Our Self-Guided Trip to Western Hunan
I'd always been afraid to try self-guided travel, especially to faraway places. This time, with strong recommendations from friends, I boldly took a self-guided trip to Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang, and finally got a taste of the joys of independent travel. It felt great and went very smoothly. I suggest everyone try self-guided travel too, but you must do some preparation beforehand. I also did...
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.
I had always been afraid to try independent travel, especially to faraway places. This time, with my friend's strong recommendation, I boldly took an independent trip to Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang, and only then did I taste the sweetness of independent travel.
It felt great and went very smoothly. I suggest everyone try independent travel in the future too, but before setting out, you must do some preparation work. I myself did a lot of work to make this trip go smoothly, so I'm writing this article as a way of giving back, hoping it will help friends who plan to visit in the future: I used to be someone who couldn't be bothered to move, but under her influence (you could say nagging)
I could only agree to organize this Zhangjiajie trip for her. I spent over a month beforehand searching for information online, reading many backpackers' guidebooks and travelogues, and finally decided to invite
good friends and colleagues—a group of six. All the preparation was just hoping that our Zhangjiajie trip would be safe and enjoyable.
DAY 1 Shanghai Pudong Airport — Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport, overnight in Zhangjiajie
On July 26, 2009, at 11:30 PM, we boarded a China Southern Airlines flight departing from Shanghai Pudong Airport, flying directly to Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport. After about two hours of turbulence on the red-eye flight, we finally arrived at our destination.
The guide who came to pick us up, Shi Longsheng, looked weathered! When we asked, he turned out to be several years younger than us. Ultraviolet exposure really does make people look extra mature! Dragging our exhausted bodies out of the airport, we got on
the bus and headed straight to the hotel Shi Dao had booked for us—Tianmenshan Hotel (saving 40 yuan per person), only a 3-minute drive from the airport. By the way, Zhangjiajie's airport is really quite
shabby, just like a long-distance bus station in Shanghai... After washing up, we fell asleep at 2 AM, and the first day's itinerary was over.
DAY 1 Zhangjiajie Forest Park
Morning: Huangshizhai
After breakfast in the morning, Shi Dao drove us to Zhangjiajie Forest Park, arriving at our destination after about a 40-minute drive. Because the Forest Park is a national-level scenic spot, ticket management
is quite strict, requiring fingerprint identification. The price of 248 yuan per person is not cheap, and there's no distinction between low and peak seasons, but the ticket can be used for two days. For independent travelers like us, we're not restricted by the ticket time limit.
For students, Zhangjiajie Forest Park tickets are completely free during the summer vacation, but be sure to bring your student ID and personal ID.
First, let me introduce Huangshizhai. According to legend, Zhang Liang's teacher Huang Shigong once came here to refine elixirs, hence the name. Located in the central part of the Forest Park, it is a huge square mesa with an elevation of 1,080 meters, making it a
majestic and lofty viewing platform. The top of the village is slightly higher in the southwest and lower in the northeast. It is surrounded by sheer cliffs and dense green trees, with many viewing platforms jutting out into the air. At Huangshizhai, you can choose to take the cable car; the cost is 48 yuan one-way, 92 yuan round-trip. A round-trip cable car tour takes about 3 hours, while walking takes about 5 hours. The main scenic spots include Sea of Fog Golden Turtle, Star-Picking Platform, Heavenly Book Treasure Box, South Heaven Pillar, Five Finger Peak, Liuqi Pavilion,
Laomowan. Whether it's good or not, backpackers will have to go and experience it for themselves.
Afternoon: Golden Whip Stream
We ate inside the scenic area, 25 yuan per person, filling our stomachs, and prepared to visit Golden Whip Stream in the afternoon. Golden Whip Stream is 7.5 kilometers long in total. Other than walking, you can only take the local sedan chairs, which charge by weight, and if you're not careful you might get ripped off—the price is naturally not cheap. The entire stream winds through peaks, valleys, and clouds, extremely quiet and serene. The stream water is clear as a mirror, with varied and graceful flows, small fish swimming in it, fresh flowers and plants along the banks, and birds
singing and orioles calling. Walking along the clear stream is like traveling through a painting. On both sides of the stream are strange and wonderful rocks. The main scenic spots include Golden Whip Rock, Divine Eagle Guarding the Whip, Thousand-Mile Meeting, Jumping Fish Pool, and so on. Walking the entire route is quite
tiring, so everyone should pay attention to managing their energy. For the elderly, taking a sedan chair is more effort-saving.
Evening: Charming Xiangxi Performance
After dinner, we rested at the hotel for a while, then drove to the performance venue. The performance ticket was 168 yuan per person. Because we booked early, we sat in the third row, which was a pretty good seat.
