Zhangjiajie

Zhangjiajie (张家界 Zhāngjiājiè) is a city in northwestern Hunan Province, China. It is the gateway to two of China's best-known natural attractions: the sandstone pillars of Wulingyuan and the cliffs of Tianmen Mountain.

Zhangjiajie lies in the Wuling Mountains on the upper reaches of the Li River (Lishui), and is one of mainland China's most important tourist cities. The prefecture-level city administers Yongding District, Wulingyuan District, Cili County and Sangzhi County. Most visitors arrive in Yongding District, the main urban area, before heading north to Wulingyuan District, the town beside the Wulingyuan scenic area.

The area has a recorded history dating back to 221 BC. According to tradition, Tianmen Mountain got its name in 263 AD, when Sun Xiu, emperor of the state of Wu, took a gate-like cave on the mountain, said to have opened wide and glowed mysteriously, as an auspicious sign, and renamed both the mountain and its commandery "Tianmen" (Heaven's Gate). The name Zhangjiajie is linked to Zhang Liang, a general and minister of the early Han dynasty who by some accounts lived here in seclusion after retiring.

The city was long known as Dayong (大庸). It became a prefecture-level city in 1988, bringing the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (named after a small village, now Zhangjiajie Cun) within its borders. After the area was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, the city was renamed Zhangjiajie in 1994 to raise its profile.

Zhangjiajie has a humid subtropical climate with four distinct seasons and plenty of rain, most of it falling from May to August. The mountain scenic areas are typically 5–10°C cooler than the city: summer highs can reach about 39°C in town but around 30°C in the mountains. Bring sunscreen in summer, and a long-sleeved layer if you're spending the night on a mountaintop. Spring and autumn are the best times to visit.

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

• 29.103056110.4433331 Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport (DYG  ^IATA, formerly Dayong Airport). Flights to many domestic destinations, as well as Taiwan and South Korea; about 25 flights a day in total. The airport is a port of entry for China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy: as of August 2026, citizens of 57 countries holding an onward ticket to a third country or region can enter here without a visa and stay up to 240 hours (10 days) within the designated regions (see Visa requirements for China for conditions).  

Beware of taxi touts in the airport car park. Drivers there are often unwilling to use the meter, and may claim your destination is very far away or add a bogus "parking lot fee". The trip from the airport to the city should cost only ¥20–40. Call your hotel to confirm the fare and ask them to speak to the driver for you.

Alternatively, city bus 4 (¥1, 06:00–19:00) runs a loop between the airport and the city, serving the bus station, the pedestrian street and the railway station. It departs from a stop 100 m (330 ft) before the airport gate and runs in both directions around the loop: Line A via Nanzhuangping and Line B via Guanliping.

• 29.17136110.4578442 Zhangjiajie West Station. The high-speed rail station, opened December 2019, about 5 km outside the city centre. Frequent direct trains from downtown Changsha (Changsha Railway Station) take about 2 hours (2nd class ~¥129–166). Trains routed via Changsha South take longer (~3 hours) and cost more, so the downtown station is the faster, cheaper origin.  
• 29.107184110.4816343 Zhangjiajie Station. The older conventional-rail station in the city centre, next to the Central Bus Station.  

From the West Station, city bus 6 runs to People's Square in the centre in about 50 minutes (¥1–2); a taxi takes about 18 minutes. Bus routes 4, 7, 16 and 17 also serve the station. A coach terminal at the station exit runs direct shuttles to the Wulingyuan scenic-area ticket gate and to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (about 60 minutes).

Intercity buses from Changsha (about 5 hours, ~¥120) leave roughly hourly until around 19:00 from the Changsha West bus terminal, next to Wangchengpo metro station.

Most travellers reach the scenic areas from Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station at Guanliping, next to the downtown railway station; it can be reached from the West Station by bus 6 or taxi. From here, Tourism Line A runs to the National Forest Park gate (¥11, about 40 minutes, roughly every 10 minutes) and Tourism Line B runs to the Wulingyuan (Suoxiyu) gate (¥12, about 40 minutes).

