Have you ever wondered if the world of Avatar was real? Well it is!!! Zhangjiajie, China was the inspiration for that amazing world. Everything from the ‘floating’ mountains to the waterfall coming from no where, its all there! You can go there, and experience this amazing world too, we did and it was incredible!
Zhangjiajie is the name of the national forest in China where the fantastic world of Avatar was inspired. From the moment you arrive in the airport you’ll see an amazing mountain range called the Tianmen Mountain. It is actually a plateau with some amazing scenery at the top. From an amazingly scary and twisty road to the worlds longest escalator coming from the ‘cave’ to the top of the plateau this place will keep your attention. There are even two glass walkways over 1000′ drops that will raise the hair on the back of your neck. Start your visit to Zhangjiajie with a short trip to Tianmen Mountain.
The real fun begins when you get to the area of the national park though. Before you go in, go and visit Baofenghu scenic area to see the waterfall from Avatar. It seemingly comes out of nowhere in the rock. There is also a lake here with a short boat ride that will allow you to witness some of the more traditional culture from the area. After visiting this area go visit the amazing Yellow Dragon cave located just outside of town. The cave is the largest in Asia. It is very commercialized but you’ll be amazed at how large and well developed the cave is. It houses the largest stalagmite in the world.
Now its time to get to the main event. Zhangjiajie national forest is a very large park. There are shuttles that will take you from one area to another and small towns to eat and relax in. A very large elevator will start your adventure off right as you get an amazing view of the park while you go up. Plan on taking at least a few hours to see the major highlights in the park using the transportation bus system. There are several major stops along the way that you’ll want to see. If you desire a more adventurous experience you can also hike the park and get into some of the lesser known but majorly beautiful parts. You can spend sevral days hiking this park and not see the same area twice. Camping is NOT allowed in the park so make sure you have transportation to and from the park to one of the many local hotels. At the end of your adventure take the gondola back down to the base. The views from the gondola are among the best you’re going to find in the park.
Overall if you are in this area of China and you miss this amazing park you will always regret it. It truly should be one of the natural wonders of the world as it is simply breathtaking as you experience this magical world in person!
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