Do You Know These Zhangjiajie Travel Guides?
May Day has already passed — can National Day be far behind? Haha. I wonder if everyone had a happy May Day? Happy or not, it doesn't matter, right? Let's set our sights on National Day... Make a thorough travel plan. Haha. What do they call that? Be prepared and plan ahead. How can visitors to scenic destinations like Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang spend the least money while enjoying the best tourism resources? See below. This post combines travel tips from various sources...
May Day has passed—can National Day be far behind? Haha. I wonder if everyone had a happy May Day holiday? Happy or not, it doesn't matter, right? Let's set our sights on National Day. Make a thorough travel plan. Haha. What's that saying? Be prepared and plan ahead.
How can visitors to scenic spots like Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang spend the least money while enjoying the best tourism resources? See below. This post combines travel information from various sources and will surely help you find what you're looking for.
1. Comparison between joining a tour group at your departure point and going directly to the destination to find a self-guided tour guide?
Objectively speaking, the scenery in Zhangjiajie is more enjoyable than that of Guilin and Huangshan, and the reception facilities are quite complete. The tourism market is relatively mature, so both group tours and independent travel are feasible.
Joining a tour group at your departure point can save you a lot of trouble, such as food, accommodation, and transportation, but it definitely doesn't mean all you have to do is have fun. Relatively speaking, after joining a group, many optional paid activities and mandatory shopping stops are unavoidable. And if the guest doesn't contribute, the guide may not even give you a pleasant look. There's no way to change this, because all mature scenic areas nationwide are under such competitive pressure that local receiving agencies take groups at cost or at a loss, and the remuneration of local agencies and guides basically all comes from the guide's secondary income generation. Moreover, joining a tour group is very unfree—every place is just a quick glance. In addition, when a tourist joins a tour group, the contract is signed with the organizing agency, but the execution is carried out by the destination travel agency and destination guide. Many discrepancies inevitably arise in between. After arriving at the destination, travelers who want other itineraries outside the contract cannot implement them. Changing the contract is also very troublesome. It is precisely these many restrictions of joining tour groups that have led to the current boom in independent travel, because independent travel has no restrictions, is completely unrestrained, and is very free. As long as you choose your destination well and contact a local self-guided guide or hotel, you can easily get it done. Compared with other scenic areas nationwide, Zhangjiajie has even more advantages for independent travel, namely that joining a tour group at your departure point absolutely cannot take you to Zhangjiajie's most attractive attractions, such as Yangjiajie's Tianbo Mansion, Wulong Village, One Step to Heaven, Sky Corridor, Daguan Terrace's One Step Hard to Move, Immortal Bridge, Tianzi Seat, Laowuchang's Divine Soldiers Gathering, Sky Garden, and other essential sights. If you don't believe it, those friends who joined tour groups can recall whether they visited these places?
So the main purpose of this post I've started is to talk about how to travel independently in Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang.
2. Places to pay attention to on the way to Zhangjiajie?
If you come to Zhangjiajie by train or plane, on the train heading to Zhangjiajie, at Zhangjiajie Railway Station, and at Zhangjiajie Airport, there are often people wearing uniforms (mostly impersonators), or hanging around under the name of some reception department, or under the name of some travel agency, soliciting customers. They will ask you to join their travel agency, or ask to provide you with accommodation, guides, vehicles, and other services. At this time you should keep a clear head and not casually interact with them (because they either charge very high prices, or provide very poor service, and there are often cases of abandoning customers). For those who pester endlessly, you can report to the duty officer, or call 110, or call the tourism complaint hotline to get it resolved.
If you come to Zhangjiajie by self-driving car, those touts will try every possible trick to discuss tour packages with you. Since you're driving yourself, their first step is to get into your car before you even arrive in Zhangjiajie. Once they're in your car, they have a place to perform. According to their bragging, there's nothing you can imagine that they can't do.
1. Hitchhikers: generally mostly girls or middle-aged women, because people generally have more sympathy for women and are more likely to let down their guard. Many grown men are too embarrassed to refuse.
2. Hitchhiking locations: at fork roads, intersections, gas stations, toll stations, and traffic police duty points near the surrounding cities and counties of Zhangjiajie (such as Lixian, Shimen, Changde, Cili, and the highway exit in Zhangjiajie city proper).
3. Target vehicles: small cars, vans, business travel vehicles, and non-route minibuses or large buses from outside Zhangjiajie......
4. Reason for hitchhiking: I'm from Zhangjiajie and just happen to be going back, so I'll hitch a ride and can also give you directions along the way. Unknowing people often think they're just lucky.
