Zhangjiajie is situated in the northwest of Hunan province, in the juncture of the Yunan-Guizhou Plateau and the subsidence of Donating Lake, stretching over the area from between 109'40 to 110'20 E to between 28'52 to 29'48 N. It is bounded by Shimen county and Taoyuan county on the east, Yuanling county on the south, and Hefeng, Xuan'en of Hubei province on the north. The city stretches 167 km from east to west, and 96 km from north to south at best. Zhangjiajie city covers an area of 9,653 square kilometers, which accounts for 4.5 percent of Hunan province.
The landform is complex in Zhangjiajie, including mountains, lava, hills, plains, etc. Mountainous area takes up 76 percent of the total. The most characteristic feature is the quartzes sandstone landform, which is rare in the world. The city is higher on the northwest, and tilts along Li River to the south. Wuling mountains, divided from Yunwu Mountain in Guizhou province, are again divided into some branches across the city . There are mountains over mountains in the city and many abrupt peaks and low lands. The highest point is 1890.4 meters above the sea level, and the lowest 75 meters. Zhangjiajie is a city under the direct administration of provincial government, and has jurisdiction over Yongding, Wuling districts, and Cili, Sangzhi counties. Up to the end of 1999, it has a population of 1.55 million, of which 1.13 million are minorities which accounts for 73.1 percent of the total population.
Climate
Zhang is located in the middle latitude in the north hemisphere, and falls into the category of subtropical humid monsoon climate. It has enough sunshine, rich rainwater, long frost-free period, short cold period and quite different four seasons. The annual average sunshine hours, temperature, the amount of rainfall is 1440 hours, 16 degree C and 1400 mm respectively. The average frost-free period over the past years is about 216 to 269 days a year. The climate of this kind benefits the total development of agriculture, forestry, husbandry, subsidiary and fishery. However, influenced by the special landforms and groundfeature, the climate is complex and changeable. Droughts, floods, storms, hails and other disasters occasionally happen.
Natural Ecological Environment
Zhangjiajie is known for its unique tourist resources. Wulingyuan Scenic Area, made up of the First National Forest Park--Zhangjiajie and two nature reserves-Suoxi Gully and Emperor Mountain, possesses 369 square kilometers. The main land feature is quartzes sandstone that is rare in the world. It is a perfect combination of the beauty of Guilin, the queerness of Huang Mountain, the peril of Hua Mountain and the magnificence of Tai Mountain. Pavilions, bridges, caves, lakes and waterfalls are everywhere. Consequently, it enjoys the name of "an enlarged potted landscape", "a miniature fairyland".
Zhangjiajie is a treasure house for natural resources. There are woody plants of 106 families, 320 genera and 850 species, backboned animals of 146 species. Among them 56 species of plants and 40 species of animals are under national protection. Precious plants include gingko, Chinese dovetrees, Chinese yew, cherry and so on. Valuable medicinal herbs include glossy ganoderma, the tuber of elevated gastrodia, the tuber of multiflower knotweed, the bark of eucommia and so on; while rare animals, the giant salamander, unicorn, Sumen antelope, south China tiger, leopard, macaque, zibet and so on.
Zhangjiajie enjoys its rich forest resources. It has 1012 acres for forest, which covers 64.61 percent of the entire city and ranks NO.1 in Hunan province. The project of "Beautifying, Purifying and Illuminating" is being carried out. There are 1.55 square meters green land per person. Undoubtedly, it is an ideal ecological tourist zone and an international holiday village.
Economy
Before reform and opening up, the main economy in Zhangjiajie is traditional agriculture and the only industry is limited to the self-sufficient "five small industries". After the year 1978 when the 11th Commission of the Communist Party of China was held, opening-up policy promotes the development of tourism, which in turn boosts the regional economy and people's living standard. Over a decade since the foundation of the city, the municipal government has attached great importance to the tourism as a pillar industry to promote the development of the economy and have made great achievements. Zhangjiajie is becoming world-famous step by step.
Culture
Zhangjiajie raises excellent people and contains various resources. The long history of many nations, original customs together with modern culture contribute to a colorful painting.
Zhangjiajie is a habitation for minority nationalities. During the long history, Han people, Tujia people, Miao people, Bai people together with the people of other nationalities co-create a unique culture.
Zhangjiajie, a fairyland gathering essence of the heaven, has brought up thousands of elites in the hundreds of years. Among them, there are He Long-the great Chinese proletarian revolutionary leader, one of the founders of PLA, one of the ten marshals in China; Xiang Dakun, the leader of a great peasant uprising; He Pengfei, an assistant commandant in the navy of PLA; Liu Mingdeng, a chief of Taiwan soldiers in Qing Dynasty; and Chen Nengkuan, the receiver of "Two Missiles & One Satellite Medals".
