Top 10 Things to Do in Zhangjiajie

What comes to your mind when it comes to Zhangjiajie? Is it the golden peak forests shining in the sunlight, the huge Tianmen Cave, or the hanging glass bridge that weakens people's legs? The traveling in Zhangjiajie can be more diverse than expected. Other than appreciating the scenery and try thrilling programs, you can watch live performances, taste delicious food and more. Here are top things to do in Zhangjiajie:
 On many travelers’ bucket lists, taking photos with Hallelujah Mountain in Zhangjiajie always ranks high. In the epic fantasy movie Avatar, many giant rocks are floating in the air, which the Na'vi call Hallelujah Mountain and consider them sacred and inviolable. But do you know that this is not James Cameron’s imagination? They are inspired by Qiankun Pillar in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, also widely called Hallelujah Mountain after the movie got super hot. The Mountain in real life is a vertical pillar with a height of 150 meters (490 feet) and the edge as sharp as a knife, standing among 3,000 peaks of various shapes. When the mist drifts around its bottom, the lower part of the pillar seems to disappear and it looks like floating in the air, like the way in the movie.

Hallelujah Mountain

 If you have something to pray for, do not miss Tianmen Mountain. On the towering mountain, there is a naturally formed cave, giant and mysterious. In legend, this cave is the gateway to the immortal realm. If making wishes here, they will come true someday. From the mountain foot to the cave, there are 999 steps, symbolizing 999 different kinds of suffering in Chinese culture. Legend also has it that as long as you climb 999 steps and cross the cave, your life will be smooth thereafter.

Other than making wishes, you can also take one of the longest cableways in the world to reach the Tianmen Mountain, during which overlook the entire city. 

Tianmen Mountain

 Adventurous tourists in Zhangjiajie must challenge the Glass Bridge above the Zhangji Grand Canyon. Stepping on the transparent glass bridge with a vertical height of 300 meters (985 feet), you will feel like standing in the air. The impressive visual impact may make many people's hearts beat faster and their legs weaken. Walking from one end of the bridge to the other, many people feel like they have walked for the longest 400 meters (440 yards) of their lives. At the same time, this bridge is an excellent viewing platform, where you can overlook the magnificent canyon scenery below. 

Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge

 Can you imagine taking a glass elevator inserted in the mountain cliff and watching peaks quickly “descend” before your eyes? If not, then go to try Bailong Elevator in Zhangjiajie. With a vertical rise of over 300 meters (985 feet), Bailong Elevator has become the world's tallest outdoor sightseeing elevator. In less than 2 minutes, you can reach the summit from the foot of the mountain. The scenery outside the glass elevator is very stunning: a vast forest of peaks unfolds before you as the elevator rises rapidly; when you look up, the blue sky and white clouds seem within reach.

Bailong Elevator

 Tianmen Fox Fairy is adapted from a folk legend of Hunan, telling a romantic love story between a person and a fox fairy: a kind human called Liu Hai, who was separated from his lover fox fairy for thousands of years, but still loved each other. In the end, the god was moved and allowed the two to reunite. Unlike typical performances, Tianmen Fox Fairy takes the beautiful Tianmen Mountain Canyon as a natural stage and adopts advanced lighting and acoustic equipment, giving audience a feast of eyes and ears. During the performance, you can hear Tujia songs and watch the actors dance passionately.

Zhangjiajie Tianmen Fox Fairy Show

 If you once visited Fenghuang Ancient Town or saw its pictures, you must have definitely been amazed by the traditional stilted houses. But do you know that in Zhangjiajie downtown, there is also a huge stilted house called 72 Stange Buildings or 72 Qilou, and it has been confirmed the tallest one of its kind in the world. 72 Qilou is about 110 meters high (360 feet) and 28 meters wide (30 yards). Its layers of pavilions and the eaves rising upwards give it the characteristics of a traditional Chinese pavilion. When night falls, colorful lights frequently change on the building, making it look very spectacular.In Zhangjiajie, there are about 40 ethnic minority groups living here, each with unique and magnificent costumes: Miao's elaborate and luxurious silver headdress, Tujia's bright red dresses, and Bai's clothes embroidered with various patterns such as butterflies and moon. If you want to wear ethnic minority’s clothes to take photos, it is highly recommended to go to Furong Ancient Town. There, the exquisite costumes, paired with Ancient Town's groups of wooden or brick houses, beautiful rivers, and the rushing waterfall, create an excellent shooting effect.
 If challenging the Glass Bridge above Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon still doesn't satisfy you, then you should try Seven Star Mountain's Via Ferrata, a wire-walking program on cliffs. If you can still steadily step on a glass bridge, then in Seven Star Mountain, you can only hang your feet on thin steel ropes. Along the rope, you need to climb up for 168 meters (550 feet), while beneath your feet is the endless abyss. Walking on such a ladder, you will surely forget the pressure in your life.

Seven Star Mountain Via Ferrata

Hunan Cuisine

 Zhangjiajie cuisine is a part of Hunan Cuisine - one of the spiciest yet most delicious cuisines in China. There was once a jest that “what flows in the vein of Hunan people is not blood, but chili.” On Zhangjiajie’s dining table, you can always find dried or fresh chili peppers and pickled peppers. Apart from spicy flavor, Zhangjiajie cuisine also combines sourness, freshness, and the flavor of ham. The must-try food includes Sanxiaguo Hot Pot, Dagupi Beef, Preserved Sour Fish, and Stir-Fried Pork and Pepper.

Don’t worry if you can’t eat too spicy food, as Zhangjiajie’s many restaurants allow customers to choose spiciness levels when they make orders.
 If you are tired of the dazzling mountain scenery after days of traveling in Zhangjiajie, why not come to Baofeng Lake to appreciate the equally beautiful water of Zhangjiajie? Boating on the Baofeng Lake, you can see the dense forests on both sides of the lake and feel the cool breeze blowing from the Lake. Don’t worry about feeling bored while boating, as you can hear live folk songs and watch fishermen catching fish with the help of cormorants. 

Baofeng Lake

Further Reading: Top 10 things to Do in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park