Travelogue: A Journey to Fenghuang Ancient Town and Zhangjiajie
On November 13 at 13:35, we boarded flight CZ3718 heading south to Zhangjiajie. I'd always thought my first flight would bring unimaginable excitement, yet I felt so calm, without a trace of feeling. The plane lifted off, piercing the clouds. Looking down, countless cars became ants, countless houses...
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.
On November 13 at 13:35, we boarded flight CZ3718 heading south to Zhangjiajie. I always felt that flying for the first time should bring an excitement beyond imagination. But at this moment, I seemed so calm, without the slightest feeling. The plane lifted off and shot straight into the clouds. Looking down, countless cars had become ants, and countless houses went from existing to disappearing. When the plane crossed the cloud layer, only then did I feel a sense of release, feeling that my brain, tense for three or four years, suddenly relaxed. Closing my eyes and listening to the sound of the plane's engines, I let my exhausted body find something to lean on.
After two and a half hours, the plane began its descent. At that moment I saw a perfect union of sky and mountains, with a thin layer of mist draping the great mountains in a beautiful cloak. Looking out, I felt as if they were raising their hands high to welcome our arrival.
Fenghuang Ancient Town
We've arrived, we've reached our destination. Arrival is the end of one journey and the beginning of a new one. After getting off the plane, we embarked on another 4-hour bus ride toward our first scenic spot—Fenghuang Ancient Town. Gazing at the orange trees covering the hills, listening to the folk songs of the Tujia people, breathing the fresh air that you can't find in Beijing.
Around eight in the evening, we arrived at Fenghuang Ancient Town. After getting off the bus, everyone's stomachs were already misbehaving, so we headed straight to the restaurant. After wolfing down our food, we summed it up in one sentence: "Elephant (the tour guide's nickname), can we have two portions of cured meat next meal?" The guide was quite straightforward: "Sure, next time I'll give you two portions of cured meat, and swap out one of the other dishes... (How stingy—I thought it was extra, but it turns out it was a swap)." After eating and drinking our fill, it was nearly nine o'clock. Everyone put their gear in their rooms and then rushed straight out the door to explore the ancient town. In groups of three and two, we began our "grand sweep" of the ancient town.
Food, clothing, shelter, and transportation—clothing comes first, so let's start with clothing.
Sweep Stop One: Clothing
Ethnic Costumes
Here you won't see brand names or suits; all you see are clothes with distinctive ethnic characteristics.
Cured Meat
Making Ginger Candy
Sweep Stop Three: Shelter/Transportation
Let's take a look at the houses and transportation of the people here.
After more than two hours of "sweeping," we had basically "swept" through the entire ancient town. By the time we got back to our rooms, it was nearly midnight. Although very tired, we had gained a lot, and I slept soundly. The next morning, led by our tour guide, we toured the ancient town again, learning about the local ethnic culture and customs. After listening to the guide's explanations, one thing was quite amusing—I'll share it here for all you single men and women.
If you can't find a partner, don't worry—come to the ancient town. In Beijing, you have to make a phone call first to arrange a date. Here, if you take a fancy to someone, you just step hard on his (her) foot. Maybe if she (he) also likes you, she'll (he'll) step back on yours. But let me warn you: if you step on a woman over 60 and she steps back on you, then you've hit the jackpot—you might as well forget about ever going back home. So along the way, what I cared about most was my feet—they absolutely had to have eyes. If I accidentally stepped on someone, there'd be a lot of explaining to do.
Zhangjiajie
In the afternoon, we got back on the bus heading to Zhangjiajie.
After breakfast on the third day, we took a bus to Ten-Mile Gallery.
On both sides of this valley stretching over ten li, there are rich natural landscapes. Walking through it is like being inside a painting. Dark green peaks stand in rows along the ravine, and the rocks on the mountains have formed over 200 stone formations resembling people, objects, birds, and beasts. Among them, "Peacock Displaying Its Tail," "Old Man Gathering Herbs," "Three Sisters Peak," and "Fierce Tiger Roaring at the Sky" are the most famous.
After passing through Ten-Mile Gallery, we arrived at the foot of Tianzi Mountain. Tianzi Mountain is over 1,300 meters high, with more than 7,000 steps, which made me incredibly "impulsive"—I really wanted to run all the way up. After an hour and a half, I finally reached the summit of Tianzi Mountain, once again conquering my own physical limits.
Tianzi Mountain is named after Xiang Dakun, a Tujia peasant uprising leader in the early Ming Dynasty who called himself "Xiang Wang Tianzi" (Heavenly Prince Xiang). Tianzi Mountain borders Suoxiyu to the east, Zhangjiajie to the south, and Sangzhi County to the north. It is one of the four major scenic areas of Wulingyuan District. It is located at the highest point of the "Golden Triangle," with the highest elevation at 1,262.5 meters (Kunlun Peak) and the lowest at 534 meters (Shilan Valley). The total scenic area is 67 square kilometers, with a 45-kilometer mountain touring route.
We made it up, but due to snow and slippery roads, for safety reasons, everyone took the cable car down together.
The third day's itinerary ended with the cable car escorting us down. By then everyone was exhausted and returned to their rooms to pack and prepare. Early on the fourth day, we arrived at the last scenic spot of this trip—Golden Whip Stream.
Golden Whip Stream is a naturally formed beautiful stream, named after the Golden Whip Rock. The stream winds its way from west to east, and even in long droughts, it never runs dry. Walking into Golden Whip Stream, everything is lush and green—even your clothes take on a faint green tint. The water gurgles along, accompanied by birdsong. As you walk, you suddenly feel a coolness and realize a gentle breeze is blowing. Waves of fragrance make you stop involuntarily to savor it. In the crystal-clear, spotless emerald water, fish swim happily, and red, green, and white pebbles glisten in the water. Sunlight filters through the forest gaps, casting dappled shadows on the water's surface, giving one the enjoyment of nature's tranquility and beauty.
Golden Whip Stream is named after the Golden Whip Rock that it flows past. It has a total length of 5,710 meters, threading through sheer cliffs and fantastic peaks. The valley has lush vegetation, and the stream water is clear in all four seasons. It is called a "landscape gallery" and "earthly paradise." A poem praises it: "Clear, clear flowing water, green, green mountains; mountains like a painted screen, people like immortals. If immortals walked within the painting, each step a view, each view a new heaven." Along the way you'll see song request stations, where Tujia girls are always ready to sing folk songs for visitors. As long as you pay ten yuan, they'll sing loudly for you. Of course, if you don't want to spend the money, you can also just listen to songs others have requested and then leave after hearing them.
Along the way, everyone chatted and laughed, and the tour guide was also having a great time talking. Here I saw an environment I had never seen before—it was truly intoxicating.