Tianmen Mountain, called Yunmeng Mountain in old times, is a mountain famous for its natural wonder of Tianmen Cave. The mountain top is relatively flat but densely occupied by secondary primitive forest and rare plants. Every inch of the place is covered with old trees, cirrus, moss, stalagmites, and clints, creating a fascinating human paradise.
Basic Facts about Tianmen Mountain
Chinese Name: 天门山 Tianmen Mountain (Heaven’s Gate Mountain)/tyen-mnn shan/
Altitude: 1519 meters.
Location: Downtown, Yongding District, Zhangjiajie, China (50km from Zhangjiajie National Forest).
Mountain Area: 2,000 square meters.
Climate: subtropical monsoon climate.
Entrance Ticket: 258 RMB/pax.
Famous Sights: The 99 Bends, Tianmen Cave, Tianmen Cable Way.
What to Expect of Tianmen Mountain
Tianmen Cave - Heaven’s Gate 
Tianmen Cave is a water-eroded cave located in the middle part of the Tianmen Mountain. The rock stratum on the southern and northern side of the mountain fell because of the syncline being squeezed and eroded, leaving the Tianmen Cave being exposed to the sun. The whole Tianmen Cave, 131.5m in height, 57m in width and 60m in depth, runs south-northward to the sky, like a clear mirror encrusted on the heavens' canopy. It’s veiled in mist and cloud all year round, forming a magic atmosphere. For thousands of years, people are drawn by the miraculous scene. In 1999, a pilot master flew through the Tianmen cave, creating a world record. Later, more people travel here to realize their flying dream, some by plane, some by warplane, and some by wingsuit flying. The only way to reach the Tianmen Cave is to walk up the long stairs for us.
The 99 Bends - A Highway Wonder of the World 
The 99 Bends, also called Avenue to Heaven, is the only way to approach the Tianmen Mountain platform. The whole road is about 11km long and rises from 200m to 1300m. It’s like a flying dragon soaring up to the sky with 99 sharp bends interlocking with one another. It hovers up to the air, which earned the title of “the No.1 Highway of the World."
Tianmen Cable Way - One of the Longest Mountain Cable Ways in the World
Tianmen Cable Way connects the Zhangjiajie downtown and the top of the Tianmen Mountain. It’s 7455m in length and 
ascends over 1200 meters. Riding the cableway, you will feel like a riding a dragon flying from the ground to the mountain top. The whole journey takes about 35 minutes, giving you sufficient time to enjoy the downtown scenery, pastoral views, precipitous cliffs, and deep valleys.
The Cliff-Hanging Walkway
The Cliff-Hanging Walkway is a plank road clinging to the vertical cliff located above the Guigu Cave. It's 1600 in length, with an average elevation of 1400 meters. Standing on the walkway and looking afar, you will see the wonders like the sea of clouds, rosy sky, and a vast expanse of forests. Not far from the plank's end, you will find a 5-meter-long glass platform stretching out in the air, hanging above the abyss. It's heart-beating to stand here. 
Coiled Dragon Cliff Glass Walkway
The Coiled Dragon Cliff Glass Walkway is a narrow glass way of 60m long and 1430m in altitude. On a sunny day, you will see the azure sky and cloud are reflected on the walkway while the Barranco becomes clear. It’s quite heart-racing and breathtaking to walk. To protect the glass way, shoe covers are required before you set foot on the path. While on a foggy day, it’ll be like walking on clouds. It’s not recommended for people with heart problems.
Tianmenshan Temple 
Nestled inside the mountain, the Tianmenshan Temple was built in Tang Dynasty and composed of Mountain Gate, Bell & Drum Tower, Heavenly King Hall, The Main Shrine Hall, Avalokitesvara Pavilion, and Scripture Pavilion. It’s the Buddhist center of Xiangxi and the highest Buddhist building complex in Hunan. The fact is that it was home to all Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist disciples. There are stupas of Sakyamuni and his two disciples Moggallana and Sariputra, inside the temple. Therefore, it’s one of the five temples in the world that houses the stupa of Sakyamuni.
