Discovering Wulingyuan: the Avatar Mountains and a labyrinthine park

Table of Contents

Introduction to Wulingyuan

If you thought Tianmen Mountain or Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon were complicated to visit, you will discover that Wulingyuan is, in fact, the real final boss of Zhangjiajie’s natural trilogy.

The fact alone that the ticket for this area is valid for four consecutive days says a lot about the time needed to explore it thoroughly. Consider that Wulingyuan extends over approximately 264.6 km², encompassing a scenic area that is much larger than the circuit we are proposing here.

Unlike Tianmen Mountain and the Grand Canyon – for which at Ink Voyages we openly side with Line B – in the case of Wulingyuan, the choice between Line A and Line B is more neutral in itself, although – once again – our preference leans towards B.

The reason is essentially connected to the Bailong Elevator: by following Line B, in fact, you take the elevator from bottom to top, making the most of the “wow” effect of the ascent towards the upper part of the mountain. On the other hand, especially during peak season, Line A may be a little less crowded, and therefore offer shorter waiting times when moving from one part of the park to another.

To avoid the queue for the elevator – probably the most congested point in the park – VIP tickets are also available. At the time of our last visit, however, they had just been suspended and the VIP lane was reserved only for emergency situations – including visitors who had had an overly close encounter with the monkeys.

If you want to have an exclusive experience in China – even without VIP tickets and while waiting for them to be reinstated – you can meanwhile explore our catalogue of private journeys, all customizable according to your travel style and preferences.

Yes, because we want to point out right away that you need to be careful with these rather unpredictable animals, which you will encounter at several points during your exploration of Wulingyuan. We recommend keeping an eye on your belongings, maintaining a certain distance and not interacting with them – including avoiding feeding them. Some visitors end up at the Wulingyuan infirmary after underestimating the danger posed by the park’s monkeys. That said, if you keep a proper distance, the risk of having problems because of them is really low.

Along Line B, from the East Gate to the Bailong Elevator

Well, we are ready to go! We will now take you along Wulingyuan’s Line B, describing step by step a possible one-day itinerary through this immense territory. We are proposing what, in our opinion, is the most convenient way to visit this area, with the qualification that – to explore it more thoroughly – you should come back for at least another day.

The route we are proposing will nevertheless allow you to visit the main highlights of Wulingyuan, enabling you to have a visit that, if not exhaustive, is at least satisfying in a single day.

And if you like mountain landscapes, you could also consider visiting Yunnan, one of the most spectacular regions in China. For an example, you can read our article on the enchanting Meili Snow Mountains here, and watch our vlog on Baoshan Stone Village here.

Map in hand, we start from Wulingyuan’s East Gate. At the beginning of Line B, a shuttle bus awaits you and, in about 30 minutes, will take you to the foot of the Bailong Elevator – a means of transport that has now become one of the park’s icons, on a par with the quartz sandstone pillars that inspired Avatar. Attention: since the shuttle bus also makes other stops (such as the Ten-Mile Gallery), make sure you get off at the right one. In any case, inside the shuttle bus you will find a panel listing the scheduled stops in English as well.

The Bailong Elevator is approximately 326 metres high and takes you up the vertical rise in just over a minute and a half, offering spectacular views of the rock walls during the ascent and, towards the top, of the Yuanjiajie landscape. If you prefer to avoid the elevator, the ascent on foot takes about two hours and involves a considerably more demanding route. For this reason, if you want to make the most of the day and save your energy for the scenic walks, the elevator is undoubtedly the most practical solution.

After this spectacular ascent, you will find yourself for the first time right in front of these truly special rock formations, which seem to support the vault of the sky like giant pillars. One of the most unusual and fascinating things about the Avatar Mountains is that lush vegetation manages to grow right on their surfaces.

But we are only at the beginning. Take a nice photo from the viewing platform and let’s continue exploring. After walking for about five minutes, you will reach another shuttle bus stop, which will take you (about ten minutes) to the Yuanjiajie area.

The Yuanjiajie Area

It is now time to venture into the National Forest Park, an area that includes, among others, Yuanjiajie and Yangjiajie, which we will encounter later along the route. For completeness, also bear in mind that the National Forest Park includes Huangshizhai (Huangshi Village), Golden Whip Stream and Yaozizhai (Yaozi Village) – and that where the translation says “village”, you should not expect an actual village, but rather rock formations and scenic areas.

