Pandora's Flying Mountains in Hunan Province. Zhangjiajie National Park, China

September 15 - 22, 2019
(stay in China 7 nights )

They are three meters tall, have blue skin, and have cat-like faces. Their planet is Pandora,
located several light years from Earth. Most of it is covered with jungle,
mountains hang in the air, plants glow in the dark...
To experience Pandora, you need to go to James Cameron's Avatar, which was inspired by the Wulingyuan Mountains.
To see the “flying” mountains in reality, to break out of everyday life and feel like the heroes of “Avatar”, you need to fly to China.

The program includes: panoramic routes - serpentines, various cable cars (including the longest in the world). The rocks are surrounded by routes made of stones and even glass, connected by giant bridges. The world's tallest open-air elevator was built, taking it to the top. Landscapes of unreal beauty, as if straight from the paintings of Chinese painters, became available thanks to the miracle of human genius and hard work.

Combines well with tours:

September 15 - 22, 2019
(stay in China 7 nights )

Combines well with tours:

The unusually beautiful flying mountains located on the planet Pandora in the film Avatar are not an invention of the directors. Are located floating mountains in china, being part of Zhangjiajie National Park, and are called Wulingyuan. The rocks bewitch and amaze at first sight, so when going to the Celestial Empire, it’s worth going to Hunan Province for a few days, where the park is located. Excellent conditions for accommodation, food and leisure are created here for visitors. In addition to the mountains, there is the opportunity to see many other natural attractions.

National treasure of China

Zhangjiajie Park is a kind of visiting card of the country, where a huge number of tourists come every year, the number of which has increased after the release of the film “Avatar”. Touch the unique nature, fauna, listen to many mysterious, mystical stories and legends - that’s what I offer flying mountains in china to all visitors. Some objects on the territory of this protected area are protected by UNESCO, and the park itself is recognized as a national treasure of the Celestial Empire. Its inhabitants are proud of the unusual beauties that will take your breath away, and they say that numerous secrets and riddles are associated with the mountains and rocks. Their emergence and spread are facilitated by incredible landscapes, lush greenery, picturesque rocks, which cause a soaring effect. This unique phenomenon is due to the fact that mountain peaks rise into the sky, getting lost there between the clouds. The rocks are covered with greenery, which complements the feeling of weightlessness.

A little history

The area where the park is located is also known under another name - Yangjiajie, i.e. lands of Yang. According to ancient legends, there was once a war between clans near the mountains. The representative of the Yang Dynasty set up his military camp right at the base of Mount Tianzi. The confrontation lasted for several decades and never ended. Therefore, the descendants of the clan began to gradually develop this territory, moving further and further from the location of the military camp. Archaeologists and scientists have confirmed this legend by constantly finding graves and burial places of members of the Yang clan.

Creation of the park

There is a park where the film “Avatar” was filmed in the northwestern part of the country, not far from the city of the same name. The area is full of wonders and natural attractions. Neighboring Zhangjiajie Park are the equally famous geological parks of Yangjiajie, Tanzishan and Xiuxiyu.

Zhangjiajie is the oldest park in China, created in 1982. Its territory is huge and is almost 13 thousand square kilometers, on which there are mountains, forests, other vegetation, and a huge number of animals. In 1992, it was taken under UNESCO protection as part of Wulingyuan. Nine years later, the park received the status of the Sandstone Peaks National Forest Geopark (by decision of the relevant Chinese ministry). It is also part of the Global Network of Geological Parks protected by UNESCO.

Natural and animal world

Decoration Zhangjiajie Park, China, the place where the films were filmed Avatar" and "Monster Hunt" are Mt. In fact, these are rocky pillar peaks, created from quartz and sandstone, and turned into a real miracle of nature under the influence of erosion and weathering. The total number of unusual rocks is more than 3 thousand, and about one thousand are 200 meters high. The highest peak is Mount Dupeng, which reaches 1,890 meters into the sky.

