1,200m summit plateau with the largest single concentration of viewpoints in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park — alternative to Yuanjiajie with smaller crowds.
At a glance
- What it is
- Outdoors
- Also known as
- 黄石寨 (Huángshízhài)
- Opening hours
- 7 AM – 5 PM
- Time needed
- Half-day
- Best time to visit
- Morning for fewest crowds; clear-weather afternoons for views
- 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
- Yellow Stone Village, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park · 张家界市武陵源区张家界国家森林公园
Yellow Stone Village (Huangshizhai) map & getting there
Taxi / DiDi? Show the driver: 张家界市武陵源区张家界国家森林公园 · Yellow Stone Village, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Yellow Stone Village (Huangshizhai) is the largest single summit plateau in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park — a 1,200m flat-top mountain with six named viewpoints arranged around a 5km perimeter trail. It was the park’s main attraction before Yuanjiajie / Avatar branding shifted the spotlight in 2010, so today it gets 30-40% the crowds of Yuanjiajie. Access via cable car (¥72 one-way) from the canyon floor, or a 3-hour hike up steep steps. Highlights include Five Fingers Peak, Six Wonders Pavilion, and the panoramic 360° terrace at the summit pagoda. Worth visiting specifically because the photo angle is DIFFERENT from Yuanjiajie — you’re looking ACROSS the sea of pillars instead of standing among them. Best as half-day add-on if you have 3+ days at Wulingyuan.
Highlights
- Five Fingers Peak (五指峰)Iconic vertical sandstone formation
- Six Wonders Pavilion (六奇阁)Summit pagoda with 360° panorama
- Smaller crowds30-40% the foot traffic of Yuanjiajie
What Chinese travelers actually do here
Distilled from Chinese-language travel notes — the practical tips most English guides miss.
- Most foreign tour buses skip Yellow Stone Village in favor of Avatar Hallelujah Mountain at Yuanjiajie — meaning you’ll have the summit plateau to yourself even during Chinese national holidays. This is the ‘insider hack’ all China-domestic photography forums emphasize.
- Six Wonders Pavilion is the named landmark, but the BEST view is actually 100m past it at Star Picking Terrace (摘星台) — a lower platform where the pillar valley fills your entire visual field. Most signs don’t direct you there clearly.
- The cable car has TWO base stations — Huangshizhai Cable Car (黄石寨索道) and Dayong Cable Car (大庸索道). Use Huangshizhai; Dayong leads to a different summit area with weaker views.
- Bring water and snacks. The summit has ONE small noodle shop near the pagoda; it sells ¥20 instant noodles and water at 3x city prices. Bring a 1.5L bottle from your hotel.
- If you’re traveling with elderly or limited-mobility companions, Yellow Stone Village is actually the BEST Wulingyuan summit option — the perimeter trail is mostly flat (vs Yuanjiajie’s many up-down sections), and the cable car has wheelchair access at both ends.
- Photographers should bring a wide-angle lens (16-35mm equivalent). The signature shot is the full pillar sea spread out below — telephoto compression doesn’t work because the pillars are too close.
Photos
Watch creators visit Yellow Stone Village (Huangshizhai)
Each clip is timestamped to the moment the creator arrives at this stop.
Zhangjiajie Travel Guide: National Park, Glass Bridge, Grand Canyon, Tianmen Mountain and more
Vince TravelStarts at 7:57
Huangshi Village
Ultimate Zhangjiajie Travel Guide: The Avatar Mountains 🇨🇳
Adventures of Lauren & Jason Starts at 11:35
Huangshi Village (Underrated Section)
Videos
Frequently asked questions about Yellow Stone Village (Huangshizhai)
- Is Yellow Stone Village worth visiting if I already plan to do Yuanjiajie?
- Yes, if you have 3+ full days at Wulingyuan and want a DIFFERENT photo angle. Yuanjiajie puts you AMONG the sandstone pillars; Yellow Stone Village puts you ACROSS from them, looking out from a 1,200m flat-top plateau. The two are complementary, not redundant. With only 2 days at Wulingyuan, skip Yellow Stone Village — Yuanjiajie + Tianzi is the higher-impact pair.
- How do I get to Yellow Stone Village — cable car or hike?
- Cable car (¥72 one-way, 6 min) for 90% of visitors. The hiking trail up has 3,800+ steps and takes 2.5-3 hours of continuous climbing — only attempt in October-April cool weather and only if you’re a strong hiker. There’s a ‘down by foot’ option after taking cable car up; the descent trail is shaded and pleasant in summer.
- How long does Yellow Stone Village take?
- Half-day (3-4 hours) for the full perimeter loop: cable car up → Six Wonders Pavilion → Five Fingers Peak → Star Picking Terrace → return walk to cable car. A rushed ‘just see the main views’ visit is 90 min. Most foreigners spend 2-3 hours and find the smaller crowds genuinely refreshing after Yuanjiajie’s foot traffic.
- Is Yellow Stone Village inside the Wulingyuan combo ticket?
- Yes, the park entry is included in your 4-day Wulingyuan combo (¥225). But the cable car (¥72 one-way / ¥144 round-trip) is SEPARATE — same rule as Bailong Elevator. The internal park shuttle bus from the main gate to the cable car base station is free.
- When is the best time of day for Yellow Stone Village photos?
- Morning (8-11 AM) for sharp east light hitting the sandstone pillars below. The summit pagoda 360° view is best at midday (11-2 PM) when shadows are evenly distributed across the valley. Avoid afternoons in summer — heat haze degrades visibility significantly by 2 PM.
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