Day 21: The Floating Peaks of Zhangjiajie and Cheeky Macaques 🇨🇳⛰️ March 12, 2026 Today, we drastically changed the scenery and headed to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park — the very place that inspired the creators of the movie "Avatar." These incredible quartzite pillars, soaring hundreds of meters into the sky, look as if they defy all laws of physics. In the morning, a thick fog rolled into the valley, and when I reached the top via the glass Bailong Elevator, built right into the sheer cliff face, the mountain peaks truly looked like islands floating in the air. It feels as if I've landed on another planet. While walking along the picturesque trail by the Golden Whip Stream at the foot of these giants, I encountered some unexpected local residents — wild macaques. They act like the absolute masters of this place! One of these fluffy creatures rather unceremoniously tried to snatch a map from the side pocket of a backpack belonging to a European tourist walking ahead of me. He was so taken aback that he just froze, not knowing what to do. I had to step in and help: I clapped my hands loudly and took a confident step toward the monkey. The macaque snorted in displeasure, abandoned its loot, and agilely disappeared into the thick branches. The man laughed with relief and thanked me. We struck up a conversation and ended up walking part of the route together, exchanging impressions of this grandiose place and glancing at the trees with a slight wariness. A great day full of pristine beauty and fun little incidents!