9. Wulingyuan, Hunan Province
Photo: kenner116
Anyone who sees Wulingyuan is likely to make an instant connection to the floating mountains of the movie Avatar. In many interviews, James Cameron does refer to Wulingyuan as his inspiration. Since the movie Avatar, the Chinese authorities have named Mount Hallelujah from the film one of the columns.
Wulingyuan conquered people with its pristine nature and unique beauty. It is a lush, misty valley endowed with a unique feature – 3,000 giant, natural stone columns rising up like fingers, hundreds of meters up. The region contains numerous streams, waterfalls, and pools. In addition, the Wulingyuan Mountains contain several karst caves formed millions of years ago.
Wulingyuan can rightfully be considered a masterpiece of nature. These amazingly beautiful mountain peaks above the rainforest, rugged, sharp peaks, waterfalls, giant cave systems and mighty rivers make tourists feel like they are on another planet. But, in fact, all this splendor is in incredible China.
