Tianzi Mountain

As one of the four scenic spots in Wulingyuan District, Tianzi Mountain is located in the northeast of Wulingyuan Scenic Spot of Zhangjiajie City with Suoxi Valley in the east, Zhangjiajie in the south and Sangzhi County in the north, covering an area of 67 square kilometers (42 miles), and the highest peak-Kunlun Peak is 1,262.5 meters high (4,142 feet) and the lowest altitude-Shilan Valley is 534 meters (1,752 feet) high above the sea level with a 45-kilometers (28 miles) long cable around the mountain. Most of the attractions in the mountain are composed of quartzite, which have formed different landscapes of all kinds for thousands of years.

Background information

Before the Ming Dynasty (1,368- A.D.-1,644 A.D.), Tianzi Mountain was named Qingyan Mountain, which was very famous for its bluish green rocks. In 1353, the leader of Tujia ethnic minority tribe Xiang Dakun launched an uprising on Qingyan Mountain, and he became the self -appointed King in the area with the title of “King Xiang & the Son of Heaven”, representing the benefits of the root grasses, mainly the benefits of Tujia ethnic minority people, so he was favored and supported by the people from all walks of life, setting up a base area in Tianzi Mountain. In 1385, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty (1,368- A.D.-1,644 A.D.) sent two generals with 10,000 soldiers to fight against this ancient tribe and won the battle in the end, killing the leader of the tribe Xiang Dakun at the bottom of the cliff in Shentang Bay. The later generation named the places where Xiang Dalun had fought “The Son of Heaven” in memory of his contributions. So this mountain got its name of Tianzi Mountain (Tianzi means the son of heaven).

The main features of Tianzi Mountain

The main features of Tianzi Mountain can be summarized by one sentence: natural beauty with primitive landscapes, which is designed by the God itself, and it is famous all over the world not only for its natural sceneries, but also for its culture relics. The sceneries in Tianzi Mountain are distinct in different seasons and hours, for example: in spring, all the flowers in the mountain are in full blooming with pleasant smell; in winter, the mountain is covered with white snow, which is a holy and mysterious place for the visitors; in the twilight, Tianzi Mountain is just like a wonderful Oil painting, splendid and magnificent; and in the moonlight, the indistinct peaks are just like the Chinese traditional ink paintings. Just as the saying goes: “for those who travel in Wulingyuan Scenic Spot, it is really a waste without traveling in Tianzi Mountain.” The main attractions in Tianzi Mountain are: Shentang Bay, the Immortal Bridge, the Imperial Pen Peak, Tianzi Peak, Tianzi Pavilion, Tianzi Peak and He Long Park.

Shentang Bay

As a mysterious heavenly kingdom, Shentang Bay is just like a green labyrinth, which is actually a valley with steep cliffs in four sides with fog throughout the year. The legend went as that it was the place where King Xiang & the Son of Heaven died. There is no way to Shentang Bay but a 9-step ladder, holding only one foot in each step, which is very dangerous. At the bottom of the bay is a green pond, which is so deep that it is beyond measurement. Strangely, you can always hear the hiss of the horses and the crying of the people from the bay when traveling here, but no one can point out the secret in Shentang Bay.

The Immortal Bridge

With the title of “the First Bridge in the Heaven”, the Immortal Bridge is designed by the nature across the cliffs on two sides with 26 meters (28 yards) long and 1.5 meters (59 inches) wide. On each side of the red sandstone-structured bridge are ancient trees with verdant leaves and dense shades; there are natural steps in the east of the bridge, where you can climb up to the top of the bridge.

The Imperial Pen Peak　

As the charming attraction for the photographers and painters, the Imperial Pen Peak is in the west of Tianzi Pavilion. Looking into the southwest direction from the sight-viewing Platform, you will see more than 10 elegant bulging peaks reaching into the sky, which are just like inverted pens of the empeor, and they are more charming and fantastic during the sunset.

Tianzi Peak

In the southwest of Chapa Tower is Tianzi Peak with an altitude of 1,200 meters high (3,937 feet), which is just like a great man who is armed to the teeth with an arrow in the right hand, staring faraway with a pair of sharp eyes. And it seems as if he is going to order his troops to kill the enemies, which is very impressive.

Getting there

Tianzi Mountain is located in the northeast of Wulingyuan Scenic Spot, and you can take a bus from Zhangjiajie City to Wulingyuan Town, and transfer to a motorcycle with CNY 3 to the scenic spot directly. It is open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm every day.