zhangjiajie national park：Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Among China’s crop of surreal landscapes, Zhangjiajie has got to be a contender for one of the most impressive. A forest of spectacularly weathered spires rises up out of a verdant valley thats filled with dripping moss, fragrant blossoms and acrobatic monkeys. Come dusk, the ensemble is serenaded by a chorus of chirping insects.

The national park encompasses 690 sq km, and deciding where to go can be a daunting task. Your hotel should provide you with a map and also help you plan out a route best suited to your needs.

The first thing to know is that there are two primary entrances: the main gateway town of Wulingyuan (武陵源, Wǔlíngyuán) and the less-developed Forest Park (森林公园, Sēnlín Gōngyuán). There are other entrances as well, but you won’t use them unless you’ve booked lodging there.

Regardless of the entrance you take, all itineraries start on the valley floor and climb up to the top of the spires, where the main scenic areas are found. You can make use of cab...