Classic Zhangjiajie Landscapes (3)
Jinbian Stream Tour Route: Jinbian Stream has two sources: one at Tudiya below Three Sisters Mountain, the other at Moziyu, with a drainage area of 60.5 square km as a tributary of Suoxi. Winding through deep valleys amid layered peaks and green trees, it is joined by Pipa, Huaxi, Shedaogou, Huanghua and Kuangdong streams. Its water is crystal clear.
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.
Golden Whip Stream Tour Route
Golden Whip Stream has two sources: one is Tudi Ya below Three Sisters Mountain; the other is Mozi Valley, with a drainage area of 60.5 square kilometers, a tributary of Suoxi. Golden Whip Stream winds through deep valleys and ravines amid layered peaks and shaded green trees, along the way receiving the Pipa Stream, Hua Stream, Shedao Gully, Huanghua Stream, Kuangdong Stream and other streams. The stream water is so clear you can see the bottom, reflecting countless fantastic peaks. The section of the stream from Laomowan to Shuiraosimen is named after the landmark scenic spot Golden Whip Rock, which it flows past, and the tour takes about 3 hours. The Golden Whip Stream Grand Canyon is 5.7 kilometers long and is praised as "the most beautiful canyon in the world" and "a miraculously crafted gallery of landscape." The stone slab walkway along the stream is 1 meter wide, with thousands of peaks rising on both sides, dense trees, blooming flowers, and murmuring water. Golden Whip Stream is famous for its green mountains and blue waters, and its perilous cliffs and secluded gorge. In the stream appear otters and giant salamanders; in the forest birds sing and cicadas chirp, and monkeys play. Therefore, some say: "It is a brilliant watercolor painting, a graceful lyric poem, a beautiful melody, an ancient story." Others say: "It has a stream of wonder, a stream of mystery, a stream of visitors' amazement." No wonder the poet Liang Shangquan praised it: "Clear clear flowing water, green green mountains, mountains like painted screens, people like immortals; if immortals walk in the painting, one step one view one new heaven."
Golden Whip Stream is a place where the Red Army fought, so it is called the "Red Army Road." The main scenic spots along the Golden Whip Stream tour route include: Golden Whip Rock, Cleaving the Mountain to Save the Mother, Zicao Pool, Taibai Drunk, Meeting After a Thousand Li, Jumping Fish Pool, Zhima Ta, and others.
[Welcoming Rock] Four hundred meters northeast of Luoguta there is a peak resembling a giant, with complete facial features, both hands on its chest, and a slightly open smiling mouth, called Welcoming Rock. To its right, a sheer cliff stretches across the horizon, its top covered with green foliage, with shrubs hanging upside down on its face, like a screen, called Guimen Rock.
[Guimen Reflection] Fifty meters after entering the gate of Zhangjiajie Park, you can see more than ten stone peaks about 200 meters to the southeast shaped like a screen, 200 meters high. The peaks' summits are uneven and grow green pines. Twenty meters ahead, on the right, is a 0.4-hectare pond, its surface calm and clear as a mirror, reflecting these stone peaks in the water, with red rocks glistening and floating clouds drifting; the real and reflected scenes above and below the water set each other off delightfully.
[Deep Mother-Child Love] Not far ahead from the Golden Whip Stream road marker, looking to the left, there is a stone peak closely resembling a person holding a child and gazing into the distance; locals call it "Deep Mother-Child Love."
[Mother and Child Peak] Walking 200 meters along the stream, on the left bank a 10-meter-high stone peak stands in a gap among the peaks, shaped like a middle-aged woman, with head and waist outlines distinct, facial features faintly discernible, facing southeast and craning her neck to look, as if longing for her husband's return. A peak stands tightly before her, like a child nestling against its mother's breast.
