My Zhangjiajie Self-Drive Trip
Zhangjiajie's towering peaks, Fenghuang's leisurely pace, the Tuo River's night views—truly unforgettable... This whole trip felt like a dream, and I'm still savoring it. To use a popular phrase, this trip completely blew me away. A few days ago, I and some friends arranged a self-drive trip to the long-awaited earthly paradise—Zhangjiajie. Nature's uncanny craftsmanship...
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.
The strange peaks of Zhangjiajie, the leisure of Fenghuang. The night view of the Tuo River is truly memorable... This trip felt like a dream, and I still savor it. To use a popular phrase, this trip totally blew me away. A few days ago, a few friends and I agreed to drive to the long-yearned-for earthly paradise—Zhangjiajie. Nature's uncanny workmanship has created Zhangjiajie's unreplicable magic and beauty; the mountains and waters there are beautiful, as friends who had been there had long told us. But various negative reports about Zhangjiajie also made me a bit worried. We didn't want to join a tour group—too rushed, and too many shopping stops, which is annoying. In the end, I found a lot of information online and did my homework thoroughly. Haha, that's what you call being prepared.
Our group of five set off from Shanghai. First we stopped for a day in Lushan to take in the magnificent scenery. To be honest, if we hadn't been to Zhangjiajie, Lushan would have been quite nice—but after seeing Zhangjiajie, Lushan seemed merely so-so. Then we drove past Changsha, made a brief stop, and took the highway all the way to the Zhangjiajie exit. Hehe, sure enough, as the internet said, there were a dozen or so 'wild horses' (unlicensed touts) swarming toward us. Just when we felt as helpless as children, I suddenly saw a delicate and cute girl holding a sign that read 'Pick up Ms. Wang from Shanghai,' checking the passing vehicles. Ha, wasn't that our secret signal? I immediately stepped on the gas and drove up to her. 'Are you Ms. Wang?' ~~~ 'Are you Guide Li?' The code matched, hehe! It feels so good to have someone pick you up.
She got in our car, and then we arranged a hotel in the city area—a three-star one, not bad. I won't mention the name, to avoid fellow travelers saying I'm advertising and ruining my reputation.
The next morning we drove to the entrance of the Forest Park. The mountain scenery stunned us—it truly lived up to its reputation. We hurried to buy tickets and go in without delay. The ticket price was 248 yuan per person plus insurance. According to Guide Li, military disabled, active military, journalists, and seniors over 70 get free admission. Walking into the Forest Park, we were immediately surrounded by green mountains, and the air was exceptionally fresh. I felt a faint delicate fragrance—Guide Pan said it was because the air was full of negative oxygen ions. Wild monkeys would occasionally jump out from the trees by the roadside. Guide Li especially reminded us that if you give them food, in a moment a whole group of monkeys will appear; they're not afraid of people and won't cause trouble for tourists. Many visitors by the roadside were teasing the monkeys, and some women were teaching something to their small children.
Guide Li introduced the first day's itinerary: Golden Whip Stream to Yuanjiajie. We followed the Golden Whip Stream tour route deeper into the Zhangjiajie Scenic Area. Above our heads, fantastic peaks rose steeply; around us, ancient trees blocked the sun, and rare flowers covered the slopes; beneath our feet, a stream babbled. Breathing the fresh air, with sunlight filtering through the leaves and falling on people, we felt completely at one with nature. Golden Whip Stream is 15 li long in total, and the environment is extremely serene. Many rare flowers and unusual trees grow on both sides. Guide Li kept introducing the varieties of flowers and trees, but unfortunately I don't know much about this—I only knew that many were precious plant species, such as dawn redwood, dove flower, lobster flower, and so on. The tall Golden Whip Rock, the smug 'Pig Bajie Carrying His Bride,' and the loving 'Meeting After a Thousand Miles' made me feel like I had stepped into an earthly paradise. The 'Meeting After a Thousand Miles' spot is named because two peaks look very much like two long-parted lovers embracing each other. Here we turned onto the road up to Yuanjiajie. Yuanjiajie is over 1,100 meters above sea level. From the 'Meeting After a Thousand Miles' spot, you have to climb a very steep path called Luan Cuan Slope (Random Scrambling Slope)—I think the name is really fitting, as you scramble left and right. After a strenuous climb, we reached Yuanjiajie. The Back Garden is one of the best viewpoints. Before our eyes, clouds surged and mist swirled, peaks appeared and disappeared, and all kinds of bizarre peaks looked magical and ethereal in the mist—a scene of infinite variety. From any angle, it was a perfect Chinese landscape painting. The magical scenery excited us endlessly, and the fatigue from climbing instantly vanished. I finally caught a glimpse of Zhangjiajie's 'earthly paradise' side. Afterward, we also saw Mihun Terrace (Bewitching Terrace), the World's No. 1 Bridge, and other sights. There was a huge lock there; my friend bought a big lock, had names carved on it, and even 'till death do us part.' Too bad my boyfriend wasn't free this time. At Guide Li's reminder, we left the viewing platform looking back again and again, and stayed at a hotel near the World's No. 1 Bridge. The few of us exchanged feelings for quite a while—ah, worth it!