Tiring, everyone should pay attention to the distribution of physical strength. Elderly people should take a sedan chair to save energy.
Evening: Charming Xiangxi performance
After dinner, I rested in the hotel for a while, then drove to the evening party venue. The party ticket was 168 per person. Because we booked early, we sat in the third row, which was a pretty good seat.
At the start of the show there was an auction of some so-called famous paintings, but the response was very poor. Then the show began, mostly displaying Tujia and Bai customs, with singing, dancing, and audience interaction, one item after another.
There were also local prodigies and marvels, like someone with a vocal range even higher than VITAS, and Bai sisters with incredibly flexible bodies. But the most disgusting was a person inserting all kinds of swords into
his mouth. His esophagus must be deformed! Very disgusting, children had better not watch! After the indoor performances ended, it moved to the outdoor stage. The outdoor performances were all thrilling acts. What impressed me most was
the qigong master's performance. A stone slab weighing several tons was placed on his body, and then fat men averaging 190 jin stood on top, while the person underneath was completely fine. It was truly terrifying. There was also the
so-called witch doctor walking barefoot over scorching fire, which was shocking to witness.
All of China has three famous shows: one is Yunnan Impression in Yunnan, another is a Zhuang show in Guangxi, and the third is the Charming Xiangxi show. It is said that the Charming
Xiangxi show has the best audience response rate among these three. But personally, I think the content of the show is too disgusting, and it doesn't display much of the ethnic specialties. I always feel it's not
as good as Yunnan Impression.
DAY2
Morning: Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area, Yuanjiajie Scenic Area
After breakfast, we drove to Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area. Tianzi Mountain is located in Wulingyuan Scenic Area. To sum up the scenery of Tianzi Mountain in one sentence: 'primitive scenery, natural beauty.' Its landscapes
and scenic spots are all created by nature, with no traces of artificial carving. Taking the cable car up and down won't be too tiring, and there are shuttle buses between the scenic spots, but the queuing time is relatively long.
The main scenery on Tianzi Mountain includes:
Jiangtai (Reviewing Stand): Located in a deep valley shrouded in white mist, with jagged rocks resembling dozens of human figures. The 'emperor' sits high in the center, ahead the 'herald' is reading an imperial edict, the 'left and right ministers' stand bowing
while the 'soldiers' listen breathlessly. Legend says that King Xiang Tianzi once reviewed his troops and appointed generals here.
Shenbing Juhui (Divine Soldiers Gathering): From Xianren Bridge to Laowuchang, this is a route that tour groups don't take. You see hundreds of stone peaks densely packed in the deep valley, just like a group of mighty and majestic soldiers lined up awaiting orders. It is said
that these are the divine soldiers of King Xiang Tianzi gathering. Though myths are unreliable, such a concentrated and spectacular display of stone peaks is rare even in Wulingyuan. I'd like to quote a master artist: 'Outrageous, inexplicable, unbelievable until you see it
for yourself.' If you don't see the Divine Soldiers Gathering, how can you know that stone peaks can form a forest?
Yubi Feng (Imperial Brush Peak): This is one of the best scenic spots that captivates photographers and painters. More than 30 domestic and international art magazines and newspapers have featured its beauty.
After touring Tianzi Mountain, we went to the famous Yuanjiajie Scenic Area. Taking the Bailong Elevator, the mountain height is 326 meters, and it takes only 90 seconds to reach the top. This sky ladder was built straight along the cliff face
of the mountain, truly a work of divine craftsmanship! Then going down we took the cable car. The main scenic spots of Yuanjiajie include:
Tianxuan Bailian (Heavenly Suspended White Silk):
At the end of Shadao Valley, a stream of spring water drifts down from the top of a cliff over 200 meters high. Standing on the opposite viewing platform, visitors see a white long silk falling from the ninth heaven, splashing jade and flying
flowers, generating mist and vapor, rushing through the valley stream. If caught in heavy rain, it is even more magnificent, surpassing the Nine Dragon Waterfall of Huangshan after rain.
Tianxia Diyi Qiao (The World's First Bridge): A highlight of Wulingyuan. Nature's divine craftsmanship placed a natural stone slab about 5 meters thick across the top of two mountain peaks, connecting the east and west peaks. Its height,
span, and thrilling nature are all rare in the world, hence it is called the 'World's First Bridge.'
Mihun Tai (Bewitching Platform): Located 400 meters east of the World's First Bridge, the platform has two levels. The first level slopes gently from east to west, about 100 square meters. The second level is about 2 meters lower than the first, a stone slab closely
connected to the first level extending horizontally into the air. Sitting on the platform, you can see Jinbian Stream and Shadao Valley competing in wonder, with clouds and mist rolling, and the mountains appearing and disappearing, ever-changing, making it hard to distinguish heaven from earth.
