number stamped on it, to which fingerprints are attached. If you take the ticket of your husband or friend, the system will refuse to let you through the turnstile.

Remember the place called Pandora with its fabulous mountains from the movie Avatar by James Cameron? It turns out that it actually exists, and all the sketches for the film were made here, in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (湖南张家界国家森林公园). Of course, there are no floating rocks or unusual waterfalls, alien creatures or unusual animals from You won’t see a movie here either, but these stunning landscapes will be etched in your memory for a long time, and the photographs will amaze your friends and acquaintances.,

Zhangjiajie National Park is located in the Wulingyuan Mountains in southeast China, in Hunan Province. This place is striking in its beauty, but in addition to its luxurious landscapes, Zhangjiajie Park is also a zoo, botanical and geological reserve. The area in which the park is located is famous for its quartzite rocks, the height of which reaches 800 meters, and the highest peaks of the Wulingyuan massif reach a height of more than 3 kilometers. Mountain peaks covered with dense crowns of trees, many of which are centuries old.

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The national park was opened in 1982. And 10 years later it was included in the List of objects World Heritage UNESCO. The park area is 13,000 square meters. km. This territory is home to over 500 different species of animals, as well as quite rare species of plants. Among them there are such as gingko, pigeon tree, mahogany, and animal world represented by monkeys, birds, salamanders and even rare representatives of the cat family - civets. Sometimes visitors national park Zhangjiajie is compared to walking through it to viewing an exhibition of traditional Chinese paintings, only all the beauty here can be seen in person.

And at an altitude of more than 1 kilometer above sea level lies the Yellow Lion Village, where representatives of three small nationalities live - Tujia, Bai and Miao, who make up 70% of the local population. Despite the fact that Han culture had a huge influence on their traditions, they managed to preserve National language, and traditional costumes, holidays and even a special architectural style.

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So, after a long 26-hour drive from Guilin to Zhangjiajie, I finally got to the park.

Entrance to the park is paid, you can buy a two-day ticket for 245 yuan and a week pass for 298. Tickets also include internal transportation by bus (yes, the park is large, you can’t get enough of it on foot). As it turned out later, they were not included in the price : elevator rides, escalators and a train that runs around the park. There is a separate fee for them, prices are about 50 yuan one way.

If you are under 24 years old and have a student card with you, there is a significant discount on entry.

Tickets are checked only at the entrances to the park; no one checks tickets in the park itself, so you can easily “live” there for a month with a two-day ticket. But due to the relatively high prices in the park itself, you will most likely have to go out to withdraw money or buy provisions.

Accommodation in Zhangjiajie

There are two accommodation options:

In the town near the park there are many hotels and guesthouses to suit every budget.
In the park itself.

But there is a small nuance. Living in the city and going to the park in the morning, you will have to wait in huge queues every time, especially during summer holidays and Chinese New Year celebrations.
Living in the park itself, you can walk around it from the moment the buses start running in the morning, but the quality of housing there leaves much to be desired.

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I chose accommodation in the park, it was important for me to be there from morning to evening. I stayed in a guesthouse of the Yoth International hostels network (phone 0744-5713568), you can book places through Hostelworld. In order not to get confused, there are 2 of these guesthouses in Zhangjiajie - one in itself park, and the second close to the train station.

This is very convenient, because you can come, check into a guest house near the railway station, from there check if there are free rooms in their branch in the park, and the coolest thing is that you can leave large backpacks or ask them to be delivered to the hostel in the park and then not you will have to carry all your luggage with you. Of course, I found out about all this only a few days later, after dragging all my luggage to the park.

Price:

40 RMB per dorm (multiple beds in a room)
120 yuan for a double room (double room)

Photo 4.

To find a hostel, I recommend going to these guys http://backpacker-ru.livejournal.com/36853.html, they even have a map on their website that they filled with useful information.
The bus drivers don’t understand English; out of four respondents, only 1 understood where I wanted to go, despite the fact that my map was in Chinese, and the hostel was marked with a circle, so it’s better to ask questions to the guides you came across.