Due to the reform and opening-up for more than two decades, special culture, campus culture, community culture, traveling culture, and other modern cultures constitute the lively and colorful culture world of Zhangjiajie; while inheriting traditional advantages and creating some new features as well. Now the number of cultural entertainment places, including cinemas, singing-dancing halls, cultural clubs, parks reaches more than 1000. The city also enjoys 3 public libraries with 105,000 books, 5 regional TV stations and 5 broadcasting stations, which cover all the urban and rural areas. There are 1599 schools of all levels with 251,100 students in all.
Zhangjiajie is named after the Zhangjiajie Scenic Area. In 1979 Zhangjiajiese found this rare forest in the world. In 1982, after the permission of the State Council, the State Planning Committee approved Zhangjiajie to be the first national forest park in China. In 1988, Dayong city where Zhangjiajie is located, jointly combined with Sangzhi where the Emperor Mountain lies and Cili where Suoxi Gully sits, became a city under the direct administration of provincial government. In 1992, Wulingyuan nature reserve, consisting of Zhangjiajie national forest park, the Emperor Mountain reserve and Suoxi Gully reserve, has been listed in the "World Natural Heritage" by UNESCO. In 1994, Dayong city was renamed as Zhangjiajie city under the permission of the State Council. Now, Zhangjiajie has basically become a large-scale, high-rank tourist resort where mountains, lakes, caves and historical culture and special customs are well blended in the area of 500 square kilometers. It has Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Emperor Mountain reserve and Suoxi Gully reserve as its core, and Maoyan River, Nine-Heaven cave, Five-Thunder Mountain, and the Universal Light Temple as its satellite tourist resorts. So far, more than 20 scenic spots have been explored, and more than 30 tourist routes have been formed. The total traveling lane adds up to more than 500 km.
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Located in the northwest of Wulingyuan, it is in the neighborhood of Suoxiyu Valley and Tianzi Mountain. It has an area of 72,000 acres, an average rainfall of 1200-1600mm, an average temperature of 16oC and a frost-free period of 240-300 days. 97 percent of the park is covered with plants which have 98 families, 517 species, over twice the total in Europe. Its gymnosperm species take up half of the total in the world. Zhangjiajie opens to the outside at the beginning of the 1980s and is the earliest tourist zone exploited in Zhangjiajie. It is noted for its queer peaks, tranquil water and beautiful forests. It is the first National Forest Park approved by the State Council in 1982. Its main scenic spots include Golden Whip Stream, Huangshi Fort and so on. Numerous pinnacles rise abruptly from the level ground in the shape of huge bamboo shoots pointing to the sky. Both sides of Golden Whip Stream stand grotesque peaks and are covered with old trees and vines. The stream, like colorful ribbons, flows through valleys. Watching mountains on Huangshi Fort, one can't help acclaiming as the acme of perfection.
Huangshi Fort
Huangshi Fort, named after a hermit Huangshi, is 1080m above sea level. It is higher on the south and elevated by stiff cliffs, covering an area of 16.5 hectors. It provides the largest collection of marvelous spectacles and also provides the larges sightseeing terrace above sea level in Zhangjiajie. The chief scenic spots include Treasure Box of Heavenly Books, the Magic Sea-suppressing Needle, the South Pillar of Heaven, the Golden Tortoise Watching the Sea and so on. If you stand on the terrace and watch as far as you can towards the south, you can see all kinds of queer pinnacles. If you watch towards the east, you can see numerous grotesque peaks by the Golden Whip Stream which resemble a clear, crystalline jadeite. Hence, there is a saying: " It can't be said that you have been to Zhangjiajie without reaching Huangshi Fort.
Golden Whip Stream
Located in the east of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, named after the 380-meter high Golden Whip Rock, Golden Whip stream meanders 15 Li. Flowing from Laomo Gully first to Confluence of Four Rivers then to Suoxi Stream, it finally joins Li river, one of the four rivers in Hunan Province. It flows between steep grotesque peaks and luxuriant trees. Here, the meandering streams, the crystal-clear waterfalls, exotic plants and rare animals co-exist and constitute the extraordinarily beautiful, tranquil and natural ecological environment. No wonder it is called "the most beautiful valley in the world" and "the most poetic stream". The major scenic spots include Rock of Welcoming Guests, Golden Whip Rock, Reunion Rock and the Purple Grass Pond.
The Southern Heaven Gate
If you want to go to Tianzi Mountain through Suoxiyu Valley, you'll have to pass by a huge stone peak with a natural passage through it. The mouth of the passage is shaped like a gate. Thus, it is named the Southern Heaven Gate.