Third day: Yangjiajie to Tianzi Mountain. We took a bus to Yangjiajie, got off after about ten minutes, and walked into the scenic area. This is a spot that tour groups don't visit. The scenery gradually improved along the way, and after about thirty minutes we reached Wulong Village. Wulong Village is built on an isolated peak. To enter the village, you must pass through three passes, each incredibly perilous. Especially the last pass, where you can only squeeze sideways through a sliver of sky between huge boulders—it's called the 'Weight Loss' Pass, also known as the Slimming Valley. Because obese people find it hard to get through and must lose weight first. Wulong Village was once occupied by bandits for a long time. The TV series 'Story of Suppressing Bandits in Wulong Mountain' was adapted from the facts of the PLA suppressing bandits here, and many scenes were filmed on location. Guide Li kept telling us stories about the former bandits along the way. Western Hunan has many mountains and dense forests, and bandits have always been common there—I'd heard that long ago. But after seeing the beautiful scenery near Wulong Village, I couldn't help but sigh to Guide Li: 'With such beautiful scenery, how did the bandits ever choose this place?' Tianbo Mansion is just southwest of Wulong Village. If you've seen Tianbo Mansion, you'll also say: I love beauties, but I love the mountains and rivers even more! That surging momentum makes you simply marvel at nature's wonders. From Yangjiajie, we took the eco-bus to Daguantai on Tianzi Mountain. South of Tianzi Mountain is a large crescent-shaped valley containing Shentang Bay; it's part of Suoxiyu, and visitors view the scenery from Tianzi Mountain around the canyon. Below Tianzi Peak, you can see the entire Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area. Looking out, the sky is azure, clouds are light and the wind gentle, and in the valley, fantastic peaks tower and grotesque rocks jut. The peaks here are smaller than those in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, mostly disconnected from each other, mainly concentrated around Shentang Bay and Helong Park. Viewed from below Tianzi Peak, they look like a stone forest. There are more open areas in the middle of the valley; on rainy and foggy days, it becomes a sea of clouds, called Xihai (West Sea). Although I didn't get to witness the spectacle of the sea of clouds, after hearing descriptions, the image of a Penglai fairyland quickly appeared in my mind, with each small peak in the sea of clouds vaguely visible like little islands. Walking along the valley for about forty minutes, we reached Xianren Bridge, Tianzi Treasure Seat, and other spots. Tianzi Treasure Seat is like a stone wall extending from the mountain into the deep valley, with sheer cliffs on both sides. Standing at the end of the wall, with the bright sun overhead, deep ravines below, and the sound of pine wind in your ears, the peaks of Xihai opposite seem closer and more beautiful because there's no reference point—it feels almost within reach. Roam Shentang Bay and embrace these peaks, each one so lifelike and full of spirit. Legend has it that Xiang Dakun once cultivated here at Tianzi Treasure Seat for three years, and later led the Tujia people in rebellion and proclaimed himself king. Xiang Dakun was a Tujia peasant uprising leader in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, regarded by the local Tujia people as a national hero and Son of Heaven. Countless legends about her circulate in the scenic area, and Tianzi Mountain is also named in her memory. Although these legends are mostly bizarre and exaggerated, they still add much cultural color to Zhangjiajie's extraordinary natural landscape. After seeing Yibu Nanxing and Shenji Zhuoshi (Divine Chicken Pecking), we stayed overnight in Yangjiajie.
