Seeing more of Greater Zhangjiajie

While almost everyone is familiar with Zhangjiajie, the world-famous scenic destination in China's Hunan province, "Greater Zhangjiajie" remains relatively under the radar.

In January, Hunan passed an action plan for the development of the Greater Zhangjiajie International Tourism Area. This plan integrates tourism resources across Zhangjiajie city and its neighboring regions, including the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, Huaihua city, and parts of Shaoyang and Changde cities. The goal is to leverage Zhangjiajie's fame to benefit the entire area, which spans 38 county-level areas and is home to five 5A-level tourist attractions, the highest category in China's tourist attraction rating system, and three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Zhangjiajie serves as the core of the area, which focuses on world heritage tours, ethnic cultural journeys, Red tourism trails, eco-wellness escapes and outdoor sports adventures. The more than 3,100 towering sandstone pillars in Wulingyuan, Zhangjiajie, represent a globally unique geological marvel. The sandstone supporting this landform contains over 95 percent quartz and features a hard texture. In 2010, an international academic symposium named this landform the "Zhangjiajie Landform". Adding to its fame, the area served as inspiration for the movie Avatar.

The development of the three signature mountain areas in Greater Zhangjiajie follows distinctive approaches. The Wuling Mountains focus on diverse ecosystems and traditional villages, attracting geology enthusiasts and cultural explorers.

The Xuefeng Mountains aim to be a sought-after summer retreat and winter wonderland, featuring the Shanbei Terraced Fields, a staircase of cultivated fields rising from 300 to 1,400 meters above sea level. This farming system, preserving ancient irrigation and farming methods, dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

As part of the "China Danxia" UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Langshan Mountain prioritizes outdoor activities and is celebrated for its striking red cliffs.

In addition to nature lovers, Greater Zhangjiajie aims to attract thrill-seekers. The Tianmen Mountain, for instance, has become a hot spot for extreme sports such as wingsuit flying, skate races and parkour.