Found! The Stunning Mountain that inspired Avatar's 'Floating Peaks' ~ onlinetravelsites

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Its soaring steeple of rock topped by a small oasis of trees looks straight out of the 3D blockbuster Avatar.

But this is no special effects illusion, it's a real-life tower of quartz-sandstone deep in the rugged mountain terrain of southern Hunan in China.

The 3,544ft Southern Sky Column is one of 3,000 in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and became the inspiration for the magical 'floating peaks' in James Cameron's film after a Hollywood photographer spent time shooting there in 2008. Now where have I seen this before: The mountain previously known as the 'Southern Sky Column' in China, which has now been named the 'Avatar Hallelujah Mountain'

And from the film: The Hollywood rendering of the mountains in James Cameron's blockbuster film 'Avatar'

Otherworldly: More of the strange peaks in the Zhangjiajie national park

Remote: The South Hunan region is home to the 'Avatar' mountains