Zhangjiajie

When my travel consultant Eileen first suggested I include Zhangjiajie in my itinerary I was surprised.  I had never heard of Zhangjiajie.  But then I started looking at photographs and information on the internet. I realized that this is quite a popular tourist spot.  Its claim to fame is that its scenery inspired the movie Avatar, with its towering peaks among the mist.  I was also surprised that she scheduled me here for 3 days with a private guide.

Zhangjiajia is located in Hunan province, almost in the middle of China.  My last stop was Lhasa, Tibet, in the western part of China.  I flew from Lhasa to Chongqing, then took a high-speed train from Chongqing to Zhangjiajie.  I prefer taking the train to flying, even if it takes slightly longer.  After traveling in China for almost a month I came to like the train.  They are comfortable, clean and you have plenty of room.  You can see the scenery as the train goes by the farms and countryside.  After landing at Chongqing airport I was supposed to take a taxi or Didi (China's version of Uber) to the train station.  However, Eileen was afraid that I may get lost and not make it to the train station on time.  So she sent a driver to pick me up at the airport and I had plenty of time to spare when I arrived at the Chongqing train station.

Again I was met by a driver at the Zhangjiajie train station and taken to the Wulingyuan Hotel, about an hour away.  He bought me some fruits and asked me if I was hungry.  Of course I was.  My last meal was at McDonald's at the Lhasa airport.  I had been traveling all day and did not have a proper meal.  He stopped at a restaurant and bought me some fried noodles.  He said that's where he and other drivers get together to eat their meals.

I met my guide Trevor early the next morning.  Our first stop is the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China's first National Forest Park.  It is a very popular tourist spot for locals and foreign tourists.  I can tell by the languages and accents that there were many tourists from other parts of Asia.  I don't know if there's anywhere else in Asia that you can see such beautiful scenery.  We took the world-record tallest Bailong glass elevator to the top.  From there we took several paved trails to some of the most popular and beautiful spots where you can see different views of different peaks.

We covered a lot of territory on the first day.  We had a hearty dinner near the hotel.

My guide Trevor

Wulingyuan Hotel

On the second day we went to what is called the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Scenic Area.  Our first stop is the Glass Bridge that was built over the canyon.

The Glass Bridge

View of Canyon below

        

Bridge and canyon viewed from afar

I was not expecting this but next thing I know I was in a line waiting to get on the zip-line over the canyon.  I don't believe I have done zip-lining before but this looks quite safe.  They tie you down with a safety harness and all the equipment looked very sturdy.  It was quite an experience for me.

The first video was taken by the people who ran the zip-line.  I had to pay for the video, which was not very much.  The second video was taken by me, with a view of my dirty shoes in the way.

Next we slid down a chute just like we were bob-sledding to the bottom.

Sliding down a chute

Next we hiked along the 3.5km Yuanjiajie Scenic Trail which runs alongside the river at the bottom of the canyon.  The following photographs show some of the views along the trail.

After lunch we took a cruise on a boat in Baofeng Lake.  Here are demonstrations of Chinese singing of traditional folk songs and display of fishermen using cormorants to fish.

Canyon in the lake

Fisherman using cormorants for fishing

Singer singing traditional folks song

On the third night we moved to Zhangjiajie City, where I stayed at the local Wyndham hotel.  This is because I only have half a day the next day and I have to be at the airport by noon.  It's also because we'll be closer to Tianmen Mountain, another popular attraction in the area.

Tianmen Mountain is another one of those exhilarating attractions in the area.  To the get to the top requires a combination of riding cable cars, taking very long escalators and shuttle bus up a very winding road.  But the views and sights did not disappoint.

Welcome to Tianmen Mountain

Different ways to get to the top

The longest escalator I have been on

World's longest cable car - 7,455m

Misty on top

Misty even part way down

Tianmen Temple, a Qing Dynasty-style Buddhist temple

Tianmen Mountain - Soul of Wuling

It was truly 3 days of spectacular scenery.  I don't know how you can do a better job developing a beautiful area into one of the top tourist spots in China.  There were many personnel who made sure we go the right way and ensure our safety.  I would not have been able to visit so many places without my tour guide, although I see many foreign tourists who came on their own.  Although little known in the US, many of the European tourists must have read or heard about it.

This ends my 33-day trip to China.  It was an amazing discovery of places that I have never been to but always wanted to.  China, geographically is as big as the United States.  There are many lesser known places that I would like to visit in the future.  Or even some of the places that I have been to but would love to have a local guide to explain the history and culture behind those places.  I'd also love to bring my family here, especially my grandchildren - to understand their heritage, culture, and be part of the majority, instead of the minority.

That afternoon I flew to Shanghai, where I would spend the night at the hotel within the Pudong airport.  The next day I would fly to Taipei.  I would start a five-day tour of places outside of Taipei.  Places where I have always wanted to go but never had a chance to.  It's easier to follow a group tour than go on my own.  Then I would wrap up this 40-day trip with 3 days on my own in the beautiful city of Taipei.