Golden Whip Stream

7.5 km gorge stream trail (Golden Whip Rock / Eagle Guarding the Whip / Qianli Xianghui / Shuirao Simen), one of the "world's most beautiful gorges" (legend of Zhang Liang's seclusion), macaque troops. Entering from the Forest Park ticket gate, you step straight into the Golden Whip Stream gorge: the 7.5 km trail follows the stream between flanking stone peaks and towering old trees, the water clear to the bottom—hailed as one of the "world's most beautiful gorges." Golden Whip Rock is a lone spike thrusting at the sky like a whip, with sights such as Eagle Guarding the Whip and Qianli Xianghui ("Meeting from Afar") keeping you company along the way; legend has it that Zhang Liang, Marquis of Liu of the Han dynasty, retired here in seclusion after his triumphs, and the tranquility around "Shuirao Simen" bears out the fabled "fairyland on earth." Macaques beg for food in troops along the route—keep food and plastic bags well stowed; the whole gently sloping walk takes about 2.5–3 hours, and the negative-oxygen-ion level by the stream is extremely high, making this Zhangjiajie's most comfortable hiking route.

Getting there: Walk in from the Forest Park ticket-gate entrance