Friday, August 8, 2008

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park locates in the northwest of Wulingyuan, neighboring Suoxiyu and Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve. It covers an area of 4300 ha. with 97% forest coverage. The average rainfall of the national park is 1200mm to 1600mm and the average temperature is 16℃ year round. The forest park has 98 woody plant families which include 517 species, over twice of the total in Europe. Half of the gymnosperm species can be found in the forest park.



Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was a state-run forest farm several years ago. In early 1980s, the forest was found an attractive site and, upon the approval by the State Council, it was established as the first national forest park in China in 1982. It is famous for its unique natural landform of sandstone forest and the spectacle of virgin forest.



Huangshi Village and Jinbi Stream are the two most attractive spots in the forest park.



Huangshi Village

Located at an elevation of 1300 meters, Huangshi Village is the biggest sightseeing platform in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. There is a local saying that he who does not reach Huangshi Village does not pay a true visit to Zhangjiajie. There are a couple of distinctive spots along the sightseeing route, such as Tian Shu Bao Xia , Nan Tian Yi Zhu , Front Garden, Jin Gui Tan Hai , etc. The sunrise is another marvelous spectacle in Huangshi Village. Visitors can climb up from the front gate or take the cableway to the peak.


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Jinbi Stream

The Yellow River and the Yangtze River are prominent on a world map, but even on a small-scale map of Zhangjiajie, Golden Whip Stream appears as just a fine thread. In the opinion of many tourists, this is the most beautiful and memorable waterway. When visiting Golden Whip Stream, vice governor of Colorado, USA, Nancy Dick, remarked these words: "People commonly say that the Great Canyon is very fantastic, but I think Golden Whip Stream is even more fantastic. It is the most beautiful place in the world, and I'll remember this place forever."



With a length of 7.5 kilometers, Golden Whip Stream is famous for its pristine water, its verdant mountains, its steep cliffs and its serene valley. As a veritable "paradise" for plants, its pathways are adorned by an abundance of flowers, trees, and grasses. And it is also a kingdom of animals.

Golden Whip Stream is named after Jin Bian Crag, its landmark spot, and runs from Laomo Bay to Shui Rao Si Men. The major spots along the stream include Yingbin Crag , Jinbian Crag, Zicao Pool, Qian Li Xiang Hui , Shui Rao Si Men.

jinbi-stream1

Jinbi Stream

qian-li-xiang-hui

Qian Li Xiang Hui


Shui Rao Si Men

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