Sandstone pillars rising from the mist
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, part of the Wulingyuan UNESCO site, is a landscape of thousands of quartz-sandstone pillars, many hundreds of metres high and topped with pines. It is often linked to the floating mountains in the film Avatar. The Bailong Elevator rides up a cliff face, and trails through the Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain areas give the best views. Nearby Tianmen Mountain has a cable car, cliff-hugging glass walkways and a natural arch. Allow two or three days and go early to beat crowds.