Zhangjiajie



Zhangjiajie (张家界 Zhāngjiājiè) is a small provincial city in northwestern Hunan Province, China. It is significant for its proximity to Tianmen Mountain and Wulingyuan.

Understand
Located in the Lishui upper reaches, is a Wuling mountains hinterland. It is one of the most important tourist cities in mainland China. Zhangjiajie City has jurisdiction over Yongding District, Wulingyuan District, Cili County, and Sangzhi County. Among them, Yongding District and Wulingyuan District are the two main urban areas. Tourists usually arrive in Yongding District before going to other places to visit.

History
The city has a recorded history dating back to 221 BC. Its name was Dayong (大庸) until 1994 when it was renamed to link it to the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (itself named after a tiny village now known as Zhangjiajie village or Zhangjiajie Cun), which came within city borders after Dayong had become a prefecture-level city in 1988. This name was adopted to give the city more prominence after this site had been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The name Zhangjiajie is linked to the Han Dynasty general and minister Zhang Liang (died about 189 BCE). By some accounts he lived in seclusion on this mountain after retirement.

Geography
Zhangjiajie City has complex and diverse strata, creating a local characteristic landscape. Zhangjiajie is at the junction of the uplift of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the subsidence area of ​​Dongting Lake. There are mountains, karsts, hills, hills, and plains in the landforms. The mountainous area accounts for 76% of the total area. The central part is along the banks of the Lishui River in a north-easterly direction, and the southern mountains are descending towards the Yuanshui River. The rivers in the city are vertical and horizontal, and the water system is mainly Lishui and Lushui.

Nature
Zhangjiajie has a typical monsoon humid climate in the middle subtropical mountains, with four distinct seasons, abundant rainfall, sufficient sunshine, a long frost-free period, and a short severe cold period. The average annual sunshine is 1440 hours, the average temperature is 16 degrees, the average annual precipitation is about 1400 mm, and the average frost-free period over the years is 216 to 269 days. Due to the influence of topography, landform, and other factors, the climate in the territory is complex and changeable, and natural disasters such as droughts, floods, strong winds, and hail are also frequent.

Zhangjiajie has a large temperature difference between day and night, and the temperature difference between the four seasons is relatively small. The temperature difference between the core scenic spots in Zhangjiajie and the urban area is about 5-10 ℃, the hottest time is 39 ℃ in the urban area, and about 30 ℃ in the scenic area. In summer, you need to bring sunscreen and sleep with a thin quilt at night, so it is best to bring long-sleeved clothing when staying at the top of the mountain at night. Spring and autumn are the best time to travel to Zhangjiajie.

Get in
Zhangjiajie is about 250 km (155 mi) northwest of Changsha.

By plane
Be careful with the taxi drivers in the airport parking lot. They are likely unwilling to use the meter. They may claim that your destination is very far and attempt to charge you a "parking lot fee". Call your hotel or hostel to find out how much the trip should cost and ask them to speak with a taxi driver for you. It should cost only ¥20-40 total for a trip from the airport to Zhangjiajie city. Alternatively, you may take a local public bus (service number 4) to the city. The Airport Bus, or Bus 4, is a circular route that reaches the city or bus station. The fare is ¥1. It runs from 06:00 to 19:00 and the departure station is before the airport gate. Divided into two lines, the routes are as follows.

Line A, in the direction of Nanzhuangping, reaches the Airport Hotel, Ziwu Road, Beizheng Street, the department store, the bus station, the pedestrian street, the railway station, and then back to the airport via Guanliping.

Line B, the direction of Guanliping, goes through the railway station, the pedestrian street, the bus station, the department store, Xianglong International Hotel, Beizheng Street, Ziwu Road, the airport hotel, and back to the airport via Nanzhuangping.

By bus
Intercity buses from Changsha take 5 hours and are boarded at the Changsha West bus terminal (a fancy new building that resembles a shopping mall, next to the Wangchengpo subway stop). These buses run approximately hourly with the last bus departing around 19:00. Fare is about ¥120.

Get around
Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station operates minibusses that will take you next to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park's entrance. You do not need to buy a ticket at the Central Bus Station ticket window, simply go through security, keep to the left and make your way outside through Exit 1. The bus fare to the park is ¥12, and you pay the driver directly. Keep in mind that these are older minibusses that are used primarily by local commuters to their job sites. Many stops will be made to pick up and drop off people along the route. The terminus appears to be a partially constructed hotel or apartment complex about five minutes on foot from the park entrance. The trip is about 1hr 20min, and the roads are substandard as of Jan 2018. Once you are done in the park, return to the location you were dropped off at. Busses will be waiting to return you to the Central Bus Station. The minibusses depart in both directions about every 20–30 minutes. The first bus leaves the Central Bus Station at 06:30 the last one returns from the park around 18:00.

Rural Zhangjiajie




Do
Zhangjiajie is the entry point for trips to two stunning nearby sites: Tianmen Mountain and Wulingyuan Scenic Area. There are also some less prominent natural attractions in the area.

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Eat
There are limited food options in the park, and what is available is offered at highly inflated prices. It is advised that you bring food and water with you to the park. Here is a selection of food in the city, which can be visited after a scenic tour.

Drink
Zhangjiajie berry tea is a specialty of Zhangjiajie's Yongding District.

Sleep
Accommodation in Zhangjiajie is typically around ¥170. There are many options within walking distance surrounding the train/bus station. There are many hotels and shops outside the Forest Park Ticket Station, which are very lively. Some tourists choose to live here, but it is not as convenient as living in the park.

Cope
Though Tianmen Mountain and Wulingyuan are major tourist attractions, perhaps 99% of their visitors are native Chinese. So you will find it surprisingly difficult to change foreign currency. There appear to be no currency exchange stores. Perhaps the only place to change money is a bank, such as the Bank of China (follow the main road north of the bus/train station area, it is at the first major intersection north of the river, about a 15-minute walk from the bus/train stations).

Wulingyuan, however, is rumored to have currency exchange stores.

Go next

 * Changsha
 * Fenghuang