Zhangjiajie

Author: China Tourism Press
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-06-01
Features: Excerpt: Scenic Spots of Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie City is located in the northwest of Hunan Province, China, situated between 109 degrees to 111 degrees 20 minutes east longitude and 28 degrees 52 minutes to 29 degrees 48 minutes north latitude. It belongs to the subtropical monsoon humid climate of the middle Asian temperate zone, with an average annual temperature of 16°C. The total area of the city is 9,563 square kilometers, comprising two districts (Yongding and Wulingyuan) and two counties (Cili and Sangzhi). The city has a total population of 1.53 million, of which 69% are ethnic minorities such as the Tujia, Bai, and Miao.
Zhangjiajie City is named after the Zhangjiajie Scenic Area. In 1979, the unique natural scenery of Zhangjiajie within the former Dayong County was discovered and developed for tourism. In 1985, Dayong County was upgraded to a city. In 1988, due to the need for tourism development, Dayong City was merged with Cili County, which owns the Suoxiyu Scenic Area, and Sangzhi County, which owns the Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area, to become a prefecture-level city under provincial jurisdiction. In 1994, the State Council approved the renaming of Dayong City to Zhangjiajie City to establish a unified image of Zhangjiajie, expand its tourism market, and promote local economic development.
Zhangjiajie City is a newly developing tourism city with abundant tourism resources. The Wulingyuan Scenic Area, composed of three major scenic spots—the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Suoxiyu Natural Scenic Area, and Tianzi Mountain Natural Scenic Area—is not only one of the key national scenic spots in China but has also been listed by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site. In 1982, Zhangjiajie was named China’s national forest park. Later, Tianmen Mountain within the city was also designated as a national forest park. In 1986, China’s first rafting tourism route was developed and launched on the Maoyan River within the city. To date, three additional provincial-level scenic areas have been added to the city (Maoyan River, Jiutian Cave, and Tianmen Mountain).