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Recommended reading: (A place worth visiting in Hunan)

Yueyang| Changsha| Hengshan

As the saying goes,"Look at the mountains of Zhangjiajie, look at the water of Jiuzhaigou." I have been to Jiuzhaigou when I was a child. The colorful water is really beautiful. Then Zhangjiajie, which is juxtaposed with Jiuzhaigou, should also be amazing. On the way to Zhangjiajie in late September, I am looking forward to it.

What makes me look forward to is the Tianmen Cave hanging high on the ladder and the suspended mountain appearing in "Avatar". In videos and movies, extreme athletes glide with wingsuits, overlooking the peaks and forests, crossing the caves, making it thrilling and magnificent; future spacecraft and exotic giants shuttle between suspended stone pillars and fight, towering and mysterious...

(The picture below is from the Internet)

When I was immersed in the scene, Zhangjiajie far exceeded my expectations: in addition to wingsuit flight, ninety-nine winding Tongtian Avenue cut through the clouds, and a glass plank road with a thousand-meter-high cliff wall was accompanied by clouds. Drifting in the clouds and walking on the clouds are thrills that ordinary people can experience; Thousands of stone pillars rarely seen on earth not only provide inspiration for alien civilization, but also give birth to ancient and mysterious Western Hunan culture (such as corpse chasing, witchcraft, etc.) and natural wonders that have not yet been solved (such as Tianmen turning over water, ghost valley development, etc.)...

For specific exciting experiences, let's go into Zhangjiajie to have a look.

Tianmen Mountain

Jiuzhaigou is not a lake, and Zhangjiajie is not a mountain. It is a prefecture-level city located in northwest Hunan. It was previously called "Dayong City", but because the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park established here in 1982 was too famous, it was later changed to "Zhangjiajie", which is a veritable city built for tourism.

The reason why it is called "Zhangjiajie" is that during the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Zaihong, the sixth-generation grandson of Zhang Wancong, the commander of the Yongding Wei Dayong Office, was given a regiment official and set up a government office here. This area became the Zhang family's hereditary territory and was called "Zhangjiajie". Another way of saying is that Zhang Liang, the Marquis of the Western Han Dynasty, lived in seclusion here and was buried in Shuiao Simen after his old age, so this place was called Zhangjiajie a long time ago.

Zhangjiajie's mountain views are spread all over the city and the suburbs. They belong to the Wuling Mountains located at the junction of Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing and Guizhou. Among the many scenic spots, two are the most famous. One is the Wulingyuan Scenic Area located in Wulingyuan District. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and the above-mentioned "Water Around Four Gates" are here, and the other is Tianmen Mountain in Yongding District, where the spectacle of Tianmen Cave opens.

Let's start your trip to Zhangjiajie from Tianmen Mountain.

Tianmen Mountain was called "Yunmeng Mountain" in ancient times and was the first famous mountain to be recorded in history. I thought that "Yunmeng" was a romantic imagination of the ancients. When I went up the mountain, I discovered that Yunmeng was the landscape in front of me.

There are two ways to go up the mountain, take a bus or take a cableway. No matter which way, you will have a dreamy experience of flying through the clouds.

The bus you take is Tongtian Avenue, also known as the "Jiuqu Tianlu". The total length of this road is only 10 kilometers, but there are 99 thrilling sharp turns hidden. The altitude is rapidly increased from 200 meters to 1300 meters. The sharp turns between each and each are long. It rises sharply and steeply, like a giant python lying in the mountain jungle.

The drivers who can climb up this sky road are all professional and experienced old drivers. In the eyes of passengers, the cliffs outside the window and the depths of the empty valley are rapidly changing left and right, like ballet on the edge of the cliff, but the car is stuck to it. On the narrow road, it is a close call but foolproof, not to mention how exciting it is.

When you gradually get used to rushing and trusting drivers, you can enjoy the joy of turning corners while enjoying the beautiful scenery of the valley. Sometimes you walk through clouds and fog, sometimes you are surrounded by green. On one side are cliffs and clouds, and on the other side is the deep green valley, which makes people feel refreshed.

If you take the cableway up the mountain, although it will be less thrilling, it will also have a beautiful scenery like a wandering sky.

The Tianmen Mountain cableway has a total length of 7455 meters and a height difference of nearly 1.3 kilometers. It can reach the top in one step and enjoy different scenery from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain.

Most tourists will take the Tianmen Cave Express Cableway to Tianmen Cave first, and then take the mountain-crossing escalator to the top of the mountain. When the cable cart reached halfway up the mountain, the sea of clouds surrounded the entire view, making everything around invisible.

Further up, we reach the clouds of clouds, where the outline of the mountain appears in the vast white fog.

