72 hours in Hunan

Day One: Miraculous nature

On your first day, Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie city is the best choice to take in the beauties of nature. After taking a four-hour coach tour from Changsha Huanghua International Airport, you can appreciate the scenery from a resort set high in the mountains.

Tianmen Mountain provides one of the most representative natural panoramas in Zhangjiajie. It not only attracts people by its unique geographic landforms but is also well known for its cultural connotations and man-made sites. It is reputed to be the No 1 “Miraculous Mountain” in Western Hunan.

Here are some spots you mustn’t miss in Tianmen Mountain:

Tianmen Mountain Cableway

Tianmen Mountain Cableway is the longest alpine passenger cableway in the world. It has a total length of 7,455 meters and an elevation of 1,279 meters. The local gradient from the middle station to the upper one reaches 37 degrees, which is rare throughout the world.

Heaven-linking Avenue

Heaven-linking Avenue has 99 turns symbolizing that heaven has nine palaces. The avenue runs upward following the natural shape of the mountain like the soaring of a great dragon and also hangs like a jade belt with zigzag turns circling the hills. Heaven-linking Avenue leads directly to the Tianti-celestial ladder which offers spectacular views.

The plank road

The ghost-valley plank road has a length of 800 meters, including a 60-meter glass skywalk span, and hangs from the cliff more than 1,400 meters above sea level on the upper side of the Ghost-valley Cave. The road is truly a heart-pounding experience.

Tianmen Mountain Temple

Tianmen Mountain Temple was first built in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) as a center of Buddhism in western Hunan. The present Tianmen Mountain Temple was rebuilt on the basis of the original site in the official style of the Qing Dynasty (AD 1644-1911). It is located in a mountain hollow with a broad vista.