Zhangjiajie II: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

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I moved from Wulingyuan to the larger hub city of Zhangjiajie. I decided to head to the 72 Towers tourist site. The most random and amusing hour and a half of China absurdity ensued.

Right off the bat, this is what the compound looked like. Already felt like I was in a video game.

Then this lady dropped in on a harness and started throwing flower petals.


This monkey man in armor wandered the premise. Chinese people of all generations lined up for photos.

Then this guy lit himself on fire?


I was trying to find the exit when I stumbled upon this shirtless man slapping himself with a very large sword.

The next day I took another, you guessed it, cable car up to Tianmen Mountain to see the famous cave and explore the summit area. This was no ordinary cable car though. It was actually the lower segment of the longest mountain cable car in the world. Because China.


The views were stunning.

Unfortunately the upper portion of the cable car was under construction, so we shifted to the nicknamed "99 turn road" to the summit.

The lady next to me learned the hard way that it turns out the road's name is quite literal. It actually has exactly 99 turns as it climbs to the base of the Tianmen cave. 

Tough break.


The drive up was beautiful for those of us who could keep our eyes open.



I opted to climb the 999 stone steps up to the cave. There of course is also an escalator option built into the mountain for those not interested in walking. China.


I took the mandatory escalators from the top of the stairs through the mountain to the summit. I was yet again impressed by the sweeping views of the mountains and valleys below.

I particularly enjoyed the glass bridges built into the sheer vertical cliffside.



The walking loop featured some temple and big mountain views.



I took a separate cable car down from the summit to this gorgeous base area.


I grabbed my bags and hopped on a high speed train to my next destination - Furong waterfall town. I think this train cost around $11 and was going 306 kilometers per hour (~190 mph) at its peak. China.

Comments

  1. Jake's DadJanuary 20, 2026 at 8:23 PM

    C.J.!! WOW! Super views and great adventures, for sure. You got guts (and kept them in on the drive up); not as scary as the drive in Northern Pakistan? China. Love the blogging! Continued safe travels, always.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CJ WheelanJanuary 21, 2026 at 11:02 PM

      haha I hope with all my might that nothing will ever equal or surpass the drive in Northern Pakistan

      Delete
  2. Grace WheelanJanuary 21, 2026 at 7:51 PM

    Back on the blog grind! Happy to see it

    ReplyDelete
  3. RebeccaJanuary 21, 2026 at 10:07 PM

    Julia’s jacket is having quite the adventure!

    ReplyDelete

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