My Zhangjiajie & Fenghuang Travelogue + Guide
Most tourists come to Zhangjiajie not only to enjoy its magical natural scenery but also to seek a sense of joy and relaxation. Living day after day in the bustling city and toiling away at tedious work, from the moment you set off on your journey, your mood may already be completely set free. But when traveling, you inevitably encounter...
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.
Most tourists come to Zhangjiajie not only to appreciate the magical natural scenery here, but even more to seek a pleasant and relaxed mood. Living all day in the chaotic city and toiling away at tedious work, from the moment you set foot on the journey, perhaps your mood has already been completely set free. But away from home you inevitably come into contact with different people and matters. Among these there are good ones and bad ones, beautiful ones and ugly ones, kind ones and evil ones. Of course, being cheated or ripped off is, I think, what everyone least wants to see. Objectively speaking, the scenery of Zhangjiajie is more appreciable than that of Guilin and Huangshan, and the reception facilities are quite complete. The tourism market is relatively mature, and both joining a tour group and independent travel are feasible.
Compared with other scenic areas across the country, Zhangjiajie has even more advantages for independent travel, namely that joining a tour group from your place of departure absolutely cannot take you to Zhangjiajie's most attractive premium scenic spots, such as Yangjiajie's Tianbo Mansion, Wulong Village, One Step to Heaven, Sky Corridor, Daguan Platform's One Step Is Hard to Take, Immortal Bridge, Tianzi Seat, Shentang Bay, Point General Platform, and other essential scenic spots.
As for Fenghuang Ancient Town, it is a very small city, and you can absolutely just go there directly to visit.
Now I have distilled some essential points from a full guide to a several-day itinerary in Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang, for friends who want to go and visit to use as reference.
If you want to travel easily and enjoy yourself, then you definitely should not join a tour group; contact a local guide. At that time, through a friend's introduction, we had a local guide surnamed Peng. He led us, found us a guesthouse at night, and could also help book return train tickets and arrange the touring route. For three days and two nights, the local guide arranged the route very classically. The major route stayed the same, but the minor routes were linked in series, allowing us to avoid the crowded tour groups. Everywhere we went we could enjoy tranquility, and the highly efficient itinerary was free and easy, without having to look forward and backward and wait around. The most important point is that ordinary tour groups go up Tianzi Mountain that same day and must come down the same day, and cannot stay overnight on the mountain, because on Tianzi Mountain there is only one three-star hotel called Tianzi Hotel, and farmhouses are very limited. Ordinary groups generally cannot accommodate everyone, and the groups also have to go down the mountain to create secondary revenue for the guide and travel agency. We stayed in a farmhouse inn at the top of the mountain, enjoyed Tujia meals, and the price was very affordable. The conditions for entertaining guests at the farmhouse were also not bad, with hot water for bathing at night and a color TV. In the evening, walking to the cliff edge nearby, you could also watch the sunset. The tourists eating Tujia meals all looked as if they were starving through a famine.
If you are not too optimistic about your physical strength and money, you can skip Huangshizhai. The saying goes, "If you don't go up Huangshizhai, your trip to Zhangjiajie is in vain."
It is just a promotional slogan made by the Huangshizhai cableway company to get you to ride the cableway. When you look at Huangshizhai after seeing Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain, you will feel that each has its own strengths!
You can take the route through Golden Whip Stream, a very beautiful canyon, and you definitely must walk it. It is 7.5 kilometers long in total. You can follow this stream all the way until you reach a place called Water Surrounding Four Gates, which is one of the places that will use up your film.
To go up to Yuanjiajie, take the Bailong Sky Elevator, known as the number one elevator in the world. You can enjoy the scenery in the elevator, but the time is very short. Friends who like photography must choose a spot in advance inside the elevator, leaning toward the innermost side, so the photos come out beautiful;
I think the essence of Zhangjiajie is right here, so do not miss this route. The elevator one-way ascent is 56
If you consider yourself to be in good shape, there are also two paths that can take you directly up to Yuanjiajie.
--Luanchuanpo (Rushing-About Slope), which leads directly up to the Back Garden of Yuanjiajie.
Everyone says: "Yuanjiajie is like a movie—every step is a scene." After climbing up to Yuanjiajie, from the Back Garden to Mihuntai (Soul-Enchanting Terrace) to Lover's Valley all the way to the No. 1 Bridge under Heaven, the entire 1.7 kilometers is nothing but beautiful scenery. But don't get so carried away by the beautiful views—like seeing a pretty girl—that you lose yourself! Because the entire Yuanjiajie sightseeing route runs right along the edges of cliffs, with a canyon three to four hundred meters deep below. If you're even slightly careless and step into thin air, you might just melt into the mountains of Zhangjiajie!
There are two places in Yangjiajie you must not miss: One Step to Heaven and the Sky Corridor. Look them up online—the beauty of these two attractions is famous throughout the land.
Among Zhangjiajie's thousands of scenic spots, if these two are said to be second, no one would dare claim first place.
Of course, the scenery of Tianzi Mountain is also absolutely breathtaking.
The scenery of Yangjiajie is like that of Zhangjiajie—at first it was "raised in the depths of the boudoir, unknown to the world," but as soon as it showed its face, it became "famous throughout the world at a single stroke." Compared with Tianzi Mountain and Yuanjiajie, apart from most of the geology and landforms being similar, it also has its own unique features—it is unlike Zhangjiajie yet surpasses Zhangjiajie.
