Background to the Policy and Discount Period
In 2020, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and in light of the severe tourism situation in the Wulingyuan district, and in order to carry out tourism promotion and marketing work for Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan during the summer holiday, prompt the tourism economy to recover as quickly as possible, further expand the online influence and coverage of the Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan brand, and raise the tourism popularity of the Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan scenic area, this measures for implementing the ticket discount policy were issued with the agreement of the Municipal Party Committee, the Municipal Government, the District Party Committee and the District Government.
The discount window is August 1 to August 31, 2020, covering the whole second half of the summer holiday. For families planning to visit during this period, this is a ticket reduction arrangement designed with the "family" as the unit, rather than a general price cut for all visitors, so whether you qualify and how you prove the relationship are the key to enjoying the discount.
Eligible Persons and the "1+2" Composition Model
The eligible persons are primary and secondary school students nationwide and their parents in 2020, including independent individual travellers and tour groups. Note in particular that infants below grade 1 and the accompanying parents of university students do not take part in this policy.
The discount measure is: from August 1 to August 31, 2020, the Wulingyuan core scenic area grants the above persons a half-price ticket discount according to the "1+2" composition model, limited to parents, with the family as the unit.
The half-price scope covers the Wulingyuan core scenic area main ticket and the shuttle buses, but does not include the cableways, elevators, sightseeing trams and other transport within the scenic area, nor scenic spots and sites such as Baofeng Lake, Huanglong Cave and performance venues. In other words, the discount applies to the mountain entry ticket and the shuttle bus portion; cableways and elevators on the mountain still require separate tickets as needed.
How Independent Individual Travellers Handle It
- Primary and secondary school students nationwide and their parents in 2020, with the family as the unit, present their ID cards and original household registration booklets and other relevant supporting materials directly at the ticket sales windows of the various ticket stations of the Wulingyuan core scenic area for verification and inspection, and go through the half-price discount formalities on site, with on-site review according to the "1+2" composition model.
- Eligible persons, with the relevant documents or other supporting materials reviewed at ticket purchase, enter and tour the Wulingyuan core scenic area after checking and verification at the various ticket stations.
For individual travellers, this policy is "handled on site, granted on the spot"; no advance online application is required, but all original documents must be brought. If documents are incomplete or the family relationship cannot be proven, the discount cannot be processed on site.
How Tour Groups Handle It
- Tour groups organized to include eligible persons must, more than 1 day in advance, provide the tour group's itinerary, the list of guests' ID cards by family unit, copies of guests' ID cards and copies of guests' household registration booklets to the various ticket stations for booking, review and filing, and at the same time obtain the advance booking review receipt issued by the ticket station.
- On the day the tour group enters the mountain, with the advance booking review receipt issued by the ticket station, the itinerary, the list of guests' ID cards by family unit, the original guests' ID cards and the original guests' household registration booklets, they go to the ticket sales windows of the various ticket stations of the Wulingyuan core scenic area to buy discount tickets on site according to the "1+2" composition model, and to purchase scenic area accident insurance. (Persons exempt from tickets who meet the provisions of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission document and are under 14 years old must purchase the scenic area management fee and insurance totalling 8 yuan per ticket.)
- Eligible persons, with the relevant documents or other supporting materials reviewed at ticket purchase, enter and tour the Wulingyuan core scenic area after checking and verification at the various ticket stations.
The core of the group channel is "filing one day in advance". Without the receipt, the discount cannot be arranged retroactively on the day of entry, and this is crucial for both tour operators and the families travelling with the group.
Notes and Handling of Special Cases
This policy grants the half-price discount to students' parents according to the "1+2" composition model, limited to parents. The specific rules of implementation are as follows:
- When a student is not accompanied by parents or is accompanied by only 1 parent, the policy is enjoyed according to the actual number of accompanying parents;
- When there is more than 1 student (families with more than one child), the policy can still only be enjoyed according to the rules with the family as the unit;
- When there is no student accompanying and only parents are touring, the policy is not enjoyed.
For tour groups organized to include eligible persons that do not provide the relevant supporting materials to the ticket station more than 1 day in advance for booking, review and filing, the Wulingyuan core scenic area does not offer the discount; for individual travellers unable to provide ID cards, household registration booklets and other relevant supporting materials, the Wulingyuan core scenic area does not offer the discount.
