5km valley with a sightseeing monorail and themed rock formations — the easy-access part of Wulingyuan for short-on-time visitors.
At a glance
- What it is
- Outdoors
- Also known as
- 十里画廊 (Shílǐ Huàláng)
- Opening hours
- 7 AM – 6 PM
- Time needed
- 1-2 hours
- Best time to visit
- Late afternoon as a wind-down section
- Getting there
- Taxi / DiDi from metro
- English
- Some English signage
- Cards accepted
- Cash only
- Entry
- Passport booking required
- Wi-Fi
- No public Wi-Fi
- Address
- Ten-Mile Gallery, Suoxiyu Scenic Area, Wulingyuan · 张家界市武陵源区索溪峪景区
Ten-Mile Gallery map & getting there
Taxi / DiDi? Show the driver: 张家界市武陵源区索溪峪景区 · Ten-Mile Gallery, Suoxiyu Scenic Area, Wulingyuan
Ten-Mile Gallery (Shilihualang) is a 5km valley in the Suoxiyu (索溪峪) section of Wulingyuan, lined with named sandstone formations: Three Sisters Peaks, Two Generals Meeting, Concubine Watching Her Husband, and so on. Most foreign visitors find the named formations underwhelming (they require Chinese-folklore context), but the valley itself has a small open-air monorail train (¥38 round-trip) that runs the full 5km — useful if you’re short on energy. Walking the path takes 60-90 min one way. Best done in the late afternoon after a full Yuanjiajie or Tianzi morning, as a ‘wind down’ before returning to your hotel.
Highlights
- Monorail train (观光小火车)¥38 round-trip; full 5km valley loop
- Three Sisters Peaks (三姐妹峰)Iconic group rock formation
- Easy walkingMostly flat; works for elderly + limited mobility
What Chinese travelers actually do here
Distilled from Chinese-language travel notes — the practical tips most English guides miss.
- The ‘named formations’ (Three Sisters, Two Generals, Concubine Watching) are heavily marketed but require you to squint at rocks and imagine Chinese-folklore characters. Foreigners typically rate them 3/10 unless they speak Mandarin and know the legends.
- The valley is in the SUOXIYU section of Wulingyuan — a different park entry from Yuanjiajie / Tianzi area. The internal shuttle bus connects them but the ride is 45-60 min. Plan Ten-Mile Gallery as either a morning OR afternoon block, not a quick add-on.
- Monorail tickets are sold at the entry gate, NOT inside the park. Buy on the way in or you’ll have to backtrack. ¥38 round-trip is the standard price; one-way is ¥22.
- The shaded forest cover makes this the best Wulingyuan section for hot July-August afternoons. Where Yuanjiajie’s exposed summit cliff platforms hit 35°C+ in summer, Ten-Mile Gallery stays 5-8°C cooler under canopy.
- There’s a small Tujia minority-themed food stall halfway along the route — sweet rice cakes (米糕) and tea-eggs (¥10-15). Local-priced, decent quality, makes a nice break from the formation-spotting.
- Skip this entirely if it’s raining. The monorail open cars don’t have rain covers, and the named formations look like wet gray rocks in overcast weather.
Photos
Watch creators visit Ten-Mile Gallery
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Zhangjiajie Travel Guide: National Park, Glass Bridge, Grand Canyon, Tianmen Mountain and more
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Ten Mile Gallery
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Frequently asked questions about Ten-Mile Gallery
- Should I take the monorail or walk Ten-Mile Gallery?
- Monorail (¥38 round-trip) for most foreigners. Walking takes 60-90 min one way (so 2-3 hours round-trip) and the named rock formations require Chinese folklore context to appreciate. If you’ve already spent 8 hours hiking Yuanjiajie and Tianzi that morning, the monorail is the right call. Walking is only worthwhile if you specifically want quiet time after the bigger summits.
- Is Ten-Mile Gallery worth visiting at all?
- Conditional yes — as a 90-min ‘wind down’ on day 2 or 3 of Wulingyuan, after the bigger summit days. Skip it entirely if you only have 1-2 days at Wulingyuan; the foundation hits are Yuanjiajie + Tianzi + Golden Whip Stream. Ten-Mile Gallery is a ‘bonus’ for travelers with time, not a must-do.
- Is Ten-Mile Gallery accessible for elderly or wheelchair users?
- Yes — this is the most accessible section of Wulingyuan. The monorail is wheelchair-friendly at both ends and the valley floor walking path is mostly flat with gentle gradients. If you’re traveling with elderly parents who can’t do summit hikes, Ten-Mile Gallery is the recommended ‘Wulingyuan experience’ for them.
- What’s the difference between Ten-Mile Gallery and Golden Whip Stream?
- Both are valley-floor walks, but Golden Whip Stream is denser (4.5km of constant sandstone pillars + a clear flowing stream); Ten-Mile Gallery is sparser, drier, and has named-formation tour-bus theatrics. If you only do one canyon walk, do Golden Whip Stream. Do Ten-Mile Gallery as the easy option after a hard summit day.
- Is the monorail safe? Does it have English signs?
- Yes safe — it’s a slow-moving open-air train running on a single rail at <15 km/h. Signs are Chinese-only but route is obvious (out-and-back along one valley). Recorded announcements name each formation in Chinese as you pass; you’ll miss the cultural references but the visual content stands on its own.
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