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.

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.

Climate

Situated in the midst of the semitropical monsoon climate zone, Zhangjiajie has a moderate climate, lots of sunshine and enough rainfall to keep the vegetation gloriously green. After Kunming, Zhangjiajie is also called a "city of spring" due to its comfortable year-round temperatures, that hover around 16°C. The fog and heavy rain in July create a few snags for hikers and mountain climbers, so plan accordingly. While the winters get heavy snowfall, the park remains open. Although April and October are the best times to visit, Zhangjiajie is good all year round.

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.