World Natural Heritage World Geopark The First National Forest Park of China
1.Shentang Bay
Tianzishan Shentang Bay is also named Shentang Fort. It is located between Yuanjiajie and Tianzishan. It is a gorge shaped like a huge basin walled by lofty precipices. The bottom of the gorge is veiled in mists and clouds all day, adding to its mysteriousness.
As the saying goes, the most beautiful scene is seen from the most perilous peak. There are almost no roads to Shentang Valley, only a quite dangerous flight of stairs that is as wide as a foot being available. What peculiar is that visitors can hear sounds of gongs and drums, neighs of battle steeds and shouts of men echoing from the bottom. Nobody can give a reasonable answer to this mystery. Therefore, Shentang Valley was a forbidden place in Wulingyuan and a puzzle for hundreds of years.
Popular activities: hiking, mountain climbing, photography.
Access: From Zhangjiajie take a bus or private transport 1 hour north to Wulingyuan. From there hike or take local transport on park roads.
Suitable for: able hikers, with enough to tire the fitter and more adventurous.
Best time(s) to visit: October is the best month, with cooler temperatures and fall foliage.
Popularity: Expect crowding at the major view points at peak times, otherwise there’s moderate to low visitor concentration.
Facilities: Tianzi cableway, tourism buses; home stays and small tourist shops provide food and snacks inside the park
Accommodation: The best hotels are in Zhangjiajie, otherwise there are some good hotels in Suoxiyu and the west gate, but
farmers’guesthouses inside the park can be quite rudimentary.
Days needed for a classic tour: 2 hours are needed to see the main attractions in the park
2.Yangjiajie Air Corridor
The Air Corridor is one of the most eye-catching scenic spots in Yangjiajie Scenic Area. It is the most difficult path from Asking for the Moon to the. Vertical cliffs encircle you and only a plank road facing the cliff lies on our left hand. In fact, Air Corridor is a plank way carved over the cliffs, so when you walk on such passage, it will both excite and exhaust you!
Half-hour later, when you turn right, a open vision will meet our eyes and a fairyland emerges. Looking down from its viewing deck, you will a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery of the National Forest Park with steep mountains, solitary stalagmite on the sides and the ghat splendidly coiling up terrace like a flying white ribbon. Thus, you will be completely conquered by this spectacle and stunned by the uncanny craftsmanship of nature!
Popular activities: Hiking, mountain climbing, photography.
Access: From Zhangjiajie take a bus or private transport 1-hour north to Wulingyuan. From there hike or take local transport on park roads.
Suitable for: Able hikers, with enough to tire the fitter and more adventurous.
Best time(s) to visit: October is the best month, with cooler temperatures and fall foliage.
Popularity: Expect crowding at the major view points at peak times, otherwise there’s moderate to low visitor concentration.
Facilities: Yangjiajie cableway, tourism buses; home stays and small tourist shops provide food and snacks inside the park
Accommodation: The best hotels are in Zhangjiajie, otherwise there are some good hotels in Suoxiyu and the west gate, but farmers’guesthouses inside the park can be quite rudimentary.
Days needed for a classic tour: Half day.
3.Yaozi Fort(Yaozizhai)
Yaozi Fork faces the Yellow Stone Village. It's one of the three important scenic spots in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.Yaozi Fork is a little-visited mountain in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, which is quiet and has fantastic scenery,there are more than 5,000 steps to climb up and no cablecars and elevators to transport you to the summit. so it is very popular with hiking lovers. Yaozi Fork was first opened to tourists in the 1980's. It was closed for nearly a dozen years out of concern for environmental protection, but then reopened to welcome visitors once again on September 26th, 2003. After 4 hours to tour the village, then hike down and arrive in Golden Whip Stream. Although less tourists of group tour visit there, it's a best place for trekking tour.
Popular activities: hiking, mountain climbing, photography.
Access: From Zhangjiajie take a bus or private transport 40 minutes north to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
Suitable for: Able hikers, with enough to tire the fitter and more adventurous.
Best time(s) to visit: From April to December every year.
Popularity: a classic off-the-beaten-track place in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
Facilities: You need to hike up and bring enough snacks for there is no shop store on the top of mountain.
Accommodation: There are a lot of hotels near to the entrance of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
Days needed for a classic tour: Half day.
4.Old House Area
You need to hire a private bus to Old House Area for ther are no pubic buses you can take to arrive at this place. Have a walk to photo‘Spirit Soldiers Meeting' and ‘Sky Field Garden'. ‘Sky Field Garden' is a rice paddy area, farmed by local people and hanging on an outcrop, surrounded by Zhangjiajie's classic towers. What's more, you will have a best whole view of Bailong Elevator when you are in Old House Area.
Old House Area is also a good place for watching spectacular sunrise in the park, you have to get up very early in the morning, about 4:00 am and take a private van to reach it. One night stay in the park is needed if you want to see sunrise, mostly visitors stay in Dingxiangrong downtown, where you can find some farmers’guesthouses.
Popular activities: hiking, mountain climbing, photography and watch sunrise.
Access: Take a private bus to reach this place.
Suitable for: Able hikers, with enough to tire the fitter and more adventurous.
Best time(s) to visit: April, May, September and October.
Popularity: Expect crowding at the major view points at peak times, otherwise there’s moderate to low visitor concentration.
Facilities: Small tourist shops provide food and snacks inside the park and some local restaurants.
Accommodation: Often stay in Dingxiangrong Downtown.
Days needed for a classic tour: Half day.
5.Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon
Zhangjiajie Grand Canoyon is a new discoveried scenic spot outside Zhangjiajie National Park, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon situated in Sanguansi, cili county Zhangjiajie city, 20 km east to Wulingyuan world natural heritage site, about 30 minute bus riding from Wulingyuan to it. When driving close to the entrance a expanse of bamboo disappear, you find a deeply lower Valley with cutting-edge cliffs.a hill path cutting through narrow crevice leads vertically to the bottom of the valley, the area is about 60 square km.
Popular activities: hiking, mountain climbing, photography.
Access: From Wulingyuan take a bus or private transport 30 minutes south to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
Suitable for: Able hikers, with enough to tire the fitter and more adventurous.
Best time(s) to visit: Throughout the whole year.
Popularity: a classic off-the-beaten-track place in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
Facilities: Take public bus in Wulingyuan Bus Station and slide road in the valley.
Accommodation: There are a lot of hotels in Wulingyuan Downtown.
Days needed for a classic tour: Half day.
Source from shuire team
