Where Is Zhangjiajie?

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, established in 1982 as China first national forest park, is part of the larger Wulingyuan Scenic Area (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992). The park features over 3,000 quartzite sandstone pillars, some rising over 200 metres above the surrounding terrain, draped in lush subtropical vegetation and frequently shrouded in mist. The pillars were carved over millions of years by physical and chemical weathering along vertical joints in the sandstone. The landscape is so otherworldly that director James Cameron acknowledged it as a primary inspiration for the floating "Hallelujah Mountains" of Pandora in Avatar (2009); one pillar was officially renamed the "Avatar Hallelujah Mountain" in 2010. Zhangjiajie also features the world longest and highest glass bridge (430 metres long, 300 metres above the valley floor) and the Bailong Elevator (326 metres tall, the world tallest outdoor lift, built into a cliff face). The park receives about 30 million visitors per year.