In Beijing I met a guy who, amongst others, told me about a place that probably was the inspiration for the planet Pandora in James Cameron’s sci-fi movie Avatar. When I saw pictures of it I immediately knew that I had to go.
It would probably have been my favorite destination in all of China, but the weather did not cooperate and instead of a panorama of otherworldly rock formations all I could see was – fog.
Still, it is an impressive national park (with an impressive entrance fee). It has the “first greatest natural bridge over the world”, roads with shuttle busses, cable cars and even an elevator for mass tourism and winding hiking trails with lots of steps for the more ambitious visitor.
There are several small villages and many kiosks everywhere, and I even found a nice hostel in the park, so I stayed the night.
The next day the view was even worse, so I decended below the clouds and found a paved path that had not been maintained for a long time. Thus I was the only one walking it, being immerged in a vivid jungle full of unfamiliar sounds and strong smells.
