Enchanting Zhangjiajie!
8 - 17 Dec 2010
From Yichang country in Hubei, we took more than 6 long tiring hours to reach the famous UNESCO World Heritage site - Zhangjiajie!
Snow was falling and the temperature drops, further exacerbated by the rain. The temperature plunged to zero degrees in no time as we solider on. The long winding road we were on was soon covered by a thick blanket of white. The rooftops and roadside shrubs greenery were not longer green but coated with a layer of snow.
Upon reaching the town-like village, it dawned upon us that this indeed a tourist resort favoured by the visiting Koreans. Signage and road directions were displayed prominently in Chinese and Korean.
From Yichang country in Hubei, we took more than 6 long tiring hours to reach the famous UNESCO World Heritage site - Zhangjiajie!
Snow was falling and the temperature drops, further exacerbated by the rain. The temperature plunged to zero degrees in no time as we solider on. The long winding road we were on was soon covered by a thick blanket of white. The rooftops and roadside shrubs greenery were not longer green but coated with a layer of snow.
Upon reaching the town-like village, it dawned upon us that this indeed a tourist resort favoured by the visiting Koreans. Signage and road directions were displayed prominently in Chinese and Korean.
Hotels and guest houses dotted the skyline after this place was renamed Zhangjiajie in 1994. Zhangjiajie was formerly known as Dayong city, founded in 1988. As Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is increasingly becoming world famous, Dayong city was renamed as Zhangjiajie city under the permission of the State Council in China.
Now, Zhangjiajie is developed into a tourist resort where mystical mountains, green blue lakes, deep caves, serene valleys and historical culture-folk customs were blended into a beautiful story for the mass tourism market.
Commericalism reared its face after the blockbuster film Avatar finishes its shooting in local Zhangjiajie. Hundreds of locals in ethnic Tujia costumes launched an "official ceremony" on January 25, 2010, to rename the Qiankunzhu (Southern Sky Column), prototypes for "the Hallelujah Mountains."
Zhangjiajie is a prefecture-level city consisting of Yongding and Wulingyuan Districts, Cili and Sangzhi Counties in Wulingyuan District. This area has 3,000 narrow sandstone pillars and peaks, many over 200m high. Between the peaks lie ravines and gorges with streams, pools and waterfalls, 40 wondrous caves, explored and unexplored, and two large natural bridges.
Interestingly, Zhangjiajie was awarded the title of “World Geological Park” in 2004.
In ancient times, the Zhangjiajie region was regarded as remote and inaccessible. The earliest human activities can be traced to 100,000 years ago and the legendary god of Agriculture was said to live a reclusive life here. Local story also indicates that Zhang Liang, a lord in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), lived here in seclusion and was buried below Qingyan (now Zhangjiajie) Mountain.
Now, Zhangjiajie is developed into a tourist resort where mystical mountains, green blue lakes, deep caves, serene valleys and historical culture-folk customs were blended into a beautiful story for the mass tourism market.
Commericalism reared its face after the blockbuster film Avatar finishes its shooting in local Zhangjiajie. Hundreds of locals in ethnic Tujia costumes launched an "official ceremony" on January 25, 2010, to rename the Qiankunzhu (Southern Sky Column), prototypes for "the Hallelujah Mountains."
Zhangjiajie is a prefecture-level city consisting of Yongding and Wulingyuan Districts, Cili and Sangzhi Counties in Wulingyuan District. This area has 3,000 narrow sandstone pillars and peaks, many over 200m high. Between the peaks lie ravines and gorges with streams, pools and waterfalls, 40 wondrous caves, explored and unexplored, and two large natural bridges.
Interestingly, Zhangjiajie was awarded the title of “World Geological Park” in 2004.
In ancient times, the Zhangjiajie region was regarded as remote and inaccessible. The earliest human activities can be traced to 100,000 years ago and the legendary god of Agriculture was said to live a reclusive life here. Local story also indicates that Zhang Liang, a lord in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), lived here in seclusion and was buried below Qingyan (now Zhangjiajie) Mountain.
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