[Golden Whip Rock] On the right side of Guimen Rock, a majestic stone peak rises from the ground, with a relative height of 350 meters, the crown of the peaks of Golden Whip Stream, standing like a cone or pillar, resembling the golden whip weapon, hence its name. The Qing Dynasty "Tongzhi Yongding County Gazetteer" once recorded: "Golden Whip Rock is at Luoguta, sixty li from the city." Golden Whip Rock stands alone, its rock walls on three sides like knife cuts, its edges like straight lines, with clear edges and layered horizontal striations. Golden Whip Rock is one of Zhangjiajie's landmark scenic spots; therefore, travelers say: "Famous mountains and great rivers are found everywhere, but only the Golden Whip is wonder upon wonder." Chinese and foreign tourists all praise it when they see it.
[Divine Eagle Guarding the Whip] The rock peak on the left side of Golden Whip Rock is like an eagle, head raised, hooked beak, eyes glaring, wings half spread, standing close to Golden Whip Rock, guarding it at all times, as if about to fight anyone who would seize the golden whip; hence it is called "Divine Eagle Guarding the Whip."
[Drunk Arhat] Facing Golden Whip Rock is a rugged giant rock standing on the opposite bank of the stream, over 200 meters high. Its body is rounded, tilting toward Golden Whip Stream at a 70-degree angle, shaped like a drunken arhat, about to fall yet not falling, humorous and witty. Peng Zhichen, a scholar of the Jiaqing reign in the Qing Dynasty, wrote a large character "Zhong" (Loyalty) on the cliff face. In the fourth year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty (1824), the tribute student Peng Zhiyun wrote "Record of Loyalty on the Qingyan Mountain Cliff" to highlight its splendor: "Eighty li west of Yongding is Qingyan Mountain. Climbing its summit, one sees sword and halberd-like peaks densely arrayed, too many to count, truly a wonder of our county."
[Journey to the West] In the secluded valley east of Golden Whip Rock, stone peaks interweave and peak forests are scattered. On the right, a peak protrudes northward like a long snout, resembling Zhu Bajie. Behind it, two peaks stand side by side: the larger resembles Sha Wujing, and the one wearing a kasaya resembles Tang Seng. In the distance, a stone peak with a curved body resembles Sun Wukong observing the enemy's movements.
[Cleaving the Mountain to Save the Mother] Southeast of Drunk Arhat Peak, a group of stone peaks rises in a row, some like lamps, some like spears, some like long-handled giant axes, and some like divine dogs crouching. One peak's top is split into two halves, as if cleaved by a sharp axe, similar to Chen Xiang cleaving the mountain to save his mother in the ancient play "The Lotus Lantern."
[Wenxing Rock] Three hundred meters east of the Cleaving the Mountain to Save the Mother scenic spot, a giant peak stands, closely resembling a human face in relief. With protruding cheekbones, a prominent nose, and thick lips, it is named for its strong resemblance to the literary giant Lu Xun.
[Two Turtles Exploring the Stream] In the dense forest beside Wenxing Rock, atop a stone pillar are two overlapping giant rocks resembling turtles, with slightly arched backs, heads and feet extended, as if crawling toward Golden Whip Stream.
[Zicao Pool] Formerly named Zhicao Pool, it was named because ancients used water troughs to soak mountain bamboo for papermaking. Later it was changed to Zicao Pool because the rock trough of the pool is red to the point of purple. Zicao Pool is at the confluence of Golden Whip Stream and Shedao Gully. The pool mouth is a sloping stone slab; below the slab is a small pool of a few square meters enclosed by stalactites protruding on both sides, 15 meters long, 4 meters wide, and 2 meters deep. Above the pool is a bridge made of stone slabs, on which a poem is carved: "Ten giant spirits descend from heaven, each holding a golden whip; with one shout and cry, the bridge spans Zicao Pool." Above the pool, the stream rushes against scattered rocks, like pearls falling on a silver plate. Zicao Pool has lush fragrant grass, a clear blue pool, fish swimming in the shallows, and delightful scenery.
[Taibai Drunk] Looking back west from Zicao Pool, the peaks are majestic, and especially the Taibai Drunk Peak has both form and spirit, stirring the imagination. This is a high peak with its back to the southwest; near the summit, where wind and rain have eroded it, it looks like a giant head in relief, with complete facial features, eyes slightly closed, and a long beard fluttering, as if asleep yet not asleep; hence the name "Taibai Drunk."
