Geographic Information —

Zhangjiajie is a renowned tourist city, famed for its sandstone peak forest landforms, which are praised as having "three thousand extraordinary peaks and eight hundred graceful streams." In 1992, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.

The Zhangjiajie Scenic Area is part of Zhangjiajie City, located in the northwestern part of Hunan Province, China. The city covers a total area of 9,534 square kilometers, with mountainous terrain making up 76% of the land. The population is over 1.5 million, of which more than 60% are Tujia ethnic minority.

Zhangjiajie is situated within the Wuling Mountains and is rich in limestone formations, featuring karst landscapes, peak forests, and caves. The Lishui River runs through the entire region, with tributaries such as the Loushui River. The highest elevation is 1,890.4 meters, and the lowest is 75 meters. The average elevation of the urban area is 183 meters, while that of the scenic area is around 1,000 meters.

The terrain of the region is higher in the northwest and slopes southeastward along the Lishui River. The central area along both banks of the Lishui River descends gradually in a northeast direction, while the southern mountains slope down toward the Yuan River. Upon entering the region, the northern mountain branch comes from Laifeng Longshan in Hubei and includes Lishan, Guiying Mountain, and Qinglong Mountain. The central branch runs north of the Lishui River and includes Tianxing Mountain, Hongxi Mountain, Chaotian Mountain, Qingyan Mountain, and Maohuajie. The southern branch lies between the Lishui and Yuan Rivers, including Qixing Mountain, Chongshan, and Tianmen Mountain. These three mountain branches disappear into the Dongting Lake Plain in the east. (Picture: Yuanjiajie in Zhangjiajie)