A Trip to Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang
Unique and Inimitable: A Trip to Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang. Well, I borrowed the title from a Shanghai college entrance exam essay prompt, but it fits quite well, HOHO~ Before my memory fades, I'll jot down a few words to commemorate this trip—a torturous journey to Zhangjiajie and an indulgent one to Fenghuang. Not exactly guidance for future travelers, just a little heads-up~ (I'm...
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.
There Must Be One, But Not a Second — A Trip to Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang
All right, I quoted a Shanghai college entrance exam essay title for the heading, but it is quite fitting, HOHO~ While my memory has not yet faded, I'll type up these few words to commemorate this Zhangjiajie torture trip → Fenghuang indulgence trip. Guiding future generations—well, not quite yet; just consider it a little reminder~ (I'm a modest kid~ la la la la)
Preface:
Nature: Independent travel
People: Xiao Yu & Xiao Xiao Yu (me), plus Xiao Wang JJ and Big Bear GG (uncle) met on the train, and later Xiao Zhang JJ and Da Geng GG
Time: July 17 to July 25, 9 days total, actual sightseeing time about 7 days
Itinerary: Tianmen Mountain → Tianmen Cave → Tujia Folk Customs Park → Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Tianzi Mountain, Yuanjiajie, Yangjiajie, etc.) → Baofeng Lake → Mengdong River → Furong Town → Fenghuang Ancient Town
All right~ The running account begins~ (Those who think I talk too much can use their eyes to automatically block it out)
July 17, train at 11:53 PM, soft sleeper, K533, from Shanghai South Railway Station to Huaihua
We left home by taxi around 10 o'clock. On the way, we bought KFC as that day's lunch.
On the train, we met Xiao Wang JJ and Big Bear GG and became travel companions.
Friends traveling by train, prepare entertainment devices. Otherwise, the time on the train will be very boring.
'Expenses incurred that day' Snacks + daily necessities 278.2 + 48
Train tickets 529 + 506
KFC 26
TAXI 21
July 18, arrived at Zhangjiajie Railway Station at 8 AM (train was one hour late)
Guide Shi from Shijia Inn came to the railway station to pick us up. Guide Shi was quite honest and simple, and helped us arrange a taxi to Tianmen Mountain (we directly bargained with the driver, no meter). After arriving, we stored our luggage next to the ticket window, and then the four of us began our trip to Tianmen Mountain.
The cable car at Tianmen Mountain is worth riding, lasting 28 minutes, with a drop of over 1 km in some places. The scenery is good, and you can also look down at the winding mountain road. (PS: The air pressure reaction in the ears is very obvious; swallowing or chewing can help relieve it.) The cable car takes you directly to the mountaintop (there is a transfer station when going down). On the mountaintop there is a Tianmen Temple, newly completed on June 8 this year and consecrated by a certain master. Then, we lazy people took a small cable car drifting from one mountain peak to another to see that temple (the small cable car has no sunshade equipment at all; sisters, bring your own sun umbrellas). Tianmen Temple, well, nothing special (Amitabha), and as soon as I entered the main hall I smelled something like meat (Amitabha again). In short, it's optional to see.
Coming down from the cable car was really scary. Zhangjiajie had power outages twice, and we watched helplessly as that row of cable cars stopped in midair. If you were inside one, uh, hard to imagine, a black 2 minutes.
Fortunately, when it was our turn, everything was normal. Our luck exploded, haha. Then we took the environmental protection bus to Tianmen Cave scenic spot.
Tianmen Cave became famous because of the 1996 aerial stunt (a plane flew through it sideways). The plane worked so hard, but seeing Tianmen Cave is not that simple either. Walk yourself—990 steps, and very steep. Climbing the steps is quite tiring, so prepare yourself mentally and physically. Of course, those who don't want to go can rest below. And solve lunch by the way.
Uh. After reaching the top, something very interesting happened. Water dripped from the top of the cave, known as immortal water. Being dripped on could make you live forever or something, so we very childishly went to catch that water, sweat... and we actually caught it. I even got hit by a drop while standing there. Because of our three people's strange behavior, nearby tourists also came to catch water together. It was really funny.
