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Zhangjiajie China

The floating mountains of Avatar — towering sandstone pillars above the clouds.

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Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan Province, China, contains over 3,000 towering quartzite sandstone pillars (some over 300 meters tall) that inspired the floating Hallelujah Mountains in James Cameron's Avatar (2009). The pillars are draped in subtropical vegetation and often wreathed in cloud, creating an otherworldly, vertical landscape. A 430-meter glass-bottomed bridge — the world's longest when opened in 2016 — spans the canyon. The park also contains the world's longest and highest outdoor elevator, the Bailong Elevator (338 meters). The landscape has become one of China's most visited natural attractions, receiving 32 million visitors annually.

# Top 10 Zhangjiajie China facts

  1. 1Zhangjiajie inspired the floating mountains of Pandora in James Cameron's Avatar (2009)
  2. 2The Bailong Elevator — the world's tallest outdoor lift at 338 meters — carries visitors up the cliff face
  3. 3The park receives 32 million visitors annually — more than Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon combined

Fascinating Facts

  • Zhangjiajie inspired the floating mountains of Pandora in James Cameron's Avatar (2009)
  • The Bailong Elevator — the world's tallest outdoor lift at 338 meters — carries visitors up the cliff face
  • The park receives 32 million visitors annually — more than Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon combined
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