• 29.127555110.4835221 Puguang Chan Temple (普光禅寺), 70 Jiefang Road, Yongding District (永定区解放路70号) (bus 6, 7 or 8), ☏ +86 744 829 2697. 08:00–18:00. A Chan Buddhist temple dating from the 15th century, and a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. ¥40.  (updated Oct 2022)
• 29.135046110.4497312 Zhangjiajie Museum (张家界市博物馆), Intersection of Dayong Road and Ziwu Road, Yongding District (永定区大庸路与子午路交叉口) (bus 1A, 1B, 2, 11, 15, 101 or 102), ☏ +86 744 820 9899. Tu–Su 09:00–16:30; no tickets after 15:30, no entry after 16:00. Free.  (updated Oct 2022)
• 29.11404110.4545073 Tujia Folk Customs Park (土家风情园) (about 10 minutes' drive from the airport and railway station). 08:30–17:00. A large park devoted to the culture of the local Tujia people, with cultural performances, exhibitions, food and shopping. ¥80.  (updated Nov 2022) ^{[dead link]}

• 29.345556110.4666674 Wulingyuan (武陵源), Wulingyuan District (武陵源区) (bus from Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station or Zhangjiajie West Station), ☏ +86 744 561 1109. The UNESCO-listed landscape of more than 3,000 sandstone pillars that made Zhangjiajie famous. The core scenic area takes in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Suoxi Valley, Tianzi Mountain and Yangjiajie. See the Wulingyuan article for details. ¥224.  (updated Oct 2022)
• 29.123549110.4640295 Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Tourism Line A from the Central Bus Station), ☏ +86 744 830 5599. The Wulingyuan core scenic area (including the National Forest Park) uses a single combined ticket valid for four consecutive days with multiple entries. Entry is by real-name registration (facial recognition, or ID card / passport). In-park eco shuttle buses are included; the cable cars and the Bailong Elevator are charged separately. Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (with its glass bridge) and Tianmen Mountain are separate scenic areas, each with its own ticket.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 29.36296110.6149496 Huanglong Cave, Hekou Village, Suoxiyu Town, Provincial Road 306, Wulingyuan District, ☏ +86 744 561 8489.  
• 29.327349110.5488947 Baofeng Lake, Baofeng Road, Wulingyuan District, ☏ +86 744 562 9888.  

• 29.111464110.4833638 Tianmen Mountain , Cableway station: Dayong Road, Yongding District (south of the city centre, near Zhangjiajie Station and the Central Bus Station), ☏ +86 744 836 6081. Mar–Nov 07:30–16:00; Dec–Feb 08:00–16:30. The highest mountain in Yongding District, named after Tianmen Cave, a huge natural arch near its summit. Most visitors buy tickets at the cableway station on Dayong Road and ride the cable car, which is billed as one of the world's longest, straight from the city to the flat summit. The main sights are Tianmen Cave and the clifftop walkways around the top. See the Tianmen Mountain article for details. ¥278 year-round (includes insurance, round-trip cableway and eco shuttle).  (updated Aug 2025) ^{[dead link]}

• 29.323941110.1202959 Maoyan River and Jiutian Cave, Sangzhi County. A long scenic area in the west of the prefecture, taking in Jiutian Cave, the old town of Kuzhu Village, the Kuzhu River canyon, rafting on the Maoyan River, and the Jade Emperor Grottoes.  (updated Oct 2022)

The four-day Wulingyuan ticket lets you explore at a relaxed pace. A typical route:

• Day 1: Enter at the National Forest Park gate (crowded around 08:00–09:00 in peak season). Take the cable car up to Huangshizhai for a roughly 100-minute loop around the summit, then walk down and follow the gentle 4-km Golden Whip Stream (Jinbianxi) trail along the valley floor. At its end, ride the Bailong Elevator up to the plateau; queues are long at peak times but short after about 16:00.
• Day 2: Visit Yangjiajie, including the Natural Great Wall viewpoint (which has similar views to the narrow, crowded Tianbo Mansion summit but more space) and the cliffside paths of Wulongzhai, then Yuanjiajie (less than an hour), home to the "First Bridge Under Heaven" and the Qiankun Pillar.
• Later days: Tianzi Mountain, or the less-visited corners of the park.

Staying overnight on the plateau saves a lot of travel time. In-park eco buses link the main stops and will pick you up anywhere along the road if there's a free seat.