Note: The walk to the hostel is very long, about two hours, and you need to climb a huge number of steps (600 m up). So it’s better to pay 50 yuan and take the elevator.

While I was running around the park with a backpack on my shoulders, local residents came up to me and offered to stay with them for the night, so in addition to this hostel, apparently there are other affordable housing options.

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The park is crowded during the day...it's better to come early or close to closing
Buses run until 7 pm, the roads in the park are not lit at night, walking is not recommended
If you come for 2-3 days, use the buses and visit the main observation points
If you come for 3+ days, get off the main route and it is quieter and much more beautiful
If you're saving money, you'll have to walk a lot

Photo 6.

There were 7 days in Zhangjiajie, a ticket for this period costs 301 yuan. We left for the National Park through the central entrance in the morning (8-9 a.m.) and returned in the evening (4-5 p.m.). There are many routes inside the park that you get to (from the central square inside the park) by free buses. You get to a certain place, then - as you wish: on foot or, having been in one place, change to another bus and move on. Inside the park you can also move around on cable cars (2 closed, 1 small - open), on an elevator located in the rock (you can take pictures from it through glass), on foot.

The park is located in the mountains, the weather is often rainy and foggy, so you need appropriate shoes (possibly replaceable ones with you), and raincoats. You can’t seriously eat in the park, so either have snacks (fried potatoes, chestnuts, fish, etc.) or take them with you. Water (drinking) is everywhere, however, it is cheaper to take it with you from the city (village). There are 5 entrances to this “complex” (since the national park is only one of 5 territories). On one of these territories there is a lake, on the other there is a cave (these are separate entrances for a fee). It is better to live in a tourist village that is close to central entrance. From the city of Zhangjiajie to the entrance to the park you need to take a bus (11 yuan) or a taxi, the travel time is about 40 minutes. Huge opportunities for filming with a camera and/or camera, even if it’s foggy. Worth visiting: cave (Soxiuei Park), Lake Baofen, national. park - repeatedly, on its territory it is necessary to ride all the cable cars, the Bailong elevator, take a short trip on the funicular train (round trip), walk along the Golden Whip Stream along different paths (you can take a rickshaw, about 300 yuan), walk along path with a glass floor: unforgettable, because... there is an abyss underfoot, and rocks all around, and from the city itself by cable car (7 km) climb Tianmen Mountain, where the Heavenly Gate is located, 999 steps lead to it, which must be walked (up/down), then down to the entrance go down by bus along the serpentine road.

The impressions are stunning! It is also necessary to visit the Huanglong Cave (an underground lake on which you can ride a boat, many stalactites, stalagmites, the largest is 19.4 m, everything is illuminated, it looks good in photographs). So, to travel around the park you need to have: a camera and/or camera, shoes (including replacement ones), waterproof clothing, food and drink with you in a backpack (optional), it’s better to live on a tour. village near the entrance to the national park, prepare for the fact that almost no one SPEAKS ENGLISH, signs inside the park are in Chinese and English languages, there are also maps with routes inside the park, but it is advisable to have the skill to understand them, the slightest desire and ability to walk (a lot!), and also a HUGE DESIRE TO SEE ALL THIS! You need to prepare to either study everything in advance (Internet forums, reviews of those who have visited), or take a guide-translator with knowledge of English (at least!), and also, if you can find it, texts in Russian (English) languages with a number of written in Chinese characters denoting a particular place or name, so that you can show what exactly you need.

And one more note: if you don’t like national Chinese food too much, it will be a little difficult, then you can eat in small cafes, where you can show what you specifically want to eat (chicken, rabbit, fish, vegetables), they will quickly prepare it for you , not bad, or eat Chinese fast food, we only found one burger place. But this all applies to living in a village, and not in a city, where there is McDonald’s and, I think, many other restaurants and cafes. Good luck! Go - you won't regret it!

Photo 7.