Fourth day: Shentang Bay to Shili Gallery. The Shentang Bay viewing platform is the best viewpoint on Tianzi Mountain. In the bay, forests are dense and ravines deep, with grotesque rocks standing like swords and halberds; when the wind rises, it's like thunderous drums and ten thousand horses galloping. Legend has it that Xiang Dakun, defeated here, jumped off the cliff but didn't die, and continued to train troops in the bay. And in front of the nearby Dianjiang Terrace, a row of peaks stands in formation—legend says they are Xiang Dakun's generals who refused to submit after her death, turned into peaks, and are still being reviewed by Xiang Dakun. After seeing Shentang Bay and the nearby Helong Park, we went to Tianzi Pavilion. Hehe, Guide Li told us a great place to view the scenery—the top of Tianzi Pavilion, where there's no obstruction, and spots like Xiannü Sanhua are all in view. We descended along Wolong Ridge to the middle section of Shili Gallery. Shili Gallery refers to the beautiful scenery on both sides of Ganxi Stream. Here you can view the peaks of Tianzi Mountain from below upward, similar to Golden Whip Stream. However, the trees here are sparser, and the peaks on both sides are a bit farther apart; overall, I felt it wasn't as good as Golden Whip Stream. After Shili Gallery, we also saw Shuirao Simen (Water Winding Around Four Gates), known as the original model for Chinese landscape painting. Accompanied by Guide Li, we left the Wulingyuan Scenic Area and went to Baofeng Lake Scenic Area, known as the 'Jade Pool on Earth,' at 74 yuan per person. Baofeng Lake is a man-made lake nestled among mountains; the lake surface is higher than the ticket entrance, giving a sense of 'a calm lake emerging from high gorges.' An interesting thing in the middle of the lake is the A-mei's mountain songs. The guide said if you can sing a reply, you can take the A-mei home as your wife with no bride price—which made the men in our group eager to try. I won't introduce the other minor spots one by one, but the water in Baofeng Lake is a bit deep—whatever you do, don't go in for a bath. Afterward, we returned to the Forest Park to pick up our car and drove back to the city area, staying at the same hotel again—still won't mention the name.
Fifth day: Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park. 258 yuan per person, including: admission to Tianmen Cave and the summit area, round-trip Tianmen Mountain cable car, and eco-bus transportation. Hehe, not cheap—10 yuan more expensive than Zhangjiajie. Guide Li said that taking the Tianmen Mountain cable car up to tour is the most convenient and also the most special way to visit Tianmen Mountain. The cableway is over 7,000 meters long diagonally and is the longest high-mountain passenger cableway in the world, starting from Zhangjiajie city and going directly to the summit of Tianmen Mountain. I checked my phone—one way takes 24 minutes. There's a transfer station halfway up the mountain; you don't need to get off the cable car. I almost thought we'd arrived. Guide Li didn't explain and said we'd know the result in a moment. Looking down from the cable car, that winding mountain road was truly beautiful. We went all the way to the summit. Tianmen Mountain is a mesa-type isolated mountain with cliffs on all sides, with the main peak at 1,520 meters above sea level. Because of the high altitude and dangerous terrain, it's shrouded in clouds and mist year-round. Since ancient times, Tianmen Mountain has been said to be a sacred mountain, with many immortal traces on it. In the hearts of local people, it has always been a spiritual mountain for praying and making wishes—even the singer Li Na became a nun here. The most representative features on Tianmen Mountain are the Sixteen Peaks and Sixteen Caves. At the summit, I think the most fun is the Guigu Plank Road. Hey, that was really thrilling—a walkway extending out over a cliff, four or five hundred meters high below. Even someone as bold as me felt a bit nervous. Then we took the cable car down and arrived at that earlier transfer station. Oh, Guide Pan's answer came out: it turns out that the most famous Tianmen Cave, known as the world's highest mountain-piercing karst cave, is reached by bus from here. We took the eco-bus through 99 bends and arrived below Tianmen Cave. Looking up, in 1999 an airplane flew through it—amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Truly daring. We climbed the Heavenly Ladder, said to have 999 steps (I didn't have the energy to count), up to Tianmen Cave. Clouds and mist rapidly passed through the cave, and the mist was halfway up the mountain—oh, I was an immortal too. How enchanting this is. In the afternoon, after descending, we parted ways with Guide Li. Hey, this Tujia A-mei guide was really great. She kept her word, was very dutiful, said no group merging, no shopping, focusing on sightseeing and not backtracking—and she did it all. I still miss her a bit now.
This trip, we spent four days in Zhangjiajie, about a thousand yuan per person—totally worth it. I suggest that if you go to Zhangjiajie, you should still find a guide to take you around. The scenery here is mainly about imagery—for example, spots like Golden Eagle Guarding the Whip and Meeting After a Thousand Miles—if no one points them out, you won't see that artistic conception. Also, prepare rain gear, especially for Tianmen Mountain; rain can start at any time, so be careful.
If you're coming to Zhangjiajie for tourism, we highly recommend our Guide Xiao Li!