All About World Heritage Sites
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China’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan Province is known for its towering sandstone pillars. Best explored on foot, its back trails make for an…
Source: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China
Deep within China’s Hunan province is an other-worldly scene of unique quartzite-sandstone pinnacles, seemingly frozen in time. Rising steadfastly from…
Source: China’s Amazing Stone Pillars Inspired the ‘Avatar’ Scenery
The Bailong Elevator in China is an impressive feat of engineering.
Jiufen’s A-Mei Teahouse may not have inspired Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, but fans visit in droves anyway.
Source: From Film to Reality: How Fans Find Their Fantasy Worlds
China’s Zhangjiajie UNESCO Global Geopark looks like a scene from Avatar, but it wasn’t created by computers; water, time and tectonics combined to create this other-worldly wonder
If you saw the movie Avatar on the big screen, you were more than likely awed by the 3-D spectacle of the planet Pandora.
For many, the most spectacular location on the fictional planet is the Hallelujah Mountains – giant, square-sided, floating rocks shrouded in mist, covered with rich vegetation and fast-flowing waterfalls dropping away into nothingness, around which flying reptiles and futuristic military aircraft do battle.
It’s breathtaking, pure fantasy, or is it?
Closer to home is the Zhangjiajie UNESCO Global Geopark in southern China. Here you will find giant, square-sided, pillar-like rock formations, shrouded in mist, covered with rich vegetation and fast-flowing waterfalls dropping away into nothingness. While they are firmly attached to the ground, their size and geometry give them an otherworldly appearance that seems to defy the laws of physics.
It’s the closest thing we have to Pandora on Earth.
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is one of the most beautiful natural sites in China.
The Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is a popular national park located in China. The park is famous for attracting visitors from all over the world. Apart from the unique geographical and geological features, the park is home to a vast number of flora and fauna including the Dove tree, and the Chinese chestnut tree. The park is also part of the unique Wulingyuan Scenic Area.
Description
China first recognized Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in 1982. The park is the most famous part of a much larger scenic area, Wulingyuan, which covers an area of 153.5 square miles. The Wulingyuan scenic area was officially listed as UNESCO world heritage site in 1992. In 2001, the ministry of land and resources recognized the Wulingyuan scenic area as Zhangjiajie sandstone peak forest national Geopark.
These places in China are awe-inspiring.
China, the world’s most populated country and third-largest by land area, is not always known for its natural splendour. It is clear from these photos, however, that it should be! From mountains in the west, desert in the south, lush greenery in the east, and tropical climates in the south, China is arguably one of the world’s most naturally diverse nations.
10. Qingdao
Qingdao is a town located in China’s Shandong province. It is a magnificent town which has ancient German-style architecture. It also possesses many beautiful beaches and parks which border the Yellow Sea. Qingdao city is famous for the production of the mellow Tsingtao beer which is a legacy of the German population who occupied it many years ago.
