After 20hours of train ride, I finally arrived in 张家界（Zhangjiajie. Among 5 days of traveling and 2 days spent in train, I had little doubt about this trip, plus turned out I have train-sickness start of the trip was horrible. However once I arrived in 张家界,I was glad that I chose to come.
张家界 is located in North-Western part of Hunan province and First National Forest Park in China, also designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The place has 3000 miraculous peaks and 800streams. Movie AVATAR and 西游记(Journey to the West) has been filmed here.
Surprisingly I did not see any single Chinese disguise as AVATAR on the touristic area, as Chinese have mercenary spirit. Instead lots of wild moneys welcomed and pose for people. One outstanding part was, there were carriages carried by people in the middle of mountain. As mountain is so steep, if you are tired, you can take carriage with 280RMB carried by about 155cm-160cm height people. To me it looked too cruel to even ask to carry a person, but surprisingly lots of Chinese rode this carriage. I guess it would make them feel like emperor.
Park is too enormous that 1~2 days is definitely not enough if you like nature. Once you get to the peak, it is such a breathtaking that made me speechless. In front of Nature, human becomes really small. Although Human is small, still thanked such development that via bus, cable car and elevator, I could save time climbing up the mountain.
Highest elevator in the world
Other thing is that I was so used to Shanghai, market price of 张家界 was a bit shocked to me. Taxi started from 5RMB and people from shop would not dare to ask price more than 50RMB. (esp. clothes and accessories) But do negotiate the price as you are in China. (TIPS: great place to buy Accessories and hippy clothes 
If you are in 张家界 and see people hobble little bit, they are probably tourist. As Mountain is so high, require long hour of hiking, your leg will defiantly suffer from muscle pain. Good solution for this is of course getting massage! Nearby hotel I stayed, there was street massage by Tujia minority tribe. (20rmb for 40min foot massage and 30rmb for 1hour 30min body massage) Nice cool weather, holding a beer while chatting with friends and getting body massage was true paradise! I also felt bit pity that this cannot be found in Shanghai anymore.
Worth to visit, I would definitely go back but via plane next time! Back Home, I am watching AVATAR eating Korean Chicken ^^
1 response so far ↓
1 Céline // May 6, 2011 at 3:13 pm
Wow! It looks so great place! I love hicking and natural parks, I would have loved to come! ^^ It sounds a bit weird (for a european girl I guess) to put elevators in such a beautiful landscape. But except that, it sounds so attractive for me!! This summer, with Arthur, my family and friends, we will do a treck of 4 days in the Alps, really looking forward! Wish both of you a nice honeymoon in Malaysia. Why not in Kenya, I finally didn’t had a clue?
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