Day 15 - Zhangjiajie National Park

Zhangjiajie National Park

When we first started researching China as a possible country to visit, one of the things that immediately caught our attention was the attraction of Zhangjiajie National Park. A massive national park approximately 35km's away from the town of Zhangjiajie, Northern Hunan Province.

In 1982 the area became China's first national park when it was discovered that were a lot of endangered animals & plants inhabiting the area. A huge effort has gone into the conservation efforts to preserve this natural beauty.

The national park is best known for its quartzite rock towers & bluffs that appear to be floating in the clouds. These 'floating mountains' covered in lush greenery have been the inspiration for artists, photographers & the extraterrestrial world in the movie Avatar.


As well as the staggering, towers of rock & mountain, the park also offers caves, rivers & waterfalls, which can be enjoyed on foot, by bus, glass elevator, glass bridge or cable car. We spent 8 hours & walked just under 24 km's, took 2 cable cars, 3 bus's, a glass elevator, a normal elevator & still feel like we only scratched the surface of this majestic place. We regretfully, only planned 2 days in the park & surrounding areas.

Hot tip - when you buy your entry ticket to the park its valid for 4 days. Plan at least 4 days, to explore the park & include rest days! The national park is massive & the surrounding area has a lot to offer as well. We also recommend staying in Wulinyuan District as it is so close to the park. Pack disposable ponchos & snacks!

As with other attractions in China, the crowds are immense & at times more overwhelming & dangerous than the national park. Avoid weekends & Chinese peak holiday seasons. If you are a keen hiker, like us, you'll have a much better time hiking up or down the mountains without the crowds. We felt like it was a different world away from the crowds, the beautiful noises of nature & after a short distance we noticed squirrels & lots of monkeys eager to say hello!

This place is definitely worth every cent & every soreness we now feel from hiking up and down its mountains. We plan to come back again later in life. Ideally when it's a winter wonderland!

-Alli