There are also well-disguised rogue operators who appear in the form of public security, traffic police, and government agency personnel, wearing fake traffic police uniforms and driving fake traffic police cars to stop tourists' vehicles, claiming to be colleagues from over there, handling matters here, and now needing to find a ride back.
After getting in the car, they will do their utmost to promote and boast about themselves, as if their abilities reach the heavens, and as if they know every tourism link and department in Zhangjiajie. If a deal can be made in the car (or an intention to deal), then their task is complete. If the guest is disgusted, they will have contacts, and after arriving at the scenic area, accomplices who are "more capable" and "more imposing" will negotiate with you. If all these efforts still don't work on shrewd guests, they will bring out their ultimate move: demanding to book a room for you at an unbelievably low price, then continuing to pester softly and persistently, and preventing others from coming into contact with you. If they feel the deal is hopeless, some may even resort to late-night "massage" tactics to recover their losses. The best way for tourists to avoid this situation is the four-no rule: "no contact, no response, no entanglement, no seeking cheap gains." If you really get entangled and can't get away, you can call the Tourism Bureau Quality Inspection Brigade (0744-8380193) or the Wulingyuan District Tourism Bureau Quality Inspection Office (0744-5618331), as well as 110 for help!
3. Places to pay attention to in Zhangjiajie city proper
If you come by train, as soon as you get off the train you have to go down a very steep set of steps, making you feel you've really arrived in a mountainous area, hehe. Please lift your noble feet and go down slowly!
At the bottom, you'll see a huge square. Many women or men will gather around, foaming at the mouth and passionately recommending how to travel. If you're from Sichuan or Chongqing, just speak Sichuan dialect, and these people will immediately scatter like birds and beasts, because the Zhangjiajie accent is similar to Chongqing, Sichuan, and western Hubei speech. These people will mistakenly think you're a local and lose interest in you. If you can only speak Mandarin, then tell them, "I'm here to visit relatives; someone is picking me up." Whoosh—same thing, they scatter like birds and beasts!
Walk 20 meters to the left from the exit, and you'll see taxis in the square warmly greeting you. Let me tell you the going rate—thank me later—to go into the city it's 20 yuan, no matter where in the city. Better to find a place in the city to rest first. Zhangjiajie city proper is full of hotels and small guesthouses. If the driver helps recommend a hotel or travel agency, be careful—it's very likely you'll similarly fall into the trap of being pulled into a travel agency. In my impression, Xingchen, Nanhang Fulilai, Tianhong, Dongfang Mingzhu, Huayu... prices are fairly reasonable. Depending on peak and off-season, 160 to 280 RMB gets it done. Bargain yourself; it's worth that price, otherwise just leave. A two-star place at 80–120 is also fine. If you think staying in a hotel is too extravagant, then go to the "Zhangjiajie Self-Guided Travel Club," that is, the city reception station of the "Brothers' Home" guesthouse in the scenic area (0744-8321832). Normally it's only 15 RMB per person! Besides the low price, every staff member of the club knows Zhangjiajie's tourism situation like the back of their hand. If you don't hire a guide, carefully consulting them for free will also be very rewarding. Zhangjiajie Self-Guided Travel Club is opposite Wanjia Department Store in the city, 5 meters behind Taiwan Home. But there aren't many beds. If you're not willing to spend even the 20 RMB for a taxi, take the bus. From the railway station to Zhangjiajie city proper (Routes 1, 2, and 7) all cost 1 yuan, and the speed is no worse than a taxi. Recommended.
Best of all, take Bus No. 2 directly to Zhangjiajie Bus Station and transfer to a minibus heading to the scenic area, so you avoid the trouble of finding a hotel. If you want to save worry, finding a trustworthy self-guided guide to handle it for you is also fine.
If you come by plane, there's a civil aviation bus waiting for you at the exit. For 5 yuan it will take you to the Civil Aviation Hotel on Daqiao Road in the city. If you feel its route is too limited, you can also take a taxi across from the exit for about 30 to 40 yuan to any corner of the city proper (right now the road from Zhangjiajie Airport to the city is under construction, and taxis seem to cost 50 per trip).
