Zhangjiajie
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Zhangjiajie (张家界 Zhāngjiājiè) is a small provincial city in northwestern Hunan Province, China. It is significant for its proximity to Tianmen Mountain and Wulingyuan.
Understand
Located in the Lishui upper reaches, is a Wuling mountains hinterland. It is one of the most important tourist cities in mainland China. Zhangjiajie City has jurisdiction over Yongding District, Wulingyuan District, Cili County, and Sangzhi County. Among them, Yongding District and Wulingyuan District are the two main urban areas. Tourists usually arrive in Yongding District before going to other places to visit.
History
The city has a recorded history dating back to 221 BC. Its name was Dayong (大庸) until 1994 when it was renamed to link it to the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (itself named after a tiny village now known as Zhangjiajie village or Zhangjiajie Cun), which came within city borders after Dayong had become a prefecture-level city in 1988. This name was adopted to give the city more prominence after this site had been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The name Zhangjiajie is linked to the Han Dynasty general and minister Zhang Liang (died about 189 BCE). By some accounts he lived in seclusion on this mountain after retirement.
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Geography
Zhangjiajie City has complex and diverse strata, creating a local characteristic landscape. Zhangjiajie is at the junction of the uplift of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the subsidence area of Dongting Lake. There are mountains, karsts, hills, hills, and plains in the landforms. The mountainous area accounts for 76% of the total area. The central part is along the banks of the Lishui River in a north-easterly direction, and the southern mountains are descending towards the Yuanshui River. The rivers in the city are vertical and horizontal, and the water system is mainly Lishui and Lushui.
Nature
Zhangjiajie has a typical monsoon humid climate in the middle subtropical mountains, with four distinct seasons, abundant rainfall, sufficient sunshine, a long frost-free period, and a short severe cold period. The average annual sunshine is 1440 hours, the average temperature is 16 degrees, the average annual precipitation is about 1400 mm, and the average frost-free period over the years is 216 to 269 days. Due to the influence of topography, landform, and other factors, the climate in the territory is complex and changeable, and natural disasters such as droughts, floods, strong winds, and hail are also frequent.
Zhangjiajie has a large temperature difference between day and night, and the temperature difference between the four seasons is relatively small. The temperature difference between the core scenic spots in Zhangjiajie and the urban area is about 5-10 ℃, the hottest time is 39 ℃ in the urban area, and about 30 ℃ in the scenic area. In summer, you need to bring sunscreen and sleep with a thin quilt at night, so it is best to bring long-sleeved clothing when staying at the top of the mountain at night. Spring and autumn are the best time to travel to Zhangjiajie.
Get in
Zhangjiajie is about 250 km (155 mi) northwest of Changsha.
By plane
- 1 Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport (DYG IATA formerly named Dayong Airport). It has direct flights to many domestic locations, as well as Taiwan and South Korea. Flights are relatively scarce - about 25 per day total.
Be careful with the taxi drivers in the airport parking lot. They are likely unwilling to use the meter. They may claim that your destination is very far and attempt to charge you a "parking lot fee". Call your hotel or hostel to find out how much the trip should cost and ask them to speak with a taxi driver for you. It should cost only ¥20-40 total for a trip from the airport to Zhangjiajie city. Alternatively, you may take a local public bus (service number 4) to the city. The Airport Bus, or Bus 4, is a circular route that reaches the city or bus station. The fare is ¥1. It runs from 06:00 to 19:00 and the departure station is 100 m (330 ft) before the airport gate. Divided into two lines, the routes are as follows.
Line A, in the direction of Nanzhuangping, reaches the Airport Hotel, Ziwu Road, Beizheng Street, the department store, the bus station, the pedestrian street, the railway station, and then back to the airport via Guanliping.
Line B, the direction of Guanliping, goes through the railway station, the pedestrian street, the bus station, the department store, Xianglong International Hotel, Beizheng Street, Ziwu Road, the airport hotel, and back to the airport via Nanzhuangping.
By train
- 2 Zhangjiajie Station. You can take a train from Changsha, about 4 hours, or Huaihua, about 4 hours. Train from Shenzhen West (K0964) to Zhangjiajie, 17 hours, overnight, about ¥480.
- 3 Zhangjiajie West Station. A new high-speed rail link opened in December 2019, cutting travel time from Changsha to about 3 hours. However, this new line stops at Zhangjiajie West Station, which is slightly outside Zhangjiajie City.
By bus
Intercity buses from Changsha take 5 hours and are boarded at the Changsha West bus terminal (a fancy new building that resembles a shopping mall, next to the Wangchengpo subway stop). These buses run approximately hourly with the last bus departing around 19:00. Fare is about ¥120.
