The fast train from Shanghai Hongqiao Station to Changsha took just under 6 hours but the time flew in the business-class carriage which had lie-flat seats and a personal concierge. We caught a taxi upon arrival to our modern hotel – the W Changsha Hotel at the Yunda Central Plaza which was within the same complex as the luxury St Regis Hotel. After dinner in the Plaza mall, we headed out to the famous Huangxing Rd – an amazing pedestrian shopping street with many local fashion shops and restaurants. Changsha cuisine is characterised very spicy and Geoffrey was sweating just by looking at all the fiery chilli dishes! Huangxing Rd – especially at night with the dazzling lights – has a incredible vibe and is a must-visit in Changsha.
The following morning, we walked along the promenade of the Xiang River with great views of the Young Mao Zedong statue. We passed the Du Fu Pavilion and walked through the traditional and trendy Chaozong Street Block for local food (and a sneak fries at McDonalds!), Dinner was at a famous local restaurant which was delicious although Geoffrey spend a lot of time picking out the hot chilli’s!
It was just a short train ride to Zhangjiajie where we were picked up by our guide and taken to our hotel – the Hilton Garden Inn. A local guide is pretty much essential to use your limited time efficiently see this huge scenic national park. The crowds and queues can be massive so timing is everything to experience as many of the attractions as possible.
The first stop was Tianmen Mountain Forest Park which involves a cable car and a shuttle bus which navigates a spectacular 11km mountain road with 99 switchback turns ending at an altitude of 1,100 metres. The road ends at a large square at the bottom of the spectacular Heaven’s Gate or Tianmen Cave – a massive arch which inspired the Avatar movie. To get to the entrance of the Gate you have a choice of escalators running inside mountain tunnels or to climb the 45-degree slope 999 steps. Geoffrey took the steps and beat me and guide to the top although he did suffer a bit of vertigo on the way up. At the top there is the Biye Yaotai Old Growth Forest, Tianmen Temple, glass walkways (not too scary) and great views if the fog and clouds allow.
In the afternoon we took the short scenic tourist Maglev train to the Phoenix Ancient City, one of the most famous old towns in China. The 300-year old town is home to around 28 minority ethnic groups and is a popular tourist attraction and sits on the banks of the Tuojiang River. At night the town is spectacularly lit with different colours which are reflected off the river. On the way back to the hotel we stopped to take a photo of the ‘72 Strange Buildings’ – the world’s highest Stilted Building illuminated in yellow and orange and faces Tianmen Cave with its famous arch design.
The next morning, we headed to the Grand Canyon Scenic Area. The main feature is the 430m long Glass Bridge which spans the canyon. It is the tallest and longest span glass bridge in the world and was opened in 2016. In the middle is a bungee jump for the adventurous but the Area has a number of other thrill-seeking activites – Sky Slide, Zip line, Flying Fox, a virtual MR Flying Theatre, Rock Climbing, Panoramic Elevators etc. The highlight though was Hiking Trail through the canyon alongside the beautiful clear waters to the end at Shenquan Lake.
Next stop was the Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area which is famous for its towering sandstone pillars, mist-covered peaks and mischievous monkeys!! Many of the floating mountain scenes from the 2010 Avatar movie were inspired from this area. We took the Cable Car to the top and the famous BaiLong Elevator down. The Elevator is a glass lift built into a cliff and at 326 meters – is the world’s tallest outdoor elevator.
Other Attractions
Zhangjiajie has many other niche attractions, but we didn’t have time to cover them all. These include the Yellow Dragon Limestone Cave, Baofeng Lake, Maoyan River, Jiangya Hot Spring, Yuanjiazhai Ancient Village, Seven Star Mountain (which has a thrilling, nearly vertical, 168-meter-long ladder suspended between cliffs at over 1,400 meters high). These attractions are generally less crowded but well worth a visit if you have the time.
Please contact me if you are interested in knowing more about this destination.
Young Mao Zedong statue, Changsha
Tianmen Cave
Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge