A Hike Through Zhangjiajie National Forest Park by Stephen Thai:
Our week in southern China began at the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, known for its towering rock formations that inspired the Hallelujah Mountains in James Cameron’s Avatar. As we explored the trails, a family of monkeys appeared beside us, including a newborn clinging to its mother’s underside. My grandmother was amused temporarily, but eventually got bored and moved on. She loves to carry around treats to hand out to her grandchildren. Unfortunately for her, this was not the perfect time to do so. As she reached into her purse for candy, a monkey lunged forward and snatched it. Luckily my grandmother is feisty herself and refused to let go. After a brief game of tug of war, the monkey gave up, continued on its way, and so did we.
The park is beautiful and the views did not disappoint. Dozens of narrow rock pillars dotted the valley as far as we could see, each with its own unique twists and shapes, covered with trees. At one point I saw movement on top of one of these pillars – more monkeys! They were hundreds of feet above ground, babies and all. I had no idea how they were able to climb so high. Nature never ceases to amaze me.
On this day the weather was clear and we were able to take in the entire view. We’d been warned the valley is usually covered in fog, though part of me secretly wished there was some to add to the mystique and allure of the place. As the saying goes, though, I should have been more careful for what I wished for. The next day we visited Tianmenshan, or Heaven’s Gate, a large natural arch formed within a mountain at the park. But, upon our arrival, Heaven’s Gate was nowhere in sight, covered in a shroud of the same thick fog we’d been warned about.
To get to Tianmenshan, we had to climb the 999 steps from the base of the mountain to the top. The steps were built so steeply, I constantly felt like I was going to fall backwards. Once at the top, we continued through the gate and along a network of daring paths that hugged the cliffside of the mountain. One trail was lined with trees tied with red ribbons, each fluttering in the wind. On the ribbons were messages written by previous visitors, wishes for good luck and fortune. It wasn’t until afterward I learned that some of the trails we walked, including one with a glass bottom, were dangling over 4000 foot drops. We really were walking around in the heavens.
As we made our way back through Heaven’s Gate and descended the stairs, the fog began to clear. A faint outline of the arch appeared. We rushed down the steps as fast as we dared, turned around to take in the incredible view, and were treated to a breathtaking end to our trip. Perhaps those ribbons worked. Good luck and fortune indeed.
THE FACTS
I met Stephen in college. We initially bonded over the fact that we both lived in the honors research dorm without being in the honors research program. Stephen’s family happens to be one of the most adventurous I know, traveling together to all corners of the globe. I’ll be lucky to join them on a trip of theirs one day.
If you enjoyed reading about Stephen’s hike to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, you might also check out the following stories related to other nature adventures:
- “Across the Calderas: A Reunion on Reunion Island” by Grecia Alvarado
- “Climbing Giants: Collecting Coconuts in Qamea, Fiji” by Tim Ghazzawi
- “Snow Bunny: Skiing in Nagano, Japan” by Fatima Sitson