The peaks of the rocks are lost high in the clouds, and then abruptly give way to very dense forests. This is the habitat of a huge number of animals, birds, reptiles, and insects. You can also see quite rare relict plants, which include mahogany and gingko.

The climate in the park is humid and warm, although this does not create suffocating heat. People who cannot stand cold or very hot weather can feel comfortable here. In the warm season, the average air temperature is +27 degrees Celsius, and in winter it drops to +4-5.

The entire territory of the park is divided into 6 natural zones, the largest of which are Tianji Mountains, attracting tourists to China. This area is famous for very thick clouds, constant fog and a mysterious atmosphere.

Attractions

You can walk around the park without getting tired, because you never know what awaits around every turn. It’s not only the mountains that take your breath away, but also the richness of the animal world, as well as a large number of monuments.

The Yellow Dragon Cave is created from karst formations, has a height of 140 meters, and is therefore considered one of the largest in the world. It is distinguished by a beautiful interior design of a natural character. The cave contains many unique natural attractions - waterfalls, rivers, pools. All this creates the feeling that you are in the palace of a fairy-tale Dragon.

The Buddhist Temple of Heaven's Gate has been known since the Ming Dynasty, which contributed to the transformation of this place into a center of pilgrimage. The temple occupies a huge area, which is equal to 10 thousand square meters. The temple is located in a cave that dates back to 263 AD. as a result of the breaking off of a huge stone from the Tianmen rock. The length of the cave-temple is 60 meters, the width reaches 57 meters, and the height is 131.5 m. The Chinese call the temple the Magic Cave of Western Hunan, since the place is imbued with a mysterious and enigmatic atmosphere. This is due to the fact that the cave, located at a great height above the ground, seems to be shrouded in clouds, which are very thick above the mountain. Therefore, tourists, entering the cave, feel that they are in heaven, or are somewhere nearby.

It was not by chance that the temple appeared in this place. According to ancient chronicles, the mountain is connected with the sky, therefore it has enormous strength and energy. In addition, it influences people, their destinies, lives, and is capable of doing miracles. In historical documents you can find many facts that various mysterious events and phenomena took place in the cave.

The height of Tianmen Mountain is 1518 m, and is considered the central attraction of the park. All tourists who are not afraid to travel the longest cable car in the world strive to climb to the top. Its length is almost 7.5 kilometers, and it passes through such picturesque panoramas of mountains, mountains, and forests that it will take your breath away. And the closer the cabin gets to the top, the more it seems that you are falling into the arms of the clouds. The mountain is always shrouded in fog and mist, which very rarely clears. From generation to generation, local residents pass on legends that before very important events, water begins to pour from the top.

Next door to Zhajiajie Park is an equally stunning park called Yanqiajie. There are a huge number of amazing and picturesque places, including the Baihur, Longquan valleys, and the Xiangzhi Mountains.

History of the Tianji Mountains

These rocks are worth talking about separately. According to historical records in chronicles and other documents, at the foot of Tianji Mountains, China, in the Middle Ages, farmers rebelled. They were led by a leader named Xiang Dakun, who styled himself the son of heaven. Such an unusual nickname was associated with the ambitions of the peasant, as well as the characteristics of the area where the mountains are located. There are more than two thousand stone pillars here, which, like rods, connect heaven and earth. The average height of the rock ranges from 1 thousand meters to 1250 meters. They were formed more than three thousand years ago. One part of the mountains is represented by quartz rocks, and the second by limestone. Despite its ancient history, the area has not been studied and is practically unexplored. Once upon a time there were tropical forests, of which small areas and trees remain. Between the mountains there are very ancient caves, rock arches, impenetrable forests where no one has ever been.

