Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park
2022-05-25
Tianmen Mountain Cableway
With a total length of 7,455 meters and a height gap of 1,279 meters, Tianmen Mountain Cableway is the longest single-line circulating passenger cableway in the world. It starts at City Garden (lower station) in downtown Zhangjiajie, and terminates at the Primitive Hanging Garden (upper station) on the top of Tianmen Mountain, like a rainbow arching above or a dragon soaring in the sky. As one of the “four wonders” of Tianmen Mountain scenic area, it adds much beauty to Zhangjiajie.
Tianmen Mountain Temple
Tianmen Mountain Temple, first built in the Ming Dynasty, is the center of Buddhism in Western Hunan. Since its establishment, numerous believers have come here to burn incense and worship. Surrounded by towering old trees, the temple includes Shakya Mani Hall and Tianwang Hall as well as other buildings like the Guanyin Hall in the back. A seven-story pagoda stands just a little way off, creating a quaint and tranquil scene.
Stone Maze
The scenic spot is covered by neatly-arranged stone forest with grotesque shapes. The moss is green as well as dense and the path twists and turns, forming a strange Eight Diagrams. It is said that Guiguzi (also known as Wang Xu), a mysterious legend in Chinese history, studied military strategies here by arranging the stones into a military array and cultivated famous military strategists Sun Bin and Pang Juan.
Baihe
As a major scenic spot of Tianmen Mountain, it presents Guiguzi’s philosophical thoughts and the profound connotation of vertical and horizontal theory in a creative way. Guiguzi wrote in his book Guiguzi that Yin and Yang were the key to heaven (or “Tian” in Chinese) and Tianman Mountain connecting the earth and the heaven like a pillar showed the harmony between Yin and Yang. It seems that it was Tian that asked Guiguzi to write a book here to show people the ways of Yin and Yang.
Bonsai Stone Area
Kinds of stones decorate the mountain. In particular, the rare open-air stalactites formed by the remains of some cave sediment look like inverted bonsais.
Heavenly Ladder
There are altogether 999 stairs up the Heavenly Ladder, a holy site for visitors to pray for blessings and leading to Tianmen Cave. Climbing the Heavenly Ladder can not only build a strong mind and challenge yourself, but also help to face life with an open mind.
Garden in the Air
Tianmen Mountain is an integrated synclinal geological unit which has the landform of middle-mountain karst platform with peak groups and canyons. The top of Tianmen Mountain is a cliff sight of karst platform. The karst hillocks and karren spread wildly to form wonders of stone forests in the air. Moreover, with moss covering all over the ground, wild vines twining and twisting, what come into sight are natural bonsais like grand gardens looking as if they were created by the immortals. The tourists can relish the natural wonders and feel the miracles of the Creator to their hearts’ content.
Glass-bottomed Walkway
Completed in September 2011, it is a suspended glass walkway attached to the mountain, 500 meters away from the starting position of Plank Road in Ghost Valley. Made of hard tempered glass and surrounded by metal balustrades, it is nearly 400 meters above the canyon floor with transparent glass at its feet. The thrills and excitement it provides parallel those of the Grand Canyon “skywalk” in Arizona, USA, thus, known as the “sky road” in the east.
Preferential policies
Free admission: Children under 1.3m (including 1.3m) are exempted from admission.
Preferential tickets
a. Soldiers in active service, disabled persons and elders over 70 years old (including 70) can enjoy a favorable ticket price of 110 yuan/person with valid certificates.
b. For minors, full-time university students under the age of 24 (excluding 24) with bachelor’s degree or below, elders who are fully 60 years old and above but under 70 years old (excluding 70), the serviceman (officers, civilian staff, sergeants, excluding soldiers in active service), retired army cadres, martyrs’ immediate family, holders of subsistence allowances for urban and rural residents issued by the civil affairs department can enjoy a favorable ticket price of 155 yuan/person with valid certificates.
c. The one-way chairlift on the peak costs 25 yuan/person. For minors, full-time university students under the age of 24 (excluding 24) with bachelor’s degree or below, elders who are fully 60 years old and above, soldiers in active service, disabled persons, retired army cadres, martyrs’ immediate family, holders of subsistence allowances for urban and rural residents issued by the civil affairs department can enjoy a favorable ticket price of 15 yuan/person. People who enjoy the preferential treatment mentioned above should buy the tickets on the spot with valid certificates.
The above information is for reference only, subject to the latest news released by Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park in Zhangjiajie City on that day.
