Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China - the Avatar Mountains

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, buried deep in the Hunan province, part of the greater Wulingyuan Scenic Area, holds the esteemed title of being China’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The unique geological formations that have formed over the aeons are almost unparalleled in their magnificence. The most notable geographic features of the park are the pillar-like formations that are seen throughout the park. Although resembling karst terrain, this area is not underlain by limestones and is not the product of chemical dissolution, which is characteristic of limestone karst. They are the result of many years of physical, rather than chemical, erosion. Much of the weathering that forms these pillars is the result of expanding ice in the winter and the plants that grow on them. The weather is moist year-round, and as a result, the foliage is very dense. The weathered material is carried away primarily by streams. These formations are a distinct hallmark of the Chinese landscape, and can be found in many ancient Chinese paintings. One of the park’s quartz-sandstone pillars, the 1,080-metre (3,540 ft) Southern Sky Column, was officially renamed “Avatar Hallelujah Mountain“ in honor of the movie Avatar in January 2010. The film’s director and production designers said that they drew inspiration for the floating rocks from mountains from around the world, including those in Hunan province. The Bailong Elevator, literally “hundred dragons sky lift“, was opened to the public in 2002. At 326 m (1,070 ft), it is the world’s tallest outdoor lift. It can transport visitors to the top from its foot in less than two minutes. The structure is composed of three separate glass elevators, each of which can carry up to 50 people at a time. _______________________________________________ © Copyright information: All music, sound effects, graphics, animations and video segments contained in my videos are used in strict compliance with the appropriate permissions and licenses required from , , , ​, ​ and ​ in accordance with the YouTube Partner Program, Community guidelines & YouTube terms of service. #avatarmountains #Zhangjiajie