Tourist services

You can walk around the park for several days, especially since the entrance ticket is valid for two days. You can buy it for 245 yuan, right at the main entrance to Zhangjiajie National Park in China. To save a little money, you can purchase a weekly pass, and such a ticket is not very expensive - about 300 Chinese yuan. There are significant discounts available for students who present their student ID. The best conditions for visitors are created here. In particular, they have a wonderful opportunity to see the mountains from a bird's eye view and then walk around them on the ground. There is an elevator leading to one of the peaks, so you can climb the mountain directly on it.

There are several tourist routes in the park, allowing you to explore all the sights. But it’s difficult to do this in 2 days, so guides recommend using the cable car to see all the flying mountains. You should definitely walk along the natural bridges that go across the mountains, as well as go down into the valleys of rivers, waterfalls, and visit caves. Tourists do not have to worry about their own safety: fences are installed everywhere, there are safe stairs for movement, special paths and signs to help you navigate the park.

The price of the entrance ticket includes bus transportation along the routes. Separately, you need to pay for the elevator ride, use of the escalator, elevator, and travel on the tourist train. There are free buses between attractions that go to a specific stop. Here you can change to another bus and continue your trip. You can also travel by other means of transport - cable cars (two closed and one open), funicular.

For those who want to see pristine nature, they will have to go deeper into the remote areas of the park. The main attractions are nearby. It won’t take long to get to them - everything is within reach, you just need to buy a ticket and enter the park. In other cases, you need to cover considerable distances, so you need to choose comfortable shoes, clothes for the trip, and put things in backpacks. In addition, you need to go to the deep areas of the park either with a guide or along a pre-designed route so as not to get lost.

It is also worth considering the organizational aspects of the trip to the floating rocks:

Book accommodation in advance, given the many national holidays that exist in China;
Prepare for the fact that a huge number of Chinese come to the Wulingyuan rocks, so it is always crowded, and in some places there is a significant crowd of people;
Buy or download a map of the park and surrounding area, purchase a compass, raincoats and raincoats;
It is better to start your walks in the morning to see more interesting things. And in the morning there are fewer people than in the afternoon and evening hours. It is dangerous to wander around after seven in the evening, because... The park area is not illuminated.
Think about how you can get to Zhangjiajie from the Chinese capital.

You can get to the park from the city of the same name by taxi or bus, which come here regularly. You can enter the protected area through two entrances - the northeastern one, where the Wulingyuan Mountains are located, and through the southern one - Zhangjiajie. You need to start your journey from the first entrance, since there is a glass elevator that takes you up to the tops of the rocks and observation platforms.

Housing and food

Experienced tourists advise staying in two villages – Zhangjiajie or Wulingyuan (the names here are all very original, so it’s worth considering that the park, city and village have the same name). Renting comfortable accommodation here is not a problem; the only negative, and quite significant, is that in the morning there is a queue at the entrance. And you will have to stand in it before entering the park.

You can also live in Zhangjiajie, where there are several types of housing:

Guesthouse;
Hostel;
Hotel.

The quality of the rooms is somewhat lower than in the villages, and walking is only allowed when the buses start running.

A budget accommodation option is to stay with local residents who are willing to provide a bed in a room for several people for 40 yuan per day. You can choose the option for single occupancy, but the cost will increase accordingly.

You can eat in restaurants, local cafes, McDonald's. It is worth considering that the cuisine of this province is quite unique - it is based on mushrooms with medicinal properties and a large number of spicy seasonings. In addition to traditional Hunan cuisine, you can try dishes from other regions of the country.

There are no restaurants or cafes in the park, but flat cakes, fried potatoes, fish, and chestnuts are sold everywhere. Everything is fresh and prepared in the presence of tourists.

It is better to buy water in the city or in villages, since it is much cheaper here than in the park.

Cliffs of Zhangjiajie Park

Basic moments

European tourists also appreciated the beauty of this part of the Wulingyuan mountain system. They are advised to plan their travel for autumn and spring, with the exception of early May and October, when national holidays are celebrated in China and crowds of vacationers fill the park. In the summer, during the peak season, it is also very crowded here: while finding deserted corners while walking in the park is still possible, squeezing into a crowded bus or being left without a place to spend the night due to reservation problems is a below-average pleasure. In winter, the rocky peaks look unusually impressive, but walking along snow-covered mountain paths is simply dangerous.

Zhangjiajie National Park became particularly popular due to James Cameron's film Avatar, where it served as the setting for the planet Pandora. It was from the unusual rocks of the park that, thanks to special effects, fantastic mountains floating in the air were created. To attract tourists and as a sign of gratitude to Cameron for advertising, the Chinese officially renamed the 1080 m high Southern Sky Pillar Mount Avatar Hallelujah in 2010.

Stills from James Cameron's film "Avatar"

History of the name Zhangjiajie

Chinese scientists offer several options for the etymology of the name of the park, but most serious historians are inclined to believe that the name of Zhang Liang is hidden in it. This disgraced aristocrat played a prominent role in the formation of the Han dynasty, but was forced to hide in the vicinity of the future reserve along with his family back in the 2nd century BC. Here he died and was buried - this information is reliable, it is confirmed by numerous written sources. Then legends begin for gullible tourists: guests of the region are still shown several of Zhang Liang’s graves in different parts of Hunan. The “main” of them is located near the village of Zhangjiajie near the borders of the park.

National Park in numbers

Initially, in 1982, the park occupied a modest area of only 4810 hectares. Ten years later, the Wulingyuan Mountains, and with them Zhangjiajie, were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. After receiving international recognition, its size increased to 130 sq km. It contains 243 mountains. The average height of the rocks is 800 m, but there are also almost three-kilometer-high giants. The most popular observation deck, Huangshi, rises 1300 m above sea level, with exactly 3800 steps leading to it. 19.4 m is the height of the largest stalagmite in Huanglong Cave.

Zhangjiajie Cliffs - a unique natural monument

At first glance, the rocks resemble easily crumbling limestone, but their nature is completely different. The mountains, reminiscent of giant figured candles, appeared as a result of the weathering of quartz sandstones and the blasting of plant roots, of which there are countless numbers due to the high humidity in Zhangjiajie. They use the slightest opportunity to seize new territories: the slightest ledge is enough for it to be immediately occupied by green shoots. The tops of the rocks are covered with thick caps of coniferous trees. When fog comes to the mountains, and in Zhangjiajie this happens with enviable regularity, a complete illusion of giant stone fragments floating in the air is created.

999 steps on Tianmen Mountain

Main tourist routes

Zhangjiajie National Park has many hiking trails to suit every taste, but there are some must-see sites. First of all, this is the Huangshi observation deck and the Golden Whip spring, stretching 7.5 km in length - a real paradise for plants. The attractions are connected by cable car, but there are no bus routes nearby, and the entire burden of the three-hour walk will fall on the travelers' feet. At the end of the Golden Whip there is a sightseeing elevator called Baylong - roads approach it.

Roads with glass floors

On Mount Tianmen, to the top of which there are 999 steps, the Heavenly Gate was built. For the strong-willed, there are roads with glass floors: the nerve-tickling sensation of crossing over an abyss is difficult to convey in words.

As an alternative, those who are not ready to move a lot are offered the Yuanzhazhe zone with a spectacular Charming Terrace. A little more transitions await park guests in the central zone. Crowds of tourists enter the area during the day; mornings and evenings are relatively sparsely populated. Unaccompanied night walks are not recommended for safety reasons as the park is not lit.

Yellow Dragon Gorge

The observation deck is not for the faint of heart

Flora and fauna of the reserve

Zhangjiajie is first and foremost a zoological, botanical and geological reserve and only then a natural attraction for tourists. Scientists have discovered more than 500 species of animals here, including monkeys and predatory civets, trying to stay away from humans. Travelers will remember the fan-shaped leaves of gingko, a valuable species that came to us from the Permian period. There are no animals, insects or reptiles dangerous for tourists.