Get around
Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station operates minibusses that will take you next to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park's entrance. You do not need to buy a ticket at the Central Bus Station ticket window, simply go through security, keep to the left and make your way outside through Exit 1. The bus fare to the park is ¥12, and you pay the driver directly. Keep in mind that these are older minibusses that are used primarily by local commuters to their job sites. Many stops will be made to pick up and drop off people along the route. The terminus appears to be a partially constructed hotel or apartment complex about five minutes on foot from the park entrance. The trip is about 1hr 20min, and the roads are substandard as of Jan 2018. Once you are done in the park, return to the location you were dropped off at. Busses will be waiting to return you to the Central Bus Station. The minibusses depart in both directions about every 20-30 minutes. The first bus leaves the Central Bus Station at 06:30 the last one returns from the park around 18:00.
See
Zhangjiajie urban area
- 1 Puguang Chan Temple (普光禅寺, 普光寺 Puguang Temple), 70 Jiefang Road, Yongding District (永定区解放路70号) (bus nos. 6, 7 and 8), ☏ +86 744 8292697. 08:00-18:00. An old Chan Buddhist temple dating from the 15th century. ¥40.
- 2 Zhangjiajie Museum (张家界市博物馆), Intersection of Dayong Road and Ziwu Road, Yongding District (永定区大庸路与子午路交叉口) (bus nos. 1A, 1B, 2, 11, 15, 101, and 102; the Bamenxi-City (八门溪-市内) and Maoxi-City (茅溪-市内) buses also stop here), ☏ +86 744 8209899. 09:00-16:30, no tickets issued after 15:30, no entry after 16:00, closed on Mondays. Free.
- 3 Tujiafengqingyuan. 08:30-17:00. Zhangjiajie Tujiafengqingyuan is in Zhangjiajie, a scenic pearl. The transportation is very convenient, only ten minutes' drive from the airport and railway station. The park covers an area of more than 809 acres and has a total investment of 75 million yuan. It is a large-scale comprehensive tourism service enterprise integrating cultural and natural landscapes, integrating tourism, cultural performances, rare exhibitions, accommodation, catering, entertainment and shopping. 80.
Rural Zhangjiajie
- 4 Wulingyuan (武陵源), Wulingyuan District (武陵源区) (take a bus from either Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station or the bus station at the Zhangjiajie West Railway Station), ☏ +86 744 5611109. The natural scenery of Wulingyuan is magical with mountain peaks. Among them, there are more than 3,000 strange peaks, with vivid images,and magnificent momentum. The main scenic spots in Wulingyuan are Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve, Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve and the Yangjiajie Scenic Area. See the Wulingyuan article for further details. ¥224.
- 5 Maoyanhejiutiandong. Zhangjiajie Maoyan River Jiutian Cave AAAA Tourist Scenic Spot, starting from Jiutian Cave in Sangzhi County in the west, passing through Kuzhu Village, a thousand-year-old town, to Kuzhu River Grand Canyon known as the mysterious canyon and Maoyan River drifting known as Baili Gallery. The Jade Emperor Grottoes, a group of grottoes ending in the south, are more than 100 km long.
Do
Zhangjiajie is the entry point for trips to two stunning nearby sites: Tianmen Mountain and Wulingyuan Scenic Area. There are also some less prominent natural attractions in the area.
- 1 Zhangjiajie Yongding to the Forest Park ticket station, ☏ +867448305599. The general admission ticket for Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic Area is valid for three days. If you want to play more fully, you can refer to the following route.
On the first day, take a bus in the morning from the central bus station in downtown Zhangjiajie Yongding to the Forest Park ticket station. During the peak season, the entrance is usually crowded by 08:00 or 09:00 as most tourists choose this entrance. To get up to Huangshi Zhai you generally take the ropeway (next to where you get off, you can get a map of Huangshi Zhai at the ropeway station) to the top of the fortress (which is relatively flat) and arrive at the top after seven minutes. Across the valley to the east of the Yellowstone Walled City is Yuanjiajie, the valley below is the Golden Whip Stream, and in the distance to the north is the southern edge of Yangjiajie. There are quite a few visitors to Huangshi Zhai, with the most visitors to Liuqi Ge. If you choose to walk down the mountain, there are two lines, the front mountain, and the back mountain. The back mountain takes about 1 hour to descend to the lower station of the ropeway; the front mountain is the line chosen by most people and takes about 1 hour to descend, going all the way down the steps straight to the Big Oxygen Bar Square. There are a few kiosks near the square, but no restaurants. After that, you can continue to visit either the Golden Whip Stream or the Harrier Cottage. Most people choose the former as the latter is a long and steep climb for hikers. The Golden Whip Stream is more than 4km long, and the entire route is very pleasant, with clear water next to the stream, so you can experience it at the water's edge. It is usually 16:00 on the first day, and there is a fork called Sand Knife Gully halfway up the mountain to the road west of Yuanjiajie, which takes over 1 hour.
