Short answer: Wulingyuan is a district of Zhangjiajie city, and it is also the name of the World Heritage site. “Zhangjiajie National Forest Park” and the “Avatar mountains” are inside it, on one ticket. A hotel listed as “Wulingyuan” is in the town just outside the park’s East Gate.
Names and numbers
| Item | Detail | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Wulingyuan | A district of Zhangjiajie city. UNESCO World Heritage site since 1992 | 2 Oct 2026 |
| Size of the World Heritage site | 26,400 hectares, about 264 square kilometres | 2 Oct 2026 |
| Pillars | More than 3,000 quartz sandstone pillars, many over 200 m high | 2 Oct 2026 |
| Made up of | Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and the Tianzi Mountain, Suoxiyu and Yangjiajie nature reserves | 2 Oct 2026 |
| Official 5A listing | “Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan-Tianmen Mountain Tourist Area”. One listing, but two separate tickets | 28 Sep 2026 |
| Ticket | One ticket for every area of the core park: CNY 165, valid 4 consecutive days; CNY 236 with the shuttle bus | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Gates | Five. The East Gate (Wujiayu) is in Wulingyuan town. The South Gate is on the city side | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Wulingyuan town to the East Gate | About 5 to 10 minutes | Our own transfers |
| Wulingyuan to Tianmen Mountain | About 40 km, about 40 minutes by car | Our own transfers |
| Airport to Wulingyuan | About 40 km, about 40 to 50 minutes by car | Our own transfers |
| Zhangjiajie West station to Wulingyuan | About 25 km, 30 to 40 minutes by car | Our own transfers |
| Grand Canyon Glass Bridge | Separate ticket. About 20 to 30 minutes by car from Wulingyuan | Our own transfers |
| Huanglong Cave | Separate ticket. About 20 minutes by car from Wulingyuan | Our own transfers |
Four names, one set of mountains
- Zhangjiajie is the city. The airport, the high-speed rail station and Tianmen Mountain are in the city.
- Wulingyuan is a district of that city, and the name of the World Heritage site. The sandstone pillars are here. The site covers about 264 square kilometres and has four parts: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianzi Mountain, Suoxiyu and Yangjiajie.
- Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was set up in 1982 as China’s first national forest park. Today, when visitors and booking sites say “the Forest Park”, they usually mean the whole ticketed core of Wulingyuan.
- The Avatar mountains is the popular name for the pillars around Yuanjiajie, inside the park.
Booking sites, maps and hotel pages each use their own name. They mean the same mountains and the same ticket.
What one ticket covers
It covers Yuanjiajie (the Avatar mountains), Tianzi Mountain, Yangjiajie, Golden Whip Stream, Huangshizhai, the Ten-Mile Gallery and Yaozizhai. The ticket is valid for four consecutive days, and each entry is booked for a gate and a time slot.
What it does not cover
- Tianmen Mountain. It is in the city, about 40 km from Wulingyuan. It has a separate ticket and is visited on a different day.
- The Grand Canyon Glass Bridge. A separate ticket, about 20 to 30 minutes by car from Wulingyuan.
- Huanglong Cave and Baofeng Lake. Ticketed separately. Both are useful on a wet day.
Wulingyuan town
This is the town outside the East Gate. Most of the hotels are here, and the gate is about 5 to 10 minutes away. Stay here on your Forest Park days. For the Tianmen Mountain day, or if you arrive late or leave early, the city is more convenient. Our where to stay in Zhangjiajie page compares the two.
Getting to Wulingyuan
From the airport it is about 40 km, about 40 to 50 minutes by car. From Zhangjiajie West station it is about 25 km, 30 to 40 minutes by car. Routes and transfers are on our how to get to Zhangjiajie page.
Which gate
Staying in Wulingyuan town: the East Gate. Staying in the city, or walking Golden Whip Stream and Huangshizhai: the South Gate. The other three are covered on our page about which gate to use.
Not sure where to base yourself? Tell us your arrival and departure times, and we will split the nights between Wulingyuan and the city for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wulingyuan the same as Zhangjiajie National Forest Park?
For a visitor, more or less: the same scenic area and the same ticket. Strictly, the Forest Park is one part of Wulingyuan.
Is Tianmen Mountain in Wulingyuan?
No. It is in the city, about 40 km away, on a separate ticket.
Should I stay in Wulingyuan or in the city?
Wulingyuan for the Forest Park days. The city for the Tianmen Mountain day, or when you have an early train or a late flight.
Sources and data notes
- World Heritage listing, size and pillar count: UNESCO World Heritage List, no. 640, checked 2 October 2026.
- The four parts: the Zhangjiajie Municipal People’s Government website, checked 2 October 2026.
- 5A listing: the Ministry of Culture and Tourism list of 5A scenic areas, checked 28 September 2026.
- Ticket and gate names: the park website, checked 17 August 2026.
- Driving times: our own transfers.
See also: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park guide · Tianzi Mountain · Tianmen Mountain guide · Tianmen Mountain or the Forest Park? · Glass Bridge guide.