Huangshizhai, also called Huangshi Village or Yellow Stone Village, has long been a core sightseeing area in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, renowned for its collection of countless sandstone peaks in unique shapes. It is not a village, but a huge stone platform with knife-cut-like cliffs on all sides and a flat, open, and vegetated plateau top, covering an area of 16.5 hectares at an altitude of over 1,080 meters (3,540 feet). A circular trail runs along the edge of the top with over 30 viewing platforms, allowing visitors to see the most peaks in the shortest time on foot. Surprisingly, there are also independent elevated platforms built on the flat terrain, which offer a panoramic view of spectacular peak forest scenery from high above. 

Take a Picture with Unique Peaks

It’s effortless to visit well-developed Huangshizhai, even for family visitors with the elderly and children. The cableway helps tourists to ascend and descend the mountain easily, and the generally flat hiking trail at the summit doesn’t require a lot of energy. Just note that each section has a few steps leading to the view platforms; some are steep, but luckily short. Hiking enthusiasts can also choose the up-and-down trail with over 4,500 steps. 

What’s more, people visiting Huangshi Village can take in the views in peace and tranquility. The total number of tourists in Huangshi Village is often not large because Yuanjiajie, Tianzi Mountain, Yangjiajie, etc., attract most attention. Besides, visitors spread out across the multiple viewpoints, making each one only see a few. If you arrive early, you can even have the platforms all by yourself.

Stairs on Mountain Road

Enjoy Huangshi Village Alone

 
The most intuitive explanation comes from the mountain shape. From a distance, it resembles a giant lion crouched with its head raised, guarding the surroundings seriously. Hence, the locals called it Yellow Lion Village. Due to the phonetic similarity between lion and stone in Chinese, both making the Shi sound, it gradually evolved into Yellow Stone Village.

Actually, there is also a long-standing historical legend about the name of Huangshi Village. Zhang Liang, a strategist in the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220), was surrounded by soldiers on Qingyan Mountain in Zhangjiajie one day. He prayed for the help of his mentor Huangshi God, a wise man who taught him the art of war. Not long after, three large carp suddenly jumped out of the dried-up pond, each weighing over 80 lb. Zhang Liang ordered his disciples to throw the carp down the cliff, which made the soldiers believe that Zhang Liang would not be trapped to death due to a lack of food, and then left. In commemoration of Huangshi God, he named this mountain “Huangshi Village”.
 More than 30 scenic spots in Huangshizhai are distributed along the walking trail at the summit and on the way up and down the mountain. Among them, the ones that cannot be missed include:
 It is the most iconic landscape of Huangshizhai. Standing on the observation deck, you can see five stone peaks standing in a row, with uneven lengths but regular intervals. Their bottoms are linked, while tops divide, like an outstretched right palm. The highest “middle finger” is over 100 meters (328.1 feet). 

Five Fingers Peak

 It is a viewing platform with an exceptionally wide vista, where you can take in dozens of stone peaks densely arranged in a deep valley at a time—some towering high, some nestled low, as if someone had meticulously pruned a vast bonsai and laid it out for appreciation. Simply put, this spot serves as the aerial terrace atop Huangshi Village. Jade Bottle Peak and Sword to the Sky Peak are the most impressive among all pillars.

Imperial Garden

 At the eastern end of the Huangshizhai summit, a ridge extends outward; at its far end, two massive boulders lie stacked, forming a small platform covering just a few square meters. Cliffs border it on three sides. On sunny days, the sky is exceptionally clear and close, as if you can pick a star with just your hand—hence the name. On rainy days, the surrounding peaks appear intermittently in mist and clouds, creating an ethereal, fairy-tale-like landscape.
 The natural gate formed by a rock and a stone wall is a surprise for people hiking up the mountain. The narrow gap between them just allows two people to pass through, with wild trees growing on the two sides. Walking past the Gate, you will be welcomed by a wonderful sea of clouds, as if you had entered the heavenly world in legends. To the right of the gate stands a 20-meter-high (65.6 feet) stone, looking like a majestic general from afar who stands with his hands on his hips to guard the heaven.