We spent three days in Zhangjiajie, and on the afternoon of the third day we took a bus to Fenghuang.
When we arrived in Fenghuang, the bus stopped near Nanhua Gate, and we took a taxi for 3 yuan to the area near Hong Bridge to look for accommodation. First we went to the Tuojiang Renjia, which is well-reviewed online, but it seemed nothing special, and the price wasn't particularly cheap either. After looking around a bit more, we finally chose Juxiaocheng Inn at No. 15 North Street, located in the best section between Tiaoyan (Jumping Rock) and Hong Bridge. We had a triple room in a riverside wooden building all to ourselves, with a private bathroom and balcony, for only 60 yuan per night. That should count as cheap. After dropping off our luggage and having dinner, we went to see the moon. On the riverbank below the North Gate Tower, many people were releasing wishing lanterns. This was once a place where heads were chopped off—every day hundreds of corpses were laid out there—but now it's a scene of brilliance and liveliness. There were also many people at Tiaoyan; it really seemed like they might get squeezed into the river.
The next day we went to the area near Shen Congwen's grave to take a private boat tour on the Tuojiang River. If several people charter a boat together, the cost is about 10-15 yuan per person, round trip from Shen Congwen's grave to Peach Blossom Island. There was a severe drought in Xiangxi this year, so there wasn't much water in the Tuojiang, but the aquatic plants were extremely lush. Countless dragonflies and butterflies of all colors hovered over the water—very mesmerizing. The scenery on both banks wasn't particularly beautiful, but watching local kids playing in the river and the pastoral views was actually quite nice. On the return trip going upstream, the boatman had a tough time; when the current was swift he even had to get into the water to push the boat. We paid our respects at Shen Congwen's grave—I still really like his stories, haha. On the way we bought kiwis for 1 yuan per jin; they tasted a hundred times better than those sold in Shanghai supermarkets.
Also, north of Hong Bridge in the direction of Wanming Pagoda, there's a bar called "Bianke." The music, decor, and atmosphere are all very nice, and it's quiet—by contrast, the other riverside bars are too noisy. You can go sit there in the evening, order some drinks or beer; the prices aren't expensive. You can also stay there—it's similar to a youth hostel, with lots of DVDs and internet access. I recommend the terrace there, which faces Hong Bridge directly. The exact address is No. 19 Shawan.
My overall impression of Fenghuang didn't differ much from what I had imagined. Like all ancient towns, the many visiting tourists have already changed its original character. However, the stilted houses in the sunset, the city towers that have stood there since ancient times, and the quietly flowing Tuojiang River still have their own charm. If you can face it with a calm state of mind, it's still a nice place.
On the third morning we got up and went to eat the old-brand rice noodles south of Hong Bridge—not as tasty as legend would have it. There's a dedicated shuttle to Laodong that includes round-trip bus and boat fare, lunch, a full-time guide, and folk performances, all for 88 yuan. Usually you just arrange it with your hotel owner the night before, and someone will come pick you up in the morning, or you can go directly to the north side of Hong Bridge to buy a ticket and board the bus.
The guide was a very nice young Miao man who enthusiastically told us all kinds of stories about the Miao people along the way, answering almost every question. There are two routes to Laodong. Midway you pass a suspension bridge where the bus stops briefly to let everyone walk across. The road forks before the Changtangang Dam; after that you can either take the highway directly to Laodong or take a boat up the reservoir. Because of the low water, the waterfalls and such that should have been visible along the highway section couldn't be seen, so all the tourists on the bus agreed to take the boat up. The scenery along the way was very nice—the water was a deep blue, with layered rock cliffs on both banks. You could also see the old site of Yabao Village (equivalent to a modern casino) and abandoned bandit lairs. After reaching the disembarkation point, we continued by bus to Laodong. The highway had just been built, so not long ago Laodong was still an undeveloped, primitive Miao village. The terraced fields along the way were endlessly beautiful, with rice in alternating patches of yellow and green.
The villagers of Laodong are very friendly and very simple. At the village entrance there's an elementary school, and the children made bamboo dragonflies to give to visitors without asking for money. If you want to take photos with the Miao people, they generally agree very politely—it leaves a very good impression. Although lunch was simple, it was delicious: cured meat, vegetables, very sweet and sticky pumpkin, and a very fresh black chicken soup—awesome. There were belts hand-woven by Miao grandmothers; I picked a few nice ones to give as gifts. The price wasn't expensive—5 yuan each. These hand-woven ones are much prettier than the mass-produced goods seen everywhere at tourist spots. Then we visited the old residences of the tusi (local chieftain) and some notable people from the village. They were all old houses several hundred years old, with quite exquisite window lattices and wall decorations. Each household had rice, corn, and chili peppers drying at their door—very charming. As for the performances, I won't say much—probably similar everywhere.
We got back to Fenghuang around five o'clock and wandered around Dongzheng Street, bought some ginger candy, and passed by the batik shop of Huang Yongyu's nephew. It was indeed very beautiful, but the price... In the evening we continued to hang out at "Bianke" bar, and after coming back we just sat on the balcony staring blankly at the Tuojiang River and the stilted houses across the way.