Aesthetic value of Zhangjiajie geomorphic landscape is not only expressed in its appearance, but also hidden in its connotation. Due to the difference in development stage and development degree, as well as the difference in rock joint density and water flow conditions in different regions, there are many landforms such as platforms, square mountains, peak walls, stone columns, stone peaks, peak clusters, stone gates, natural Bridges, canyons, and barrier valleys, and thousands of individual landforms with endless changes. Among them, the peak forest landform is the most representative.
In the 86km2 core scenic area of the park, more than 3100 peak pillars have developed, with a distribution density of 37.5 /km2. The height difference between the summit and the ground is 10m to 400m, the peaks are like forests, the cliffs are upright, the gullies are deep, and the streams are surrounded, forming a large-scale, magnificent, unpredictable, mysterious and profound, beautiful, incomparable and powerful geomorphic landscape. Especially when the sea of clouds between the peaks is rolling, surging, strange, shrouded in smoke, haze, peaks and peaks, and instant changes, people will also ebb and flow of thoughts. The aesthetic value of Zhangjiajie landform lies in the fact that it can enter people's soul and affect people's consciousness.
Since Chinese painting master Wu Guanzhong first visited Zhangjiajie in 1979 and was shocked by the beauty of its landform landscape, and vigorously promoted it, the aesthetic value of Zhangjiajie landform has been praised by people from all sectors of society at home and abroad, and has produced many works and painting schools with great influence.
The aesthetic significance of Zhangjiajie landform, to a certain extent, has gone beyond aesthetics itself and become a spiritual pursuit of people.
张家界推向世界，国画大师吴冠中功不可默。1979年10月，他应邀来湖南为人民大会堂湖南厅绘制巨型风景画稿，11月，他专程到湘西采风，有缘来到张家界当时的林场。他被这里的风光深深吸引，在艰苦的条件下连续花了五幅水墨风景，一幅宽两米、高一米的《自家斧劈—张家界》尤其惊艳画坛，这幅绘画作品现已被法国立塞奇博物馆收藏。
从张家界林场下来，他写下了游记散文《养在深闺人未识》，发表在1980年元旦的《湖南日报》上。他把张家界当成一颗失落在湘西的风景明珠，他在文中这样写道：“为了探求绘画之美，我辛辛苦苦踏过不少名山，觉得雁荡、武夷、青城、石林……都比不上这无名的张家界美。”“这里秀色不让桂林，但丹峦比桂林更神秘、更集中、更挺拔、更野！”这篇文章引起了海内外社会各界的热切关注，产生了强烈的反响。
此后，吴先生还不遗余力地宣传推介张家界，使得张家界这颗失落的风景明珠走出深闺，被世人所熟知，不仅有了第一个国家森林公园的建立、世界自然遗产的殊荣和世界地质公园的建立，张家界也因旅游建市和张家界旅游的飞速发展。在吴冠中先生于2010年辞别人世两周年后，为缅怀这位艺术家对张家界走向世界所作的贡献，当地政府和人民在世界地质公园内为吴冠中先生建造了的铜像。
