China Top Travel

Zhangjiajie is a tourist city famous for its unique natural scenery and abundant tourism resources. Its longitude is between 109.40 and 111.20 degrees east, and its latitude is between 28.52 and 29.48 degrees north. It is located in the northwest of Hunan province, about 400 kilometers away from Changsha, capital city of Hunan.

It covers an area of 9,516 square kilometers.

It has a population of 1.62 million.

It belongs to the sub-tropical humid monsoon climate. Splendid mountains and thick trees help form a favorable climate: warm in winter and cool in summer. The annual average temperature is 16 degrees Celsius and the annual average sunshine hours and the amount of rainfall are 1440 hours and 1400 mm respectively. The average frost-free period over the past years is about 216 to 269 days a year. The charm of the scenery varies with the alternation of seasons, so it attracts visitors all year round.

Before reform and opening up, the main economy in Zhangjiajie is traditional agriculture and limited industry. After the opening-up policy, tourism has gained rapid growth, which in turn boosts the regional economy and people's living standard. Over a decade since the foundation of the city, the municipal government has attached great importance to the tourism as a pillar industry to promote the development of the economy and have made great achievements.

In ancient times, Zhangjiajie was regarded as remote and inaccessible. The earliest human activities can be traced to 100, 000 years ago and the legendary god of Agriculture was said to live a reclusive life here. Local story also indicates that Zhang liang, a lord in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), lived here in seclusion and was buried below Qingyan (now Zhangjiajie) Mountain.

Zhangjiajie was formerly named Dayong city, founded in 1988. As Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is increasingly becoming known to world, Dayong city was renamed as Zhangjiajie city under the permission of the State Council in 1994. Now, Zhangjiajie has basically developed a large-scale, high-rank tourist resort where strange mountains, green lakes, deep caves, serene valleys and historical culture and special folk customs are well blended into a beautiful painting.

It is composed of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianzi Mountain Natural Reserve, Suoxi Valley Natural Reserve and Yangjiajie Scenic Area. Here, you will find yourself immersed in the stunning natural scenery, along with streams, waterfalls, lakes, caves, springs, hills and towering trees. It is also home to numerous animals and plants of rare species.

Zhangjiajie is also home to major three ethnic groups - Tujia, Bai and Miao people, which together make up approximately 70% of the local population. These people still remain much of their traditional culture, including the language, festivals, clothing, and architectural styles as well. The long history of many minorities and their folk customs such as marriage custom, singing and dancing together with modern culture all contribute to the charm of Zhangjiajie.