How we went down the mountain I forgot, sweat... (Send a thunderbolt, but don't strike me).
Around 15:00, the four of us continued by taxi to the Home Inn (Rujia Hemei Hotel), but due to a power outage, the Home Inn couldn't provide basic services like air conditioning. Big Bear GG even spent 40 yuan there to get a gold card, which turned out to be useless. Sweat... Then we took a taxi to Jinjiang Inn, where Guide Shi had booked a room for us: a standard double room at 140 (including breakfast), a bit cheaper than the market rate. (Guide Shi really is honest and straightforward.)
After dropping off our luggage and freshening up briefly, we continued by taxi to the Tujia Folk Customs Park (only a small shop at the entrance, so JJMMs who get thirsty easily should bring water). Guide Shi bought the tickets for us, cheaper than the face value, and student IDs get half price (Guide Shi really, really is honest and straightforward). Inside the Tujia Folk Customs Park, it's rich in ethnic flavor, with a nine-tiered stilted building, and Amei performing the crying marriage custom (one of the Tujia ethnic cultures), and on the square, Amei also perform the hand-waving dance. It's still worth a visit.
After coming out, around 17:00, still by taxi, we went to the highly recommended Master Hu's Sanxiaguo for dinner. But this time the driver was really dishonest, taking us around in circles. After we exposed him, he still argued stubbornly. Hmph~~ Take a pen and watch him (meaning disdain)!
Master Hu's Sanxiaguo tasted pretty good, but since we grew up in Shanghai, we can't handle spicy food well—our lips went numb.
After eating, we bought some fruit and drinks, then took a taxi back to the hotel.
Notes: 1. Taxi starting fare in Zhangjiajie is 3 yuan, plus a 0.5 fuel surcharge. If you don't want to be ripped off, negotiate the price directly with the driver and don't use the meter. You can ask locals beforehand about the approximate price; generally, around 5 yuan.
2. Since there were four of us, taking a taxi was quite reasonable—saved time and was very convenient.
3. Coins are not accepted in Zhangjiajie (also not in Furong Town and Fenghuang).
4. If you hire a local guide, having them buy the attraction tickets for you should be cheaper than the face value. How much cheaper depends on your bargaining skills.
'Expenses for the day' Taxi 5+5+3+3+5 (for two people)
One hat 20
Tianmen Mountain ticket (including cable car) 250+183 (student discount price)
Small cable car 38+23 (student discount price)
Xiaolongbao 10 (8 pieces, like small buns)
Tujia Folk Customs Park ticket 60+40 (student discount price)
Water 9
Master Hu's Sanxiaguo (for two people) 42
Rendan 4
Peaches 2.4
Jinjiang Inn accommodation 140
PS: If you're a student, remember to bring your student ID—it saves quite a bit. (Personally, over these few days of attractions, I saved a total of 434.)
7.19 Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
After breakfast, we hired a car to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Our guide was Guide Chen from the Shijia Brothers Inn (that is, Guide Shi's wife). We joined a 470 yuan/person three-day, two-night tour. We walked along the Golden Whip Stream, but the luggage was too heavy, so we hired a porter (arranged by Guide Chen, who sent the luggage directly to our accommodation on the mountain). The scenery along Golden Whip Stream is nice, with lush greenery everywhere, towering trees (perfect for shade), and wild macaques welcoming us along the path. When tired, we rested by the stream—quite pleasant. If you want to wash your feet, be careful not to poison the fish. Hehe~
After almost finishing the Golden Whip Stream, we took the Bailong Elevator up the mountain (opposite is the General's Formation, quite spectacular). It was drizzling a bit, and Xiao Yu got excited and bought 4 raincoats, but as soon as we put them on, the rain stopped—sweat, in the end, they were unused.
Actually, once on the mountain, it didn't feel like being on a mountain. The sun was strong, the temperature high, and the trees around were still growing. If not for seeing the cliffs, we wouldn't have realized we were at the top.
