People left shocked after discovering what 'Wonderland on Earth' which Avatar was based on looks like now
In James Cameron 's epic 2009 film 'Avatar', characters exist in a beautiful landscape with vast forests and mountains.
This fictional setting was inspired by the real-life Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in China, known as a 'wonderland on Earth'.
The breathtaking reserve is part of a wider scenic area officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
But people have been shocked to discover how Zhangjiajie is being transformed into a 'stinking cesspit'.
Disgraceful new footage reveals a look inside one of the ancient natural caves at the site, which was formed hundreds of thousands of years ago.
Due to an influx of human visitors, the cave is filled with huge piles of litter, including plastic bottles and wrappers.
In the footage, explorers can be seen staring in horror as they cast a torch around the multicoloured rubbish mountains.
Over more than a decade, the debris was discarded by park visitors before eventually ending up in the cave, authorities believe.
Disgraceful new footage reveals a look inside one of the ancient natural caves at the site, which was formed hundreds of thousands of years ago
Officials say that some plastic water bottles found inside the cave date to 2015 – indicating that the pollution has been building up for a while.
The cave is also now filled with murky water and sewage, which has 'produced an unbearable stench', reports Need To Know, citing local press.
According to an investigation, the source of pollution is suspected to be the long-term illegal discharge of sewage by local farmers.
The sewage and garbage has gradually built up in the descending cave like an overflowing toilet, spilling to the surface.
As a result, it has flowed into a nearby stream, sparking concern among locals about the cleanliness of drinking water.
The Ecology and Environment Bureau of Cili County has launched a district-wide investigation alongside authorities, the report adds.
It's unclear exactly which cave it is at Zhangjiajie, but the park's natural voids are filled with incredible stalactites, hanging like an icicles from the roof.
Stalactites are produced by precipitation of minerals from water dripping through the cave ceiling – and are different from stalagmites which rise from the floor.
'Avatar' took more than five years to make and was reportedly one of the most expensive films, with a budget of at least $300 million
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park inspired the fictional jungle moon of Pandora – home to the blue-hued Na'vi people – in the 2009 James Cameron smash hit.
The action-adventure movie, starring Sigourney Weaver, is set in 2154 and tells the tale of a disabled ex-Marine sent to Pandora to infiltrate a race of 10-foot (3-metre) blue aliens and persuade them to let his employer mine their homeland for natural resources.
The film took more than five years to make and was reportedly one of the most expensive films, with a budget of at least $300 million.
Avatar became the highest grossing film of all time after its release in 2009, beating Titanic, also directed by James Cameron, off the top spot.
A year after the film, Zhangjiajie tourism bosses changed the name of the Qiankun Pillar to 'Avatar Hallelujah Mountain' and started to cash in with Avatar souvenirs.
There's now an Avatar statue for people to pose with for photos, against the inspiring backdrop of striking sandstone and quartz cliffs.
However, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was already being turned into something of a tourist attraction before Cameron's successful film.
It features the Bailong Elevator, opened to the public in 2002, which is the world's tallest outdoor lift, at 1,070ft (326 metres).
An Avatar statue is seen at the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, a popular tourist destination - largely thanks to the film
Like something from the streets of Beijing, the huge elevator can transport visitors to the top from its foot in less than two minutes.
There's also three cable cars and a 1,410ft glass bridge for pedestrians (the highest in the world), opened in 2016.
The park is also home to small villages and the 'air garden' – a startling rice terrace 1,000 metres (3,280ft) above sea level.
In addition, it has free-roaming wildlife, including monkeys, which have been filmed pinching people's belongings.
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