Having clarified the internal composition of the National Forest Park, you can confidently begin your walk through Yuanjiajie. A good option is to start at Enchanting Terrace, a spectacular viewing platform offering broad views over hundreds of quartz sandstone pillars, then head towards the quintessential Avatar mountain – the Southern Sky Column, or Avatar Hallelujah Mountain – a single quartz sandstone pillar that has become a symbol of the Avatar landscape – and finish at First Bridge Under Heaven, a natural stone bridge connecting two rock formations and located about 400 metres above the valley floor.

Together with Tianzi Mountain, which you will visit at the end of the route, Yuanjiajie is, in our opinion, one of the most beautiful areas of Wulingyuan. Beyond the points we have indicated above, bear in mind that you can continue exploring this area which – as is true practically everywhere in Wulingyuan – allows for very long walks that can keep you occupied for hours.

As with Tianmen Mountain and the Grand Canyon, bear in mind that in Wulingyuan too you will be walking along well-equipped walkways, not mountain trails. That said, do not underestimate the effort required to move around the park, which will put you to the test with numerous steps.

Both because of the sheer size of this area and because of the physical effort required – especially if you prefer to dedicate only one day to it – it is therefore best to be selective and adopt a sensible, concise approach.

The Yangjiajie Area

By taking another shuttle bus, let’s now move towards the Yangjiajie area. Although, in our opinion, it is not as spectacular as Yuanjiajie, we still recommend making a quick stop to see at least the Natural Great Wall, a distinctive formation of pillars and rock walls which, viewed from the right angle, resembles a long natural wall. If you wanted to explore further, this area also offers the chance to walk in a less touristy and more relaxed atmosphere.

The Tianzi Mountain Area

We have finally reached the last area we will visit in Wulingyuan along Line B: Tianzi Mountain. Incidentally, bear in mind that if you are following Line A instead, Tianzi Mountain will be the first area you visit, following the route we have just described in reverse.

Tianzi Mountain is, together with Yuanjiajie, one of the most famous areas of Zhangjiajie’s mountain landscape and is often associated with the imagery of Avatar’s “floating mountains”. In particular, we recommend that you do not miss He Long Park, the area’s main viewing point, which offers spectacular views over the forest of peaks, and Imperial Brush Peak, a group of slender pillars whose shape resembles upside-down calligraphy brushes.

The End of Line B and the Other Areas of Wulingyuan

After exploring, take the cable car which, in about 7 minutes, will take you to the shuttle bus station. From here, a shuttle bus will finally take you back to Wulingyuan’s East Gate, where you began your visit.

Consider that, following this route, it is easy to spend around five to six hours in the park. If you want to add further destinations, you could consider staying for another day to explore this vast territory in greater depth, allowing you to add what was not included in the first day’s route.

Let’s summarize below the areas we have not included so far.

• Within the National Forest Park, you will find:

Huangshizhai: a large natural terrace at an altitude of over 1,000 metres, surrounded by rock walls and crossed by a scenic circuit offering 360-degree views over the forest of peaks. It is one of the best areas if you want to gain an overall view of Zhangjiajie’s landscape.

Golden Whip Stream: a very beautiful trail in the lower part of the park, following a stream surrounded by vegetation and high sandstone cliffs. It is very different from the viewpoints of Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain, because here the landscape is viewed from the valley floor. The trail is well equipped and mostly flat, but can take several hours if walked in its entirety (7,5 km, around 3 hours).

Yaozi Village: a wilder and less frequented scenic area, characterized by a long uphill walk and viewpoints over the surrounding mountains. Unlike Huangshizhai, it does not have a cable car to reach the summit, and is therefore more physically demanding.

• Within the Suoxiyu Scenic Area, on the other hand, you will find:

Ten-Mile Natural Gallery: Ten-Mile Gallery, or Shili Gallery, is a scenic valley at the foot of Tianzi Mountain, where rock formations line both sides of the route like a long natural gallery. The route is relatively flat and can be explored on foot or by the small sightseeing train.

Suo Xi Lake: Suoxi Lake is an artificial lake located near Wulingyuan’s East Gate, surrounded by mountains and also visible during bus transfers within the area. It is an interesting point mainly as an introduction to the landscape of Suoxiyu, rather than as an attraction to dedicate a separate visit to.

This completes the picture of Wulingyuan. Bear in mind that feeling a little lost inside this natural labyrinth is perfectly normal and part of the experience. We hope this guide will help you and make your visit to Zhangjiajie easier. And if you are planning your trip to China, you can also take a look here at our collection of recommended itineraries, customizable according to your travel style.

From the Ink Voyages team, all that remains is to wish you a wonderful journey, in the hope that – inspired by the film – the Avatar Mountains may nurture in each of us a sense of belonging to nature and the planet, together with a feeling of brotherhood with every creature with which we share it.