Population of the natural park

On Mount Tianmen

Despite the complex terrain, the first human settlements appeared in Zhangjiajie 100 thousand years ago. In the historical era, neighbors treated the tribes inhabiting this area with some prejudice, calling them “rude people,” however, the Tujia, Bai and Miao did not seek to imitate the Han and retained many elements of national costumes and some ancient customs to this day. Modern representatives of these peoples successfully make money by serving tourists: they sell food and souvenirs, work as rickshaw pullers, and rent out corners of village houses.

Zhangjiajie Park

Tourist information

Getting to the natural park is quite difficult even for Chinese from other regions, but the result is worth it. Anyone who endures the hours-long drive to Zhangjiajie County can consider themselves almost there. Buses and trains with transfers run from all over China; travelers from Beijing and Shanghai prefer to take a plane. Upon arrival in the city, the tourist has two options: take a taxi and independently negotiate the route with the driver, not forgetting that English is not spoken here.

Spectacular views

The second option is to rely on public transport. A city bus runs from the bus station and will take guests to one of the three entrances to the park in about an hour. The cost is 5-10 times cheaper than a taxi - 11-12 yuan. The easiest way to navigate the train stations and entrances and exits to the reserve is with a map, which is sold at the tourist office at the train station. For Russian-speaking tourists, a map with English names is suitable. Most of the signs in the park and on the approaches to it are written in Chinese and English, in other cases: in restaurants and hotels, travelers are asked to communicate using gestures.

Where to stay

Lake Baofeng

Exploring the park in a day is an impossible task, so tourists are advised to stay in a village under the typical name for this area, Zhangjiajie, so as not to travel from the city. Most of the residents of this locality are employed in the tourism business, so here you can find good compact hotels and decent food. Accommodation is also provided in the park itself, however, it is intended for unassuming guests who do not require special comfort, although showers with hot water are available in the rooms and the Internet is available. But those who spend the night in the reserve will not have to stand in the morning in a long line of people wanting to get inside Zhangjiajie.

National Park Hotels

Experienced tourists warn that even on weekdays, when there are not too many people, you need to wait at least 2 hours for all the early risers to pass.

"On the ground"

The cost of housing in the park is quite affordable: one place in a common room will cost 40 yuan, in a room for two – 120 yuan, but guests who know how to bargain reduce the price by a third. You can eat in quite expensive restaurants at hotels or buy food in markets near bus stations. There, guests will be offered simple fried potatoes, flatbreads, and fish.

Cost of a walk in the park

Zhangjiajie at night

Entrance to the territory of Zhangjiajie National Park is paid, there are two types of tickets. The first is designed for a two-day stay and costs 245 yuan, sometimes conditions change, and 3 days are offered for the same amount. A weekly ticket costs a little more - 298 yuan. Visitors over 70 years of age, teenagers and young people under 24 years of age with a valid student card are admitted at reduced rates of 160 and 193 yuan, respectively. Children under 120 cm tall will enter the park completely free of charge. The ticket entitles you to bus trips within the park. This advantage is worth taking advantage of, since it is difficult to overcome steep ascents and descents on foot.

Some services are paid extra: travel on a miniature train, as if transported here from an average amusement park, ascents and descents on the Bailong elevator, built right into the rock. Their cost is up to 80 yuan per action. There are no buses along the Golden Whip, but efficient rickshaws scurry along the paths trodden by numerous visitors. Their services are not cheap: one “race” costs at least 300 yuan.

Winter in Zhangjiajie

Baylong Elevator

How to save money while traveling through the park

Inside Zhangjiajie, tickets are not checked very actively, so you can live there with a two-day pass longer than the paid period, if you do not leave the territory of the reserve. Alternative hiking trails are always provided to bypass the ski lifts. In order to climb and descend them without stress, you need good physical fitness, since the plateau on which the reserve lies rises 300 meters above the surrounding landscape. In addition, hiking will take about the same time as standing in line at the elevator . You can also save on accommodation: local residents rent out rooms cheaper than in a hostel, but you will also have to negotiate with them using gestures.