After coming out of the cableway station, there is a viewing platform. Although it has not reached the top of the mountain, it has already passed through the clouds. The churning sea of clouds has submerged most of the mountain, revealing only uneven peaks of various shapes, like fairy mountains on the sea.

One of them looks like a fairy turtle, swimming into the endless sea of clouds.

Not far from the east side of the observation deck is Tianmen Cave, the scenic sight of Tianmen Mountain.

The name of Tianmen Mountain comes from Tianmen Cave. This cave hangs high on a cliff at an altitude of 1300 meters, facing the north and south. It is like a gateway to the sky. It is the highest mountain penetrating cave in the world. There is a poem praising:

Thousands of peaks on the cliffs are high,

Take a detour along the plank road and go to Yuntai.

The sky is shrouded by fog and the sun is still raining,

The smoke in the cave cannot be pulled out.

Tianmen Gate is 131.5 meters high, 57 meters wide, and 60 meters deep. On the plain wall opposite Chihiro, there are white clouds and purple fog all year round, dense and steaming. The momentum is majestic, towering and tall, and the sky is full of thousands of weather. The mist from the Tianmen and the glow from the Tianmen are rare wonders in the world.

Tianmen Mountain is an underground karst cave on the edge of the platform. Under the extrusion, collapse and dissolution of syncline tectonic forces, it was formed by the collapse of rocks on both sides of the north and south. It is said that it was formed in the sixth year of Yong 'an (264) of Dongwu of the Three Kingdoms. At that time, Tianmen Mountain was called "Songliang Mountain". The mountain wall opened in the middle, with clear holes in the north and south, and Xuanlang as a gate. Emperor Wu Jing thought it was an auspicious omen, so he changed his name to "Tianmen Mountain" and specially established Tianmen Prefecture for this purpose.

Since the opening of Tianmen Cave more than 1700 years ago, there have been many phenomena that are difficult to explain scientifically. There are six ancient mysteries in Tianmen Mountain, three of which are related to Tianmen Cave.

The opening of Tianmen Cave is a big mystery, and there is no convincing scientific explanation for its formation. Another big mystery is "Tianmen turning over water": the left cliff of Tianmen Cave usually does not hang water even after rain, but sometimes in the dry season, a flood suddenly surges out and pours down from the cliff. The earth moves and the mountains shake. It is very spectacular. The third big mystery is the "turn of Tianmen Cave". Seventy or eighty years ago, Tianmen Cave could be clearly seen standing at the south pier of the river in Zhangjiajie City. Now, it can no longer be seen in the same place. It can only be seen in Dayongqiao Park, 4 kilometers away. Is Tianmen Cave quietly turning from north to west?

Standing in the square and looking up, Tianmen Cave seems within reach. In fact, to reach the entrance of the cave, you still need to climb 999 steps (you can also take the Tianmen escalator), which is called "climbing the ladder".

The upper ladder is a staircase connecting Tongtian Avenue and Tianmen Cave. The 999 steps imply supremacy and everlasting life. The slopes are gentle and steep, indicating that the ups and downs of life can only be completed. On both sides of the ladder, there are five platforms: "Yu Yu" and "Qin Se","Changsheng","Qingyun" and "Ruyi", which represent wealth, happiness, blessing, wealth and longevity respectively. Tianmen Cave often has clouds and clouds, and climbing the ladder is often like floating in clouds and clouds. Looking up, you don't know where you end up. This scene is one of the "Ten Scenes of Tianmen", the "Hanging Stairs and Floating Mist".

When the weather is fine, Tianmen Cave is empty and clear, with low peaks in front and back of the cave. There are only long white clouds and harmonious blue skies inside and outside the cave, which is suitable for flying. Therefore, in 1999, special pilots from all over the world flew planes through Tianmen Cave, leaving a place for the spectacle. feat. Since then, many extreme sports players have come here to challenge their limits. For example, in 2007, French adventurer Alain Robert climbed to the summit without protection and bare-handed. In 2011, American adventurer Jeb Corris successfully flew through Tianmen Cave in a wingsuit...

Many feats make Tianmen Cave even more legendary.

After climbing Tianmen Cave, take the mountain-crossing escalator to reach the top of the mountain.

The top of Tianmen Mountain is relatively flat, divided into two lines: east and west. The east line is Biye Yaotai, with a total length of 3.7 kilometers. It is the core reserve of Tianmen Mountain's natural ecology. After the thrilling thousand-meter cliff plank road and 100-meter glass plank road, you can enjoy the beautiful beautiful rocks and trees, overlooking Tianmen Cave in the sky; The western line is a wonderful place for seeking immortals, with a total length of 2.8 kilometers. Here you can enjoy the beauty of the peaks and valleys, and you can also overlook the entire Urban area. There are also some venues displaying reclusive culture and fairy mountain culture. The landscape is rich and grand. Although it takes nearly 6 kilometers to complete the entire journey, I don't feel tired because of the dizzying scenery and wonders along the way.

