Mountains from the movie Avatar

One of the picturesque mountains in the Chinese province of Hunan got a new name - "Hallelujah, Avatar!". It was she who became the prototype of Pandora's landscape. Chinese officials decided to rename the wave of success of the blockbuster James Cameron.

In December 2008, the film crew spent several days in Hunan, photographing Mount Jiankunzhu for later recreating on the screen the unearthly landscapes of the distant Pandora. After the triumph of "Avatar" in the world cinemas, the provincial authorities decided to use the name to attract tourists.

Today, a solemn ceremony was held at which the new name of Jiankunzhu Mountain was announced, the height of which is more than a thousand meters. Officials expect that to see the "Hallelujah, Avatar!" Tourists will come already in mid-February.

"Pandora is far away, but Zhangjiajie is close," the city authorities are touting.

The place is famous for its quartzite cliffs, up to 800 meters high. The highest peaks of the Ulinyuan reach an altitude of more than 3 km above sea level. The mountains represent a spectacular sight: huge stone pillars above the rainforest, rugged sharp peaks, waterfalls, a huge cave system. The entrance to the park costs 158 yuan and gives the right to visit the park for two days.



The airport is located 10 km west of Zhangjiajie City, it is 33 km from the entrance to the park, from there there are regular buses to the city. Minibuses stop in front of the railway and bus station, the village and the park entrance can be reached in one hour. Trains run to Zhengzhou, Guangzhou and other regional centers of China.