The sensations you experience while in the mountains of Zhangjiajie National Park or Wulingyuan are indescribable in words and photos. These protected places The Hunan province of southeastern China must be seen with your own eyes. Mysterious mountain trails, abysses along the edge of which you walk in search of fantastic landscapes, clouds disappearing from under your feet and rocks surrounded by subtropical forest, the intoxicating air of the Suosi Valley, the magic of Lake Baofen...

You can fly to Zhangjiajie from almost anywhere large city China, you can come by train. It is more convenient to settle in the village of Wulingyuan or in the village at the entrance to Zhangjiajie National Park. Entrance to the park for 3 days costs 245 yuan. The territory of the reserve is huge, it is worth downloading a map in advance and exploring the area, you can buy a map at the entrance to the park, it is worth taking a compass with you, secluded tempting paths can lead to unexpected places. They ply around the park tourist buses, a cable car was built, and even a Baylong elevator with a transparent cabin, which takes you through the rocks to the very top. If you are hungry, you can snack on fried potatoes, fish, chestnuts, and flatbreads, prepared in the old-fashioned way in the fresh air by local residents, and then head out again for more impressions.

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You know, this is so strange - I never got around to watching the movie “Avatar”, but I titled the post quite in the spirit of the times and trends! Yes, James Cameron borrowed a number of panoramic scenes for his famous blockbuster from here. Well, God bless him, James. A visit to the wonderful Janjiadze National Park in the Chinese province of Hunan became for me another link in the chain of collecting fantastically beautiful karst landscapes South-East Asia. It seems that nowhere in the world except in Asia will you find these huge rocks sticking vertically out of the water (as in), or in China, but a little further south, in an equally wonderful place, or in the southern part of Thailand, south of Phuket, there Where was "" filmed? This visit of mine to China is very short and its purpose is completely different - to ride a train from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar and further to Russia. I’ve always dreamed of riding the Trans-Siberian from end to end, but I definitely can’t stand 6 days in a carriage (I’m not as much a fan of railways as periskop ), so I’ll limit myself to its most exotic part, the Trans-Mongolian. But that will be in three days, but for now let’s return to the world of “Avatar” -

Let's just say that Dzhandzyadze is one of the least known national parks in China to mass foreign tourism. Why do I emphasize that it is foreign? Yes, because locals Chinese tourists There is darkness in the park, there are so many of them that you will spend a considerable part of the trip in queues. But yes, I didn’t meet any Europeans during all three days in the park. Unfortunately, queues are a cost for huge and highly overpopulated countries like China and India. In the latter, by the way, there are even more people, because with the same population, the territory is three times smaller.

All major national parks in China are well equipped and extremely easy and convenient to travel to. Here you will find efficient and frequent bus, funicular and cable car services to any more or less interesting point, there will be toilets at every turn, “Information” booths (however, if you don’t know Chinese, they are of little use to you, everything there will be in Chinese, and the staff in 99% of cases will not speak a word of English). Dzhandzyadze Park begins with a huge gate and tower, where ticket offices, turnstiles and behind them - boarding free buses plying through this large (about 30 by 60 kilometers in size) national park -

Above I talked about free buses, sorry, in truth, they can only be called free conditionally. A ticket to the park costs an ungodly 250 yuan ($45), a ticket is valid for 3 days, but its price does NOT include the cable cars inside the park, the funicular and a whole series of buses going to the most picturesque parts of the park. For orientation, I’ll mention that the Bailong Sky lift, which takes you almost 400 meters up, from where you can see the same view from the movie “Avatar,” costs 150 yuan round trip ($25), and the cable car to Mount Tiamen (the most The longest cable car in the world, its length is 7,455 meters) will cost 252 yuan ($40) in both directions. Caves and secondary cable cars cost a little less, but in total, if you want to see all the most interesting things, the park will cost you about $200 just for tickets. It’s definitely worth it, although such hellish expenses are jarring, to be honest.