Lunch time~
In the afternoon, we walked to Yuanjiajie and the No.1 Bridge under Heaven. Tired, we rested in a small pavilion and drank a bowl of local specialty kudzu root powder to cool down (from then on, we ordered kudzu root powder everywhere we went, sweat~). We also requested a mountain song and listened to Amei sing. The girl had a good voice and was only 18, uh, same age as me, more sweat~.
Since we wanted to see the sunrise the next day, before returning to the inn, Guide Chen took us to Daguantai (the place for the next day's sunrise) to familiarize ourselves with the route. The path was really long; Guide Chen said it was a 20-minute walk, but we took double that (i.e., 40 minutes). Seems our walking pace is completely different from the locals'. Head down =0=
Dinner was provided by the inn. Don't get too happy—lower your expectations. Four dishes and a soup, in my view, were almost all vegetarian. 555... As for the room, continue to lower your expectations. You'll see many unidentified flying objects like flies and mosquitoes there (if you want to sleep peacefully, you're destined to kill them); take a shower when few people are around, otherwise you might run out of hot water halfway—if you're unlucky, just take a cold shower; there's a private bathroom, though it's really small; also, bring your own toiletries.
'Expenses for the day' Chartered car to the scenic area (for two people) 20
Porter 30
Bailong Elevator 56+32 (student discount price)
Two rain ponchos 10
Two bowls of kudzu root powder 6
Listening to Amei sing mountain songs 10
Plums 2.5
Two bottles of Sprite 10
7.20, woken up by Big Geng GG and Xiao Zhang JJ after 5 o'clock to see the sunrise. I was so excited, ran all the way out (ran for 15 minutes; if walking, we'd miss the sunrise. But running in the mountains felt good, fresh air, lasting beauty, sweat... isn't that an ad slogan?). Unfortunately, fog came up later, and we only saw a faint glow.
Breakfast~ The buns and pickled cucumbers there were pretty good%...
We went out again, six of us hired a car to take a small path up the mountain for sightseeing (absolutely recommended~! You'll see many wonders that tour groups never see), reached Laowuchang, and viewed the Sky Garden, General's Formation, and Bailong Elevator from afar. It felt like being embraced by the mountains, surprised that your eyes could encompass the whole world? Yet you only occupy such a tiny point, sigh... (The view is similar to helicopter shots, absolutely amazing perspective~!)
Then we found another path and reached Yangjiajie (truly the essence of Zhangjiajie, though regular tour groups don't go there—what a pity~ hehe, snicker)
Then came a lot of mountain walking, all to see those few highlight spots. 2hrs: 10min, that's just how it is. But those 10 minutes were absolutely unforgettable—standing on an undeveloped mountain peak, looking down at our motherland's beautiful mountains and rivers (no no, only mountains, sweat...). Let your imagination run wild—could I be a heavenly soldier or general~? (Anyway, not a heavenly canopy, hehe.) Seeing all the other mountains as tiny as ants~ awesome~
(This paragraph is cringe-worthy; the faint of heart may skip it.) I heard from Guide Chen that at the spot called Divine Chicken Pecking (a scenic spot name), a tourist once jumped off the cliff to commit suicide. This tourist had visited Zhangjiajie a year earlier (Little Yu's note: Did this person spend a whole year choosing a suicide spot...? That's professional-level suicide). And at Shentang Bay, the great King Xiang once reined in his horse and leapt off the cliff, dying a heroic death. On rainy days, the wailing sound in the cave sounds like someone crying. One Step Difficult (two mountain peaks pressed close together, with only about a 2m gap between them) also has its story: in '92, a tourist jumped from peak A to peak B to enjoy the scenery there, but when jumping back from peak B to peak A, tragically fell through that small gap to his death (Little Yu's note: Uh, I don't know what his long jump score was, but on flat ground I can't even reach 2m. If it were me, I wouldn't jump no matter what. =0=, a moment of silence for the predecessor... At least he saw the scenery in his final moment. If he'd fallen while jumping from peak A to peak B, that would've been even more unfair). Also, a tourist once fell off Immortal Bridge. And several cleaning ladies tragically fell off cliffs while clearing trash from the peaks... Sweat... I don't know how many people Zhangjiajie has sacrificed heroically... Tourists, everyone be careful. Scenery is precious, but your life is worth more~ HOHO~
Here, I must mention Little Yu's imagination. Hmm, what is the 〖Emperor's Seat〗~?
