Land among the clouds

MANILA, Philippines -  It is not surprising that the Navi people in last year’s blockbuster “Avatar” are so gentle and peace-loving. Their world Pandora is hidden among the clouds, a magical world of peaks and valleys, treetops that kiss the skies, flora that dance and reflect the light like thousands of stars that are just within reach, an environment away from pollution and other scourges that afflict the human world. Until, of course, around the year 2154 when humans learn of the mother lode of unobtanium (a most appropriate name) that exists on Pandora, a moon in the Alpha Centauri star system, and find a way to travel to the distant moon and get their grubby human hands on the precious metal.

The cloud-shrouded land that enthralled millions around the world really exists, and if you have good intentions and come in peace  not to exploit or destroy the land  you can visit Pandora, which on planet Earth is Zhangjiajie in northwestern Hunan province in south central China. With representatives of Panda Travel and three other major travel agencies, we joined a China Southern Airlines tour to this mysterious and mystical place, whose beauty is said to belong only to heaven.

The misty and mysterious land of Pandora, a.k.a. Zhangjiajie in Hunan, China

Zhangjiajie (literally, the world or homeland of the Zhang family) is part of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1992. The area covers 369 square kilometers and includes two other nature reserves (Tianzi mountain and Suoxi gully). This unique and rare forest was “discovered” in 1979, and in 1982 it was named China’s first National Forest Park. In 2004 it was proclaimed a World Geological Park.

Its main feature are the 3,013 peaks of quartz sandstone, a very rare material that may perhaps be found only in Zhangjiajie, and over 800 streams, often hidden, among deep valleys and caverns. Many of the peaks tower above the clouds  the highest is nearly 1,900 meters  creating the otherworldly landscape that has captivated moviegoers and the lucky visitors that venture into this world.

Since it opened up in 1982, Zhangjiajie has seen a dramatic increase in visitor arrivals, from only 50,000 to over 3 million last year. Tony Hong, general manager and CEO of the Hunan Overseas Travel Zhangjiajie Co., told STARweek that tourist arrivals saw an increase of up to 30 percent following the release of James Cameron’s movie. With over 400 hotels and inns ranging from two- to five-star, tourism is now the main industry for the area’s 1.7 million people, 80 percent of whom are minorities from 22 tribes, including the predominant Tujia, Miao and Bai.

Fortunately, development for tourism has not been helter-skelter, but done with respect for the precious environment  the “spirit of mountains”  and the traditions and beliefs of the local people. Cable cars traverse deep gullies. Environment friendly buses are provided to transport visitors to and from the various scenic areas. But, most important, a pair of sturdy legs is essential to exploring the secrets and appreciating the majesty of this natural wonder. 

We started our tour with an unexpected climb  quite steep in some areas  up a series of steps to take the cable car, or ropeway, to the upper reaches of the Tianzi mountain scenic area. In the full light of day the yellowish sandstone formations were imposing  formidable even  as we drifted above and through them. Along the way we were told to look out for certain formations like the ancient Roman warrior, the old man and the maid, and even the arrival of the first Qin emperor. Maybe it’s just my lack of visual acuity, but I failed to catch any one of them.

The one rock formation I found most interesting  and which actually had a semblance to its name and story  is the pair called “Chatting in Darkness.” The tyrannical Emperor Qinshihuang sent his minions all over China to search for the herb that would give him immortality. One found his way to Zhangjiajie and found the herb, but an immortal living in the mountains did not want the cruel emperor to live forever and oppress the people, so he turned the emissary into rock, then changed himself into rock as well to guard the man and the herb. The pair of them can be seen near the upper station of the cable car, but the herb of immortality is carefully hidden  and has not been found by nosy tourists.

The “No. 1 Bridge” in the world built by Nature eons ago, and a man-made temple

The sight from the upper station is breathtaking   a sea of clouds at your feet, punctuated by hundreds of peaks of different heights and shapes, as far as the eye can see. As you walk along the paved path, the scene unfolds before you, like a 360º panorama, of sunlight on rock, of clouds softly billowing, sometimes parting just enough to let you get a glimpse of how deep the ravines are.

From there we joined the long queue to take one of the non-emission buses (color-coded according to the route they serve) to Helong Park, again with spectacular views, where the main feature is a huge bronze statue of Marshall He Long, friend of Mao Zedong and founder of the Red Army. After a hearty lunch of chili-laced Hunan specialties, we were spiced up and energized for the two-hour walk through Yuanjiajie, in the northern part of the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, where “alien world” best describes the endless panorama before you. This is the world of Pandora  the floating Hallelujah Mountain, the lush oversized vegetation… and was that a 10-foot tall blue Navi I spotted darting among the trees?!

The ropeway or cable car to the upper station of Tianzi mountain.

Cameron did not film in Zhangjiajie  in fact, he has never set foot there  but he could not have given the Navi a better, more beautiful home. He said in an interview that his inspiration for Pandora was the landscape of China, particularly the mountains of Huangshan, Guilin and Zhangjiajie. Officials of the Hunan Overseas Travel told us that a scenographer named Hansen had spent a month in 2007 at Hunan University in the provincial capital of Changsha, and had traveled around the province filming. His footage of the unique Zhangjiajie landscape found its way to the Avatar team, and thus into the movie. The film’s floating Hallelujah Mountains is touted by officials as the peaks they used to call Quan Kun Zhu; these days, it is referred to by its English name, which is a lot easier for non-Chinese to pronounce.

Following the phenomenal success of Avatar, Cameron has signed with 20th Century Fox to produce two sequels, so we look forward to revisiting the world of Pandora/Zhangjiajie.

China Southern has twice daily flights between Manila and Guangzhou, from where one can connect to Zhangjiajie and cities all over China. Panda Travel (tel 242-2650) has tours to Zhangjiajie and all major tourist destinations in China.