Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park

Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park derives its name from the natural wonder known as Tianmen Cave. To explore the scenic area, visitors must take a cable car spanning approximately 7,500 meters. From the gondola, you can gaze down at the winding Tianmen Highway clinging to the cliff face and admire the breathtaking mountain vistas below. The more daring can venture onto the glass walkway suspended against the cliff face, experiencing the thrill of walking in mid-air.

Located near Zhangjiajie city, Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park features Tianmen Cave—a natural karst formation piercing the mountain. Locals believe this passage leads directly to the heavenly realm. For most visitors, Tianmen Cave is not open year-round. During winter, snow and icy roads close both the cave and the Heavenly Road (a winding mountain highway with 99 hairpin turns) leading to it.

The lower station of the scenic area’s main cable car is located at Guanliping in Yongding District, while the upper station is at the summit of Tianmen Mountain. In 2020, the scenic area opened an express cable car, with its lower station near the Tianmen Mountain entrance and upper station near the Tianmen Cave parking lot.

Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is adorned with towering ancient trees and intertwined vines throughout. The park is divided into several main areas: Tianmen Cave, the Central Route, the East Route, and the West Route. Visitors can choose different routes and areas based on their preferences and physical stamina.

The natural wonders

(1) The Heavenly Gate Opens

Tianmen Cave is undoubtedly the most famous landscape of Tianmen Mountain. This natural cave through the mountain, 131.5 meters high, 57 meters wide, 60 meters deep, is opposite to the gate of the sky. In the sixth year of Wu Yong’an of the Three Kingdoms (263), Songliang Mountain suddenly opened on a cliff, forming this rare world spectacle so far. The Tianmen Cave of the clouds steaming and the clouds all year round, such as ‘Tianmen spitting fog’ and ‘Tianmen Lingguang’ often appear, which adds a mysterious color to it. The local people have always believed that they can go directly to the Heavenly Court from here, and they still follow the folk custom of ‘plying to the sky and praying for blessings’. zitain

(2) Unique landforms

Tianmen Mountain is a karst landform, which is a platform topography, with cliffs standing, and the hillside is steep. The top of the mountain is relatively flat, and the typical Zhongshan karst platform peaks and forests are developed, and the Rongqi and stone buds are all over the place. The altitude here is 1518.6 meters, the relative height difference is 1382.6 meters, and the top area of the mountain is 2 square kilometers. Due to the high altitude, the sunrise is 30 minutes earlier than the urban area, and the sunset is 45 minutes later than the urban area. From the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain, the surface and underground karst shapes are widely distributed, including karst hills, peak clumps, stone buds, melt ditch, karst valleys, depressions, falling water caves, funnels, caves, etc., which make people sigh about the magic of nature. zitain

(3) Rich vegetation

The original secondary forest coverage rate of Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is as high as 90%, and the origin of plants is ancient and rich in variety. As of 2014, 1,649 seed plants have been recorded, belonging to the 701 genus of the 161 family. There are 4 national first-class protected plants, 24 national secondary protected plants, 40 international conventions, and 29 key protected plants in Hunan Province, such as ginkgo, yew, geese and other rare species. There are more than 100 alpine dove trees known as ‘plant giant pandas’ in the forest area of more than 1500 meters above sea level. The park also contains more than 1,000 species endemic to China, such as ‘Dayong Goose Earbean’, ‘Tianmen Mountain Rhododendron’, and the ‘Tianmen Mountain Potato Potato Moss’ and ‘Hunan Malan’ discovered in 2008. The complete original secondary forest 0.34 square kilometers is preserved here. Because the Karst Mountains located on the top of the mountain, it is called the original secondary forest of the karst mountain, and is also known as the ‘air garden’. The vertical distribution of vegetation shows obvious laws, and different types of vegetation are distributed at different altitudes, forming a beautiful natural picture. zitain