How to dress and what to take with you

When purchasing an entrance ticket, you can request that your luggage be delivered to your chosen hostel if the place is booked in advance. Carrying bags around the territory is physically difficult; there are no flat areas in the reserve. Choose comfortable shoes with non-slip soles, since it often rains in Hunan. It won't hurt to take a jacket or raincoat with you. By the way, the constant cloudiness of Zhangjiajie Park does not interfere with photography; on the contrary, it creates a unique visual effect of traveling in the clouds. Drinking water is sold in different parts of the park, but outside it it is somewhat cheaper.

Thick fog is common in Zhangjiajie

James Cameron came up with the story about Avatar back in 1994, but for fifteen long years he could not start filming the film, since the computer graphics and special effects technologies existing at that time did not meet the director’s vision of the film. And I must say that the film was created when the time came for it.

And it came only in 2004. Technologies in the visual effects industry have stepped forward, and the director decided to start filming the film. Of course, all possible solutions to such a grandiose idea were taken into account. To do this, it was necessary to create a special design department to create the world of Pandora, hire a specialist to develop a system with which it would be possible to capture the movements of objects without rendering them frame-by-frame, and attract a specialist in visual technologies.

Although the planet Pandora was created entirely using computer graphics, the basis for its creation was Mount Jiankunzhu in Hunan Province. The local landscape made a strong impression on the director. When the province is covered in fog, the tops of the local mountains resemble the flying islands of Pandora.

The main sets of the film were first drawn on paper and then visualized using 3D technology. And if the fictional world was created with the help of computers, then for the technical base of people it was necessary to create real layouts in addition to digital models.

They didn’t use any ready-made ideas or templates for the film. Pandora was created entirely from scratch, and of the nearly three-hour film, 117 minutes were created using computer graphics. It is worth noting that the film was shot on special 3D cameras, which Cameron personally invented.

For the filming of the film, the newest technologies existing at that time were used, and some were created specifically. For example, a system was developed that allows, during the filming process, to observe on the screen not only human actors, but also virtual characters at the same time. This saved a lot of time during editing when substituting frames.

A New Zealand company specializing in motion capture technologies, WETA Digital, whose pavilions were used for filming, developed a system for transmitting human emotions to computer characters especially for the film. This is a helmet with a mini-camera aimed at the face, on which control markers are located. The company also developed new software based on “spherical functions” technologies, which are used to produce computer games. This made it possible to create three-dimensional scenes with maximum realism.

As the director noted, when creating Avatar, he was inspired by a variety of sources, from books to simple drawings. But the artist Roger Dean had the greatest influence on the creation of the world of Pandora and its life forms. If you look at his paintings and illustrations, you can easily notice the similarities with the world of Avatar.

James Cameron saw very well in his imagination what the inhabitants of Pandora looked like even at the time of creating the script. However, the real prototype of the “avatars”, which satisfied the director, appeared only ten years later in the form of Neytiri. This is a sculpture authored by D. Schell.

As already noted, only the latest and unique technologies were used for filming. James Cameron himself participated in the development and creation of some of them. So, he developed Fusion 3d with his friend Vince Pace, which made it possible to use not six cameras, but only three.

It is impossible not to note the use of a landfill, the size of which was 21 by 12 meters. About 120 cameras were placed around its perimeter, which recorded the actions of all the actors involved in a particular scene, and immediately projected them onto the computer characters of the film...

In general, it can be noted that the work done was titanic. No standard programs or methods were used here. Almost all software for creating 3D graphics was modified in accordance with the requirements for the film; some were created literally from scratch. But despite the abundance of virtual opportunities, many actors were involved in the film. "Avatar" is a unique symbiosis of virtual technologies and human resources. It's hard to even imagine what we would have seen if Cameron had decided to make it in 1994...