Independent individual travellers and tour groups that meet the eligibility conditions must strictly observe the conditions and operating procedures for enjoying the discount policy. For individuals and organizers who commit fraud, provide false supporting materials or otherwise maliciously obtain the discount, once discovered, economic and legal liability will be pursued according to law.
This policy, according to the "1+2" model, grants the half-price discount only to students' parents; students themselves are handled according to the ticket policy set by the provincial price department; that is, persons exempt from tickets who meet the provisions of the provincial development and reform department document and are under 14 years old must purchase the scenic area management fee and insurance totalling 8 yuan per ticket; for minors aged 14 (inclusive) to 18 (exclusive), the half-price discount policy applies; for full-time undergraduate students and students at lower levels of education, the half-price discount policy applies.
This policy is reviewed and handled on site and granted on the spot, so tour groups enjoying this ticket discount policy no longer enjoy any other group reward policy.
As for related explanations: the various ticket stations shall do the work of booking and reviewing the relevant materials for tour groups more than 1 day in advance, and are responsible for identity verification and checking of eligible persons when they enter the mountain; the Ticket Management Center of the Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic Area and National Forest Park Administration shall do the work of ticket exchange and handling under this discount policy and the copying and archiving of relevant materials, and register daily ledgers for inspection.
For special circumstances where the persons genuinely meet the eligibility conditions but this is not reflected in a single household registration booklet, after joint on-site verification by the relevant persons in charge of the two units, the Ticket Management Center of the Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic Area and National Forest Park Administration and the ticket station, and after the situation is found to be true, special handling may be granted to enjoy this policy, but the "2020 Wulingyuan Core Scenic Area Summer Holiday On-Site Verification Form for Student-Parent Relationships" (see attachment) must be completed, the eligible person must sign in person to confirm, and the original guests' ID cards and original guests' household registration booklets must be copied and archived together for inspection.
The final right of interpretation of this policy belongs to the People's Government of Wulingyuan District, Zhangjiajie City, and the Administration of Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area and National Forest Park.
The attachment is the "2020 Wulingyuan Core Scenic Area Summer Holiday On-Site Verification Form for Student-Parent Relationships (special circumstances where the student and parent family members are not in the same household registration booklet)", which requires filling in the names, ID numbers and relationships of the son or daughter, father and mother, and signing by the person themselves as a commitment to the truthfulness of the tourist family relationship, noting whether the tourist's relevant ID documents and household registration booklet have been copied and backed up, and the on-site inquiry and verification findings, with the on-site verifier signing and filling in the on-site verification date. These measures were issued on July 20, 2020 by the Office of the Tourism Work Committee of the CPC Wulingyuan District Committee, Zhangjiajie City.
Practical Tips
- The scenic area operates a real-name booking system with time slots and separate stations; each entry within the four-day ticket validity period requires advance booking and entry on time, so before travelling please book the entry time slot for the ticket station you have chosen.
- For first-time visitors and families with elderly people and children, the East Gate (Wulingyuan Landmark Gate) is recommended; just outside the gate is Wulingyuan town, with plenty of dining and accommodation, and shuttle connections to the lower station of the Bailong Elevator, Shili Gallery and the Tianzi Mountain Cableway.
- To hike Jinbian Stream, choose the South Gate (Forest Park ticket station); the starting point of Jinbian Stream is right at the gate. To save effort and reach the summit area directly, choose the North Gate (Tianzi Mountain ticket station).
- Private cars cannot be driven into the scenic area and must be parked in the car park outside the ticket station, with a transfer to the scenic area shuttle buses to enter; cableways, elevators and sightseeing trams inside the park all require separate tickets.
- The temperature difference between the mountain top and the foot is 5–8°C, so bring a jacket; viewing platforms are close to cliffs, so hold children's hands; wild macaques will snatch food, so do not hold snacks in your hands.
Current Standards in Effect
From January 1, 2025, the Wulingyuan core scenic area abolished the distinction between low and peak seasons, with a unified ticket of 165 yuan per person, valid for 4 consecutive days. Transport within the scenic area (shuttle buses etc.) is 71 yuan and personal accident insurance is 3 yuan, making 239 yuan for the three items together. This site treats the 3 yuan insurance as complimentary, so visitors pay 236 yuan in practice. It should be explained that: 165 yuan is only the price of the ticket itself, excluding scenic area transport and insurance, so there is no need to be puzzled on seeing the three figures 165, 236 and 239 — they refer to different scopes.