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Zhangjiajie Hunan Guide

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

How the forest park fits together

The hard part of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park isn’t the walking. It is working out which gate, which bus and which cable car goes where. This page does one job: it puts that on a single map. The park has two levels. The valley floor holds Golden Whip Stream, Shuiraosimen and the Ten-Mile Gallery. The cliff tops are three joined plateaus, Yuanjiajie, Yangjiajie and Tianzi Mountain. The Bailong Elevator and the cable cars join the two. Huangshizhai is a separate summit, reached only from the South gate side.

Updated 2026-11-02

Schematic map of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Two levels. On the cliff tops, a shuttle line links the Bailong Elevator top station, Yuanjiajie, Wulong Village and He Long Park on Tianzi Mountain, with Yangjiajie and the North gate on branches. On the valley floor, a shuttle line links the East gate, the Ten-Mile Gallery, Shuiraosimen and the Bailong Elevator lower station, with a branch from the Central gate. Golden Whip Stream runs on foot from the Oxygen Bar square near the South gate to Shuiraosimen. Lifts join the two levels; Huangshizhai stands alone above the South gate side. CLIFF TOPS VALLEY FLOOR North gate Yangjiajie Wulong Village He Long Park Tianzi Mountain Yuanjiajie Bailong top station Sancha Bailong Elevator Tianzi cable car Yangjiajie cable car Wolong Ridge steps West gate Central gate Zimugang Bailong lower Shuiraosimen change here Ten-Mile Gallery East gate Wujiayu Tianzi lower Golden Whip Stream Oxygen Bar South gate Huangshizhai stands alone cable car Gate Change point Shuttle bus Lift or cable car On foot Train: solid red Schematic, not to scale.
Drawn for this guide. Tianmen Mountain and the Grand Canyon glass bridge are separate scenic areas and are not on this map.

The five gates

  • East gate (Wujiayu). The landmark gate, beside Wulingyuan town.
  • South gate (Forest Park). On the side towards the city.
  • Central gate (Zimugang). The closest gate to the lower station of the Bailong Elevator.
  • West gate (Yangjiajie). On the Yangjiajie cable car side.
  • North gate (Tianzi Mountain). On the Tianzi Mountain side.

The lift and the three cable cars

  • Bailong Elevator: from the Shuiraosimen side up to Yuanjiajie.
  • Tianzi Mountain cable car: from its lower station on the East gate side up to Tianzi Mountain.
  • Yangjiajie cable car: from the West gate side up to Yangjiajie.
  • Huangshizhai cable car: from the South gate side up to Huangshizhai.

The shuttle buses

Two main lines carry nearly everyone. The valley line runs from the East gate through the Ten-Mile Gallery and Shuiraosimen to the lower station of the Bailong Elevator, with a branch from the Central gate joining at Shuiraosimen. The cliff-top line runs from the top of the Bailong Elevator through Yuanjiajie and Wulong Village to He Long Park and the top of the Tianzi cable car, and the North gate joins it at the Sancha junction.

Shuiraosimen is the change point on the valley floor. Golden Whip Stream ends here, and buses to the Bailong Elevator, the Ten-Mile Gallery and the Central gate all connect here.

On foot

Three paths matter: Golden Whip Stream, from the Oxygen Bar square to Shuiraosimen; the Ten-Mile Gallery path; and the Wolong Ridge steps, down from Tianzi Mountain to the Ten-Mile Gallery.

Which gate to use

If you areBest gateWhy
Staying in Wulingyuan townEastA few minutes on foot or by taxi; the Ten-Mile Gallery, the Tianzi cable car and the Bailong Elevator are all reached from this side
Staying around ZimugangCentralThe closest gate to the lower station of the Bailong Elevator
Staying in the city, near Tianmen MountainSouthThe closest gate to the city; Golden Whip Stream and Huangshizhai start here
Starting with YangjiajieWestThe Yangjiajie cable car is on this side
Going straight to Tianzi MountainNorthIt is on the Tianzi Mountain side

The East gate and the South gate are on opposite sides of the park, so choose your hotel first and your gate second.

Good to know

  • The park ticket is valid for four consecutive days from your first entry. Every entry is booked for a gate and a time slot, and your passport is your ticket. Visitors report that a missed slot has to be rebooked, so book a few days ahead in high season.
  • The shuttle bus is on the combined ticket; if you bought entry alone it is a separate pass. It stops only at its stations, and it finishes in the evening, so don’t stay up top too late. The Bailong Elevator and the cable cars are sold separately. All prices are on the tickets page.
  • Buses leaving Tianzi Mountain go two ways. The East gate bus leaves the scenic area for Wulingyuan town, so check the direction board on the front if you are heading for the Central gate or Shuiraosimen.
  • Tianmen Mountain and the Grand Canyon glass bridge are separate scenic areas and are not on this map.

Quick answers

How many gates does the forest park have?

Five: East, South, Central, West and North.

Which gate is best for my hotel?

Stay in Wulingyuan town and use the East gate; stay around Zimugang and use the Central gate, the closest to the Bailong Elevator; stay in the city and use the South gate.

Do the park buses cost extra?

The shuttle bus is on the combined ticket, or a separate pass if you bought entry alone. The Bailong Elevator and the cable cars are always sold separately.

Is Huangshizhai connected to Yuanjiajie?

No. Huangshizhai is a separate summit, reached by cable car from the South gate side.

What is Shuiraosimen?

The change point on the valley floor. Golden Whip Stream ends here, and buses to the Bailong Elevator, the Ten-Mile Gallery and the Central gate connect here.