Yuanjiajie (Avatar Hallelujah Mountain), Zhangjiajie

Yuanjiajie is the single most photographed corner of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, a maze of thousands of quartz-sandstone pillars rising straight out of the subtropical forest. This is the landscape that inspired the floating Hallelujah Mountains in James Cameron's Avatar (2009), and in 2010 the local government officially renamed one of its towers the "Avatar Hallelujah Mountain." Part of the UNESCO-listed Wulingyuan Scenic Area, Yuanjiajie sits on a high plateau reached by the record-breaking Bailong Elevator or by hiking up from the valley floor.

What makes Yuanjiajie special

The plateau is ringed by viewing platforms that look out over a sea of pillars, many of them more than 1,000 metres above sea level and often wrapped in drifting mist. On clear days the towers stand crisp and golden; on damp mornings they float in and out of the cloud, exactly like the scenery the area is famous for.

Best things to see

• Avatar Hallelujah Mountain (formerly the Southern Sky Column): the slender pillar that lent its silhouette to the film.
• First Bridge Under Heaven: a natural stone arch spanning two peaks, one of the highest natural bridges on earth.
• Lost Souls Platform (Mihun Tai): the classic wide-angle viewpoint over hundreds of stone columns.
• Backyard Garden (Houhuayuan): a quieter cluster of pinnacles and pines.

Opening hours and tickets

Yuanjiajie lies inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, so it's covered by the park's combined ticket, which is valid for four days and includes the eco-buses linking the scenic areas. The park is priced for a peak season (roughly March to November) and a cheaper off-season, and fees are reviewed periodically, so check the current rate before you travel rather than trusting an old number. The park opens at 07:00 with last entry around 17:00. The Bailong Elevator that carries you up to the plateau is a separate fee, payable on-site or online.

Since mid-2025, the park has capped daily visitor numbers and requires every visitor to reserve a timed entry slot in advance, tied to a specific gate. The official booking channel is a Chinese-language WeChat mini-program, which is awkward for most foreign visitors, so many book an English-language timed ticket in advance through Trip.com or Klook and simply collect or scan at the gate with a passport. Book a few days ahead where you can, since popular slots sell out first.

Getting there

Most visitors enter through the Forest Park gate, ride the eco-bus, then take the Bailong Elevator, the world's tallest outdoor sightseeing lift, up the cliff face to Yuanjiajie. Fitter hikers can instead walk up from Golden Whip Stream via the Luanchuanpo trail (about 1.5 to 2 hours of steady climbing). Once on top, eco-buses and footpaths connect Yuanjiajie with the Tianzi Mountain and Yangjiajie areas.

Best season to visit

April to June and September to October offer the most comfortable weather and the best mix of clear skies and atmospheric mist. Summer is lush but hot and busy; winter brings occasional snow that dusts the pillars beautifully but closes some high paths. Early morning, before the day-tour crowds arrive, gives the cleanest light and the best chance of a sea of cloud.

Plan your visit

Give Yuanjiajie at least half a day, wear grippy shoes for the stone steps, and start early to beat both the queues at the Bailong Elevator and the midday crowds at Lost Souls Platform.