4. Eating and playing in the city proper
Zhangjiajie city proper isn't big, but commerce is relatively developed. The relatively large and complete shopping places include Wanjia Department Store Supermarket and Guanghe Shopping Center. Wanjia Department Store is on a major traffic road, and the route buses returning from the scenic area to the city proper as well as buses 1, 2, and 7 all pass here. Recommended. No matter which hotel you stay in, when you go out and take a minibus, tell the driver to go to Wanjia Shopping, and the fare is only 1 yuan. The second floor of Wanjia is worth a stroll, with Miao silver jewelry, local specialties, and various authentic snacks. Prices are not expensive compared with other supermarkets, and it has character and is fairly reasonable. On the first floor you can buy daily necessities, with everything you could need.
Guanghe is relatively less convenient for transportation, but if you come out of Guanghe after shopping and still have time, you can go across the street to Martyrs' Park. The park is free, and there is a memorial tower on the hill. Climb up and you can see the whole city proper. Recommended. The scenery on the hill is also good, lush and green.
Another place to recommend: Tujia Customs Park, which contains the world's tallest stilted building—Nine Heavens Tower—with great ornamental value. Ticket price is 80 RMB. In addition, Tujia Customs Park has folk custom performances from morning to night every day, and is an excellent place to learn about the ethnic customs of Xiangxi.
Also, taxis in Zhangjiajie have a starting fare of 3 RMB. Super cheap, right?
On the pedestrian street, there is a People's Square. Big. Opposite the square is a temple called Puguang Temple, but the sign at the entrance says White Sheep Ancient Temple. Ticket price is 20 RMB, and there are wonders inside. Recommended. There is also a place called Xiuhua Mountain Hall, a Tujia folk museum. Inside are Tujia items collected by the owner over a lifetime, especially the owner's three treasures of the museum. Ticket price is 30 RMB. When you get to Xiuhua Mountain Hall, you must go up to the third floor to admire Xiuhua sandstone paintings. This is one of Zhangjiajie's unique wonders. If you don't see it, you've wasted your trip to Xiuhua Mountain Hall.
Hungry? You should have said so earlier—made me ramble for so long.
Continue by minibus for 1 yuan. Taxi? At most 3 yuan! Get off at People's Cinema. The night market stretches out all along the street. Pick a place with lots of people—you can't go wrong.
Across from the cinema there's a small stall selling pickles. Remember it: the one backed by a storefront. Several basins of pickled cucumber, crisp and appetizing, and pickled radish—ah, just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
If it's noon or dusk and you don't want to eat at a street stall or hotel food, go to a place called Yinmandou to eat pickled cabbage beef. It's unbelievably delicious, about 30 yuan for a hot pot, enough for three people. The location is in the alley down from the aviation school, right next to the pedestrian street. If you really can't find it, go to Master Hu's Three-Pot Stew by Fengwan Bridge and eat Zhangjiajie specialty dishes—dry-fried intestines and walnut meat hot pot, 10 yuan per portion, the flavor is peerless. You're not going to eat it after coming here? What a pity!
Like fish? Take a taxi for 5 yuan to near the Qiaonan gas station and eat mandarin fish. The shop is called Yanbodu Fish Restaurant—I think that's the name, and it's the only one. Extremely delicious, with perilla leaves floating in it. Oh my...
Like fish head? Go to Sanjiaoping. When you get to Sanjiaoping, ask anyone and they'll know the place that serves fish head. The soup is stewed with small cherry tomatoes produced locally in Zhangjiajie, with a rather Guizhou sour soup flavor. The above are all distinctive small places, and going to eat there yourself is best, but if you're with more particular friends, it may not seem quite suitable. Below are a few more restaurants that Zhangjiajie locals often go to that are of a decent standard: Jiudouliang Specialty Restaurant, located at the entrance of Shunshilong Hotel on Ziwu Road in Zhangjiajie city, mainly serves Zhangjiajie local specialty dishes, pure wooden building structure. Eating there feels great, very Tujia in character. After a few rounds of drinks, you can also enjoy the sweet Tujia mountain songs sung by the waitresses here. Truly, the lingering melody echoes around the beams. Shangui Village: also mainly Tujia dishes, but mainly operating game, with Tujia-style decor. The shop is also on Ziwu Road. Xiangli Renjia: a national chain brand restaurant, mainly authentic Hunan cuisine. On Huilong Road in the city proper. Huogongdian: Huogongdian can be said to have become a symbol of Hunan dining. If Chinese people talk about Hunan cuisine, the first thing they may think of is Huogongdian. However, I haven't personally eaten at Zhangjiajie Huogongdian, so I still don't know how the taste is. It's at the Fengwan intersection in the city proper.
5: How to go to the Wulingyuan core scenic area?
