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Zhangjiajie Hunan Guide
Yuanjiajie袁家界Hallelujah · Avatar pillars

Draft — not published

An independent guide to the Avatar mountains

Zhangjiajie,explained.

Three thousand sandstone pillars, two mountains an hour apart, and far too much conflicting advice. This guide shows how it all fits together, so you can plan the days that suit you.

Start hereHow many days?

张家界Move the mouse · hover an island

  • Wulingyuan · UNESCO 1992
  • 3,000+ quartz-sandstone pillars
  • Highest pillar 1,262 m
  • Park opened 1982
  • Tianmen cable car 7.4 km
  • Heaven’s Gate cave 131 m
  • 99-bend road to the summit
  • Glass skywalk on the cliff
  • Bailong Elevator 326 m
  • Grand Canyon glass bridge 430 m
  • 29.33° N · 110.43° E
  • 3–4 days for the main sights
Explore
3–4 daysto see the main sights
1992Wulingyuan listed by UNESCO
1982China’s first national forest park
DYGZhangjiajie Hehua airport

Start here: the main areas

“Zhangjiajie” is both a city and the name people use for the whole mountain region. Most of what you see in photos sits in two places about an hour apart: Wulingyuan, north of the city, and Tianmen Mountain, right above it.

WulingyuanZhangjiajie National Forest ParkChina’s first national forest park and the heart of the pillar landscape.Read the guide →Inside the parkAvatar MountainsThe pillar fields that inspired the film, and where to actually see them.Read the guide →Above the cityTianmen MountainThe long cable car, Heaven’s Gate cave and the cliff walkways.Read the guide →Travel notesMuslim-friendly ZhangjiajieHalal food, prayer and family travel in the area.Read the guide →

How many days do you need?

[待写·中文先审] 3 天 / 4 天 / 5 天三档怎么分配：森林公园核心区需要几天、天门山半天还是一天、大峡谷玻璃桥放哪天。

Getting to Zhangjiajie

[待写·中文先审] 飞机：荷花机场国内航线；高铁：张家界西站与常见出发城市的时长区间（上线前逐条实查 12306）。

When to go

[待写·中文先审] 春秋最佳、夏季人多、冬季雪景与部分步道封闭；节假日避开。

This page is a layout draft. Sections marked [待写] will be written in Chinese for review first, then in English.

Quick answers

Is Zhangjiajie the same as Avatar Mountains?

Not exactly. Zhangjiajie is the city and region. The “Avatar Mountains” are the sandstone pillars inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, part of the Wulingyuan World Heritage area.

How many days do I need in Zhangjiajie?

Most travellers spend 3 to 4 days: two days in the national forest park area and one day on Tianmen Mountain, plus extra time if you add the Grand Canyon glass bridge.