China is one of those countries for which it is advisable to carefully prepare for a trip and remember that you will face a difficult language barrier and difficulties with communication (almost all social networks are blocked by the government here, and even in LiveJournal I am forced to access it in difficult ways, starting from using auxiliary programs like Freegate and ending with requests to friends to publish even this post remotely) and a slightly different understanding of the world and life in comparison with the Chinese. Nothing critical, but if this is your first trip to China, nothing will be too easy for you. Everywhere you will strain all your intellect to solve small and large problems. How can I explain this clearly? Place earplugs in your ears and a gag in your mouth. Now imagine that everything around you is in an unreadable language, and the usual Google translator is blocked. Of course, I’m exaggerating, but this is approximately the situation. But it’s even interesting, believe me!

Very rare English-speaking Chinese sometimes ask, how do you travel here without knowing the language and not being able to even read the name of the station where you are going? How-how... yes, just like that, in the guidebook all the names of the cities are duplicated in Chinese. You turn to your neighbor and show him a hieroglyph with your finger, saying, is this city now? He nods, yes, now. Thank you, I mean “sese.” Station names, of course, are written only in Chinese. It's more difficult with food. The menu is unreadable, so if you don’t clearly know the name of the dish you want, look for a cafe where there are pictures of the dishes, otherwise they will bring you something other than what you ordered.

But I digress. Let's return to Dzhandzyadze. This is a small town located right at the entrance to the park. From any hotel in the town it takes at most 10-15 minutes to walk to the entrance to the park. Sometimes this town is confused with another, hefty city with the same exact name, but 35 kilometers to the east. So, you will arrive in big Dzhandzyadze by train (or fly) and then from there you will drive 35 km to the park of the same name. I arrived here by plane from Beijing. A bus ride from the airport to the city costs about 10 yuan ($1.8), then from the big Dzhandzyadze bus station you take another bus for 7 yuan ($1.2) to small Dzhandzyadze, the one next to the park. You can take a taxi directly from the airport, the price after a long bargaining is about 120-140 yuan ($27-32), but this option is optimal only if there are several of you and you are in a hurry.

The park is wonderful, beautiful, unique, fantastic! I could list many more epithets, but even a thousand words cannot express this creation of nature -

There is also a funny elevator in the park, which you get into from the depths of the tunnel, and then take off almost 400 meters up -

The elevator will take you exactly to where all these panoramas from the film are.

The downside is the fact that you are not the only one who will find Dzhanjadze wonderful. But also to the thousands of Chinese who visit this place every day. There will be queues everywhere: for buses, for the cable car, for the cable cars, even just on the trail where you intend to do the trek. Have time to take photos quickly before someone pushes you under the elbow. Not on purpose, no, but simply there are a lot of people and they are jostling, especially at the observation decks. Accept this fact and try not to be distracted from contemplating nature -

Avatar wings, if I'm not mistaken -

Some valuable tips:

1. Don't overestimate your strength. Trekking is a good thing for health, but even the healthiest person runs the risk of completely hurting his knees if he first climbs up 4 thousand steps and then goes down about the same amount by another route. Remember what trouble happened last year during the conquest of the sacred Chinese city, which is not far from Xi'an, and do not repeat my mistake. Sometimes it makes more sense to take the cable car up at least one way and walk down.

2. Chinese parks are not a cheap pleasure, the price list is higher. Therefore, figure out in advance what you need to invest in and what is not necessary. For example, in Dzhandzyadze there are three cable cars, but the coolest view will be from Mount Yuanjiajie, where the Bailong elevator will take you. All other landscapes will be similar to this one, only slightly less impressive. I don't recommend spending money on tourist train“Ten Mile Gallery”, because firstly there are not 10 miles but only one and a half, and secondly you can easily cover this picturesque route in an hour on foot. Choose the best, because after paying another 40-50 dollars for the next cable car, you will understand that you have already seen all this two hours ago. But what I strongly recommend is an absolutely free trek through the Golden Whip gorge, you will find it on the maps and in the guidebook.

3. Accept that you won’t see the entire park. This takes 10-12 days. Only if you go to China specifically to visit the park, but most likely this is not your option and the park will only be part of the route around the country. Therefore, most likely you will have 2-3 days left and you will have to think in advance what to see.