The correct answer is: a big rock. Sitting on it and gazing at the opposite peaks makes you look like an emperor's imposing figure, so that rock is called the Emperor's Seat.
Little Yu explained with great animation to Da Geng and Da Xiong: Look, use your imagination—those peaks across the way look like an emperor's throne, don't they? —Everyone nodded... sweat. Guide Chen snickered...
'Expenses incurred that day' Shampoo 4 packets 4
Transport fare (for 2 people) 30
Pears on the mountain 1
Trekking poles 4
Potatoes 1
Sedan chair (capitalist treatment for Little Yu) 40 (originally 30, sympathy discount 10 yuan)
Mineral water 5
Kudzu root powder 7.5+3+2.5 (I told you we got addicted to kudzu root powder)
July 21st, the third day on the mountain, quite boring. Went to some spots that tour groups must visit—not to see peaks, but to count heads. The scenery wasn't great either. He Long Park is optional. Imperial Brush Peak and Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers, compared to the peaks from the day before, were like a dwarf meeting the Hulk.
Since we were carrying our luggage down the mountain, we chose to take the mini train through Ten-Mile Gallery (really just laziness talking, sweat...). We took the cable car down. Da Geng GG and Xiao Zhang JJ stubbornly walked down 8,000 steps. We bow to them—full of energy and absolutely pumped~! (Forgot to mention, Da Geng GG used to be a soldier, no wonder~ such good stamina.) PS: 1. To take the cable car down, you need to go early. We went around 11-something and there weren't many people in line yet. Guide Chen said if you go after 1pm, you'll have to queue 2-3 hours for the cable car down.
2. Smoking is prohibited in the scenic area. While waiting for people, we saw two scenic area staff catch an old man smoking. At first they wanted a 100-yuan fine, but luckily Xiao Wang JJ and Little Yu helped plead his case and got the fine reduced. Poor old man. =0=
After coming down from the mountain, Guide Chen arranged lunch. Da Geng and Xiao Zhang JJ headed straight to Fenghuang to scout the route for us, while we four lazy ones insisted on resting a bit longer at the restaurant. During this time, Da Xiong GG even encountered a girl selling meat sauce, but in the end the meat sauce wasn't bought, and the girl's look wasn't exactly friendly. Uh. =0=
Under the big sun's shining, we four hailed a taxi and headed to Baofeng Lake. After walking about ten minutes on flat ground and then about ten minutes of steps, we finally saw the lake. My god, these past few days of mountains were torturing me to death. At least there's water to soothe my mountain-crushed soul (looking utterly pitiful~). We took a tour boat, and on board a young woman (Amei) introduced the surrounding scenery (more looking at rocks and using imagination, ugh). A small boat was moored on the lake; when applause rang out, the Amei on the boat would come out and sing mountain songs for the tourists. There were also young men (Age) who sang mountain songs, and tourists could sing in response. If you matched the song, you could take the other person home. But if a male tourist failed to match, he'd have to stay and receive 9 years of "compulsory education" from the Amei—3 years chopping firewood, 3 years cooking, 3 years fetching foot-washing water. If a female tourist failed to match, no problem—you could go home. (Sweat, the ladies' treatment is quite generous~) On our tour boat, a male tourist, urged on by everyone, bravely went to sing in response, and bravely got defeated by the Amei, then bravely stayed on the boat after we all disembarked... uh.