Along the wooden plank road around the mountain westward, we first came to Gongtong Garden.

Davidia involucrata is known as the giant panda of the botanical kingdom-ancient and rare. It is a relic of the Paleotropical flora of the Tertiary and a key protected plant at the national level. Davidia involucrata flower is shaped like a white dove that spreads its wings and wants to fly. It is also known as the "Chinese dove flower" and is unique to our country. In the past, scientists could only find Davidia chinensis in fossils from Europe. In 1869, French missionary David discovered living Davidia chinensis in Muping, Sichuan, which aroused a strong response from the scientific community at that time.

In addition to Davidia involucrata, there are also a number of residual plants such as yew and liriodendron, and endemic plants such as Dayong Cstanus and Tianmen Mountain Ziyuan. They together constitute the species diversity of Tianmen Mountain Forest Park.

Small squirrels can be seen foraging in the forest from time to time. They have big nerves, and tourists swagger in front of them.

From Gongtong Garden, we went north to Yunmeng Xianding, which is the highest peak of Tianmen Mountain, with an altitude of 1,518.6 meters. Legend has it that Tianmen Mountain is a sacred mountain between the immortal and mortal worlds, and Yunmeng Immortal Top is the closest place to the immortal world. There is a viewing pavilion here. The view from the pavilion is broad. In the morning, you can watch the red mountains at sunrise and the molten gold at sunset. When it is clear, you can overlook the strange peak of Wulingyuan, and you can overlook the Lishui River winding through the Urban area of Zhangjiajie like a jade belt.

Overlooking Tianmenshan Temple from Yunmeng Xianding Scenic Pavilion:

Take the elevator down from Yunmeng Xianding, pass through the tunnel, and arrive at Lingxiao Terrace on the western line.

Legend has it that Lingxiao Terrace is the first stop for immortals to reach Tianmen Mountain. It hangs alone on the top of the cliff with a vast view. When it is sunny, you can overlook the entire Urban area of Zhangjiajie. Sometimes you can see the rolling clouds of clouds, the mountains are stacked, and the sky is smooth and distant, which makes people feel open.

On the east side of Lingxiao Terrace is Sling Shenyu. Legend has it that Guiguzi once lived in seclusion in Tianmen Mountain. He passed on the "Dayong Hard Qigong" he cultivated to the people near Tianmen Mountain. The people can climb iron ropes on the steep mountain wall and easily go up and down the mountain. Today, the slings gradually wear out, leaving only the steep wall and deep bay, known as the "Sling God Valley".

There is a high-altitude plank road on the cliff outside Lingxiao Terrace, leaning against the cliff and facing the sea of clouds, which is dangerous and beautiful.

The end of the plank road is connected to the glass plank road. Although the distance is not long, the level of adventure increases.

If you are afraid of heights on the wooden plank road, you can move slowly along one side of the cliff. However, as long as you look down on the glass plank road, you can see the deep valley under your feet. For people who are afraid of heights, it is really a big challenge. When I went, I met a tourist hiding in a corner and dared not take a step.

After the glass plank road is the Ghost Valley plank road, which is 1.6 kilometers long. It is named because it was built on the mountain above Ghost Valley Cave. The plank road hangs in the sky above the cliffs, and the cliffs and chases along the way are like axes and knives. The peaks under your feet are undulating and deep and unpredictable. The sea of clouds along the line are rolling, like a fairyland and beautiful.

The plank road passes through a huge longitudinal crack, with a vertical depth of hundreds of meters, as if it was hacked by a giant axe. The walls on both sides of the crack stand thousands of feet, pressing against it to destroy it. It is called the "Ghost Valley Sky Chasm" here. It is said that Guigzi once practiced the magic of flying eaves and walking walls here.

Moving forward, we arrived at the "Yefu Treasure Collection", one of the six ancient mysteries of Tianmen Mountain.

It is rumored that after Li Zicheng failed to resist the Qing Dynasty, he fled to Jiashan Temple in Shimen, Hunan Province with his general Li Guo to live in seclusion. After Li Zicheng passed away, Li Guo led people to secretly sneak into Zhangjiajie against the Lishui River in a wooden boat carrying countless treasures and hide the treasures in Tianmen Mountain. Later, Li Guo became a monk in Tianmen Mountain, with the Buddhist name "Ye Fu". Since then, countless people have searched for treasure here, but all returned empty-handed. Where the treasure is still a mystery.

