Situated in the northwest part of China’s Hunan Province and considered one of the inspirations for Hollywood blockbuster Avatar, Zhangjiajie’s natural beauty can be a great attraction to those who love sightseeing and mountain climbing, and even those who think they don’t.
Still, I’d never considered making the journey until I had the chance to visit as part of a business trip. I’d always known it was a UNESCO-recognized heritage site, but usually, when I have a chance to escape the urban jungle of dusty Beijing, I almost always prefer a beach to a mountain.
I almost canceled the whole trip, as I was suffering from a terrible cough at the time and knew that an exhausting trip would only make the condition worse. Fortunately, my three-day-trip in this “natural oxygen bar”, featuring thousands of pillar-like peaks and a diversity of plants and birds, was nothing to regret at all. Afterward, I even discovered my cough had gotten better, probably due to all the fresh air.
Soon after I obtained the ticket for
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, I noticed the tourist infrastructure strongly played up the place’s connection to Avatar, with numerous posters declaring “Pandora is far, but
Zhangjiajie is near.”
Ever since the release of the Hollywood blockbuster,
Zhangjiajie has been promoting itself for being the inspiration of the movie’s floating “Hallelujah Mountain”.
After the film’s team mentioned to media that they did indeed draw inspiration from mountains around the world, including those in Zhangjiajie, the local government officially renamed the Southern Sky Column “Hallelujah Mountain” in January last year.
It’s an undeniably cheesy move, especially considering all the small vendors selling cheap Avatar logo T-shirts and toys.
What’s more, the man-made bridge between two peaks – which forms the spot from which to best appreciate the entirety of the 150-meter-high “Hallelujah Mountain” – made me pretty uncomfortable to traverse, with its heavily-packed crowds shooting endless reams of photos and squeaking boards always just one heavy step away from snapping in half.
But you will not be disappointed once you realize that the Southern Sky Column is just one of the whopping 3,000 or so gigantic pillar-like peaks in the park.
The peaks are covered with sub-tropical rainforest and constantly surrounded by fog, forming a vivid dream-like world at an altitude above 1,000 meters.
There are regular vendor stands stretching out of the walkways surrounding the peaks, which offer excellent views of the neighboring mountains. At these stands, shopkeepers sell Snickers, soda water, ice cream and offer Polaroid photographs at 10 yuan a piece. However, unless you really like taking photos, avoid walking into each stand, as being pushed by the endless hustle-bustle of the crowds can be a bit annoying.
If you take your time and do not rush to the popular sites, take a moment to linger at Turtle Pond, one of the more spectacular areas. The place certainly lives up to its name, as it houses thousands of turtles lying on top of another in a water pond, sunbathing and taking naps all afternoon long.
People throw coins into the pond in a wish to acquire good luck. Also make sure to check out the placard near the pond, which will tell you how to look for the shape of a turtle naturally-carved into one of the nearby pillars.
Following our visit to Turtle Pond, we made our way past a natural rock bridge that looked like it was suspended in the air, with nothing but two solitary, mist-shrouded peaks marking its end.
Cable cars are available to assist in both your ascent and descent, but if you are not afraid of high altitudes and want to experience something different, take the Bailong Glass Elevator.
Built into the side of a huge cliff and ascending to the top of a plateau, the elevator rises 326 meters (about 100 stories high in an average building) and claims itself to be the world’s biggest exposed glass elevator.
The elevator begins rising in the darkness of the cliff, after which it will burst into a plume of light. Accompanied by the gasps of the passengers, your ears will pop and your eyes won’t believe what they’re seeing as you ride into the heavens.