The Imperial Brush Peak
Walking a few steps from the scenic spot named the Fairy Maid Presenting Flowers and then watching towards the southwest on the sightseeing terrace, you can see a pinnacle resembling a huge imperial brush on the right of some graceful peaks, and some short pinnacles on the left in the shape of some brushes on the rack. It brings back the memory of King Xiang who read over official papers and drew a circle around his name on a document. How heroic he was. When you enjoy the view at dusk with red evening clouds in the sky, you'll see that the peak is glittering brightly on its tip as if there were red paint remaining on the point of the brush. Therefore, it is not surprising that more than30 domestic pictorials have its photos printed.
Seeing West Sea on the Heavenly Terrace
Heavenly terrace, resembling a little platform in heaven, is high and perilous, walled by stiff and crisscrossed precipices. The only way to it is a straight flight of 186-step stone stairs. Seen on the Heavenly Terrace with a bird-eye's view, the west sea is a great sea, a sea of clouds and fogs, of peaks, of greenness, and of mystery. The forest of pinnacles stand, strange stones cover the ground. The clouds roll and rays shine. Old trees' branches and roots curl up. How mysterious and unpredictable.
Suoxiyu Valley
Suoxiyu Valley is the center of Wulingyuan scenic zone. It covers an area of more than 180 square kilometers and is the largest of the three zones. Landform here is the same as Zhangjiajie and Tianzi Mountain, mainly making up of sandstone peaks. However, in the east, there is a collection of caves, for example, Yellow Dragon Cave and Goddess Cave. These are caves made of limestone. In terms of rare animals, Suoxiyu Valley boasts more than 20 species, such as leopards, pangolins, and giant salamanders. There are more than 20 groups of rhesus monkeys with their total number reaching to 1000. According to scientific statistics, trees here have 93 families, 208 genus, and 679 species in all. Among them, those that are under national special protection reach to 19 species. Wild medicinal herbs are extraordinarily rich. There are 500 species in all.
Yellow Dragon Cave
Located in the east of Suoxiyu Valley, about 10 km away from the Jindi Ground, Yellow Dragon Cave is called underground magic palace. At the entrance, mists coil. In the cave, passages zigzag. Stone shoots, stone stalactites, stone curtains, stone pianos, and stone flowers can be founded there. In this cave, we can see "cave beyond cave, tower beyond tower, sky beyond sky and mountain beyond mountain". There are four layers, about 1600 meters high, having one reservoir, two brooks, three waterfalls, four ponds, thirteen halls and ninety-six passages. The Yellow Dragon Cave is 13 km in length. The biggest hall in it is 12,000 square meters which can hold 10,000 people. The cave is so big that it is in fact another world under the ground. Entering the cave, you will feel you are in a fairyland, beautiful and tranquil.
Baofeng Lake
Visiting Baofeng Lake, you will appreciate beautiful views like poems and paintings. Baofeng Lake, surrounded by peaks, is 2.5 km in length. It is a man-made multi-functioned reservoir which can be used for containing water, irrigation, fishing, producing electricity and sightseeing. Baofeng Lake is like a great mirror with green hills surrounding it. It will be a nice and comfortable thing for people to go boating here. Mirror its reflection in the lake, and wild stockades are precipitous, the hills are green and the water is clear.
Tianzi Mountain
Tianzi Mountain is named after Xiang Dakun who led the local farmers' revolt and called himself Tianzi---the Son of Heaven. Bounded by Suoxi Valley on the east, Zhangjiajie on the south, Sangzhi County on the north, Tianzi Mountain is one of the four scenic zones in Wulingyuan. It lies on the highest point of "Golden Triangle", its highest point being 1262.5m(Kunlun peak) and lowest point being 534m(Shilan valley). It has an area of 67 square kilometers, a touring line of 45 kilometers, an average temperature of 12oC, an annual waterfall of 1800 mm, a frost-free period of 240 days and a frozen period of 60-80 days. Except a layer of limestone and a few areolate stones at the peak, some hundred meters above sea level, the majority of scenic spots is formed of quart stones, belonging to sandstone ground feature which is the same as Suoxiyu Valley and Zhangjiajie. The 500-meter or 600-meter thick quartzite sandstone has evolved from neptunic rocks that subsided from oceans 380,000,000 years ago and after a complicated and long process formed strangely shaped spectacles. To sum up, the landscape in Tianzi Mountain is natural and primeval. Every scenic spot is created by nature and of no artificial trace. There are not only primeval forests and beautiful water but also plain folkways, special customs and local specialities and delicacies awaiting tourists from home and abroad. No wonder people make comments, like " people who have climbed Tianzi Mountain will not climb any other mountains" and "It can not be said that you have been to Wulingyuan without reaching Tianzi Mountain".
West Sea
Situated in the west of Suoxiyu Valley, it is a basin-like landform with a collection of peaks and woods. In this "sea", numerous peaks stand with different shapes and poses, covered with lush vegetation. Therefore, it is called "sea of trees" and "sea of peaks". In spring or summer or a clear day immediately after a rain in autumn, the clouds are surging and rolling like waves, covering the whole sky and earth. The view is so magnificent that it is called "sea of clouds". The combination of the three seas is the characteristic of West Sea. In it, Gate to Heaven and Sky Terrace are wonderful scenes.
