God's amazing creation in Zhang Jia Jie

A few days away from the normal daily activities, spending a few days in Zhang Jia Jie China was really a great decision. 

Julia and I were in awe of God's amazing creation. In the mountain and rock formations His handy work we see. 

China is a big country. She has a rich 5000 years of culture awaiting us to explore and learn; many scenic places which exhibit different moods and beauty in the four seasons; many minority ethnic groups that show us what a simple and happy life is like.........Of course, if you can understand Chinese language and know a bit of the country's history and culture, it helps to add enjoyment and satisfaction in your visit to this amazing country.

If you love natural scenery and want to plan for the next holiday destination, I would suggest Zhang Jia Jie. One piece of advice though. Do avoid the peak holiday seasons like Chinese national day, new year and Labours' Day. We made this unforgiving mistake to travel near the 1 May holiday period, all the scenic and beautiful visiting spots were crowded with people - in Chinese we call it "people mountain people sea" (人山人海) :)

Before I forget, I would highly recommend you to watch a great production of a beautiful love story - 天门狐仙. The story line has nothing to shout about; it is a story of a beautiful fox falling in love with an ordinary wood cutter. This love relationship is not approved by men as well as the fox clan, finally both of them die in the hands of these two powers. Many years later, their tough love touches the gods in heaven and he allows them to meet on a bridge across a full moon. The production is amazing. The background of the stage is the famous "tian men shan" (天门山), hundreds of dancers and actors/actresses, not to forget the beautiful music and singing that come with the show. Those of you who cannot understand Chinese, not to worry, the Chinese lyrics and their English translations are fully projected on the screens. 

I just would like to provide some information of Zhang Jia Jie here for your reading pleasure.

Introduction

The mist glides across hundreds of towering, sandstone pillars topped by trees before plunging down into the green-swathed ravines below. A verbose description of Zhangjiajie's scenery will never quite do the place justice, perhaps this is why the area is such a popular filming and tourist destination. Lying on the border of Hunan, the main draw is the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 and is made up of the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Suoxi Valley, Tianzishan mountain ranges and Baofeng Hu. Avid hikers and nature lovers flock to Zhangjiajie explore the mountains, caves and forests of the area, enjoying one of China's most famed landscapes.

While Zhangjiajie is most known for its unusual sandstone pillars, its caves with their numerous stalactites, underground cataracts and rock formations are also impressive: Huanglongdong and Longwangdong are both worth a visit. The wildlife in the National Forest Park is one of the main draws: giant salamanders, rhesus monkeys and golden pheasants are among the usual suspects you might stumble upon. And if you are not the hiking type, access to many of the mountains and caves has been made easier with paved paths and even a new glass elevator that hoists you smoothly to the top of one of the peaks without you even breaking a sweat. Sixty percent of the city's 1.5 million person strong population are Tujia, Miao and Bai minorities–­giving the area a unique cultural feel.  Take some time to properly explore this unusual place, if for no other reason than to return home with the necessary "China scenic" photos.

Briefed History

Zhangjiajie city was originally named 'Dayong' and has historical records going back as far as 221 BC. The name Zhangjiajie was assigned in 1994 in order to draw attention to the area after being designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The Zhangjiajie region covers an area of 91,563 square kilometers and is made up of two districts: Wulingyuan and Yongding, and two counties, Sangzhi and Cili. The region was at one time heavily under Korean influence, both because of investment and tourism, however, more recently, visitors are flocking in by the thousands from China and other Asian countries. International tourists are still in the minority.

Origin Naming of Zhang Jia Jie

The new name of Zhangjiajie City was adopted in 1994, after the National Forest Park in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area (武陵源) in order to give it more prominence and after this site had been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The National Forest Park had been given the name of Zhangjiajie after the name of a small village located within its bounds, and now a popular tourist attraction within the park. The three-character name (张家界) can be interpreted as follows: "Zhang" (张) is a common surname in China; "jia" (家) can be translated as "family"; and "jie" (界) can be translated as "homeland", giving the completed translation of "Zhang family homeland." It has been reported that at least one tourist guide has said that the name may have been chosen to convey the idea or impression of "Open the family door to welcome the world" (张开家门引进世界), but this is not the locally-accepted and directly translated meaning of the name. The official version of its name is linked to a Han general, Zhang Liang, who resettled in the area after a suspicious Liu Bang, the Han emperor, started to persecute his staffs and generals who had contributed to his becoming emperor. It was so named to signify that the Zhang family had set up home there.

Climate

It belongs to the sub-tropical climate of Central Asia. Splendid mountains and luxuriant trees help form a favorable climate: warm in winter and cool in summer. The average temperature is 13C (55F), the highest 17C (62F ) while the lowest is 10C (50F) on average in winter. The charm of the park varies with the alternation of seasons; therefore, it attracts visitors all year round. Besides its pleasant climate, the environment and air quality also provide visitors a chance to breathe healthy air which is believed to be rich in negative oxygen. It is also believed that hypertension patient may have their blood pressure lowered if they stay in the park for a period of time. This is due to the fact that dust particles in the park are 88% lower and the air 10% mistier than outside.