The next day is best for Yuanjiajie and Yangjiajie, with many people going straight back down after visiting Tianzi Mountain. It's best to leave around 8 am and it's easy to get a bus from Dingxiang Banyan Village. From Sanjiajie Station, it takes about 10 minutes to reach Yangjiajie Wulongzhai Station. There is a road lined with vendors and you can continue walking to the Yangjiajie ropeway station. Back at the Yangjiajie ropeway station, signs are pointing the way down to Wulongzhai, which is very crowded in high season. Pass the Golden Rooster (diagonally above the trees by the roadside, so you may not notice it) and head down to the Wulongzhai rest stop, where there are restaurants and shops. On the way back from the top of Wulongzhai there are several viewpoints, all on the edge of the cliff, with magnificent views. Eventually, it is back to the previous rest stop at Wulongzhai. At the Wulongzhai junction, you can take a bus to Yuanjiajie. Yuanjiajie is not too long to visit and there is only roughly one tour route, so you can avoid backtracking.
Zhangjiajie's specialties are Sanbao (Pueraria root powder, fern root powder, rock ear) and Yiju (Eucommia ulmoides tea). In addition, wild kiwi fruit is also delicious; Mulberry plant salt dried bean curd is the Qing Dynasty tribute, may wish to have a taste; You can also buy some Tujia flavor "spicy sister spicy wax" series of food to take home.
There are two commercial pedestrian streets in Zhangjiajie: People’s Square Commercial Pedestrian Street and Tianzi Street Ethnic Tourism Mall (referred to as Tianzi Street), which are in People’s Square in Zhangjiajie and Wulingyuan District in Zhangjiajie respectively.
Eat
There are limited food options in the park, and what is available is offered at highly inflated prices. It is advised that you bring food and water with you to the park. Here is a selection of food in the city, which can be visited after a scenic tour.
- 1 Qindama. 08:30-01:30. From my mother's fried pork 20 years ago, the oil is fragrant and crispy.Now there are several branches in Zhangjiajie. The environment is good. After eating, you can just walk along the river and enjoy the night view of Zhangjiajie. 60元.
- 2 Yinmandou restaurant. The classic dishes are sauerkraut beef and spicy roasted yellow beef, but Sanxiaguo is also delicious: although it is a small shop, the taste is really good, the price is reasonable, and you can bring your own drink. 58CNY.
- 3 Hushifu restaurant. 10:00-21:00. The popularity is very strong, and the ingredients are also abundant. One small pot is enough for two people, and it is very tasty. The signature three-time pot is the most powerful and cost-effective.However, it is not suitable for those who like light flavors. 56元.
Drink
Zhangjiajie berry tea is a specialty of Zhangjiajie's Yongding District.
Sleep
Accommodation in Zhangjiajie is typically around ¥170. There are many options within walking distance surrounding the train/bus station. There are many hotels and shops outside the Forest Park Ticket Station, which are very lively. Some tourists choose to live here, but it is not as convenient as living in the park.
- 1 Pullman Zhangjiajie Jingwu Hotel, Huajuan Road, Wulingyuan District, Zhangjiajie City, Hunan Province, China, rsvn@pullmanzhangjiajie.com. ¥ 758.
- 2 Grand Hotel Zhangjiajie, North of Dayong Bridge Park, Ziwu West Road, Yongding District, Zhangjiajie City, Hunan Province, China.
Connect
- Zhangjiajie City Public Security Bureau, ☏ +86 0744-8222151.
- Zhangjiajie Park Police Station, ☏ +86 0744-5712381.
- Zhangjiajie Tourism Magazine, ☏ +86 0744-8380192.
- Travel Complaints, ☏ +86 0744-8380139.
- Consumer Protection, ☏ +86 0744-12315.
- Price Report, ☏ +86 0744-12358.
- Zhangjiajie Price Inspection Institute, ☏ +86 0744-8233754.
- Zhangjiajie Railway Station Master Office, ☏ +86 0744-8512112.
- Zhangjiajie Airport Office, ☏ +86 0744-8238211.
- Zhangjiajie Aviation Inquiry, ☏ +86 0744-8238294.
Cope
Though Tianmen Mountain and Wulingyuan are major tourist attractions, perhaps 99% of their visitors are native Chinese. So you will find it surprisingly difficult to change foreign currency. There appear to be no currency exchange stores. Perhaps the only place to change money is a bank, such as the Bank of China (follow the main road north of the bus/train station area, it is at the first major intersection north of the river, about a 15-minute walk from the bus/train stations).
Wulingyuan, however, is rumored to have currency exchange stores.
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