Zhangjiajie

The Wulingyuan massif is an old quartz sandstone platform that water cut along vertical fractures over three hundred and eighty million years, leaving isolated pillars topped with pines. The near-permanent mist hides their base and makes them appear to float. Created in 1982, the park was China’s first national park; the Avatar studio sent location scouts here, and one peak was officially renamed "Avatar Hallelujah Mountain" in 2010, a decision that caused debate in China. A glass walkway has spanned the Zhangjiajie canyon since 2016.