Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Sandstone pillars at Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain

By EvanFacts reviewed 4 October 2026

Photo (cropped and resized): Kuruman, CC BY 2.0

Why it's worth the trip

Walk out to the rim at Yuanjiajie and the ground simply stops. Below, hundreds of sandstone pillars rise sheer from the forest. Many are over 200 metres tall, higher than a 60-storey tower, and pines cling to their tops. After rain, cloud lifts out of the valleys and drifts between them, so whole pillars fade and come back while you watch. Nothing holds still for long. A gap opens on one cluster of peaks, closes, then opens somewhere else.

Every pillar was once part of one solid slab of sandstone. Rain worked down the straight cracks that split it, widened them and broke blocks away, until walls of rock became rows of columns. You can still read that story on the spot. Huangshi Village is a broad table of rock that has not yet split apart. At Yuanjiajie, a natural stone bridge hangs more than 300 metres above the valley. It was once part of a solid wall whose weaker middle wore through, leaving a span you can walk across.

The park is big, linked inside by shuttle buses, lifts and cable cars, and no one sees it all in a day. Go high first. Yuanjiajie has the stone bridge and the pillar renamed after the film Avatar; Tianzi Mountain has the widest sweep. Then come down and walk Golden Whip Stream along the valley floor, looking up. With a second day, add Yangjiajie, or Huangshi Village, the table mountain a local saying tells you not to miss.

Don't miss

Mihun Tai and the stone bridge
Mihun Tai means roughly the terrace that bewitches you. Come as the sky clears after rain, find a spot on this rock platform and wait for the cloud to move. Nearby, the path crosses the stone bridge, its railings hung with red ribbons and padlocks.
Golden Whip Stream on foot
Down on the valley floor, an almost level path follows a clear stream for two to three hours. Small fish dart in the pools and the trees ring with birdsong. The pillars rise straight up on both sides; as the park puts it, you walk the gorge and the mountains pass you by. Keep food out of sight, because wild monkeys here snatch it from hands and bags.
The Imperial Brush Peaks at Tianzi Mountain
From the rim of Tianzi Mountain you look over the densest crowd of pillars in the park. Find the Imperial Brush Peaks, a few slim columns with pines on top, like giant writing brushes planted handle-down. Around early November the hillsides near them usually turn red and gold.

Fitting it in

Time to give it: A full day covers the high viewpoints and Golden Whip Stream. Give it two days to add Huangshi Village or Yangjiajie at an easier pace.
When to go: Come on a morning after rain if you can, when cloud drifts between the pillars; on clear days you see further. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable, and around early November Tianzi Mountain usually turns red and gold. Summer is hot and busy up top, though the stream walk stays cool. Avoid the May Day holiday and the first week of October, when the queues for lifts and cable cars are longest.
Pair it with: Wulingyuan town, just outside the East Gate, is the handiest base for the park. If your legs still allow after a park day, the Charming Xiangxi show of western Hunan song and dance is in the same town. Huanglong Cave, where a boat carries you along an underground river, suits a gentler next morning. So does Baofeng Lake, a boat trip on emerald water about 1.5 kilometres from town.
Who can skip it: Hardly anyone who comes to Zhangjiajie should leave it out, because the pillars are why people come. Slower walkers should see less of it instead. Lifts and cable cars remove the biggest climbs. They do not remove every stair, queue or gap between viewpoints, so choose one high area and let the rest go. If cloud hides everything up top, walk Golden Whip Stream, which stays lovely in mist and light rain. After heavy rain, check first that the paths are open.

Questions travellers ask

Is Zhangjiajie National Forest Park worth visiting?

Yes, it is what Zhangjiajie is famous for. More than 3,000 sandstone pillars, many over 200 metres tall, rise from forested valleys, and after rain cloud drifts between them. Give it at least one full day. Look down from the rim at Yuanjiajie or Tianzi Mountain, then look up from the valley floor along Golden Whip Stream.

How many days do you need in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park?

One full day for the highlights, two to see it without rushing. One long day covers Yuanjiajie, Tianzi Mountain and Golden Whip Stream, a walk of two to three hours. A second day adds Huangshi Village or Yangjiajie. Tianmen Mountain and the glass bridge are separate places that need their own time.

When is the best time to visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park?

Spring and autumn, ideally on a morning after rain, when cloud fills the valleys and drifts between the pillars. Tianzi Mountain's autumn colour is usually at its best around early November. Summer is hot and busy, and winter is cold, with occasional snow. Avoid the May Day holiday and the first week of October.

Where is the Avatar mountain in Zhangjiajie?

At Yuanjiajie, on the high ground in the north of the park. Its old name is the Southern Sky Column, a pillar about 150 metres tall with trees on its top. In 2010 it was renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain for its likeness to the film's floating peaks. You see it across the valley from a viewing platform. With mist curling round its sides, the pillar looks straight out of the film. Yuanjiajie is reached by the Bailong Elevator or the park shuttle.

Do I need to book Zhangjiajie National Forest Park tickets in advance?

Yes. Book ahead with your passport for a date and an entry gate, earlier still for holidays. The entry ticket does not include the cable cars or the Bailong Elevator, which lifts you 326 metres up the cliff in under two minutes. Our park ticket guide explains the gates and these add-ons.

Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest AreaHunan Government: sea of clouds at Tianzi Mountain after spring rain (2026)Hunan Government: autumn colour at Tianzi Mountain (2025)Hunan Daily (Voice of Hunan): how the Zhangjiajie pillars formed (2022)Hunan Daily: Yuanjiajie, Golden Whip Stream and its monkeys (2022)