In the Hunan Province sits one of the most majestic natural sights in all of China: The Tianzi Mountain Nature Preserve, something many know few facts about. Here, hikers come from all over the world to be humbled by the Tianzi Mountain, whose summit sits at 4,140 feet. Surrounding the Tianzi Moutain is what's called "the Monarch of the Peak Forest", which displays nature's green foliage as far as the eye can see. From the summit of this mountain, hikers are also able to see the range below it, covering 16,550 acres in total.
While Tianzi dwarfs other mountains that are more than twice its height around the world, it's the breathtaking landscape that surrounds this range that makes it so beautiful. Its stunning flora and untouched wildlife are why it stands apart from the rest. Some might even recognize this scenery from the movie Avatar, whose world was inspired by the surroundings of the Tianzi Mountain range.
No Other Mountains Even Compare To The Tianzi In This Range
Over the span of more than 16,000 acres, there are no mountains in this range that come close to the height of the Tianzi. The second-highest summit, in comparison, is only 1,817 feet - not even half of where Tianzi stops. Because of this, visitors can have a near bird's eye view of the surroundings below and even the expanse of the forest, given there's no fog on that day. Even in the mist, however, this wilderness is still just as breathtaking.
These Hiking Trails Are Not For The Faint Of Heart
Despite the harrowing vertical ledges along the Tianzi trail, no one has lost their lives while exploring it. While it is most certainly a dangerous landscape with plenty of ways for an unfamiliar visitor to have an accident, it's relatively safe as long as rules are followed. There are two trails hikers can choose to take: The Tianzi Mountain to Ten-Mile Gallery and the Tianzi Mountain to Sansuo. Surprisingly, neither one is more than four hours. Each trail has stop-off points so that hikers who love a great view can appreciate the vistas that accompany the hike, as well as well-kept trails and stairs along the way.
Experiencing Its Vertical Summit Is Exhilarating
While this hike might look incredibly grueling and, quite frankly, the opposite of safe, more than 30 million people visit year-round just to walk it. What makes this trek even more daunting is the fact that much of the time, due to its natural habitat, a fog will roll in, keeping hikers from knowing exactly where the bottom of the mountain is. However, once the initial disorientation wears off, hikers can appreciate this view for what it is - a stunning vantage point to take in the lush forest, sparkling waterfalls, and exotic wildlife that surround it.
Even The Lodging Around The Forest Is Beautiful
Those who are interested in spending more time in this Preserve can book tour trips that span over the course of several days, during which they'll learn the history behind Tianzi Mountain. Among that history, tourists will learn that it was once believed that this range was home to an ocean over 300 million years ago. It's believed that when the water dried up, the quartz sandstones this area is so well-known for grew to be prevalent. In some places, summits have quartz layers that are more than 1,500 feet thick.
Rather Than Hike, Visitors Can Tour The Range In A Cable Car
Although this might be even more harrowing than simply hiking the trail. The views from the cable car that runs through the Tianzi Mountain range are incredible and provide visitors with a viewpoint they won't see when hiking. The good thing about taking a cable car is that hikers have a bit of freedom - they can either take a cable car to the peak and hike down or hike up and take a cable car down.