At the end of the Ghost Valley Plank Road is a suspension bridge. After crossing the bridge, it is also near the end of the Western Line. There is Tianmenshan Temple here. Yefu Li Guo once meditated here, and the famous singer Li Na also meditated here. Celebrities and scholars from all ages have given This temple adds endless mystery.

Tianmen Mountain Temple was built in the Tang Dynasty. It belongs to the Qingyuan Xingsi Department of Huineng, the sixth ancestor of Zen. The founder of Zen, Master Qingyuan Xingsi, passed down to Master Xiqian of Nanyue and Nantai. Later, Master Xiqian derived from Cao Dongzong and passed it to Tianmen Mountain Temple. The temple is backed by Chifeng and surrounded by mountains on the left and right, forming a natural dragon chair. Feng Shui is a unique one. It is now the Buddhist center of western Hunan.

There is a group of sculptures "Tianmen Asking Zen" outside the temple, which depicts the scene of the famous calligrapher Mr. He Jingsha asking Zen Master Huaifan, the abbot of Tianmen Mountain Temple.

Mr. Jingsha asked what Zen was, and the Zen master said "drink tea." Mr. Jingsha asked what precepts mean to establish wisdom, and the Zen master said "drink tea." Mr. Jingsha asked the Zen master to explain "drinking tea". The Zen master said: All promising laws are illusory, all languages and writing have some hold on to them, and they hold on to the emptiness. This is not the true intention of the Buddha. It is not empty or the way for the Buddha to say, not answering is the reality of the law, so I only talk about "Zen tea" with you.

After Tianmen Mountain Temple and further east, you will arrive at the Eastern Route Scenic Area. The first thing you see is "Love of Wood and Stone".

This is a tree-hugging landscape, shaped like a pair of lovers who are hugging each other. It is said that a talented scholar once lived in Tianmen Mountain. He felt frustrated because he tried repeatedly and failed. In order to inspire her husband, his wife found beech seeds and planted them on the stone. After several years of wind and rain, the tree and the stone merged into each other and became one. In the end, the scholar Yun Nao took the exam and returned from winning the exam. Because "hard stone grows beech" and "exam winner" are homophonic, the strange fate of wood and stone implies auspicious signs.

While walking on the eastern route, a lot of the clouds and mist dissipated, and the mountains and rivers under your feet and the towns in the distance clearly came into view. The picture below shows the landscape of "Shimen Lock Green". Daping Town in the distance is like a paradise. The nearby Tianmen Reservoir and Lijiayu Reservoir are quiet and green, like two pieces of jasper inlaid in the valley, quietly guarding the Tianmen. It is said that these are two jade locks used when the Tianjie Pass closed the Heaven Gate. After being left in the world, they turned into two pools of blue waves.

Not far from Suocai of Shimen is Lingquan Courtyard. It was built in the Tang Dynasty and named after the nearby Lingquan. The courtyard displays the celestial mountain culture of Tianmen Mountain. Four of the six ancient mysteries have been mentioned above. Here are the remaining two:

Ghost Valley Development-Explorers once accidentally took a photo on the stone wall of Ghost Valley Cave that resembled the head of an ancient man. The face was clear and his facial features were clear, similar to the head of Ghost Valley widely circulated in the world. Later, he retook it in Jiudi, but found nothing.

Tianmen auspicious beast-Someone once saw unicorns appearing in the Tianmen Mountain forest. They are similar to ancient Chinese auspicious beasts. They have a body shape like a tiger, red all over, and a curved horn in the center of their heads. Nowadays, every bend on Tongtian Qu Road is enshrined with an auspicious beast to ensure safety.

There is a viewing platform on the cliff on the east side of Lingquan Courtyard called "Kouyun Pass". It is named after the poem of Yu Liangmou, the magistrate of Yongding County in the Qing Dynasty,"I want to shake my clothes and go to the top of the rock, and Kouyun Pass is deep in the green mist." It is an excellent place to view the sea of clouds, with rolling clouds and waves, and distant mountains and peaks appearing from time to time. The scene is magnificent and seems real and illusory.

On the east line, you can overlook Tianmen Cave from a high altitude and still feel that this cave is magnificent and incomparable.

There are beautiful scenery on the mountain, and the performances at the foot of the mountain are also worth seeing. At 8 p.m., the theater at the entrance will stage a live-action performance "Tianmen Fox Fairy", which shows the story of the legendary "Liu Hai chopping a woodcutter" in Hunan.

