Tianmen Mountain in a Day

Whilst Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is becoming more well known to foreigners, Tianmen Shan still remains unknown to most, despite being closer to Zhangjiajie city than the National Park. A day is enough time to visit the mountain, and I’d recommend staying in Zhangjiajie city the night before so you can get to the cable car early, as it gets extremely busy.

Once you’ve bought your ticket (230 CNY) head to the cable car and sit by the window as you can get a great shot of the 99 Bend Road winding up the side of the mountain. This is one of my favourite photos to take at Tianmen Shan and if you get a bus driving up at the same time, you’re in luck. The cable car is also the longest in the world, and offers great views over the area, including Baofeng Lake, so keep your eyes peeled!

99 Bend Road

Once you are at the top, you get a real sense of just how steep the mountain side is, as the paths for the hiking trails are built on the cliff faces of the mountain. They have a glass walkway too which is a great way to get over your fear of heights if you dare. There are also some great vantage points of limestone peaks from the top which are well worth shooting.

The walkway was built into the side of the mountain

As you come towards the end of the hiking trail, you end up at the Tianmen Cave, the huge hole in the mountain accompanied by 999 stairs. We were lucky that the steps were closed for renovation when we visited which meant we could shoot the stairs without crowds of people in the background. If you wait until later in the afternoon, the stairs tend to be less busy and the light is less harsh, making it great for photos. Bring your wide angle lens to capture the stairs and the cave in one photo. Finally, take the minibus back down the hectic 99 Bend Road and grab yourself some food and a beer in the city.

Heaven’s Gate