After the lake tour, we went to take photos by the small waterfall at the entrance. Suddenly a strange woman approached, holding a small keychain with my photo inside (like a sticker photo). She must have secretly taken it while we were taking photos. Uh, these days there are all kinds of people making money. Seeing that she'd already put it in a frame, although I wasn't too happy with my pose, Little Yu still bought it. Xiao Wang JJ had the same experience. I must say, this trick is quite clever~!
Afterwards, we four took a taxi (taking taxis the whole way—though it seems extravagant, splitting among 4 people is actually quite economical, about the same as bus fare) back to the hotel, settled the mountain expenses with Guide Chen, picked up the rafting tickets and return train tickets, and then said goodbye to Guide Chen.
(Our evaluation of Guide Chen: not very clear in speech, and not very enthusiastic about introducing scenic spots along the way. Well, it's not easy for a girl to walk mountain paths either. We encountered other guides who told tourists little stories, very wonderfully, speaking like a book. If we'd had a guide like that, the trip would have been much more colorful. Also, when Guide Chen bought tickets for us, she charged us the full face value with no discount at all. We were independent travelers, but she bought group tickets, so she probably pocketed quite a bit of profit. Guide Shi was much more honest.)
Then came dinner. We went to Old Wu Fish Head across from Jinjiang Inn and ordered the fish head hotpot there, plus some kind of rock fish (very tender, and it only has one main bone—recommended!!). We also had kudzu root cakes and iron-griddle cucumber. Except for the kudzu root cakes, everything was very spicy (even though we asked for no spice, the dishes were spicy as always... ugh... tears were about to come out from the spiciness). But the flavors were genuinely good, very authentic. Also, the kiwi juice there was excellent—with fruit pulp, fresh.
After dinner, of course we needed to digest. We went to the biggest supermarket there, Meini (a pun on "many"), which indeed had a full selection. Picked up a pair of slippers for tomorrow's rafting.
Meini is near Zhangjiajie's city center, and at night there's a late-night snack street. We asked a salesperson if they had tangyuan (glutinous rice balls). The one at the entrance said yes. We excitedly walked in and ordered tangyuan. Another salesperson said theirs was "wheat tangyuan" (made from wheat), with a Hunan accent that sounded like "no tangyuan." Major sweat—do you have tangyuan or not~~ After all the agonizing, the tangyuan arrived, and three black lines appeared on our faces... The so-called tangyuan was just a few sheets of flour dough (square-shaped). For the first time in my life, I encountered tangyuan that wasn't round. I was quite astonished, and the taste wasn't great either—the soup was basically boiled water with sugar. Not worth it. However, their signature straw hat noodles were pretty good (repeatedly called "hat noodles" by Da Xiong. =0=). The pumpkin porridge Da Xiong ordered wasn't great either—didn't have that thick, creamy texture. Xiao Zhang JJ said it was like soaked rice. Truth~! Indeed, the rice hadn't been cooked through at all.
After the late-night snack, back to the hotel to sleep.
'Expenses incurred that day' Mineral water 2+3
Cucumber 3
Cold drinks 3+3
Cable car down the mountain 52+28 (student discount price)
Mini train 33+19 (student discount price)
Baofeng Lake 76+42 student discount price
Zhangjiajie 3-day 2-night tour 470+225 (student discount price)
Photo keychain 5
Transport fare (for 2 people) Taxi 5+2.5+2.5
From Baofeng Lake back to city 32.5
Dinner (for 2 people) 95
Supermarket shopping 39.2
Late-night snack (for 2 people) 9
Jinjiang Inn accommodation 140
July 22nd. After breakfast at Jinjiang Inn, we had originally arranged for a bus to take us to Mengdong River. We waited at the hotel entrance at 7 sharp, so we rushed through breakfast like we were catching a market, only to wait in the lobby for nearly 20 minutes. How inconsiderate, hmph~ And once on the bus, there were basically no seats left. Ugh.
Well, we'd gotten up early, so we quickly caught up on sleep on the bus. The bus wasn't going very fast. Along the way we briefly experienced the total solar eclipse that happens once every 300 years (actually it just got slightly darker, ugh. Hunan really—I didn't get the feeling of experiencing a total solar eclipse at all. At least in Shanghai it went from day to night. Ugh ugh, what a loss.)