(The residential building at the foot of the mountain)

This is the end of the spectacle of Tianmen Cave. Next, we head north to Wulingyuan to see "Avatar's Pandora Planet"--

Starting from Yongding District, where Tianmen Mountain is located, 40 kilometers north, we come to Wulingyuan District. This entire area is a large scenic spot-the core scenic spot of Wulingyuan in Zhangjiajie, including Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Suoxiyu, Tianzi Mountain and Yangjiajie. It has an area of 369 square kilometers and more than 3000 strange mountains and peaks. It takes a lot of time to move everywhere. Here, we will select the most essential attractions to show them to everyone. The first one to appear is Yuan Jiajie.

Yuanjiajie is located in the northern part of the Forest Park. It has a small area (12 square kilometers) and an altitude of 1074 meters. It is narrow from north to south and long from east to west, like a belt. Therefore, there is a saying of "forty-eight miles Yuanjiajie", but it is actually not that long. It takes at most half an hour to walk around.

Yuanjiajie, Huangshi Village and Yaozi Village stand across Youxi, echoing each other from afar. They are connected to Tianzi Mountain and Yangjiajie Scenic Areas from north to south, and Jinbian River to the east, which is the core of the core scenic spots. The Yuanjia boundary is backed by the rocky mountains and faces the secluded valleys and peaks. The natural scenery is unique. There are scenic spots such as the World's First Bridge, the Magic Terrace, and the Back Garden. Each place is an amazing sight, but what attracts tourists most is the Qiankun Pillar known as the "Hallelujah Suspended Mountain", which is the prototype of the Pandora Planet Floating Mountain in "Avatar".

This "Optimus Prime" that has risen from the ground was formerly called the "Nantian Yizhongzhu". It is one of the three thousand strange peaks in Zhangjiajie. It has an altitude of 1074 meters and a vertical height of about 150 meters. The vegetation on the top is lush and the vertical joints are clearly cut. It stands tall among the mountains like a knife and an axe. It has the momentum of holding the sky, so it is also known as the "Qiankun Pillar".

In December 2008, Hollywood photographer Hansen conducted a four-day exterior shooting in Zhangjiajie. A large number of landscape pictures later became the prototype of various elements of the planet Pandora in "Avatar", among which the "Southern Sky Pillar" picture became the "Hallelujah Mountain" is the prototype of suspended mountains. On January 25, 2010, Nantian Yizhu was officially renamed "Hallelujah Mountain". This unique mountain peak is even more famous at home and abroad.

Ecstasy Terrace is a viewing platform on the Yuanjia boundary that stretches out to the top of Wuyan. Standing on the platform and looking around left and right, you can have a panoramic view of thousands of scenes. The stone pillars are like tables, chairs, and pavilions. The shape is strange and wonderful. When it starts to clear up after the rain, light clouds and light fog float among the peaks, but the mountains move and the peaks are hidden, like Qionglou and jade pavilions. They appear and disappear from time to time, making people obsessed with their souls and do not know where they are. The ecstasy platform is worthy of its name.

The back garden is located at the junction of Zhongping and Xiaping in the Yuanjia boundary. When walking through the green bamboo forest between the cliffs, it was suddenly blocked by a stone wall. Just as there was no way out, I saw a full-moon white stone garden opening at the corner of the cliff. Dozens of strange peaks stand in the dark green deep streams, like a bonsai garden magnified countless times.

The No. 1 Bridge in the World is another wonder, ranking among Zhangjiajie's "Top Ten Outstanding Scenarios". It is a natural stone bridge formed between two mountains and is now covered with thick vegetation and green clothes. The two mountains were originally integrated, and the bridge body is the key part connecting the two mountains. However, because the stone in the middle is relatively weak, under the effects of weathering and collapse, it has been subjected to sun and rain, washing by running water, and impact by mountain torrents. Over time, this magnificent and magnificent overpass was finally formed.

The world's first bridge has a deck width of two meters, a thickness of four meters, a span of more than 20 meters, and a height of more than 300 meters. It is the natural stone bridge with the highest drop in the world discovered so far. It is also known as the "Zhangjiajie Double" together with Couple Rock.

The first clear weather after the rain is certainly the best time to appreciate the peak forest in the Yuanjia boundary, but it is rare after all. Zhangjiajie is mostly rainy and cloudy, and the scenery of the strange peaks cannot be seen at this time, so climbing must take advantage of the sunny weather. Fortunately, tickets are valid for 4 days. To leave the good weather for the scenery on the mountains (Yuanjiajie, Huangshizhai, Tianzi Mountain, etc.), I climbed Yuanjiajie twice while I was in Zhangjiajie. The first time I didn't see anything in the sky. I only took these photos the second time.

(Yuan Jiajie in the fog)

(Fortunately, the weather was better the next day)

There are two ways to climb the Yuanjiajie in the forest park. One is to take the Bailong Ladder built by cutting mountains. This elevator is 326 meters high and has won the Guinness World Record for the "Highest Outdoor Elevator". It is also a scene of the Yuanjiajie.

