Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Hunan
Zhangjiajie in Hunan province is where science fiction becomes reality — more than 3,000 quartzite sandstone pillars rise vertically from a sea of subtropical forest, some topping 200 metres, their summits often lost in cloud. This was the landscape that inspired the floating Hallelujah Mountains in Avatar, and standing beneath them is every bit as surreal as the film suggests.
The must-do highlights
The Avatar Hallelujah Mountain (officially renamed from Southern Sky Column in 2010) in the Yuanjiajie area is the park's most iconic pillar and worth the cable car ride up to the plateau. From the Yuanjiajie rim trail you can look down over a forest canopy punctuated by hundreds of freestanding rock spires — a view that has no equivalent anywhere else on Earth.
The Tianmen Mountain cable car, running 7.5 km into the adjacent Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area, is the world's longest passenger cable car and delivers its own spectacular payoff: a clifftop glass walkway and the natural arch of Tianmen Cave, a 131-metre-high hole punched through the mountain face.
Getting around and planning your time
The national forest park is large enough to warrant two full days minimum. A network of shuttle buses, cable cars and elevators — including the Bailong Elevator, the world's tallest outdoor lift at 326 metres — connects the main viewpoints without requiring punishing hikes, though walking the Golden Whip Stream valley trail (5.7 km) at dawn is strongly recommended for its serenity and wildlife.
The town of Zhangjiajie city serves as the main gateway, with a domestic airport and high-speed rail connections to Changsha (about 2 hours). Book accommodation in Wulingyuan village, right at the park entrance, to maximise time inside.
Park entry costs 248 CNY for a four-day pass, which covers all shuttle buses. Cable cars and the Bailong Elevator are charged separately. Avoid Chinese national holidays when queues for the elevator can exceed two hours.
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