Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
| Zhangjiajie National Forest Park | |
|---|---|
 Zhangjiajie Mountains | |
  Map ofChina | |
| Location | Zhangjiajie,Hunan,China |
| Coordinates | 29°9′39″N110°24′58″E/ 29.16083°N 110.41611°E |
| Area | 4,810 hectares (11,900 acres) |
| Established | 1982 |
| Governing body | WulingyuanScenic and Historic Interest Area |
| World Heritage site | 1992 |
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park(Chinese:Hồ nam trương gia giới quốc gia sâm lâm công viên;pinyin:Húnán Zhāngjiājiè Guójiā Sēnlín Gōngyuán;lit.'Hunan Zhangjiajie National Forest Park') is a national forest park located inZhangjiajie,HunanProvince,China.It is one of several national parks within theWulingyuanScenic Area.[1]
History[edit]
In 1982, the park was recognized as China's first national forest park with an area of 4,810 ha (11,900 acres).[2]Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is part of a much larger 397.5 km2(153.5 sq mi)Wulingyuan Scenic Area.In 1992, Wulingyuan was officially recognized as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[3]It was then approved by the Ministry of Land and Resources as Zhangjiajie Sandstone Peak Forest National Geopark (3,600 km2(1,400 sq mi)) in 2001. In 2004, Zhangjiajie geopark was listed as a UNESCOglobal geopark.[citation needed]
The most notable geographic features of the park are thepillar-like formations that are seen throughout the park. Although resemblingkarstterrain, this area is not underlain by limestones and is not the product of chemical dissolution, which is characteristic of limestone karst. They are the result of many years of physical, rather than chemical,erosion.Much of the weathering that forms these pillars is the result of expanding ice in the winter and the plants that grow on them. The weather is moist year-round, and as a result, the foliage is very dense. The weathered material is carried away primarily by streams. These formations are a distinct hallmark of theChineselandscape, and can be found in many ancientChinese paintings.[citation needed]
One of the park'squartz-sandstonepillars,the 1,080-metre (3,540 ft)[citation needed]Southern Sky Column, was officially renamed "Avatar Hallelujah Mountain" (Chinese:A phàm đạt - cáp lợi lộ á sơn;pinyin:Āfándá hālìlùyà shān) in honor of the movieAvatarin January 2010.[4]The film's director and production designers said that they drew inspiration for the floating rocks from mountains from around the world, but mainly fromGuilin,Huangshan,andZhangjiajiein Hunan province.[5]
Structures[edit]
TheBailong Elevator,literally "hundred dragons sky lift", was opened to the public in 2002. At 326 m (1,070 ft), it is the world's tallest outdoor lift. It can transport visitors to the top from its foot in less than two minutes. The structure is composed of three separate glass elevators, each of which can carry up to 50 people at a time.[6]
In August 2016, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon opened theZhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge,the longest (430 m (1,410 ft)) and highest (300 m (980 ft)) pedestrian glass bridge in the world.[7]Thirteen days after opening, the bridge was closed due to the sheer number of visitors.[8]On 30 September 2016, the bridge reopened after adjustments to its logistics and safety measures for handling a large number of tourists.[9]
There are threegondola liftsystems within the park. The Tianzi Mountain Cable Car,[10]Yangjiajie cable car and Huangshizhai cable car.[11]
There is also a monorail to take visitors up the Ten-Mile Gallery.[12][13]
See also[edit]
- Global Geoparks Network
- List of national geoparks
- Tianmen Mountain,a feature within the nearby Tianmen Mountain National Park.
References[edit]
- ^"Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area".Unesco World Heritage Centre.United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.Retrieved16 December2013.
- ^"Zhangjiajie Scenic Spot".www.travelchinaguide.com.Retrieved2008-07-30.
- ^"A Brief Account of Zhangjiajie".www.zhangjiajie.com.cn.Retrieved2008-07-30.
- ^""Avatar" inspires China province to rename mountain ".China Daily.January 26, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon June 6, 2011.
- ^Anders, Charlie Jane (January 14, 2010)."Avatar's Designers Speak: Floating Mountains, AMP Suits And The Dragon".
- ^Construction in Scenic Spots: Protection or Destruction?,Beijing Review
- ^BBC News (2016-08-20). "Glass bridge: China opens world's highest and longest". BBC News. 20 August 2016.
- ^"World's longest glass bridge closes for maintenance two weeks after opening".The Guardian.2016-09-02.
- ^"World's longest and highest glass bridge reopens".The Telegraph.Archived fromthe originalon November 11, 2016.Retrieved2017-08-16.
- ^"Tianzi Mountain Cable Car".Retrieved23 July2021.
- ^"New cable car in Yangjiajie".Retrieved23 July2021.
- ^"Zhangjiajie National Park Monorail China hồ nam trương gia giới quốc gia sâm lâm công viên".YouTube.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-21.Retrieved5 July2021.
- ^"The monorail train running along ten-mile gallery in Wulingyuan".Retrieved5 July2021.
External links[edit]
Wulingyuantravel guide from Wikivoyage