The other way is to follow the Jinbian River. There is a hiking path halfway through the road that reaches the Yuan family boundary. Although the journey is relatively difficult, the scenery is richer.

The Jinbianxi originates from Tudiya and ends at Shuiao Simen (the burial site of Zhang Liang in the Western Han Dynasty mentioned above). It has a total length of 7.5 kilometers and spans almost the entire forest park. It runs through deep ravines and valleys, winding among the green forests and forests. The stream is clear, the birds sing, the fragrance of flowers is fragrant, and the mountains are thousands of shapes, forming a beautiful picture of mountains and rivers.

The Golden Whip Creek is named after the Golden Whip Rock (the towering mountain peak on the right side of the picture below) that flows through the stream. The rock on the left side of the Golden Whip Rock is shaped like a divine eagle. This group of stone peaks form the landscape of "the divine eagle protecting the whip". The Golden Whip Rock is an angular sandstone stone pillar. The three sides of the rock peak are cut like knives. The wall surface is straight and the edges are clear. It runs straight into the sky and is extremely majestic, like a long whip vertically inserted into the earth. It is said that Qin Shihuang used a whip to drive mountains and fill the sea, and left the golden whip here and turned it into rock.

There are also many vivid stone peaks along the river, such as the Double Turtle Tanxi below:

There is also Camel Peak: stretch your neck and hold your head high, and carry your weight far away.

The jagged rocks are fascinating, and the stream itself is beautiful. There is a section of Jinbian River called "Jumping Fish Pond". The water in the pond is clear, the rocks in the stream are ruddy, and the fish are swimming leisurely. If there is a peach blossom spring flood or a summer flood, the swimming fish will fly by the waves, and the fallen stars will be colorful. The beautiful sun shines brightly and the silver light shines brightly.

There is Changshou Spring by the stream, which is a natural outcrop of groundwater. It is cool and sweet. The gurgling trickle breathes the beauty of heaven and earth, and tells the magic of nature eloquently.

The beautiful mountains and rivers satisfy people's imagination of fairyland, where "Journey to the West" was once filmed.

Sun Wukong is the monkey king in the novel, but the monkeys and grandchildren in real life are actually the masters of this "Huaguo Mountain and Water Curtain Cave".

Starting from Sishuiwaomen, we followed Jinbian River all the way to Dayang Bar Square, and we reached the entrance to Huangshi Village on foot. However, it was late that day, and I climbed Huangshi Village the next morning.

The name of Huangshi Village is also related to Zhang Liang. Legend has it that Zhang Liang saw through the world of mortals and resigned from his official position to follow Chisongzi to hide in the Jianghu. He was besieged by officers and soldiers while traveling in Zhangjiajie. Later, he was rescued here by his master Huangshi Gong, hence the name of the place. Huangshi Village.

Huangshi Village is a mountain terrace with an altitude of 1092 meters. It is majestic and high. It is the largest aerial viewing platform in Zhangjiajie and the place with the most concentrated beautiful scenery in Zhangjiajie. It is known as "if you don't go to Huangshi Village, you will go to Zhangjiajie in vain".

Standing on the top of the stockade and looking around, there are green grass around, and many aerial observation platforms protruding from the cliffs. On rainy days, clouds and mist are filled around the stockade platform, and thousands of peaks gather; when the weather is clear, the mist flies, and the peaks are bright or dark, changing magically.

Huangshi Village is famous for its strange stone peaks. Stone peaks of different shapes can be seen far and near. Together with the sea of clouds and green forests, it has formed unique landscapes, including the Fog Sea Golden Turtle, the Tianshu Treasure Box, the Tianqiao Ruins, the Monkey Shuai Dian Soldiers, the Star Picking Terrace, the Black Congnao, etc., select a few below to share with you.

The picture below shows the Godly Needle of Dinghai. In the green valley like a curtain in the east of Huangshizhai Mountain Tour, a peak stands tall and is hundreds of meters above the ground. The peak is covered with shrubs like jade, and the peak walls are gray and white, shining in the sun. When it is rainy, clouds turn over and fog in the valley like wild waves of the sea. This peak stands tall like a mainstay. A hundred meters away to the southwest of it, there is a mountain head that looks like a monkey head. It is very magical like Sun Wukong trying to take this sea-stabilizing needle.

The picture below shows two doors to welcome guests. Two gates are opened between three mountain peaks. The wide one is called the "Longevity Gate" and the narrow one is called the "Happiness Gate". They welcome guests from afar with beautiful blessings. (Only one door is photographed in the picture)

After crossing the Nantian Gate and going up for about a hundred meters, the "Optimus Prime" like the "Hallelujah Mountain" in the Yuan family boundary appeared in front of me again.

