Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Name in Chinese: 张家界国家森林公园 Zhāng Jiā Jiè Guó Jiā Sēn Lín Gōng Yuán [dzæŋ dʒa: dʒe gɔ: dʒa: sen lin gɔ:ŋ juæ]
Duration of Tour: A Whole Day
Location: Wulingyuan District, Zhangjiajie Prefecture, Hubei Province
Highlights: Spectacular Mountain Scenery, the Tujia People’s Culture, Photography and Hiking
Reputations: a World Geo-park, a World Natural Heritage Site, a Five-star Scenic Area
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is located in Northwestern Hunan Province. It is the main component of the world natural heritage site, Wulingyuan. The park is notable for its rugged landscape which features a large number of quartz sandstone pinnacles. The absolutely unique landscape of Zhangjiajie is a type of Karst landform. The sandstone pinnacles have been sculpted into various shapes due to weathering and erosion, creating a wondrous scenery of the land.
The park is also noted as a home to endangered plants and creatures. Some of the rare species that can be found in the region are ginkgoes, Chinese pigeon trees, Chinese yew trees, civets, scaly anteaters(pangolin), Chinese giant salamanders and clouded leopards.
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park does not only attract visitor with its exotic wild beauty, but also with its historic and cultural interest. There are some picturesque villages in the park. The villages are inhabited by the Tujia people. The Tujia is one of China’s minorities. They maintain a strong cultural tradition. The park is a place where the visitors can appreciate and experience all aspect of the Tujia’s folk custom.
The national forest park covers an area of 48.1 square kilometers(18.6 sq.mi). It comprises of three scenic areas, namely, Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, the Yellow-Stone Village Scenic Area and Yangjiajie Scenic Area. The highlight of the park is Yuanjiajie Scenic Area which measures 12 square kilometers(4.6 sq.mi). In the year of 2009, the movie Avatar was shot partly on location in Yuanjiajie Scenic Area. One of the stone pinnacles was renamed as Montas Volans.
The No.1 Natural Bridge under Heaven is a huge rock which straddles two cliffs. The bridge is 2 meters(6.6 feet) in width with a span of 20 meters(66 feet) and a sheer drop of 350 meters(1,148 feet). Bailong Elevator carries people down from the mountaintop to the bottom of the gorge. It is 335 meters(1,099 feet) in height, is known as the highest elevator in the world.
The Golden Whip Brook is 5,710 meters(18,734 feet) in total length. The brook is named after a cliff that looks like a whip. It is regarded as the most beautiful place in the park. A path is parallel to the brook. The visitors can walk along the path to each of sightseeing spots by the brook.
Yangjiajie Scenic Area is located in the northwest of the park. It covers an area of 34 square kilometers(13 sq.mi). The must-see sightseeing spots in the scenic area include the Dragon-Spring Waterfall, the Black-Dragon Village and the Sparrowhawk Village.
Travel Tips:
How to Get to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
The park lies in Wulingyuan District, 28 kilometers(17 miles) to the north of downtown Zhangjiajie. Tourists can fly to Zhangjiajie from major cities within Mainland China, such as, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi’an and Guangzhou. Some of the tourists also travel to Zhangjiajie by car from the Three-Gorge Dam which is located in Yichang, Hubei Province.
Weather
Zhangjiajie Prefecture has a humid semi-tropical climate with distinct four seasons. The average temperature in Zhangjiajie ranges from 6℃(42.8°F) to 14℃(57.2°F) in spring, 19℃(66.2°F) to 28℃(82.4°F) in summer, 24℃(75.2°F) to 33℃(91.4°F) in autumn and 10℃(50°F) to 18℃(64.4°F) in winter. The best time to travel to Zhangjiajie is between April and October.
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Author: Tina Luo
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