Shentang Valley
Shentang Valley is also named Shentang Fort. It is a gorge shaped like a huge basin walled by lofty precipices. The bottom of the gorge is veiled in mists and clouds all day, adding to its mysteriousness. As the saying goes, the most beautiful scene is seen from the most perilous peak. There are almost no roads to Shentang Valley, only a quite dangerous flight of stairs that is as wide as a foot being available. Local people say, " Every step kills one soul". In the center of the bottom lies a fathomless green pond. Looking down the pond from the mouth of the gorge, one can't help shivering. What's peculiar is that visitors can hear sounds of gongs and drums, neighs of battle steeds and shouts of men echoing from the bottom. Nobody can give a reasonable answer to this mystery. Therefore, Shentang Valley was a forbidden place in Wulingyuan and a puzzle for hundreds of years.
Yangjiajie Nature Reserve
There are 110 scenic spots in Yangjiajie whose waters and mountains are quite beautiful. It has uniquely-shaped peaks and cliffs as well as clear streams and brooks and waterfalls; oblique "Twisted Mouth Cave" once inhabited by bandits as well as "Ghosts-feared Fort" which is extremely hard to climb. What's more, there are many unusual spectacles like Mati Rock, Tianbo Mansion, and Sisters' Gully. Its special views are beyond writing and seeing.
Terraced fields in the Air
A vast terraced field of more than 40 Qiu can be seen on the mountains where peaks stand beside peaks. The endless and closely linked terraced fields are as bright as mirror and have different colors in four seasons. It makes an apparent comparison with the green mountains and clear waters nearby, leaving you an impression that the fields are coming from the air. It thus gets its name.
The First Bridge in the World
It is situated outside of Middle Ground on Yuangjiajie. Its height, its span and scaring degree are rare in the world, worth being called " the First Bridge in the World". It consists of two 300-meter huge peaks and a huge natural stone linking the two peaks. The stone is about 2-meter wide, more than 20 meters long, like a man-made slabstone. Pines stand straight on the bridge; old vines hang on the sides of the bridge. Under the bridge is the fathomless abyss. I once wrote down when crossing the bridge:" when I was on the bridge, I was terribly scared. Looking down, I saw the fathomless abyss. Watching around, I saw precipices and cliffs. Water as bright as snow splashed down quickly. I dropped a stone into the abyss and heard nothing. While I walked around the bridge, I felt dazzling with my hands and legs shivering. I told myself repeatedly to be careful and calm and not to be nervous. However, my heart was still beating heavily and quickly. I did not become calm until I went back to my residence in Middle Ground.
Rich Resource Place
Zhangjiajie City occupies an area of 9653 square kilometers, which is 4.5% of total area in Hunan Province. The city includes Rongding district, Wulingyuan district, Sangzhi County and Cili County. With mountain, rock, hill and plateau, the geography is complex. Mountain area covers 76% of total area in Zhangjiajie. The special Quartz Sandstone Peaks is unique in the world. The City is attributable to subtropical monsoon climate. Some disasters such as: drought, flood and hailstone occurred frequently because of relief and climate.
Population
The city has the population of 1.5629 million on 30, December 2001. The population of ethnic groups reaches 1.1535 million, which almost constitute 73.8 percent of the total population. Tujia, Bai, Mao, Hui, Mongolia, Zhuang and Yao are major minority nationalities. The urban area has the population of 168400, which 116300 are citizen. The urban area covers 145.88 square kilometers, which construction area has 17.48 square kilometers.
Mineral Resource
Zhangjiajie City has rich mineral resource, which discovered 48 mines and 24 under mining. It has rich hydraulic resource, which the city is one of ten bases of hydraulic power in China. It has rich forest resource, which forest cover ratio is the first in province. With average 1.55 square meters green grass, the city is perfect place for tourism and vacation. The city has rich creature resource.
Main Industry
The main industry is tourism. The key enterprises are Yellow Dragon Cave Investment Co., Dragon International Hotel, Tujia Folk Park, Zhangjiajie International Travel Service, Tianyuan Company, Xiangjiuwang Group, Zhangjiajie Chuba Cement Factory, Hunan Runde Co. and Zhangjiajie Auto Fitting Manufacture Co.
Construction Item
At the present, the key items under construction are Zhangjiajie-Changsha Highway, Railway Station Rebuilding of Zhangjiajie, Enlarge Construction of Hehua Airport, Development of Tianmen Mountain, Mulongtan Hydraulic Power Station, Development of Longdong Lake, Youlong Hotel, Emperor Hotel, Wulingyuan Tourism Elevator, Zhangjiajie Industrial Zone and Ecological Agriculture Park.
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