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.

Towering sandstone pillars of Yuanjiajie under a blue sky

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 is covered by the park's combined ticket (about CNY 240 in peak season, March–November; roughly CNY 115 in winter). The ticket is valid for four days and includes the eco-buses that link the scenic areas. 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 (about CNY 72 one way).

Misty stone pillars rising above the forest at Yuanjiajie

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 1.5–2 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–June and September–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.

Highlights

Avatar Hallelujah Mountain, the pillar that inspired the floating peaks in the film
First Bridge Under Heaven, one of the world's highest natural stone arches
Lost Souls Platform, the signature panorama over a sea of sandstone columns
Reached by the Bailong Elevator, the world's tallest outdoor sightseeing lift
Part of the UNESCO-listed Wulingyuan Scenic Area

Travel Tips

Beat the elevator queue

The Bailong Elevator backs up badly from mid-morning. Arrive at the park gate near 07:00, or hike up from Golden Whip Stream and ride the elevator down instead.