1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #405 - Zhangjiajie Mountains, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #405

- Zhangjiajie Mountains, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Hunan

(The biggest attraction for our China tour this time has arrived  - Zhangjiajie Mountains, or more easily recognised as the Avatar Mountains! Filled with anticipation, we brisk-walked before dawn to the pagoda-gate area before reaching the world's tallest lift, the Bailong Elevator. A short walk later, and there we were - surely the most enchanting landscape we have ever seen - Zhangjiajie Mountains at last! The whole place was expectedly swamped with people eager to take in these stunning views. These quartz-sandstone pillars - as high as 1080m tall for the Southern Sky Column, now renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain - are apparently not carved through chemical erosion but physical erosion from expanding winter ice and trees on it. This must be China's best natural wonder to be presented to the world - it just takes your breath away! - see video below)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #404 - Glass Bridge, Zhangjiajie, China

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #404

- Glass Bridge, Zhangjiajie, China

 

(We are in! After endless queues through a sea of people on this 3rd day of CNY, we finally stood atop the longest and highest glass bridge in the world, also known as Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge. Measuring 530m long and 260m above the canyon floor, the bridge is held up using 3-layered 2-inch thick clear glass, all 120 panels of it. Only 800 people are allowed in at any one time, limiting it to only 8000 per day - thus, the reason for this human crush. Turns out, other tour groups from Spore were unable to make it on the same day due to both the human and vehicle jams. The wave-design of the bridge is breathtaking, with the clear glass being wiped clean by each person passing it due to the required jimmy-choo-like velvet shoes - see video below)

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #403 - Huanglong Cave, Zhangjiajie City, China

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #403

- Huanglong Cave, Zhangjiajie City, China

 

(This Huanglong cave system is made of karst and is well designed for tours of large groups. 2 rivers passes through it, giving us the opportunity to sit in boats that meanders through this huge cave (see video below). Being 2 hours long, we were well challenged with steep climbs, causing us to shed our winter clothings as we got deeper into the cave. See the insurance for that 19m tall stalagmite? One stalagmite had a smooth round top, which supposedly bless anyone who is fortunate enough to rub your palms over it with good fortune - an act which we duly performed - see video below)