That's all for now, I think! With greetings from the small working-class town of Jishou, which is about 150 kilometers south of Dzhandzyadze. I arrived here by train today at lunchtime and there is nothing to see in this town. But it is convenient as a base for visiting the beautiful places of Dehang and Fenguang. Google these names and appreciate the beauty. I haven't gotten there yet, I'm just going by bus from Jishu tomorrow.

p.s. And why did I say that there is nothing to see in Jishu? The most interesting city, the center of the tobacco industry, according to Wikipedia. I don’t know what about tobacco, but the chimneys of the metallurgical plant smoke black smoke with such force that I remember my native Urals.

Just a city without tourist attractions, namely an ordinary working district center, where tourists are an exceptional rarity and you will be photographed on phones. The people are very nice, they are sincerely happy to see you, surprised and want to communicate. But how? There's that language barrier again. I’ll tell you about the town separately, it’s worth it.

Want to see the floating Avatar Mountains with your own eyes? Then go to China's Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. The amazing rocks of this unique park have become real prototypes of the world famous “floating Hallelujah Mountains”. We can talk about this park endlessly. The beauty and uniqueness of nature is simply incredible. Mountains, streams and parks calm, inspire, delight and make you think about the eternal. No photographs can convey all the splendor and grandeur of this place.

Formation of mountains

The world-famous Zhangjiajie Park, or rather the wider Wulingyuan Scenic Area, is the first Chinese park to receive World Cultural Heritage Site status. natural heritage UNESCO.

As a result of the weathering of sandstones and limestones, as well as the erosion of soil, about 3,000 peaks and cliffs of the most bizarre shapes were formed. The mountains are covered with dense vegetation and are separated by deep gorges with rivers, lakes and waterfalls. These distinctive mountain formations are a distinctive feature of the Chinese landscape, depicted in numerous ancient paintings.

Geography of Zhangjiajie Park

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, known as “Avatar Park”, is located in the northwest of Hunan Province in China and is part of the huge Wulingyuan Nature Reserve(Wulingyuan Scenic Area). The nearest airport and train station are located in Zhangjiajie (张家界市). However, The park is located 50 km from Zhangjiajie city, so staying in city hotels to visit the park is not recommended. Near the park there is the town of Wulingyuan, also known as Zhangjiajie Village, with all the necessary infrastructure, including hotels and restaurants.

In China it is always difficult with names. They are duplicated and nested inside each other like nesting dolls. I will try to explain a little about the situation with parks near Zhangjiajie.

Wulingyuan Nature Reserve(Wulingyuan Scenic Area, 武陵源) consists of four parts:

Zhangjiajie National Park(Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, 张家界国家森林公园),
Mount Tianji| Tianzi Mountain Natural Resource Reserve, 天子山,
Yangjiajie Region(Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, 袁家界),
Suosi Valley(Suoxiyu Natural Resource Reserve, 索溪峪).

The Zhangjiajie Park ticket allows you to enter all of the above areas.

However, there are attractions in Wulingyuan Scenic Area that require separate tickets:

Yellow Dragon Cave (黄龙洞) – 100 RMB
Cave of the Dragon King Longwang Dong (龙王洞) – 81 RMB
Baofang Artificial Lake – 98 RMB
Museums, river rafting, etc.

Also near the city of Zhangjiajie there is (Tianmenshan National Forest Park, 天门山森林区). It is located in a completely different direction from Zhangjiajie and is not included in the Wulingyuan Nature Reserve. This is an absolutely beautiful, majestic and unique place. With a completely different atmosphere from Zhangjiajie Park.

Main areas of Zhangjiajie Park

Yuanjiajie

View from the elevator of 100 dragons

The most picturesque, but crowded with tourists area of the park. In this zone are located (the same one that is the main attraction of the entire park and renamed the “Avatar Mountains” in honor of the well-known film), The First Bridge under Heaven(natural bridge between two rocks), Lost Souls Platform, Bailong Elevator(the world's tallest elevator).

