Whispers of the Mountains: Discovering Zhangjiajie and the Cyberpunk Skyline of Chongqing
Exploring China 2025 – Part 2
Exploring China again is the perfect trip for our first overseas travel in a while. So, at the end of May we continued our journey south from Beijing, swapping Shanghai‘s sleek waterfronts for the mist-wrapped peaks of Zhangjiajie, and then plunging into the neon-lit future cityscape of Chongqing. A place where cyberpunk dreams come alive. Our time here balanced the wild beauty of nature, with the bold spectacle of an urban jungle that almost seemed imagined.
Zhangjiajie: Walking Among Avatar’s Giants
We arrived in Zhangjiajie to find ourselves amid the iconic sandstone columns of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, the real-life inspiration for the floating mountains of Pandora in the 2009 movie Avatar. Each morning we woke in a traditional alleyway guesthouse, serenaded by the noisy murmur of cicadas and returned each evening to an array of glowing lanterns. As many of you know, we both love exploring and getting lost in the many laneways and alleyways of the world, so in exploring China, we had plenty of opportunity for this to occur! Getting lost is all part of the fun of travel.
Our highlight was the breathtaking Tianzi Mountain, reached via cable car. We walked among towering monoliths, each drifting between clouds and greenery, making us feel small in the best way possible.
Red Ribbons Wrapped Around the Trees
When exploring China, red ribbons tied to trees are often a symbol of good luck, prosperity, and wishes for the future. Red ribbons are commonly seen in temples, parks, and other sacred spaces.The practice is rooted in Chinese culture, where red is a colour of joy and good fortune. Trees are seen as sacred and connected to life, so by tying a ribbon around a tree, it is a way to express wishes, prayers, or gratitude.
Next, we journeyed to Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park, known for its legendary Stairway to Heaven, a path of 999 stone steps that ascend to the famous Heaven’s Gate arch. Numbers matter here: 999 signifies eternity and divine power in Chinese culture. At the summit, natural stone giant split the mountain like a door to the sky. We chose the tunnel escalators for the ascent but still paused to absorb every breathtaking vista.
At night we visited the absolutely stunning wonder that is 72 Strange Buildings (72 Qilou). This is a dramatic cluster of stilted Tujia-style towers clinging to a cliff side. The tallest reaches nearly 110 metres, and holds the Guinness World Record as the tallest stilted structure Travel China Guide. After dark it transforms into an illuminated art town alive with performances, teas, and craft stalls reflecting Tujia heritage.
Chongqing: Neon Heights in a Mountain City
When Exploring China, we found we went from the serene to the surreal: Chongqing greeted us with dizzying verticality, a metropolis built into karst hills at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers. It looks lifted straight from a sci-fi film set, bathed in neon and wrapped in mist.
At Xiangyunduan Tea Stall, nestled on a cliff’s edge, we savoured local brews alongside folk melodies, while city lights flickered below, offering the perfect balance between tradition and modernity.
Later, we descended into the city’s electric heart. At Liziba Station, a metro train tunnels through a residential high-rise, a real-life urban marvel. We wandered through dense lanes of Hongya Cave, where LED-lit wooden scaffolds rise eleven levels above the river, glowing like a floating city.
The following day, we explored the futuristic Ring Mall, its floating islands and verdant terraces hovering over water, and ended our nights in art galleries and hidden teahouses where wood and LED light intertwined. Everywhere we looked the city felt alive, an urban jungle of concrete, cable cars, and cobalt light. At times it felt like we had entered a sci-fi dream, and yet this was pure, unfiltered Chongqing. We are so loving exploring China. It’s just so accessible in every way.
Two Worlds in One Trip
Zhangjiajie taught us reverence in silence, sacred stone guardians, and the weight of ancient wonder. Chongqing showed us an urban vertigo where skyscrapers grow from gorges and neon threads river across canyons.
What is luxury travel really?
Together they reminded us that luxury in travel is found in the little moments, when you breathe mountain mist in the morning and commune with light and steel in the evening. These are the stories we seek to share with you on Exploramum as World Travel Experts. This 2025 trip is certainly different from our last time exploring China in 2018, however, each time we explore China we find it is unique.