(4) Diverse animals

Tianmen Mountain is located on the edge of the boundary line between the eastern hilly plain and the western mountain and plateau between the eastern hilly plains and the western mountain plateau. The intrinsic species also clearly reflect the mixed characteristics of the north and south species, and the bird flora is complex and has obvious transitional properties, and is closer to the South China region. There are 205 species of terrestrial vertebrates in the scenic area, belonging to 4 out of 4 outlines, 26 orders and 74 families, such as leopard, macaque, deer, musk, musk, Yanyan, etc.; birds 10 orders, 24 families, 68 species. Among them, the national first-class protected animal leopard and clouded leopard live here, there are as many as 26 species such as the national second-class protected animal red-bellied pheasant, the red-bellied golden pheasant, and the scoop chicken, and there are 7 species such as ring-necked pheasant and red-billed acacia bird in Hunan. Walking in the mountains, you may be able to meet these lovely creatures and add a surprise to the journey. zitain

The cultural landscape

(1) Tianmen Mountain ropeway

The Tianmen Mountain cableway can be called a great humanistic wonder. It is 7455 meters long and the height difference of 1279 meters. From the city garden in the central city of Zhangjiajie as the starting point, it is like a rainbow flying ‘human’ and ‘sky’, and finally reached the original sky garden on the top of the mountain. Take the ropeway, there are all dangers along the line, and the momentum is soaring. Visitors can overlook the sky and the beautiful scenery of the mountains and mountains circling between the cliffs in the cable car, and feel the scenery from the city. The hustle and bustle of the city to the tranquil and wonderful transition of the clouds, you can enjoy the city scenery, dense forest and winding mountain road in Zhangjiajie, and enjoy an unforgettable air journey. zitain

(2) Tongtian Avenue

Tianmen Mountain Panshan Highway – Tongtian Avenue is also amazing, known as ‘the first highway in the world’. The empty valleys on both sides of the avenue are deep, and the mountains are stacked layer by layer, like a dragon circling, directly into the sky. It has a total length of about 10.77 kilometers, and the altitude has increased sharply from 200 meters to 1300 meters. There are 99 corners in the avenue. concepts echo each other. Taking the scenic bus on this winding road is like experiencing the realistic version of the roller coaster, which is full of excitement. The magnificent curve of Tongtian Avenue is amazing from the viewing platform on the top of the mountain, or recorded through aerial photography. zitain

(3) Tianmen Mountain Temple

Tianmen Mountain Temple has a long history. It was formerly known as Lingquanyuan and Yunbo Temple. The original site was built in the Tang Dynasty. In the early Ming Dynasty, it was relocated to the south of the top of Tianmen Mountain, and it was changed to its current name, also known as Lingyan Temple. From the third to the thirteenth year of Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty (1725-1735), it was rebuilt twice, and the thirteenth year of Jiaqing (1808) was rebuilt. The temple sits in the north and faces the south, and it is dangerous and majestic. There is a turtle cave on the east side of the temple, a well at the entrance of the cave, and a snake cave on the west side. The temple hall is carved with beams and painted buildings, with eaves and corners. The gate of the temple is linked to the cloud: ‘There is no night outside the sky, and there are no mountains and mountains on the mountain.’ Although the temple was abandoned after 1949, it has been initially renovated after 1984, and it is still solemn and solemn, exuding a strong Buddhist cultural atmosphere. In the ‘Qi’er Cave’ near the temple, there is a folklore that the son Guanyin is here to show the saints, and the devotion to make a wish can beg for children, attracting many believers to come to pray for blessings. zitain

(4) Ghost Valley Cave

Guigu Cave is located in the north west cliff of Chisong Peak. According to legend, Guiguzi once practiced in the cave, hence the name. ‘Yongding County Chronicle’ records: ‘There is a seal script written by Guiguzi written by Guiguzi’. There is water flowing out of the cave, forming a waterfall, and falling into Laodaowan, which is surrounded by mountains on all sides, known as ‘Guigu Qingliu’. This mysterious cave adds a mysterious color to Tianmen Mountain, which makes people think about the legend of the ancient wise man Guiguzi. zitain

(5) Tianmen Academy

Tianmen Academy carries a profound cultural heritage, where you can feel a strong academic atmosphere and learn about the history, culture, folk customs and other knowledge of the Tianmen Mountain area. It is not only a place to inherit culture, but also a window for tourists to have an in-depth understanding of Tianmen Mountain. Coming here, it seems to travel through time and space, have a spiritual dialogue with the ancients, and appreciate the charm of traditional culture. zitain