• 29.124711110.4901541 People's Square Commercial Pedestrian Street. The city's main snack street, with many local specialties.  (updated Nov 2022)
• 29.345697110.5527722 Tianzi Street Ethnic Tourism Mall, Wulingyuan District. 10:00–22:00. Shopping plaza selling local specialty products, with many shops to compare prices, plus a supermarket, cinema and restaurants.  (updated Nov 2022)

Food inside the scenic areas is limited and heavily overpriced, so bring snacks and water with you. The local signature dish is sanxiaguo (三下锅, "three-into-the-pot"), a spicy meat stew.

• 29.115955110.4823691 Qindama. 08:30–01:30. Popular local restaurant with several branches. Afterward you can walk along the river and enjoy the city at night. ¥60.  (updated Oct 2022)
• 29.123346110.489442 Yinmandou. Small, reasonably priced restaurant. Classics are sauerkraut beef and spicy roasted yellow beef, and the sanxiaguo is good too. You can bring your own drinks. ¥58.  (updated Oct 2022)
• 29.137854110.4952313 Hushifu. 10:00–21:00. Very popular for its signature sanxiaguo; a small pot feeds two. Not for those who prefer mild flavours. ¥56.  (updated Oct 2022)
• 29.1698110.46294 Dazhangjie Noodle Shop (大张姐面馆) (diagonally opposite the southeast corner of Zhangjiajie West Station, across the highway; the location shown on Amap is wrong). Good noodles and dumplings. ¥15–20.  (updated Apr 2026)
• 29.1293110.4765 Jiawang Snacks (家旺小吃), 313 Jiefang Rd. Extremely tender beef noodles at an excellent price. ¥10.  (updated Apr 2026)

Berry tea (莓茶 méichá) is a specialty of Yongding District.

• 29.13886110.4554781 Maoyan Meicha. Berry tea shop; buy in store or order online for delivery.  (updated Mar 2023)

Even at the international-brand hotels, English is very limited. This is still the case as of 2026, even though these hotels are now full of foreign tour groups and independent travellers.

• Hilton Garden Inn Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan (张家界武陵源希尔顿花园酒店), 108 Baofeng Road, Wulingyuan District, ☏ +86 744 5628888. A huge outdoor pool and spacious lounge area with complementary coffee, suitable for getting work done or playing cards. Probably the best choice. 
• Pullman Zhangjiajie (张家界京武铂尔曼酒店 (Jingwu Pullman)), 188 Gaoyun Road, Wulingyuan District. A nice outdoor swimming pool and busy bar area. 
• Hampton by Hilton Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, 18 Jundi Road (at Guihua Road), Wulingyuan District. A newer, well-reviewed hotel that is walking distance from the park's East Gate. 
• Best Western Plus Qingxinyuan Hotel Zhangjiajie, Wuling Road, Junyingping, Wulingyuan District. A low-rise hotel built in Huizhou style with local Tujia touches. 

Watch out for taxi drivers who refuse to use the meter, especially at the airport (see By plane). If you run into overcharging or other problems:

• Zhangjiajie City Public Security Bureau, ☏ +86 744 822 2151.  (updated Oct 2022)
• Zhangjiajie Park Police Station, ☏ +86 744 571 2381.  (updated Oct 2022)
• Tourism complaints hotline, ☏ +86 744 838 0139, toll-free: 12315 (consumer complaints)Country code missing.  (updated Oct 2022)

• 29.128234110.4841081 Zhangjiajie People's Hospital (张家界市人民医院), 140 Tianmen Street, Guyong Road, Yongding District, ☏ +86 744 822 7836. The city's main tertiary general hospital, with emergency services.   ^{[dead link]}
• 29.123103110.4848592 Zhangjiajie Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (张家界市中医院), Huilong Road, Yongding District, ☏ +86 744 826 6005.  

Although Zhangjiajie draws huge numbers of visitors, including international tourists, foreign currency can be surprisingly hard to exchange. There are no dedicated exchange shops; your best bet is a bank such as the Bank of China, at the first major intersection north of the river, about a 15-minute walk north of the bus and train stations along the main road.

• Changsha: the provincial capital, about 2 hours by high-speed train
• Fenghuang: a well-preserved riverside old town