Discover Zhangjiajie

Zhangjiajie offers a variety of experiences: at Dayong Ancient City, the focus is on urban history and Tujia culture, while Route A on Tianmen Mountain leads from the valley up to the summit and on to Tianmen Cave. If you are looking for a holiday rental, it helps to first decide whether you want to focus your trip more on culture in the city or on a mountain experience.

Dayong Ancient City: history and living culture

Covering 165,500 square metres, Dayong Ancient City is located in the urban area of Zhangjiajie. Historical remains of the former Dayong prefectural city and the old South Gate were incorporated into the design of this cultural and tourism complex. On July 10, 2026, following its renovation, the site opened as a historic cultural and tourism district and became accessible to the public.

The complex comprises three themed areas, each with a different focus: Hao Liu Street is a Mango TV experience street, Guai Market is a creative social hub, and Shouyi Lane is a place for the living transmission of intangible cultural heritage. The site thus brings experiences, social encounters and traditional culture together. If you are travelling with children, these different themes can help you choose together what interests your family most.

A specific insight into Tujia traditions was offered at the Zhangjiajie Tujia Festival “六月六”, held at Dayong Ancient City on July 19, 2026. The festival at the time included three themed areas and six individual events. Performances included Daliuzi, Sanbanggu and Yongding Yangxi, which are part of the intangible cultural heritage. There was also a staged portrayal of a Tujia bride’s lament and an interactive Nuo mask-painting experience. A riverside festival market offered local specialities such as glutinous rice cakes, Hezha and iced sweet rice wine.

Museum and sandstone painting

The Zhangjiajie Museum brings together exhibitions on history and folk customs, as well as geology, urban development and city planning. These themes offer different ways to explore the city: you can learn about its past, discover regional culture and also look at geological aspects. The Junsheng Painting Academy in the urban area of Zhangjiajie offers a different cultural perspective. Painter Li Junsheng founded it in 2001; it is a dedicated exhibition venue for sandstone painting. The academy is about 35 kilometres from the Wulingyuan Scenic Area. If art is an important part of your trip, you can plan this visit as a separate cultural highlight.

Take Route A to Tianmen Mountain

Route A on Tianmen Mountain begins after the ticket check at the lower cableway station in the valley. From there, take the cable car to the upper station and visit the sights on the summit. Then a seven-section escalator that passes through the mountain leads down to Tianmen Cave. This itinerary makes the route a distinctive sequence of a cable car ride, a visit to the summit and the descent to the cave. You can plan these stops as one continuous mountain experience.

Tianmen Mountain Nature Reserve is another point of reference: it lies in northwestern Hunan on the outskirts of Zhangjiajie’s Yongding District. To get to Dayong Ancient City, take bus routes 6 or 8 from Zhangjiajie Railway Station to the Puguang Temple stop; from there, it is about a four-minute walk. The city and mountain experiences mentioned here offer different kinds of activities. Choose a holiday rental based on the part of your trip you want to explore most intensively.

More destinations

You can also explore Xiangtan, Yiyang, Loudi, Changde, Shaoyang, Chenzhou, Zhuzhou and Yueyang.

For the overview of the wider region, see Hunan.