Discover Zhangjiajie
Tianzi Mountain
天子山
The northern ridge of the park, looking down on a sea of pillars from above rather than between them - the widest panoramas in Wulingyuan, reached by cable car or a long stair climb.
The story
What makes this place special
Tianzi Mountain takes its name from a fifteenth-century Tujia rebel leader, Xiang Dakun, who styled himself Tianzi - son of heaven - and was killed here. It forms the northern plateau of the Wulingyuan core area, and its viewpoints look across the densest concentration of sandstone pillars in the park, including the group known as the Imperial Writing Brushes. It has its own cable car from the valley at Tianzi Shan village and is linked by shuttle to Yuanjiajie and Yangjiajie.
What you’ll discover
A series of clifftop terraces - He Long Park, the Imperial Writing Brush viewpoint, Yubi Peak - connected by paved paths and shuttle stops along the rim, each looking out over a different section of the pillar field. The views here are wider and less enclosed than Yuanjiajie's, and the crowds are thinner. The cable car down to the valley is one of the better rides in the park, descending through the pillars rather than over them.
A little local insight
Good to know before you go
- Use Tianzi Mountain as your way down, not your way up. Shuttle here from Yangjiajie late in the day and take the cable car to the valley, which puts you back at the East Gate without doubling back.
- The Imperial Writing Brush viewpoint is the one to hold out for; visitors who stop at the first terrace they reach often miss it.
- It is consistently less crowded than Yuanjiajie for a comparable view. If your day is running late and you have to choose one plateau, this is the quieter choice.
- From the Tianzi cable car lower station the park shuttle reaches the East Gate in about 15 minutes, which closes the standard loop.
- There is a stair path down from the summit as an alternative to the cable car; it is long and steep and the cable car is the right answer unless you specifically want the descent.
- Shuttle stops on the rim mean you do not have to walk between terraces. Riding between them and walking only the short platform spurs cuts the day's distance by half.
When to come
Late afternoon, when the crowds have shifted to the exits and low sun throws shadow between the pillars. Same seasons as the rest of the park; the rim is exposed and cold in winter.
Getting around
Reasonable for the park. Arriving by cable car is step-free into the cabin and the rim paths between the shuttle stops are paved and largely level, so a wheelchair can see two or three of the main terraces with a helper. Individual viewpoint spurs have steps. A bad knee does well here precisely because the shuttle hops between viewpoints and the walking is short. The summit stair path is not an option for either.
Worth knowing before you go
He Long Park and the Imperial Writing Brush Peaks viewpoint are a shuttle hop apart - do not assume one bus stop covers the ridge. Cable cars shut in high wind, so keep a stair route in mind.
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