This lonely peak, which is more than 200 meters high, is called the "Nantianzhu" and is named after it stands under the Nantian Gate. The upper part of Nantianzhu is dotted with shrubs, the middle rock body is bare, and the lower part is covered by trees. The peak body is round and majestic. One end supports the sky and the other penetrates the earth. It is really a masterpiece made in heaven and extraordinary workmanship.

At the east end of the stockade top is a star-picking platform. When you are on the platform, white clouds are floating above your head, the peak is changing, and the valley and green peaks are rolling under your feet. It is said that when the bright moon is in the sky at night, you stand on the platform, and the stars are full of stars as if you can reach out to pick them up.

The highest point of Huangshi Village is the Liuqi Pavilion, which is named for the wonders of Zhangjiajie's mountains, waters, clouds, rocks, plants and rare animals. The roof is covered with yellow tiles, with flying eaves and raised corners, and painted beams and colorful buildings. You can climb the pavilion and look over the scenery.

(Strange plants)

Five Finger Peak: Several mountain pillars stand side by side, resembling human fingers.

Overpass Pier: Six elliptical stone pillars more than 200 meters high are lined up in a north-south direction, with equal spacing. The tops of the pillars are platforms, like a row of piers, or like the Wuzhishan Mountain that caused the Great Sage Equaling Heaven to hit the wall.

There are also some unnamed strange peak landscapes in scenic spots. For example, the mountain peak in the picture below is like a camel carrying heavy loads. Let's name it "Yunmo Camel Bell".

After I came down from Huangshi Village, I climbed to the Yuanjia Realm again. Because the weather was good that day, I could make up for the regret that I didn't see anything the day before. From the Yuanjiajie to Tianzi Mountain, you need to pass through the Yangjiajie. Many scenic spots here are related to the Yang family generals of the Song Dynasty, such as "Liulangwan","Zongbao Bay","Tianbo Mansion", etc. The area still houses descendants of the Yang family generals, with the "Yang Family Genealogy" and the Yang family ancestral tombs in the Ming and Qing Dynasties preserved.

Moving north from Yangjiajie, we come to Tianzi Mountain, which is another must-miss scenic spot in Wulingyuan.

Tianzi Mountain was named after Xiang Dakun, the leader of the Tujia ethnic group in the early Ming Dynasty. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, he revolted here and established the country, calling himself the "Xiangwang Emperor". In the early Ming Dynasty, more than 10,000 Ming troops attacked Xiang Dakun. After more than 40 days of bloody fighting, the Xiang Army was eventually outnumbered and lost one after another. Xiang Dakun, who had arrogated to the title of "Tianzi" for 32 years, died at the foot of the Shentang Bay Cliff. Since then, in memory of Xiang Dakun, local people of all ethnic groups named the places where he fought and lived in his lifetime after "Tianzi". Many scenic spots on Tianzi Mountain were also named in this way: Tianzi Peak, Tianzi Cave, Tianzi Courtyard, Tianzi Weir, Tianzi Temple, Tianzi Island, etc.

There is a Tianzi Pavilion on the east side of Tianzi Mountain. It has a wide view and excellent scenery. The pavilion introduces the history of Xiang Tianwang and also displays the customs and beliefs of the Tujia, Miao and other ethnic minorities living in western Hunan. While appreciating the beautiful scenery, it also gains some humanistic knowledge.

(Overlooking the mountain view from the Tianzi Pavilion)

The Tujia people call themselves "Bizka". They have a language but no writing. They are mainly concentrated in the Wuling Mountains on the border of Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou and Chongqing. They have rich culture and a long history. Tujia customs include rushing New Year, Sanbang Drum, Crying Marriage, Timaga, Maogusi, as well as brocade and Tujia Diaojiao Tower that are included in the intangible cultural heritage. Due to space constraints, we will not introduce it. Here is a brief talk about chasing corpses among the three major witchcraft in western Hunan (chasing corpses, witchcraft and Chenzhou Fu).

Catching corpses, also known as "moving spirits", originated from Yuanling, Luxi, Chenxi and Xupu counties in ancient Chenzhou (now Huaihua). It was to bring the bodies of people who died in a foreign country back to their hometowns and bury them in peace. It is said that the folk industry of chasing corpses has been in Xiangxi since ancient times. People engaged in this industry must be bold, strong and ugly, probably to scare passers-by from getting closer. Although many horror movies focus on chasing corpses,"Xiangxi chasing corpses" has not been scientifically confirmed. Perhaps it is just a folk legend.

