Nostalgia: A 25-Year-Old Travel Guide to Zhangjiajie and Wudang Mountain
August 13–21, 1985. Twenty-five years ago (1985), a family of three took a self-funded summer trip to Jingzhou, Xiangfan, and Wudang Mountain in Hubei, plus Zhangjiajie in Hunan, as an 'independent tour.' The entire journey was documented with physical items and photos. Borrowing today's popular term 'guide,' this serves as a reference for fellow travelers planning their trips—though...
This article is compiled from the original travel notes on the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com); it is a record of trips from earlier years. Time-sensitive information such as ticket prices, schedules, and accommodation prices is subject to the latest announcements from scenic areas and transportation authorities; the itinerary ideas and attraction introductions still have reference value.
August 13, 1985 to August 21, 1985
Twenty-five years ago (1985), during the summer vacation, a family of three traveled at their own expense to Jingzhou and Xiangfan in Hubei, Wudang Mountain, and Zhangjiajie in Hunan for a "self-guided tour." They recorded the entire itinerary with physical objects and photographs, borrowing the now commonly used term "guide" to provide reference for fellow travelers when planning their itineraries—though it is estimated that there is probably not much reference value left.
Pre-trip preparations: In the 1980s, no matter where you traveled, you had to obtain an "Introduction Letter" from your work unit, otherwise you could not stay in an inn, and you might even be detained by the local police station as a vagrant.
Pre-trip preparations: You had to prepare Hubei provincial local grain coupons in preparation for eating in other counties and cities within the province.
Pre-trip preparations: You had to exchange a certain number of national grain coupons; only then was it possible to have meals in Hunan Province.
Pre-trip preparations: A camera (domestically made Seagull 205), plus two rolls of black-and-white 135 film purchased separately.
At 7 a.m. on August 13, 1985, in Wuhan, they took the "Wuchang--Shashi" scheduled bus, 6 yuan per person (now 80 yuan).
After about 6 hours (now a high-speed bus takes only 3 hours), they arrived in Shashi (now Shashi District, Jingzhou City) and immediately went to visit the ancient city of Jingzhou (then called Jiangling County). The ticket price, if I remember correctly, seemed to be 0.10 yuan.
In Shashi they found the cheapest inn—a tricycle inn, a simple inn temporarily converted from a tricycle repair shop. It cost only one yuan per person per day. Of course, it was communal bedding, with large rooms for dozens of people, men and women housed separately, shared toilets, and no bathhouse.
At 3 p.m. on August 14, they took a very old long-distance bus and after about 3 hours of bumping along arrived at Zhicheng Town in Yidu, the starting point of the Zhiliu Railway, which had opened to traffic not long before, at 2.3 yuan per person. The ticket even had the "Highest Directive" printed on it.
They stayed at a small inn next to the station. A double room cost 3.5 yuan. The room was very small, had no bathroom, and did not even have an electric fan.
At 8 a.m. on August 15, they took the train from Zhicheng to Dayong South (at that time Zhangjiajie was called Dayong County), hard seat at 3.8 yuan per person.
They arrived in Dayong at around 1 p.m., then transferred to a bus to go to the Zhangjiajie scenic area, 1.5 yuan per person, about a 2-hour ride.
Upon arriving in Zhangjiajie, they bought tickets, which seemed to be 2 yuan per person.
Finding a place to stay: Back then, Zhangjiajie had only one simple state-run hostel, which could accommodate just a few dozen people. It was already fully booked and beyond our budget. Fortunately, the Guangzhou Railway Bureau had just opened a tent hostel with a lovely name, "Immortal's Dwelling." Each tent cost 5 yuan, with a discount to 4 yuan for teachers. We quickly booked two days' accommodation.
The tents were pitched on an open ground. They were very small, just big enough to fit two quilts side by side, with foam mats on the ground. The plastic door could be sealed with a zipper to keep out poisonous insects (insects we had never seen before flew around the tents constantly).
Washing was done at an open-air pool. Reed mats were used to partition a few public toilets and bathhouses. Of course, only spring water was available for tourists to bathe in.
At that time, only a few scenic spots in Zhangjiajie were open, such as Golden Whip Stream, Huangshizhai, and Shuiraosimen. Although the facilities were incomplete, the scenery was pristine and full of wild charm, far more enjoyable than when I visited again later.
Golden Whip Stream — We hiked along the stream on a narrow winding path. Now this place has actually been converted by the scenic area into a paved asphalt road for cars, which really ruins the scenery.
This is the Huangshizhai scenic area. Tianzi Mountain, Suoxiyu, and other spots were still undeveloped virgin land at that time, and tourists could not enter. At night, back in the tent, thinking of how my daughter had suffered from eating noodles every day, I made up my mind and spent 5 yuan at a roadside farmhouse stall to stir-fry a dish of chili frog. That flavor was so fragrant — I still can't forget it to this day...
On the morning of August 17, we got up early. At 4:36 at Dayong North Station, we took a train to Xiangfan, Hubei. Hard seats cost 8 yuan per person. Because the trip was rushed and we hadn't prepared dry rations, and there was no food for sale on the train or at the stations we passed through, our family missed two meals and could only stave off hunger with a small jar of pickles we had brought.
We arrived in Xiangfan in the evening. The accommodation receipt can no longer be found. On August 18, we visited the Ancient Longzhong in Xiangfan. The ticket seemed to cost only 0.2 yuan per person.
On the morning of August 19, we took a train from Xiangfan to Wudang Mountain. We paid on the train — two adults and one child ticket, totaling 7.2 yuan. After 2 hours, we arrived at Laoying Station (now Wudangshan Station). It happened that we ran into a group summer tour organized by students from the class I taught, so I "mixed in" with the students and saved on that day's accommodation costs.
Wudang Mountain tickets were divided into two types: entry and Golden Summit, each costing less than 0.5 yuan. Hiking from the foot of the mountain to the summit on foot took almost half a day.
Zixiao Palace at Wudang Mountain — it looked very dilapidated compared to now.
Passing through the First Heavenly Gate of Wudang Mountain
Passing through the Second Heavenly Gate of Wudang Mountain
Passing through the Second Heavenly Gate of Wudang Mountain
This is the first color photo of my life, taken by one of my students.
On the afternoon of August 21, we descended from Wudang Mountain and took the train from Wudang Mountain to Wuchang for the return trip. Each hard seat cost 8 yuan, and we got home in 7 hours (now the train only takes 3 hours).