The Huang Shi Village in Zhangjiajie National Park - Hunan Region
Huang Shi Village on top of the Mountains
The view from Huang Shi is what I have in mind when asked about the one-of-a-kind, magical panorama. For everyone who isn't an early bird, I suggest staying in the Mountain Village for "the golden hour pictures" at Sunrise. The accommodations are pretty basic- Hostel style, not bookable in advance. It's good advice to hike up the long mountain path with crossed fingers, hoping they still have a spot available.
A small, windy road connects the village with Zhangjiajie town; it is a bit costly to hire a driver, but it's way better than walking back into town with tired feet and a heavy backpack.
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in the Hunan region of China presents the Bailong Elevator with 326 m in height that shoots within 32 seconds up in the air and pleases with gorgeous views.
3100 tall, pillar-shaped mountains of quartz sandstone stretch over 26,000 ha in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, some over 200 m in height.
If the map doesn’t work please click here to show the location with Google maps.
The legend says the makers of the Avatar movies were inspired here in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park by the pillar-shaped mountains that look like they would float in the air.
Hiking here took my breath away several times- the views are fantastic, the air is fresh and ice-cold in the early morning hours. We entered the park as the first visitors on that day, and we almost ran all the way up to Huangshi simply to catch the golden hour.
The light was pleasing, and we got the shots that, years later, are still carved into my mind. We enjoyed coffee and cookies. Later, a resident of the Huang Shi invited us, and a tiny dog was playing with a piece of plastic while his owner was talking with his hands and feet. I still remember the scent of the air, like candy clouds and pine trees.