Houhuayuan (Back Garden): Known as a 'natural bonsai.' In the garden, stone peaks take on a thousand shapes, streams flow around the peaks; ancient trees tower on the mountain, shrouded in mist, just like the back garden of an ancient imperial palace.
Then we ate at a farmhouse restaurant at the foot of the mountain. The food in the mountains isn't very good, so just make do. If you have time, you can also visit Yuanjia Village.
In the afternoon, we headed to Shili Gallery (Ten-Mile Gallery). We took the mini train round trip through the entire scenic area. The train has commentary, and it doesn't go fast, giving enough time to take photos. It was quite nice. The main scenic spots include
Shouxing Yingbin (Longevity Star Greeting Guests), Caiyao Laoren (Herb-Gathering Old Man), and so on. I can't remember all the names; some require imagination.
After touring Shili Gallery, we drove back to the city and stayed at Tianmenshan Hotel again, where we stayed the first day. We bought some local specialties at a specialty supermarket, like kudzu powder and ginger candy. I saw online that a restaurant in Zhangjiajie
city called Master Hu's Sanxiaguo has very high ratings, delicious and distinctive. We took a taxi from the hotel to the city, squeezing 6 people into one car for 20 yuan. The taxi driver said sanxiaguo is
pork intestine and such, and we immediately lost interest. So we asked the driver to recommend a place, and he took us to Jiudouliang. We wanted to eat something good that meal, so we ordered a game dish, seems like wild
mountain chicken two ways. It was expensive, 218 yuan for one. Fortunately the taste was passable, and the soup was very fresh. We also ordered what the waiter said was a local specialty fish, I forget the name. When it came, it was braised 'angci fish' — 138 yuan
for just twelve or thirteen small fish. Sigh~ We also ordered two vegetables: eggplant with green beans and stir-fried water spinach. By the way, the eggplant there was the most delicious
dish I had in all those meals; I ordered it every meal~~~ Also, the service at Jiudouliang was very good. We tasted one dish and found it bitter, so we told the waiter. He said that's just how the flavor is supposed to be. I said we didn't
know that, and without any fuss he swapped it for another dish. The bill for 6 people came to just over 400 yuan.
However, only the next day did we learn the truth: for this meal, the taxi driver got a 20% kickback, so the prices there weren't cheap. We really got ripped off badly this time.
Fortunately we have a good attitude, haha~ Just consider it a contribution to the local GNP~ But I remind everyone to be careful: never trust the local taxi drivers again.........
After the meal, we strolled around the busiest square in town. It felt quite lively anyway, but a bit chaotic—can't compare with Shanghai~ Then we went to the supermarket to buy some water and milk for the next day, and headed back to the hotel
to play Sanguosha (Three Kingdoms Kill)!
DAY 3 Zhangjiajie—Fenghuang, overnight in Fenghuang
Today's itinerary was mainly rafting. This is also one of the reasons I wanted to go to Zhangjiajie—the 'Number One Raft in the World' is famous worldwide.
We got up in the morning and headed by bus from Zhangjiajie city toward Fenghuang. After about a 3-hour drive, we arrived at Furong Town. Liu Xiaoqing's film of the same name was shot right here, so this
place plays the celebrity-effect card. As for the actual scenic spots, I think they can only be described as so-so. Still, I have to talk about Furong Town.
Furong Town was originally called Wangcun. It is an ancient town inhabited by the Tujia people, and the town still preserves intact bluestone-paved roads and ancient dwellings (mainly stilted houses). There is a waterfall in Wangcun; viewed from
the viewing platform it looks pretty good, but we didn't go in. The ticket is 38 yuan each, and it felt unnecessary—after all, it's not a particularly famous place. There's one more thing that must be mentioned: in the film, Liu Xiao
qing played the role of the Tofu Beauty. There's nothing much to say about the role itself, but it made the local specialty—rice tofu. The most authentic shop is near the memorial archway; it's the very
rice tofu shop from the film, 3 yuan a bowl—you can judge for yourself whether it's tasty. We also ordered a portion of river snails, 20 yuan a basin. You can also try the snacks in the small town; the prices aren't expensive.