(6) Li Na’s hut

Li Na’s hut is famous for the famous singer Li Na who lives in seclusion here. At the peak of her career, Li Na chose to live in seclusion in Tianmen Mountain. Her choice added a different humanistic feeling to Tianmen Mountain. Today, Li Na’s hut has become a place for many tourists to visit. People feel Li Na’s life and think about the meaning and value of life. zitain

The seasonal landscape

(1) Tianmen spit fog

Tianmen Tuwu is a very distinctive seasonal landscape of Tianmen Mountain. Under certain weather conditions, clouds and mists spew out from Tianmen Cave, like a white dragon galloping, and the scene is spectacular. This spectacle often attracts many tourists and photography enthusiasts to come to watch and shoot, and the cloudy Tianmen Cave is even more mysterious and unpredictable, like a fairyland. zitain

(2) The spectacle of the smog​

When winter comes and the temperature drops, Tianmen Mountain will present a dream-like smog landscape. The trees and rocks on the top of the mountain are covered with ice and snow, wrapped in silver, and crystal clear. Under the sunlight, the colorful light is reflected, like a fairy tale world. Visitors walk in it, as if they are in a white and flawless ice and snow kingdom, enjoying the winter beauty bestowed by nature. zitain

(3) Spring flowers

In spring, Tianmen Mountain is full of flowers, and all kinds of flowers are blooming. The azaleas, cherry blossoms, peach blossoms, etc. all over the mountains and plains decorate the Tianmen Mountains are colorful. Walking on the mountain trail, the fragrance of flowers is overflowing, and the colorful butterflies are flying, making people intoxicated by this beautiful spring. At this time, Tianmen Mountain is full of vitality and vitality, and it is an excellent place to go out and enjoy flowers. zitain

(4) Autumn leaves

In autumn, Tianmen Mountain has changed into colorful clothes again. The leaves of the maple leaves and maple trees on the mountain gradually turn red and yellow, and intertwined with the emerald green pine and cypress, forming a colorful picture. Standing on the top of the mountain and overlooking, the red leaves in the mountains are picturesque, the autumn wind blows, and the red leaves are fluttering in the wind, like a butterfly dancing in the air, adding a romantic atmosphere to Tianmen Mountain. zitain

The tour guide

(1) Ticket information​

It is recommended that tourists make reservations for tickets 3 days in advance, and can make reservations through the official website, travel APP and other channels. Ticket prices include cableways and other fees, and the specific price may be adjusted due to seasonal, policy and other factors, and you can pay attention to the official information before traveling. You can quickly enter the park by swiping the certificate and face recognition, which is convenient and fast. zitain

(2) Route recommendation​

1. A line: First take the ropeway to the top of the mountain, overlooking the entire Tianmen Mountain from a high point, and then visit the West Line Glass Plank Road, Guigu Plank Road, and Tianmen in turn. The temple and other scenic spots, then take the forest cable car to Yunmeng Xianding, then reach Tianmen Cave through the escalator through the mountain, and finally take the express cableway down the mountain. This route can not only allow tourists to fully appreciate the scenery on the top of the mountain, but also experience the fun brought by different modes of transportation, and can also challenge the exciting glass plank road, which is more popular. zitain

2. B-line: Contrary to the A-line, first take the express cableway to Tianmen-dong, climb 999 After the steps, visit Tianmen Cave, then take the escalator through the mountain to the top of the mountain, then visit the scenic spots such as Tianmen Temple and Yunmeng Xianding, and finally take the ropeway down the mountain. This line can challenge the steps of Tianmendong first, which is more challenging and ritual. zitain

3. c-line: Take the express cableway up the mountain, after visiting the scenic spot on the top of the mountain, take the express cableway down the mountain. This route is relatively easy, suitable for tourists with limited time or poor physical strength. However, it is impossible to experience the unique charm of the Tianmen Mountain cableway. zitain

