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An awe inspiring, pristine wonderland of native plants, animals, and geology is what you’ll find in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Hunan Province. Easily accessed by ei-ther rail, road, or air, Zhangjiajie is rarely visited by the adventurous eco-traveler. While the most famous scenic sites are crowded with throngs of Chinese and Korean tourists, many well developed trails are deserted, perfect for solitary communion with the lush environment. These spur trails are so deserted as to give the feeling that their beautiful stone walkways were crafted by an ancient civilization, then lost in time until your arrival. The incredible network of stone and slated pathways are themselves an architectural and engineering marvel, inspiring our party to name them “the Great Staircase”. We ap-preciated having guide and translator Tang Ming help us get oriented. He lead us be-yond the crowds to some very special places. He was very patient, trustworthy, did his best to answer all of our questions, and gave us comfort given that our Chinese lan-guage skills were essentially non-existent. Tang Ming shares this place with a genuine sense of pride and reverence which we enjoyed greatly.
For the naturalist, whether amateur or professional, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is sure to please: 720 plant and 149 animal species. It is said that 98% of the park is cov-ered with vegetation, and during the four days of our journey we hiked by an astounding diversity of plant life, from towering trees to the most delicate herbs to giant vines, many of which were adorned with a spectrum of flowers. The animals were not commonly seen, no doubt due to the joyful shouts of tourists, who delighted in hearing their calls echoed by the deep rock canyons. Still, we without leaving the improved trails we were able to observe rhesus monkeys, squirrels, and most memorably, a 4 foot salamander caught from the Golden Whip Stream by local people to show the tourists. No doubt an exploration to even more remote recesses of the park could improve the chance of other animal encounters.
The weather in late April was colder than we expected, and we found ourselves remov-ing and then donning various layers of clothing to stay comfortable, depending on if we were hiking or resting. This was a good season for seeing many of the local plants in flower, and the rainy mists were a spectacle to behold, yet next time we visit, it will be in warmer months,and we’ll come prepared to sleep under the stars.
Alongside the busy trails are local people selling a variety of foodstuffs and handicrafts. Plant collecting within the park is officially forbidden, but this situation seems to be rarely enforced, as many hawkers stalls are stocked with medicinal roots, mushrooms, fruit, and other plant materials. Our guide Tang Ming facilitated our inquires about the plants’ various uses. This important connection of local people to their environment needs to be encouraged, while ensuring sustainability through proper harvesting proto-cols. We observed fresh ginseng root for sale, which is critically endangered in the wild and should not be purchased from these collectors as it contributes to its demise.
Overall I can recommend Zhangjiajie National Forest Park highly for eco-adventurers who are seeking a subtropical spring-fed mountain paradise. As long as you are mindful of the extremely perilous cliffs that define this landscape, Zhangjiajie is a safe and friendly place whose multitude of valleys and trees await your discovery.please contact Tang Ming :zjjtripadvisor@yahoo.cn, his mobile:+86 18807442626 , http://www.zjjtrip.net
6-day Itinerary of A Wilderness Journey in Zhangjiajie
 Day 1.arrive in Zhangjiajie
 Arrive in Zhangjiajie,
meet English speaking guide and transfer to your hotel in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Day 2.Yaozizhai
 after breakfast we begin trekking and sightseeing in Yaozizhai, Yaozizhai means eagle nesting fort in English, little visited because of its difficulty, but the scenery is fantasitc,it attracts those tourists who are physically fit, avoiding crowds, there are many outlooks for stunning view in the top of the mountain, towering peaks, dramatic rock formations, rivers, valleys, and primeval forest, natural arch will let you less concerning about trekking difficulty, the trip is about 6-7 hours, we need to bring our bag lunch,Zhangjiajie admission 248 Yuan for 3 days. stay over night in pipaxi hotel.
Day 3.Golden whip stream/Yuanjiajie
 after breakfast we start the trip from Golden whip stream, is famous for its pristine water, its verdant mountains, its steep cliffs and its serene valley. As a veritable paradise for plants, its pathways are adorned by an abundance of flowers, trees, and grasses. Then too, this place is a kingdom fit for various fauna-birds, fish and land animals. you will get astonished at every turning and twist,in this 7.5km long valley or canyon, in the middle way we stop follow crowds of tourist, begin ascending mountain in shaodao gully to Yuanjiajie,after 2-3 hours trekking,reaching the top of mountain you will find yourself in the world of pandona, the famous movie Avatar directed by James Cameron, has so far sold $1.841 billion worth of tickets worldwide, making it the biggest international release of all time. Floating Hallelujah Mountains featured in Hollywood blockbuster Avatar” have the prototypes in Zhangjiajie as a Hollywood photographer spent time shooting there in 2008. stay overnight in mountain hostel.
Day 4.Yangjiajie/Sky farmland
 After breakfast we start the trip in Yangjiajie(Wulongzhai), that is a trekking place can’t be missed for mountain walkers, more adventurous, more impressive than other part of the mountain,landscape here characterised as China’s ancient skyline, Since the end of Ming Dynasty, this place has been occupied by the Bandit of Western Xiang(Hu Nan), until 1952, The route to this place is somewhat dangerouse, but the scenery here is unforgettable,here we trek about 2-3 hours, in the afternoon we go more in-depth mountain, standing at high cliffs over looking crowds of strange peak, people are surprised to see sky farmland that can raise a village of ten households, with sharp contrast of its geography it is one of the best places for professional photographers, stay overnight in mountain hostel.
Day 5.Tianzi mountain/Shilihualang
Today’s attractions: Mount Tianzi and Shilihualang
Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve is a mesa in the northwest of Wulingyuan, It is known as the Monarch of the Peak Forest, the huge forests of pillars stand foursquare against the distant blue hills, announcing themselves to be the very treasures that Unesco declares them to be.- It is a perfect location to have a panoramic view of the nature reserve. Tianzi Mountain has four wonders: the Sea of Clouds, the Radiance of the Moonlight, Rays of Sunshine and the Snow in winter. The rock formation is more ancient than that in Yuanjiajie and Huangshizhai.
today we get up early for Sunrise marvel in grand summit platform that is the best place to see Sunrise in Tianzi Mountain,
followed by chains of fantasitc scenic points like Shengtangwan, Western sea stone forests, Imperial writing brush, Fairy maid disperse flowers, along the way you will have a lot of astonishments to have so many fantastic photos taken.
Trekking down the mountain for 2-3 hours along lying dragon ridge by sunset to Shilihualang (miles of picutureque gallery valley), you will have many beautiful photos taken against this sunset backdrop.stay overnight in Wulingyuan
Day 6.Zhangjiajie/departure
free in the morning, in the afternoon go down town to do city tour and visit sand stone painting museum, and say good-bye to Zhangjiajie at the airport.
Hotel Accommodations
Tour quotation
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1 |
1 Pax |
2-5 Pax |
6 Pax or more |
Single Supplement |
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4-star |
US$ |
US$ |
US$ |
US$ |
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5-star |
US$ |
US$ |
US$ |
US$ |
Low Season: December, January, February
The price include following items:
· Hotel rooms;
· B=Breakfast;
· Pickup service from Zhangjiajie airport or train station to your hotel;
· Transportation to other scenic spots and transfer to Zhangjiajie airport;
· English guide;
· All local tax.
High Season: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November
Note:
The price above DOES NOT include following items:
·Entrance tickets;
· cable car or elevator fee;
· meals;
· Laundry, phone calls, medical expenses, cab fare for personal use and other personal
expenses;
· Tips for the guide and drivers;
· Meals unless specified above. |
400-883-0012
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