 

Foliage

About 98% of the area is covered with vegetation. There are 720 species of the 102 families, including all the five most important floras, namely, the rose family, pulse family, grass family, composite family and orchid family. Some of these trees are rare and regarded as national treasure. For example, the Dove tree, known as living fossil, can be traced back as early as the Fourth Ice Age. The great variety of plants in the park takes up 82% of all the flora families in Hunan Province.

Animals

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park also boasts a variety of animals. Exuberant forests offer them ideal habitats to live in and procreate their own species. There are more than 149 kinds of chordate animals inhabitants in this park. Among them, 28 kinds are under national protection, amongst which, are the Golden Pheasant, Rhesus Monkey, Giant Salamander and Musk Deer. Visitors will be able to hear birds singing and see monkeys playing in the tree.

Festivals and Events

In the evening of the 25th day of the 6th lunar month the Bai minority peoples celebrate their Torch Festival. When night falls, the Bai will leave their houses, light torches and converge at a central meeting place where they will pray for their safety and health for the year to come. Other interesting festivals occur at different intervals throughout the year, the Tujia ethnic group celebrate the new year three times a year, in June, October and at the regular time as with the rest of China. Sometime at around the middle of February, unwed youths will begin courting rituals involving ear piercing, marriage proposals made by go-betweens and elaborate ceremonies concerned with cooking and furniture making.

Food

Hunan cuisine is known for its spicy flavors. If "stinky tofu" doesn't excite your taste buds, try lamb leg braised in soy sauce, spicy chicken, the salted meat of Tujia, salted fish from Tony Zu and Linwu duck.

The Tujia minority have excellent smoked meat dishes including smoked pork, salted lamb and salted beef. The pumpkin soup is a treat. If you have adventurous tastes, you will enjoy the variety of flavors with everything from pickled vegetables, sour fish and sour corn mash; rice tofu and spicy fish. Most of the restaurants are on Chongwen Lu or Tianmen Lu. The Hongge Restaurant, Philander Sister Restaurant, Red Lotus Tujia Special Flavor Restaurant and Yuanyuan Special Restaurant all serve up good local fare.

Accommodation

Zhangjaijie village is cheaper than staying in the city and is closer to the stuff that you want to see and do anyway—nature, outdoorsy activities. There are some budget places by the bus station, but, although it's not super cheap you won't have difficulty finding accommodations and there are a lot of hotels in the scenic area. Prices go up on weekends. The best place to stay is Minzu Shanzhuang with thatched roofs and Tujia-style wood rooms, some of which have balconies and views (250 RMB). Two other fairly up-market places are Xiangdian Shanzhuang (400 RMB) and Zhanghaijie Binguan (dorms 75 RMB, doubles 250-500 RMB). You might also try to find accommodation in the lesser known Suoxi Valley.

  

Main Scenic Spots

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is endowed with many scenic spots, such as the Yellow Stone Stronghold (Huangshizhai), Yaozizhai, Yuanjiajie and the Golden Whip Stream.

Yellow Stone Stronghold (Huangshizhai)

Yellow Stone Stronghold (Huangshizhai), Yaozizhai is located west of the park. It is named after a story whereby Huang Shi saved Zhang Liang from misfortune when the latter isolated himself from society in this forest.

Occupying an area of 41 acres and 1,200 meters (0.8 miles) above sea level, this stronghold is the largest observing spot of the forest park. One cannot claim to have visited Zhangjiajie without visiting Yellow Stone Stronghold. The main scenic spots include Tranquil Trail in Fir Woods, Imperial Edict and the Precious Box, Needle Peak, the Southern Gate to Heaven, Five-Finger Peak and so on.

Golden Whip Stream

Sceneries along the Golden Whip Stream are most enchanting in the park. Named after the Golden Whip Rock that it flows by, this stream, 5.7 kilometers long (3.5 miles), joins the Lute stream in the west and Suoxi Stream in the east. A 300-meter (984 feet) walk from the gate of the park will lead you to the entrance of the Golden Whip Stream. Flanked by ridges and peaks, the crystal clear water makes it possible to observe every action of the fish in the water. Wild flowers are in abundance here.

On the way, girls from Tujia will present visitors traditional folk songs when requested. The main scenic spots here include: the Welcoming Guests Rock, Golden Whip Rock, Reunion Rock and the Purple Grass Pond.

Yuanjiajie

The northern part of the park is the essential tourist route. Yuanjiajie is a natural platform that faces giant rocks rising from deep valleys and surrounded by higher mountains. Unique in their shapes and covered with pine trees, these rocks resemble a vivid Chinese painting.

Main scenic spots include: Back Garden, breath taking Mihun Stage and the First Bridge under the Sun.

 

I really enjoyed Zhang Jia Jie - not only its natural scenery, the minority ethnic group and their history and culture has also added some depth to my visit to this amazing place.