About 300,080,000 years ago, the place where the city is located used to be an ocean. Later, due to a series of crust movements, the seabed rose up and became land. Water erosion and natural landslides over the past millions of years then led to the formation of Zhangjiajie's primitive ecological system, featuring a landform of sandstone, valleys, and peaks.

The Wulingyuan Scenic Resort in Zhangjiajie is mainly composed of the Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve, the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, and the Suoxi Valley Scenic Zone, and covers an area of 264 square kilometers. It is celebrated for its fantastic forests of peaks and karst topography, as well as its well-preserved, subtropical, ecological environment.

In 1992, the Wulingyuan Scenic Resort was listed as one of the world's natural heritages by UNESCO.

Tianzi Mountain

Because I had long admired the mountain's amazing forests of peaks, I visited Tianzi Mountain first while in Zhangjiajie. Ascending in a cable car, I saw countless, odd-shaped rocks and peaks passing me by. When I arrived at the top of the mountain, I took a bus to get to one of the mountain's scenery-viewing platforms. There are only a few such platforms, usually built on the mountain's steep cliffs, so tourists need to line up and wait to get on them to enjoy the scenery or take photos. When I was finally standing behind the balustrades of a platform, after a patience-testing wait, I could not help exclaiming with admiration. Magnificent peaks were pointing skyward, adding a breathtaking beauty to the area. There are numerous valleys as well as sky-reaching peaks in the east, west, and south of Tianzi Mountain. Looking far into the distance on the mountain's 1,250-meter main peak, I saw thousands of these valleys and peaks under me. Tianzi Mountain, covering an area of 65 square kilometers, is an ideal place to view the imposing sandstone peaks.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Standing on the top of Tianzi Mountain, I needed to look down to view nearby peaks. Walking through the dense forests of the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, however, I needed to look up to see the towering peaks. Many of them are named according to their shapes, such as Camel Peak and Hawk Peak. The park covers an area of 130 square kilometers, and boasts a vast expanse of primitive forests, which include many ancient and rare trees. In its valleys live many rare species, such as the civet cat, the giant salamander, and the golden pheasant. Streams run in the valleys all year round and form various waterfalls. The best way to travel through the park is to walk along the Jinbian (Golden Whip) Stream, where you can enjoy the dense forest and grotesque-shaped peaks on either of its bank. If you get tired, you can rest on a rock by the stream and watch fish swimming in the water. The park is a place for one to escape from the summer heat, and is a natural oxygen bar.

Suoxi Valley

The Suoxi Valley was formed later than the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in terms of geological evolution. Due to the stronger crust movements during the area's later geological development, the valley now features not only numerous imposing peaks, but also several beautiful lakes, of which the most famous is Baofeng Lake. Surrounded by mountains in all directions, the lake boasts a quiet environment. Boating on the lake, you can only hear the sound of oars thrashing in the water. Both the blue lake and its surrounding green mountains compliment each other, showing off their respective beauty.

The most mysterious place in the valley is the Huanglong (Yellow Dragon) Cave. In the past, those that ventured out to explore the cave never returned. The cave was thus imbued with a terrifying atmosphere until the 1950s, when local residents managed to successfully explore it. The entrance to the cave is narrow enough to allow only one person to pass through. If you go deeper, however, you will find the cave is very spacious. It even has several halls, each able to accommodate ten thousand people. There is an underground river in the cave, on which tourists can sightsee by boat. On either side of the river, strange-shaped stalactites shine in the various colored lights. There are tour guides ready to introduce tourists to the stunning scenes of the cave.

Besides Baofeng Lake and the Huanglong Cave, the Suoxi Valley has over 200 scenic spots, including the Ten-Li Painted Corridor, Xihai Lake, and the Baizhang Gorge, making it the scenic zone with the most abundant tourist resources.

Tips for Traveling in Zhangjiajie

The Wulingyuan Scenic Resort has a subtropical, monsoonal climate. The four seasons are distinctive; and while winter is long, summer is short. The best season to travel in Zhangjiajie is autumn, from mid-September to late November. With an average temperature of 12-15¡æ, a moderate cloud cover, and mild air pressure, the climate during this period is pleasant. The mountains in their wildness are dyed a great variety of colors, and attract a flood of visitors.

The average temperature in winter, from early December to late February, is 3-4¡æ. Even so, it is not chilly. Snowfalls usually occur from late January to early February. If you visit Zhangjiajie during this period, the city is enveloped in white snow, and its landscapes are stunningly beautiful.

Tourists can get to Zhangjiajie by air from any of China's large cities. They can also go to Changsha first, and then take a bus to Zhangjiajie. There are many well-equipped hotels that can satisfy the needs of any tourist.

(China Pictorial May 16, 2003)