(iii) Playing duration

It is recommended to reserve 5-7 hours to enjoy Tianmen Mountain. When you open the garden in the early morning, you can not only avoid the rushing crowd, but also meet the most beautiful morning light in the mountains, making the whole tour more comfortable and comfortable. zitain

(4) Traffic guide

1. external traffic: If you choose to travel by plane, Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport is close to the urban area. After arriving at the airport, you can go to Tianmen Mountain in various ways. If you take the high-speed rail, Zhangjiajie West Station also has convenient transportation to connect the urban area and scenic spots. zitain

2. internal traffic: After arriving in the city, it is very convenient to go to Tianmen Mountain. You can choose to take a taxi, the price is relatively reasonable; you can also take the 5th or 6th bus directly to the Tianmen Mountain Cableway Station, which is economical and environmentally friendly. In the scenic area, there are various modes of transportation such as ropeways, express cableways, mountain escalators, and scenic buses, which are convenient for tourists to shuttle between different scenic spots. zitain

5. Preferential treatment policies

Children: Those under the age of 14 (not included), apply for the on-site window with a valid ID card, free of charge

Minor: 14 years old (inclusive) to 18 years old (excluding) with valid ID card, discount

Students: Full-time undergraduate or below students with valid certificates, discounts

Elderly: 60 years old (inclusive) to 65 years old (not included), with a valid ID card, discount; for the elderly above the age of 65 (inclusive) with a valid ID card, special offer

Soldiers: Active-duty soldiers, disabled soldiers, and retired military cadres with valid certificates, special offers

Disabled persons: Disabled person with valid certificate, special offer

Zhangjiajie locals: with my valid ID, local tickets

Three dependents: survivors of martyrs, survivors of soldiers who died on business, and survivors of sick soldiers with preferential treatment certificates, special offers

Military dependents: The family members of active servicemen with the relevant valid documents issued by the army, special offers

Supplementary note: Peer escorts of severely disabled persons, with a disabled person certificate and a valid certificate with a disability level of Level 1 and Level 2, can have a escort who can buy a purchase price at the on-site ticketing window of the scenic spot. For a two-way ropeway with a grid of 213 yuan and a one-way ropeway transportation ticket with a price of 170 yuan, you must check the ticket to enter the park at the same time as the severely disabled person. The above preferential groups all carry the corresponding valid documents and go to the scenic spot to buy tickets on the spot. Reminder: If you cannot judge whether you enjoy the discount, it is recommended not to buy online tickets, please go to the scenic spot to buy tickets on the spot.

Note

1. Clothes preparation: The temperature difference on the top of the mountain is large, no matter what season you go, it is recommended to bring a warm jacket, such as sun protection clothing, etc. At the same time, wear comfortable and non-slip sneakers, because it takes a long time to walk in the scenic area, and a pair of suitable shoes can make the journey easier. zitain

2. diet advice: There are restaurants and snack stalls in the scenic area, such as the ‘Cherry Bay Restaurant’ near Tianmen Mountain Temple, which provides snacks and fast food, but the price of food in the scenic area will be higher, such as 8 yuan / root for sausages / root and 10 yuan / root for corn. Visitors can bring their own light snacks to replenish energy according to their own needs. zitain

3. Weather tips: The weather in Tianmen Mountain is changeable, and the Tianmen Mountain in the rainy day is surrounded by clouds and mists. It is recommended to pay attention to the weather forecast before traveling, and make corresponding preparations. In addition, in winter every year, due to the freezing of snowy roads, Tianmen-dong and Tongtian Avenue leading to Tianmen-dong will be closed (99 curved winding roads), and tourists should pay attention to the scenic spot notification when planning their trips. zitain

4. Other tips: During the play, you should take care of the environment and do not discard garbage at will; when experiencing stimulating projects such as glass plank roads, you must abide by the regulations of the scenic spot, obey the instructions of the staff to ensure your own safety. zitain

Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park, like a heavy book intertwined with nature and humanities, is full of stories and surprises. Whether you are the magic of nature, or obsessed with the long history and culture, or seeking an exciting adventure, Tianmen Mountain can meet your needs. Come on, set foot on this magical land, experience the unique charm of Tianmen Mountain for yourself, I believe it will leave you with an unforgettable memory.