Zhangjiajie: The Real Life Avatar

China has been very much off the Instagram radar until the last year or two, and now more and more foreigners are making their way to the Middle Kingdom in search of photographing destinations that haven’t been well documented on social media before. Zhangjiajie is at the forefront of the China tourism boom, partly due to its otherworldly landscapes and also its easy accessibility, particularly for foreigners. It was the first National Park created in China in 1982, and it is said that James Cameron’s Avatar was based upon the scenery at the National Park. When you look at photos of the destination, you can see why!

Tickets for the National Park, like all other National Parks in China, are fairly expensive, at 250 CNY per person. This ticket, however, is good for a 3 day visit, so is well worth the money. Stay in Wulingyuan so that you can get to the ticket office as it opens, and if you’re in the area during the high season, there are hotels inside the National Park which means you can watch and shoot sunrise from inside the park before it opens to day visitors. I’d recommend taking the Baosheng elevator up to the peaks and then walk / take the sightseeing bus through the park, followed by the cable car back down. There are so many photography spots to hit in a day, and here are some of my recommendations.

Hallelujah Mountain is the most well known spot in Zhangjiajie National Park, and for good reason. The lone peak stands at over a kilometre high, so you’ll need your wide angle lens to capture this monument in it’s full being. There are some great vantage points to shoot from the suspension bridge opposite, just don’t look down.

Hallelujah Mountain

The Imperial Writing Brush Peaks of Zhangjiajie is perhaps my favourite place to shoot in the National Park, and luckily still one of the least well-known. They are situated at the top of the cableway which takes you back down after a day in the mountains, making it a perfect last stop before heading back to your hotel. The pillars are in the shape of writing brushes, and make for a great subject for drone photography.

The Imperial Writing Brushes

Finally, Soldiers Gathering is the most off-the-beaten-path spot for photography, and definitely the most vast. It’s quite a walk from the Sanchaku bus station within the park, but the journey there is definitely worth it, particularly if you can stay at one of the hotels in that area of the park overnight (peak season only) and see Soldiers Gathering at sunrise. At certain times of the year, the area is blanketed with low cloud in the morning, which is the ultimate photograph for many photographers who visit the area.

Soldiers Gathering