Wulingyuan: A Magical Place
Wulingyuan is the palpable and spectacular demonstration that in the vast territory of China there are some unique landscapes. There is no person who visits the rock forest that awaits us in this area near the city of Zhangjiajie and does not get overwhelmed by such natural beauty. It is a landscape carved for millennia by the erosion of meteorological agents.
Where is Wulingyuan
The Wulingyuan area is part of what is known as Zhangjiajie National Park, which is located in the north of China’s Hunan Province. This is a very conducive territory to see natural wonders, such as the incredible Puerta al Cielo.
The reference city to visit is the town of Zhangjiajie itself, located about 40 kilometers from the park traveling by road.
Although it is also possible to stay in the same town of Wulingyuan, so it is one step away from the entrance to the park and its curious means of transport to visit it, including electric buses, a cable car or an elevator that makes us quickly climb a Mountain. However, we are going to tell about that a little below. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves!
A movie landscape
The most striking thing about Wulingyuan are its rock pillars. This site has more or less about 3,100 pillars that can exceed 200 meters in height.
Wulingyuan offers us a landscape created through quartzite and sandstone rocks, among which karst processes have generated beautiful spaces. Without a doubt, here or in places like the Gullin Mountains it can be said that nature becomes art thanks to its millennial construction processes.
Therefore, it is not surprising that many say that the famous film director, James Cameron – famous for his Oscar-winning Titanic – was inspired by the mountains of Wulingyuan to design his idyllic landscapes of Pandora, recreated in the fantasy production Avatar.
It is not 100% confirmed that it was, but it is undoubted that Wulingyuan is one of those peculiar movie landscapes that await us in the vast territory of China. In addition, it is an area declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. So if you are lucky enough to visit it, try to collaborate in its conservation.
The three great areas of Wulingyuan
The extension of this national park is quite wide, so that, to go through it in its entirety, you have to spend several days. For a better organization, we are going to indicate the three main areas to visit: the Golden Whip River, Huangshi and the Wulingyuan area itself, which in turn can be divided into three parts.
River of the Golden Whip
This is one of the most comfortable routes in the park, as you walk along the river with such a poetic name and admire the imposing blocks of rock from its base, which are truly impressive.
The only problem arises if the clouds settle between the pillars and they do not stop seeing their upper part. However, that is also part of the magic of the place.
Huangshi
This is a very high mountain, which can be climbed by making a tortuous hiking ascent, for which it is better to wear appropriate footwear. Another much more comfortable alternative is to go up by cable car. In any case, the views from above are one of the most photogenic sights that you will enjoy throughout your trip to China.
Wulingyuan
As we said, the Wulingyuan area itself is divided into three areas. The one of Tianzi to the north stands out; The Ten Mile Gallery runs through it, a fantastic path for the most prepared hikers.
Meanwhile, to the west is Yangjiajie, which also has a very hard route, just by name we can already get an idea: The Steps of Heaven. The truth is that its hardness compensates for the beauty of the landscape.
Finally, within Wulingyuan there is another area called Yuanjiajie. Here one of the attractions of the park awaits us: going up in an elevator in the middle of the mountain. It could not be more comfortable and curious, but the elevator is just the aperitif of what awaits us upstairs: a beautiful and unforgettable panoramic view.
Don’t miss a visit to Wulingyan!
We know that we do not always travel with as much time as we would like. Sometimes we cannot dedicate all the days that a place deserves and we must reduce the itinerary.
However, we want to recommend a visit to Wulingyuan even if it is not possible to spend several days touring it in its entirety. If you take a trip to China, at least dedicate a day to this spectacular and beautiful place. You will not regret it!