Six Wonders Pavilion

Busy Footpath to Star Picking Stand

 All the scenic spots on the top of Huangshizhai are distributed along a long circuit. Tourists begin sightseeing with the upper station of the cableway, and finally return to the starting point after a thorough tour. Those without enough energy or time can turn to the short one midway.

	Short Loop	Long Loop
Total length	1.32 km (0.8 mi)	2.48 km (1.5 mi)
Time needed	From 1 h	From 2 h
What to see	10 essence spots	30 core spots containing the 10 spots on the short loop
Difficulty	Very low: flat path with almost no steps	Low: many stairs up and down, but acceptable for most tourists
Accessible passage	Connecting all spots	No special path for wheelchairs or strollers
Recommended for	Tourists on a tight schedule	Visitors with ample time and good physical strength
Popularity	Gathering of tour groups, thus busy	Fewer people are scattered along the loop, so relatively quiet

 
Notes: 
1. You can tour either clockwise or counterclockwise along the loop. The clockwise one has fewer ups and more downs.
2. Huangshi Village takes up half a day to visit, and usually forms a one-day trip together with Golden Whip Stream. 
 South Gate is the closest and most convenient entrance to Huangshi Village among the five entrances of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. It can be directly reached by tourist bus from the city center. After entering via the South Gate, tourists need to get to the top of Huangshizhai by cable car or hike.
 Most people choose to take a cable car up and down the mountain in only 5 - 8 minutes to save time and effort. The cableway is 973 meters long and runs at an average speed of 9 meters per second.

Each cabin holds 8 people, with transparent walls allowing for a close-up view of the sandstone mountain landscape when flying through peaks. Brave tourists can challenge the one with a transparent floor, while if you are afraid of heights, just relax with your eyes closed. 

 How to take Huangshizhai Cableway
Get on the eco-bus at Big Oxygen Bar Square to reach the lower station of the cableway in about 3 minutes. With a ticket booked in advance, you can directly get into the cable car. If not, buy one on site at CNY 65 for a one-way trip. 

Ticket Center of Huangshizhai Cableway

Fly through the Mountain by Cable Car

 The hiking path is set for energetic visitors, with Big Oxygen Bar Square as the starting point and Star Picking Stand as the other end. You need to prepare about 2 hours for climbing over 4,500 steps along the 3.2-km-long (2-mi) walkway. A few people hike up the mountain, so it’s also an effective way to beat crowds in high travel season, when it takes at least 1 hour to queue up for taking a cable car.

During the magical trip, you can admire stone formations in various shapes, for example, Heavenly Book Treasure Box – a giant rock resembling an ancient book box with its lid open, and Magical Needle of Sea Peak – a 100-meter-high (328.1-foot) slender stone pillar that stands firmly. 

Notes:
1. The steep front section of the hiking trail requires slow walking.
2. If you enter through the East Gate of the park, you need to walk through 5.8-km-long (3.6-mi) Golden Whip Stream before hiking or taking the cableway up the mountaintop.

Hiking Trail to Huangshizhai

 The tourist center at the cableway station provides consultation and ticket sales. There are no restaurants on the mountaintop, but snack stalls are available. Little shops at the cableway station sell water and fast food.

Food Stalls at Mountaintop

Accessible Passage on Short Loop

 1. It’s certain that you will meet active wild monkeys that are not afraid of tourists during your visit to Huangshi Village. Remember to keep a safe distance, and do not tease or feed them in case of being scratched. More importantly, do not hold plastic bags in your hands, particularly those containing food or drinks, which are very likely to be robbed by bold ones.
2. Be careful of the steps along the footpath: do not take photos while walking to avoid stepping on empty spaces.

Meet Lovely Little Monkey

 

Ticket	No single ticket is required; you only need to purchase an entrance ticket for Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Opening hours	Same as that of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park: opening at 7:00 and closing at about 17:00/19:00 according to tourist volume. So does the cableway.

 Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Tickets Booking

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