The rafting on the Mengdong River is still pretty awesome—"the best rafting under heaven," as they say. It lasts about 2 hours, with one stop ashore midway, where tourists can buy some snacks from the locals to recharge. The scenery on both banks is lovely; the Mengdong River lies between two gorges, with currents both swift and gentle, and the water is very clear. But more than the scenery, the people rafting here are keener on water fights. Locals row boats alongside during the rafting to peddle their homemade water guns (a big tube—you draw water and then squirt it out, but the prerequisite is that you have to be strong enough; it's okay for men, but girls with little strength should steer clear). Our boat was at a disadvantage because there were too few men—just two. Although we had enough weapons, we lacked firepower, so when others attacked, we generally just took a beating =0=. Uh, but luckily our boat had a young lady and a granny who sang with real flair—they belted out "Qinghai-Tibet Plateau," and after that we were exempt from battle the whole way, HOHO~~ If you don't want to fight, you can also tell them there's a camera on the boat (a sneaky trick). Maybe because there weren't many tourists, some boats had one boatman and some had two; ours had two, and they rowed incredibly fast. When we told them to take it easy and row slowly, they actually got upset and threatened that if we annoyed them they'd dump us all in the water. Who were they trying to scare~~ Ha~ If you're in a hurry to make money, you should still take good care of the customers first. After all, we're their "gods"—I just held a pen and watched them (still feeling contemptuous...). Midway, a kid on our boat said he saw a snake, and those two boatmen—who knows how "heroic" they were—immediately abandoned the boat to catch the snake. One of them had been acting sickly the whole time, saying he had a cold. Unfortunately, the snake was a water snake with little value, so the two came back disappointed. Good thing they didn't catch the snake—it scared Little Wang JJ, hehe. It's said there are plenty of five-step snakes in these mountains, a thousand yuan each, which becomes the boatmen's gray income. Okay, all that is just an interlude. If you're having a good time rafting, you can even go for a swim—you're wearing a life jacket anyway, so you won't sink~ What, afraid of getting your clothes wet? Well, I have to tell you, from the moment I got on the boat, there wasn't a dry spot on me, -0-. So after rafting, go outside, take a shower, change your clothes, and if you sweet-talk the boss a bit, you can even ask for a free bowl of ginger soup to prevent a cold.
Afterward, the whole bus continued on its way and had lunch in Furong Town. (By the way, Furong Town became famous because of the film Liu Xiaqing starred in; it used to be called Wang Village, and later was renamed Furong Town. There's a restaurant she opened there, but we didn't go.) We had a bowl of rice tofu, which is considered a local specialty, though personally I didn't find it very tasty; the liangfen was okay. After that, we continued on toward Fenghuang. Amid the snores of the whole bus, the bus actually got a flat tire—probably driving too aggressively. Uh, dangerous, dangerous~~! Fortunately nothing serious happened. Our RP exploded again, HOHO~ Grandpa Sky really favors us. After arriving in Fenghuang, Big Geng GG came to meet us and arranged accommodation at a guesthouse, and thus this Fenghuang indulgence trip officially began.
Dinner was settled at the locally famous Ambassador Restaurant, where we ordered the famous blood duck and some other specialties. Uh, I think I was mainly impressed by that duck—tasty and generous in portion. After dinner, I noticed two big allergic patches on my hands, probably from the rafting. Sweat (guess I'm too delicate, HOHO~). Then I went to a pharmacy to buy ointment, 28.8. The shop girl said there was no 2 mao change, so would it be okay not to give change? Sweat, there's even this kind of thing.
Since our lodging was by the river, we took advantage of the night to go see the river view. Fenghuang at night is indeed very lively: all the shops open to welcome customers, tourists stream in endlessly, and the riverside is simply packed with people. Reflected in the water, besides people, there are the riverside houses and twinkling landscape lights—beautiful~ Taking a walk in the twilight over the stone steps on the Tuo River and releasing a wishing lantern felt so cozy. And along the Tuo River there are many people setting up stalls selling small jewelry at fair prices. Go pick some—not bad.