Bailong Elevator - the world's tallest elevator

Bailong Glass Elevator | Hundred Dragon Elevator

Hundred Dragons Elevator – highest outdoor lift in the world. It takes tourists to the top of a 330-meter sheer slope in the heart of Zhangjiajie Park. A ride in the glass elevator will give you stunning views of the plain. The main thing is to get closer to the window, because 50 people can fit in a booth, and not everyone will be able to enjoy the beauty opening from above.

Avatar Hallelujah Mountain

1080 meter mountain The Southern Sky Column was renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain in honor of the landmark film Avatar. The mountain is located in the Yuanjiajie region.

Natural Bridge No. 1 (The First Bridge under Heaven)

Natural Bridge No. 1 (The First Bridge under Heaven | Tianxia Diyi Qiao) or “Bridge over Heaven” is a kind of unique natural creation in the world. At an altitude of 357 meters it connects the peaks of two rocks. Its length is 50 meters, width – 4 meters, thickness – 5 meters. This is the highest natural bridge in the world.

Tianzishan | Mountain of the Son of Heaven | Emperor's Mountain (Tianzi Mountain)

Forest of rocks | Stone Peaks Forest

The most important advantage of this area is its height. The height of 1182 meters gives a great opportunity to see famous mountains in the clouds. Here the mountains really seem to float. The area is popular with photographers. In this area you can see Dian Jiang Tai, Yubi Feng, Ten-Li Gallery.

Emperor's Pavilion | Tianzi Pavilion

Ten Li Gallery | Ten-Li Gallery

Yellow Stone Village

Five Finger Peak | Five Fingers Peak

The area is just north of the Golden Whip stream. In this part of the park there is the famous Five-Fingers Peak. The area is equally scenic but less popular than Yuanjiajie. Many people go to the main observation deck, which offers views of Five-Fingers Peak on foot, without using the expensive lifts.

Yangjiajie Scenic Area

This area for real researchers. Here you will have to walk not along paved paths, but along dangerous and slippery paths. No infrastructure, but also no tourists or queues. Real nature.

Laowuchang Area

One of the most “wild” areas of the park. You will have to walk on dirt paths. But this is the best area for photographers. Rice fields are located here Paddies in the Sky and Spirit Soldiers' Gathering'.

Golden Whip Stream

A pleasant walk along a beautiful stream surrounded by incredible mountains is the park's most popular route. The path is quite long - 7 km, but not at all difficult. Everything is fine, except that there are always a lot of people here.

How much does a ticket to Zhangjiajie cost?

The park ticket is worth it 248 R.M.B. for 4 days or 298 RMB for a week. Prices for students, seniors and children are 160 RMB and 193 RMB respectively. Children under 1.2 meters tall are free. The price is far from low, but it's definitely worth it! You won't regret a penny.

The ticket price includes all of the areas and observation decks listed above, as well as all bus transportation within the park. However, trips on cable cars, trams and elevators require a separate fee.

Prices for ski lifts and trams:

Bailong Glass Elevator | 100 dragon elevator (Bailong elevator) - 72 RMB.
Tianzishan Cable Car - 67 RMB one way / 134 RMB round trip.
Huangshi Zhai Cable Car (Yellow Stone Village Cable Car) - 65 RMB one way / 118 RMB round trip.
Tram in the Ten Li Gorge (Tenli Gallery’s Mini Train) - 38 RMB one way / 52 RMB round trip.

Main entrances to the park

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park has two main entrances. A park ticket allows you to visit all attractions located inside.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Gate (on map A): southwest entrance, convenient if you want to follow the Gold Whip Stream.
Wulingyuan Gate (on map B) : Closest to hotels in Wulingyuan Town. It provides convenient access to Bailong Elevator, Tianzi Mountain Cable Way and Ten-Li Gallery Train.

How long does it take to visit the park?

We only had 3 days to do everything about everything, and even during Chinese holidays. We walked quite a lot and in one and a half days we managed to see all the interesting things in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. We went to the Yellow Dragon Cave for half a day, and on the last day we saw Tianmenshan National Forest Park.

When is the best time to visit Zhangjiajie Park?