We had lunch at a restaurant at the entrance of Furong Town called 'Number One Snail in the World.' The prices weren't exactly cheap; we just ate casually, ordered a few dishes to fill our stomachs, and that was fine. When traveling,
don't set your expectations too high~
After the meal, in the afternoon we headed to the 'Number One Raft in the World'—Mengdong River rafting. The whole trip takes 2.5 hours, and each boat must have 12 people. It's not very thrilling, but you can have water fights with other tourists. Weapons must
be bought on shore beforehand. Inside the scenic area there are people rowing boats to sell water guns, and the prices are blatantly rip-offs. Even if you wear a disposable rain poncho, you'll still get completely soaked, so be sure to bring an extra set of clothes
to leave in the car. The rafting on the Mengdong River isn't that exciting. When no one is having a water fight, you can enjoy the scenery on both banks—it's quite pleasant. The boatmen are decent too, but beware of them
collecting so-called insurance fees when docking. They usually ask for 5 yuan per person. If they demand it, complain to the scenic area management immediately upon landing. Overall, the Mengdong River rafting wasn't as thrilling as I imagined,
not as adventurous as the 'Number One Raft on the Yangtze' I experienced in Sichuan. Even elderly people can give it a try.
After rafting, we changed into clean clothes and continued on our way to Fenghuang Ancient Town. We first went to the hotel to drop off our luggage. The hotel was called New Kanghui International Hotel, but personally I didn't think the room conditions were
very good—the bathroom was very small. Apparently Huang Shengyi also stayed at this hotel; I don't get it~ After dropping off the luggage, we had lunch at the hotel, and it was truly 'expensive.' Vegetables were basically 20-30 yuan, light meat dishes
60-70 yuan, and heavy meat dishes easily over a hundred. We couldn't figure out what to order, so we just ate a bit to get by, but the portions were super large—we couldn't finish them. The Fenghuang shefan (community rice) was very fragrant, made by stir-frying seaweed and something
with rice—quite distinctive. I also remember ordering eggplant with green beans, wild fern stir-fried with shredded pork, tofu, and a rice noodle dish. Six people spent just over 240. At night we originally wanted to go back to Fenghuang Ancient
Town to visit bars. Along the Tuo River there are all kinds of bars, and you can also enjoy Fenghuang's night view—it's quite nice. But considering safety factors, we gave up the plan of night touring Fenghuang and went back to the hotel
to play Sanguosha! (Good thing we bought a set of Sanguosha online before departure—we played to our heart's content!)
DAY 5 Zhangjiajie—Fenghuang
The next morning, we walked from the hotel to Fenghuang Ancient Town in just 10 minutes. The ticket for Fenghuang Ancient Town is 138 per person. Full-time students can get in free with their ID card and student ID,
which is quite a good deal. One ticket includes nine major attractions in Fenghuang: Chongde Hall, Wanshou Palace, North Gate Tower, Shen Congwen's Former Residence, Xiong Xiling's Former Residence, Yang Family Ancestral Hall, Tuo River boating, Rainbow Bridge, and the Ancient Town Museum.
A small boat drifting on the Tuo River, enjoying the stilted houses on both banks—it has a unique charm. Add a little drizzle, and it adds even more romantic feeling. The other attractions I think
are all quite ordinary. Perhaps because I was born in Shanghai and have traveled to all the ancient towns in Jiangnan, aside from some differences in architectural style, I feel the attractions in Fenghuang Ancient Town are quite similar
to those in Jiangnan ancient towns. I tried jiangtang (ginger candy), which comes in three flavors: spicy, not spicy, and mildly spicy. Anyway, I don't like it. But the production process of jiangtang is quite distinctive—as I saw with my own eyes.
After touring all of Fenghuang in just over four hours, before we knew it, it was lunchtime and we felt quite tired. We found out about a place in Fenghuang where eating is very cheap, outside the ancient town. A taxi there costs only 3
yuan—the cheapness scared me to death~ And one car can fit 6 people!!! Scared again~ But when we got there, it turned out to be a food stall area with lots of stuff, all local specialties, but the hygiene conditions were worri
some, so we ultimately gave up. We searched and searched, and finally found a Chongqing hotpot restaurant next to the hotel—quite cheap~ We had hotpot and a local specialty—Tuo River small fish, which tasted good. For 6 people, the bill
came to just over 100. We drove from Fenghuang to Zhangjiajie. Zhangjiajie is about 270 kilometers from Fenghuang, passing through Jishou City. There's no highway the whole way, only provincial roads, so the road conditions aren't very good.
We set off at 1 PM, and with some rain on the road when passing through Jishou, by the time we arrived in Zhangjiajie it was already past 6 PM. After dinner, we headed to the airport to prepare to return to Shanghai. Guide Shi took us to the airport
and then went to take on his next job, ready to take guests on the same itinerary we did. Goodbye Zhangjiajie, goodbye Fenghuang, goodbye Guide Shi...
Recommended travel website: Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network http://www.33519.com/