The Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie: A masterpiece of nature

World
Europe

01:01

The snowfall on Monday turned Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province into an enchanting winter scene. During the Spring Festival holiday, over 115,000 visitors flocked to the park to admire the steep mountains enveloped by a sea of floating clouds and trees covered with pristine rime.

The snow turns Tianmen Mountain into a winter fairyland. /VCG Photo

With an elevation of 1,518 meters, Tianmen Mountain is considered to be the "most miraculous mountain" in Western Hunan. It stands within Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park, a 5-A level tourist spot, which is eight kilometers south of Zhangjiajie City.

As one of the best scenic spots in Zhangjiajie, the park boasts precarious peaks, limpid streams, dense forests and large karst caves.

There are various scenic highlights on the must-visit list, including Tianmen Cave, Tianmen Mountain Cableway, Heaven-linking Avenue and the Glass Skywalk. Get ready for the thrilling journey because your hearts will be agitated by the extreme shock and excitement.

Tianmen Cave. /VCG Photo

The winding Heaven-linking Avenue. /VCG Photo

Tianmen Mountain Forest Park boasts unique geographic landform. /VCG Photo

A forest sightseeing cable car. /VCG Photo

Tianmen Cave is a natural water-eroded cave formed during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280) of China. From afar, the cave looks like a door leading up to heaven, hence the name, Tianmen, which means Heavenly Door in English. At present, its exact origin is still unknown.

The Tianmen Mountain Cableway, the longest high mountain passenger cableway in the world, stretches a total length of 7,455 meters with a height of 1,279 meters. Take a deep breath before you get in and test for your vertigo.

Heaven-linking Avenue is a twisting and hazardous mountain road built with 99 consecutive turnings. When looking down from the cable car, you are able to see the winding avenue circling the mountain like a soaring dragon.

Yunmeng Fairy Summit, the highest peak in the park, is 1,518 meters above sea level. /VCG Photo

Tips:

1. Thanks to the new preferential visa policy, transit passengers from 53 countries can spend up to 72 hours in Hunan Province without a visa. You can visit Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park any time of the year. The peak season is usually from April to October, but you can also enjoy a less busy trip together with the beautiful rime scenery in the winter season.

2. There are plenty of bus routes within easy reach, such as bus 10 or 13, to get to the Tianmen Mountain Cable Car Company Station where you can walk for about 200 meters to take the cable car or shuttle bus to the scenic area.

3. The opening hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission ticket price is 258 yuan (38 U.S. dollars) for adults and 148 yuan (22 U.S. dollars) for those between 6 and 18 years old. Also, ID card or passport is required for valid identification for the purchase.