First, let me clarify that the Wulingyuan core scenic area refers to a broad concept, including Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (that is, Huangshizhai and Golden Whip Stream as well as Yuanjiajie), Yangjiajie, Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve (including Daguan Terrace, Laowuchang, and Helong Park), and part of Suoxiyu—Ten-Mile Gallery. These places use one unified ticket of 248 RMB. That is to say, whether you only visit Yuanjiajie or Ten-Mile Gallery or Laowuchang, or visit all the above places, you must pay 248 RMB. There are 5 ticket stations for entry: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Ticket Station, Wulingyuan Ticket Station, Tianzi Mountain Ticket Station, Zimugang Ticket Station, and Yangjiajie Ticket Station. Buying a ticket at any ticket station allows entry to the above scenic areas. However, the following people can enjoy discounts: 1. Guides and travel agency managers with relevant credentials can be exempted from tickets to any scenic area in Zhangjiajie as well as cableway and elevator tickets. 2. Children under 1.2 meters can be exempted from the Wulingyuan core scenic area ticket; between one meter and 1.2 meters, half-price tickets for cableway, elevator, and mini train. 3. Seniors over 70 with ID can be exempted from Zhangjiajie scenic area's 248 RMB main ticket, and half-price for the rest. 4. Journalists at provincial level or above with relevant credentials can be exempted from Zhangjiajie scenic area's 248 RMB main ticket; in addition, Bailong Elevator is free, and cableway and mini train are full price. 5. Active-duty military personnel with officer's credentials can be exempted from the 248 RMB main ticket, and half-price for cableway, elevator, and mini train. 6. Disabled persons and those receiving urban minimum living allowance with relevant credentials are exempted from the 248 RMB ticket and half-price for the rest. 7. University students under 24 years old (including graduate students) with relevant credentials can buy a discounted ticket of 134 RMB. The rest are half-price. Zhangjiajie city has two districts: one called Yongding District, namely the city proper, and one called Wulingyuan District, namely the scenic area. The core scenic area mentioned above administratively belongs to Wulingyuan District. In Suoxiyu, apart from the Ten-Mile Gallery sightseeing route being included in the Wulingyuan core scenic area's 248 RMB main ticket, many other essential attractions require separate tickets, such as Baofeng Lake, Longwang Cave, Yellow Dragon Cave, bonfire parties, whitewater rafting, and so on.
As just mentioned, the Wulingyuan core scenic area has five ticket stations. Buying a ticket at any ticket station allows entry to the above areas. However, ordinary tourists had best choose the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Ticket Station, Wulingyuan Ticket Station, or Tianzi Mountain Ticket Station to enter the scenic area, because the other two ticket stations have no direct buses and are very inconvenient. Entering the scenic area from the Tianzi Mountain Ticket Station has three advantages. First, you can directly reach Yuanjiajie or the top of Tianzi Mountain. If you have contacted in advance the very famous online guides, the Zhong brothers, you can first send your heavy luggage directly to the guesthouse run by the Zhong brothers, "Brothers' Home" (13974494515//13787945110), get the room settled first, and then go out sightseeing—a very relaxed way to travel. Second, you can save more than 50 RMB in elevator or cableway fees, because from Zhangjiajie National Forest Park to Yuanjiajie you must take the Bailong Elevator or climb the 3,200 steps of Luancuan Slope, and from Wulingyuan you likewise must take the cableway or climb more than 8,000 steps over five mountain tops to reach the top of Tianzi Mountain. However, entering the scenic area from Tianzi Mountain requires a 77-kilometer bus ride, taking two and a half hours, more than twice the travel time from Zhangjiajie National Forest Park or Wulingyuan. So entering the mountain from the Tianzi Mountain Ticket Station is only for those who want to save money and energy. Most importantly, the third point: from Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Wulingyuan, you cannot drive your car into the scenic area. At present, only the Tianzi Mountain Ticket Station has a road built directly to the top of Tianzi Mountain and the top of Yuanjiajie. Outside vehicles entering the scenic area according to regulations need a pass. For self-drivers who want to drive into the scenic area, they can only do so through the Tianzi Mountain ticket station, and they need to obtain a scenic area pass issued by the government. But if you contact in advance the self-guided guide in the scenic area, the Zhong brothers, driving your car directly into the scenic area for free from the Tianzi Mountain Ticket Station is absolutely no problem. However, at present 30 kilometers are gravel road surface, so those with poor vehicle performance should forget it. From Zhangjiajie Bus Station to Tianzi Mountain Ticket Station the fare is 13 RMB. Chartered cars are not recommended; without 300 RMB the driver won't take you to Tianzi Mountain Ticket Station.