Two Travel Routes
By round-way cable car:
Route A: Cable car up the mountain →have a bird’s-eye view of the mountain at the summit, visit the Cliff-Hanging Walkway or Coiled Dragon Cliff Glass Walkway and 
Tianmenshan Temple →take the escalator down to Tianmen Cave and walk on the 999 stairs → take Express Cable Car back to the mountain gate → take the free shuttle bus back to the cable car station
Combination of cable car and highway:
Route B: Free shuttle bus to the mountain gate → take Express Cable Car to Tianmen Cave →tour on Tianmen Cave and walk on the 999 stairs→ Escalator to the mountain summit → have a great time exploring the sights on the mountain top (Cliff-Hanging Walkway or Coiled Dragon Cliff Glass Walkway and Tianmenshan Temple)→ cable car down the mountain.
Tickets Information
Ticket Package of Round-trip Cable Way: 275 RMB/pax, including entrance ticket, Tianmenshan cableway (single way), escalator (single way), and a mid cableway.
Ticket Package of Single-trip Cable Way: 232 RMB/pax, including entrance ticket, Tianmenshan cableway (single way), escalator (single way), and shuttle bus.
Forest Sightseeing Cable Car: 25RMB/way.
Escalator: 32 RMB/way.
Transportation
How to get to Tianmen Mountain?
Airport - Tianmen Mountain: you can either take a bus (Bus 4, 5, 6) or taxi (30 RMB) to the lower station of the Tianmen cable car (City Garden Cable Car Station).
Railway Station - Tianmen Mountain: you can either take a bus (Bus 5, 6) or taxi (10 RMB) to City Garden Cable Car Station.
Means of Transport in Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area
Tianmenshan Cable Car, the most important means of transport here, starts from the City Garden of downtown Zhangjiajie and ends at the Tianmen Mountain. It’s the longest mountain cable car in the world. The whole cableway is 7455m in length, with an elevation difference of 1279m. There are 98 lift cars, and each can take eight people. It takes about 28 minutes to get to the top. Thus, it’s quite a ride.
Tour Bus
Green Tour Bus is the second most crucial transportation. There are 30 tour buses currently, and each can take 26 passengers. The tour bus travels between the mid cable car station to the parking lot of Tianmen Cave. A single way journey takes about 25-30 minutes, and the bus runs every 10 minutes. In case that the cable car is unavailable, the tour bus can take you from the low cable car station directly to the Tianmen Cave.
Forest Sightseeing Cable Car 
It’s a special kind of transportation starting from the top of the mountain's central peak and ends at the Cheery Bay Square in front of the Tianmenshan Temple with a total length of 800m. It runs every 10 minutes and has uncovered hanging seats that can take two people. By taking the Forest Sightseeing Cable Car, you will be presented with the most stunning forest view of the mountain, and Tianmenshan Temple is easier to approach.
Escalator
The escalator that goes through the Tianmen mountain is the first of its kind on earth. It has 12 sections with a total length of 897m and an elevation difference of 340m. It can 
take you from the end of the Tianmen Cave to the very top of the Tianmen Mountain. There are 16 extra-large heavy-duty bus escalators in 30 meters long and 3 sizeable heavy-duty bus escalators in 20 meters long, which endow the elevators the superpower of carrying 3600/h.
Best Time to Visit Tianmen Mountain
Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area belongs to the subtropical humid monsoon climate zone, and the temperature of the mountain is usually 6-8 centigrade lower than that of the downtown area. You can only experience spring, autumn, and winter here, and the period from May to October is the best time to visit Tianmen Mountain. The mountain's winter season starts from early December and ends in late March, during which rimes and icicles form spectacular views.
Evening Show - Tianmen Fox Fairy Show
Tianmen Fox Fairy Show is the first outdoor musical show with mountains and valleys as backdrops. The story comes from a folk tale named “Liu Hai Kan Qiao (Liu Hai 
CutsFirewood).” The show begins with the fox king choosing his wife, and he had a crush with a white fox, who longed for the human life and fell in love with the impoverished woodman Liu Hai. After all the hardships, the love story between the white fox and the woodman moved the deities, and they ended up living happily together.
For more tour information, check out the Tour to Zhangjiajie: Locals' Guide
Recommended Itienerary: 7 Days Golden Hunan Tour to Fenghuang, Zhangjiajie and Changsha
