Tianzi Mountain

Endowed with the world's most unique landscape, Tianzi Mountain is an unrivaled natural wonder covering an area of 21 square miles nestled in the essential sightseeing zone of the Wulinyuan Scenic Area in Hunan Province, China. As a result of millions of years of sedimentary rock erosion, Tianzi Mountain had been breeding an otherworldly wonderland with heart-stopping tower-like pinnacles abruptly jutting to the sky. Always shrouded by drifting mists, it is a great destination for adventurous sightseeing, hiking and photography.

The beguiling natural reserve offers unparalleled sights, including the sea of clouds, sunglow, moonlight and snowy scenes. After the rain, the hazy fog hides the body of the mountain and reveals the peaks lofting like islands above the mists. Glazed by the sunglow, the entire Tianzi Mountain unfolds like a magnificent and bright-colored oil painting. Besides, clad in silvery white in winter, Tianzi Mountain become a gorgeous snow and ice world.

The legend origin of Tianzi Mountain is derived from a story of a man named Xiang Dakun from ethnic Tujia tribe. About in 1300s, Xiang Dakun led his troop to start a successful uprising and established a small kingdom on the mountain. He claimed himself as Tianzi, Son of Heaven in Chinese, which is known as an honorable title of emperors. However, in a defeat he was cornered to the edge of the mountain, and he chose to jump off the cliff to end his life. Thus Tianzi Mountain was named after the legend.

Tianzi Mountain is blessed with peaks in jagged shape with ledges jutting up unevenly from the deep abyss. Different kinds of trees, flowers and shrubs carpet the crests and valleys, bringing about a kaleidoscope of spots to behold.

• Shentang Gulf

Shentang Gulf is a mysterious valley walled by soaring precipices, which has not been touched by human being. The gulf is covered with verdant forests all year round, and the crests of peaks rising up from the gorge are always veiled in mists and clouds, from which one could gaze into the fathomless bottom. It is still an unknown for hundreds of years that how deep the valley is. A striking spectacle of Shentang Gulf is that one could hear sounds of gongs and drums, neighs of war-horses and shouts of men from the valley in rainy days.

• Yubi Peak (Emperor's Writing Brush Peak)

As one of the most iconic sight of Tianzi Mountain, Yubi Peak captivates the heart of shutterbugs and painters by its peculiar brush-like formation. Known as the Emperor's Writing Brush, three naturally formed grotesque stone peaks thrust side by side to the sky, with thin pine trees growing on the top, which shares big resemblance to traditional Chinese writing brushes. The ever-changing hues of sunshine border the edge of peaks with sparkling glow, while the mists and clouds straying around makes the peaks veiled in dim elegance.


• Dianjiangtai Platform (Platform of Appointing Commander)

Located at West Sea, Dianjiangtai is the most outstanding site to appreciate and shoot the peak forest landscape. A large cluster of sandstone peaks with rugged rocks of grotesque shapes stick up from the chasm, like an array of mighty soldiers on expedition. Standing on the viewing platform, one could overlook the towering peaks near and far, and behave like a general to call the muster roll of soldiers and appoint commanders for tasks.

• Garden in the Air

There is a breathtaking garden terrace hidden in the Tianzi Mountain, which is reputed as the last virgin land of Zhangjiajie. Perched on the Tujia Village, the fields have been cultivated out by a local peasant household for dozens of years. With an altitude of over 1,000 meters, the terrace covers an area of 7.5 acres by embracing sheer precipices and overhanging rocks on three sides. With the accompany of the surrounding towering pinnacles, the garden is just like a surreal idyllic painting aloft in the air.

• Fairy Offering the Flowers

The fancy formation of the peaks creates many vivid figures, and the Fairy Offering the Flowers is one of the most spectacular ones. A cluster of sandstone pillars tower high in the clouds, with green pine shrubs on the top and wild flowers on the half way up the peak. Once the breeze travels through the valley, the mists and flower would swing with the wind, which is just like a gracefully slender maid with flowery hats spilling flowers down from the basket in her arms.

• Celestial Bridge

A naturally formed red sandstone bridge suspend over the abyss with a length of 26 meters and width of 1.5 meters. Supported by two separate pinnacles and clinging to a bottomless chasm, the Celestial Bridge is a breakneck spot that only allows celestial being to walk across, but daunts mankind to cease to move forward.

1. There are frequent tourist buses running from Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station (near Zhangajiajie Railway Station) to Wulingyuan Town, and you need to transfer a motorcycle to get to the ticket office. Alternatively, you could take a taxi directly to the entrance of Tianzi Mountain, the fare would be about CNY300.

2. You are suggested to enter Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve from Zhangjiajie National Forest Park by the interior sightseeing bus. As the taxi cost from airport and railway station to the entrance of Zhangjiajie National Park is much cheaper, about CNY100-120.