"Expenses incurred that day" Rafting 180+180 (including bus fare)
Water gun 10+5+15
Rafting snacks 20
Shower + ginger soup 5×2
Lunch + snacks 20
Bus fare from Furong Town to Fenghuang 50×2
Accommodation 50
Liangfen 4
Dinner at Ambassador Restaurant (for 2) 53
Allergy medicine 28.8
Shampoo 2
Wishing lantern 2
Steamed cake 1
Kiwi juice 6
Skirt 20 (good quality and cheap~)
Bracelet + necklace 14 (good quality and cheap~)
Souvenir doll 31
July 23, continuing the indulgence trip. Sightseeing, eating, shopping... basically did everything one can do while traveling. Bought a flower wreath to wear, still with dew on it. Wore Miao clothing and took a photo, experiencing what it's like to be a Miao girl. Went boating and saw the lush water plants in the river—uh, the pollution is really severe (yesterday I even saw lots of kids bathing by the river, and beside them three people: one washing hair, one washing a dog, one washing a mop—so harmonious). Visited Shen Congwen's grave and left the flower wreath on the stone tablet as a memento. In the evening, found a small restaurant by the Tuo River and enjoyed the atmosphere while eating. Then strolled the streets again, bought some local specialties and souvenirs. I think we also had a late-night snack, but I forget which day exactly; the grilled cartilage was pretty good, the rest was just so-so.
"Expenses incurred that day" Accommodation 50
Mineral water 4
Vermicelli 5+6
Flower wreath 2
Photo 3
Snacks (shrimp pancake, small crab, tangyuan) 12
Cucumber, watermelon 3
Boat ride (for 2) 20
Lunch 106
Twisted candy 4
Chilled liangfen 4
Kiwi 2
Tissues 3.5
Dinner (for 2) 57
Bamboo tube cake 3
Pancake 6
Peaches 7
Fabric necklace 10
Barbecue 10
Ginger soup 10
Dried kiwi fruit 20
Dragon beard candy 18
Twisted candy 16
Dried cherry tomatoes 6
On July 24, I got up at 6 o'clock, walked along the Tuo River, and took a few more photos while there were few tourists. At this time, Fenghuang is quiet; many shops have not yet opened, and the bars that are lively at night have also rested. Seize the last bit of time to linger a little~~
I went back to sort out my luggage, and then parted ways with Brother Da Geng and Sister Xiao Zhang.
Afterwards, I got on the bus to Jishou Railway Station, and was depressed to find that there were only private luggage storage places there, sweat~
After that, of course, it was time for lunch. Jishou has a food street, said to be a concentration of places to eat, but there were not as many people as expected, and the restaurants were quite deserted. I picked a relatively clean place and ordered Miao-style First-Grade Goose, stir-fried bamboo partridge (like minced meat), and a few other local dishes. Uh, I have to say, that local vegetable that looked like lily was really hard to eat, and then the waiter continued to ignore our request not to add chili; that basin was full of chili like anything.
After lunch, I went to a nearby supermarket to buy some snacks for the train, and packed dinner for the day at KFC, and then set off~~
Brother Big Bear and Sister Xiao Zhang bought hard-seat tickets to Zhangjiajie and got on the train with us. The train to Zhangjiajie was 1 hour late, and then we said goodbye to them.
'Expenses incurred that day' Return train tickets, two, 745
Breakfast 13
Water 4
Transportation 30
Lunch 60
Watermelon + peaches 8.8+5
Supermarket shopping 37.2
Spoon 2
KFC 27.5
Arrived in Shanghai on July 25, the trip is over
Finally, I finished writing this travelogue as if rushing through a task. Here, I continue to reminisce about this trip of mine. Although it was a bit tiring, although I got a bit tanned, at least I trained my leg strength, sweat~ At least I had paid homage in Chairman Mao's hometown~ At least I had seen enough of those mountains and rivers~! Hmm, not bad, not bad~!