The movie "Avatar" has made it the biggest international release of all time. A Hollywood photographer came to Zhangjiajie in 2008 and took pictures that inspired artists who designed the settings of Avatar. The floating "Hallelujah Mountains" in the movie were inspired by the "South Sky Pillar."
Zhangjiajie, a scenic area located in the northwestern part of Hunan province in China attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from home and abroad every year.
It is a prefecture-level city consisting of Yongding and Wulingyuan Districts, Cili and Sangzhi Counties. Wulingyuan District, also called Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, is endowed with striking natural beauty. Therefore, it was listed into the World Natural Heritage Catalogue by the UNESCO in 1992. What´s more, Zhangjiajie was awarded the title of "World Geological Park" in 2004.
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Zhangjiajie is a rising tourist city famous for its unique natural scenery and abundant tourism resources. It is located in the northwest of Hunan province, about 400 kilometers away from Changsha, capital of Hunan.
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It covers a total area of 9,563 square kilometers, of which 76% are mountainous area. Out of its total population of 1.62 million, almost 72% belong to ethnic minority groups, including Tujia, Bai and Miao nationalities.
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It is also home to a number of endangered plant and animal species. Therefore, it was listed into the World Natural Heritage Catalogue by the UNESCO in 1992. What´s more, Zhangjiajie was awarded the title of "World Geological Park" in 2004.
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After more than twenty years of development, tourism industry has become the leading industry in Zhangjiajie, which has stimulated the development of other industries related to tourism. In the meantime, ecotourism has been developed greatly here.
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