Avoid Chinese holidays(May 1-3, October 1-7) and the Chinese holiday period (July and August). There will be not just a lot of tourists, but an awful lot. You may have to stand in line for hours at the lifts.
IN winter time very cold, and in February, the park may be closed for reconstruction.
From April to June good time but high humidity and a high probability of rain and fog. But if this doesn’t scare you (and I advise you not to be afraid of a little rain), then this is a great time.
From May to October high season . Accordingly, prices are higher, and on average there are more tourists.
September and October – best time to visit the park. It’s still quite warm, but it’s already the low season, and therefore there are no queues and the prices aren’t too bad.

Where to stop to eat?

The restaurants in the park are small and very authentic. The most European place is McDonald's on Tianzi Mountain. But on every corner there are street vendors with sausages, stinky tofu, fruit, water and other snacks. Everything is quite expensive and not particularly tasty. So I recommend taking sandwiches, nuts or fruits with you. You can eat well in the town of Wulingyuan or near attractions outside the park, such as Yellow Dragon Cave.

Hotels in Zhangjiajie

I recommend staying in Wulingyuan Town, also called Zhangjiajie Village, or inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. You definitely shouldn't stop in the city of Zhangjiajie, because it is located quite far (50 km or an hour's drive) from the park.

Hotels in Wulingyuan Town

Walking distance to the entrance to the park. You can come early in the morning and return late in the evening. The infrastructure of the village is much better than inside the park. Restaurants, shops, everything is there. Hotel level from hostels to 5 stars.

Marvelous a beautiful hotel with bright, fully equipped rooms, a swimming pool, a terrace with mountain views. And all this from $30.

3*, the best combination of price and quality and the highest rating of 9.6! Prices are below $30.

Hotels inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Hotels inside Zhangjiajie Park do not differ in comfort and quality. But you don’t need to stand in lines at the entrance and you can come to the most interesting places before others, and also watch sunrises and sunsets in the park. In terms of infrastructure, you will have to rely on the hotel and what you brought with you.

How to get to the Avatar Mountains?

Getting to the famous Avatar Park is not at all difficult:

Fly to Hunan Airport. Airplanes fly to Zhangjiajie from any major city in China.
Take a taxi or bus to the park or hotel.

I recommend a taxi, since the journey is not close, taxis in China are not expensive, and there are always plenty of cars near the airport. The price to get to the park and to the village of Wulingyuan will be about 300 RMB, but in fact they can get you there for 100 (these prices are offered to the Chinese). They don't like to turn on the meters, especially at night, so bargain fiercely.

If you want to get there to the park by bus then go to bus station(Near train station and McDonald's). You need a bus that goes to the main entrance to the park. The stop is called Wulingyuan Menpiaozhan (武陵源门票站). The fare costs 12 yuan, the controller takes money during the trip.

The entrance to the park is marked by a huge pagoda, it can be seen from afar.

Queues. There are a lot of Chinese. And during the holidays there are even more of them. You can spend 2-4 hours (as we did on May 1) in line for an elevator or an hour in line for a bus. Therefore, more walking, less transport.
Get to the park early. It's better to sleep early in the evening. The bulk of tourists arrive after 10, and the park opens at 7.
If you are traveling on your own, then learn the most important phrases in Chinese better. In China, almost no one speaks English.
Must be able to pronounce the hotel name and address, taxi drivers often cannot read and do not always know the area well.
Cash money (yuan, of course) will save you always and everywhere. Currency and Visa, Master Card may not be accepted. Don’t be surprised, China uses its own banking system.
If you take map park at the entrance, choose English-Chinese. It is most similar to the truth.

basic information

Place: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (张家界国家森林公园).
Nearest city: Zhangjiajie, Hunan province, China.
Location: Wulingyuan Scenic Area (武陵源).
Size: 48 sq. km
Ticket price: 248 / 298 RMB
Opening hours: 7.00-18.00
Time for inspection: 2-4 days
Number of visitors: a lot of
Best time to visit: September, October.
A must visit: Yuanjiajie, Yellow Stone Village, Tianzi Mountain areas.
We were in Park: May 1-2, 2014

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