There is Helong Park not far from Tianzi Pavilion. Marshal He Long's hometown is Zhangjiajie, and his cemetery is also located in this park. There is a huge He Long sculpture in the park, expressing the local people's nostalgia for this great man.

The cultural landscape is only a small part of Tianzi Mountain. As one of the four major scenic spots in Wulingyuan, Tianzi Mountain integrates wonder, danger, beauty and tranquility. The strange mountains and beautiful waters are in a variety of shapes, and the clouds, seas and sunset are spectacular. It is known as the "expanded bonsai, reduced fairyland". The natural scenery is primitive and simple, and it is praised as "the beauty is unique in the world, but the mountain is unknown."

His Excellency Tianzi has two viewing platforms, where you can see the landscapes of "Tiannu Scattered Flowers" and "Yubi Peak" respectively.

The picture below shows flowers scattered in heaven. The stone peaks in the distance are perfectly combined with the vegetation. They look like a woman holding flowers in her hands, with different colors in all seasons.

The picture below shows Yubi Peak, one of the most popular places for photographers in Zhangjiajie. Standing on the observation deck and looking southwest, you can see dozens of well-arranged beautiful peaks protruding in the valley, rushing into the blue sky. The stone peaks on the right are like royal pens inserted upside down, and the stone peaks on the left are like mountains and rivers holding pens. Legend has it that the stone pen was left to the king. When he raised an uprising, he raised this pen to review official letters. The cylindrical stone peak in front of the Imperial Brush Peak was his Imperial Book Platform.

While walking in the mountains of Zhangjiajie, I heard local tourists say that the quantifier used by primary school students here to describe the mountains is not "one by one", but "one by one", and there are mountains one by one. I think it will be difficult to find such a spectacle in other places.

There is also a Nantian Gate on Tianzi Mountain. It is actually a hole formed by external force in the quartz sandstone. An arched stone door about 10 meters high spans the mountaineering path, as if it was carved by extraordinary craftsmanship.

After Nantianmen Gate, we came to a stone bridge. The water under the bridge was in a step-like shape, with ups and downs, crisp and pleasant, and sparkling, showing the beauty of falling water.

The pastoral land in the sky is also a beautiful scenery that makes people forget to leave. This is a trapezoidal fertile field located next to Tujia Village at an altitude of more than 1000 meters. Below it is a secluded valley. There are cliffs hundreds of meters high in the distance. The three sides of the pastoral land are surrounded by green peaks and trees. The wind blows through your sleeves and the clouds and clouds wrap you around you. You are in the pastoral land, amidst the clouds and clouds.

Who knows the face of the Son of Heaven will not look at the mountains in the world when he returns. On the way down the mountain by cableway, Tianzi Mountain still presents a magnificent view.

At the foot of Tianzi Mountain is the Shili Gallery-a 5.8-kilometer-long narrow canyon. The peaks on both sides of the canyon are towering and the shapes are ever-changing, like natural sculptures. Walking into the canyon is like walking through a gallery.

On both sides of the gallery, there are strange peaks such as "Peacock Opening Screen","Old Man Picking Medicine","Birthday Star Welcoming Guests", and "Tiger Roaring in the Sky". Every place is vivid and amazing.

At the end of the gallery is the Three Sisters Peak. The three peaks stand side by side. Looking from a distance, they look like three graceful girls standing on the mountain beam in flower skirts, thinking in thought and having both divine shape and shape. It is said that the one on the left is the eldest sister with a child on her back, the one in the middle is the second sister with a child in her arms, and the one on the right is the younger sister, who has just been married and is carrying a child in her belly.

At this point, all the elite scenic spots of Wulingyuan have been introduced to everyone. In the evening, you can also watch the performance of "Charming Xiangxi" in Wulingyuan District, and further experience the charm of Xiangxi in performances such as "Crying Marriage","Catching the Corpse","Daughter's Meeting", and "Maogusi".

A beautiful photographer often says: Portrait photography is a scenery of personal feelings, and landscape photography is a vivid portrait of heaven and earth.

From a personal perspective, I agree that Jiuzhaigou is the most beautiful water, but I don't think Zhangjiajie is the most beautiful mountain. The standards of beauty are different. As long as you pass the passing line, you can enjoy your beauty.

But Zhangjiajie is the strangest mountain I have ever seen, because it tells me that mountains are not only "blocks", but also "roots" or "a platform"; mountains are not only undulating, but can also stand on isolated peaks and gather together into isolated forests; mountains can not only shine green and clear clouds, but also open the door and fly bridges near the abyss...

Zhangjiajie is the strangest portrait in China's famous mountains and rivers, or even the strangest portrait on the planet. When James Cameron drew inspiration from it, he thought the same way!