[Three Nanmu Trees Embracing a Rock] Beside the path in the middle reaches of Golden Whip Stream is a rugged giant rock, about 5 meters high and 5 meters wide. In the giant rock, three nanmu trees each 15 centimeters in diameter at breast height grow luxuriantly, each extending three or four thick roots more than 2 meters long, from top to bottom, strong and vigorous, tightly embracing the rock.
[Meeting After a Thousand Li] In a group of fantastic peaks southeast of the rock canopy below Zicao Pool, two stone peaks resembling human figures stand facing each other, in an embracing posture, just like a long-separated couple meeting again after a thousand li in the blue ravine and secluded stream. The husband is tall and sturdy, wearing a helmet and armor, with a precious sword at his waist, head slightly bowed, waist slightly bent, as if comforting his wife; the wife is well proportioned, plump, full of charm, with her hair bound and a hairpin, wearing a trailing skirt, her hands around her husband's waist, her face slightly raised, gazing at each other as if whispering.
[Reunion Tree] Five hundred meters below Meeting After a Thousand Li, beside the path, there is a nanmu tree 7 meters tall with a diameter at breast height of 0.2 meters. Its trunk splits into two branches 0.5 meters above the ground, and 1 meter further up the two branches merge into one, seamlessly, with luxuriant foliage; people call it the "Reunion Tree."
[Jumping Fish Pool] Jumping Fish Pool and Zicao Pool are a pair of moving eyes of Golden Whip Stream. Two li downstream from Zicao Pool, a stream of water falls into an oval pool of 20 square meters and 2 meters deep. The pool water is clear, and the stream stones are reddish and moist. Sitting on the stones, you can see fish swimming in groups in the pool. Every spring flood season, the fish leap to compete for spring, jumping more than 1 meter above the water, presenting a scene of "carp leaping over the dragon gate"; hence the name "Jumping Fish Pool."
[Camel Peak] In the lower reaches of Golden Whip Stream, several peaks are arranged, shaped like a camel descending the mountain. Neck upright, head raised, two humps towering; the green trees on the peak body look like camel hair, and beside the stream there are Camel Pavilion and a viewing platform.
[Zhang Liang's Tomb] One hundred meters northwest of Shuiraosimen, below Yangliu Rock and on Xianglu Rock, there is Zhang Liang's Tomb. Although the grave mound is destroyed, the scenery is excellent. The Qing Dynasty "Daoguang Yongding County Gazetteer" records: "Zhang Liang, it is said, roamed with Master Red Pine; there is a tomb at Qingyan Mountain, appearing and disappearing from time to time." In the 1980s, local elders Zhang Qinghua, Zhang Ziming and others could all recite ballads praising Zhang Liang's reclusion at Qingyan Mountain. Later generations praised him in a poem: "Seeing the signs, people say he left the Hangu Pass, accompanied by Master Red Pine and never returned. At the head of Tianzi Isle he left a historic site, in yellow cap and holding a Buddhist staff, worshipping the green mountain."
[Shuiraosimen] Golden Whip Stream flows through Nanmuping, passes Camel Peak, and arrives at Tianzi Isle. Here, Longwei Stream in the south, Golden Whip Stream in the west, and Kuangdong Stream in the north flow into Suxi. Tianzi Isle is surrounded by sheer cliffs on all sides, and because of the four streams, four mountain gates are carved in the east, west, south, and north. The stream waters go around the four gates and pass the sandbar eastward, forming the wonder of "mountains stopping and waters returning, encircling walls like a city," and it is named "Shuiraosimen" (Water Winding Around Four Gates). Around Shuiraosimen, dozens of majestic stone peaks stand in formation, such as the Brush Holder, Brush Rack, Long Live Tablet, and the Forty-Eight Great General Rocks and other fantastic peaks and strange rocks. It is said that the Tujia leader Xiang Dakun once blew his horn to assemble troops and raised the standard of rebellion here, calling himself "Xiang Wang Tianzi" (King Xiang, Son of Heaven); therefore, this treasured land is also called Tianzi Isle.