Comprehensive 2009 Zhangjiajie DIY Travel Guide
1. Comparing joining a tour group at your departure city vs. finding a DIY guide at the destination. Objectively speaking, Zhangjiajie's scenery surpasses Guilin and Huangshan, and its reception facilities are quite complete with a relatively mature tourism market—both group tours and DIY travel are viable. Joining a tour group saves you much trouble, such as food, lodging, and transport, but...
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.
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 of Zhangjiajie is more appreciable than that of Guilin and Huangshan, and the reception facilities are quite complete. The tourism market is relatively mature, so both joining a tour group and self-guided travel are feasible.
Joining a tour group can save you a lot of trouble, such as food, accommodation, and transportation. But it's definitely not just about having fun—relatively speaking, after joining a group, many optional paid activities and mandatory shopping stops are unavoidable. And if guests don't contribute, the guide may not be very pleasant to you. This is something that can't be changed, because all mature scenic areas nationwide now have local tour operators accepting groups at cost or at a loss due to competition, and the remuneration of local operators and guides basically all comes from the guide's secondary income generation. Moreover, joining a tour group is very restrictive—every spot is just a quick glance. It is precisely these restrictions of tour groups that have led to the current boom in self-guided travel, because self-guided travel has no restrictions, is completely free and unconstrained. As long as you pick your destination well and get in touch with a local self-guided guide or hotel, you can easily arrange everything. Compared to other scenic areas nationwide, Zhangjiajie has even more advantages for self-guided travel. That is, due to time constraints, tour groups absolutely cannot visit Zhangjiajie's most attractive spots, such as Tianbo Mansion and Wulong Village in Yangjiajie, the "One Step Is Hard" at Daguan Platform, Immortal Bridge, Tianzi Seat, the Divine Troops Gathering at Laowuchang, the Sky Farmland, and Mandarin Duck Waterfall and other essential spots. If you don't believe it, those who joined tour groups can recall whether they visited these places?
2. Things to pay attention to in Zhangjiajie city area
First, let me tell you about Zhangjiajie: Zhangjiajie is a prefecture-level city governing two districts and two counties. The two districts are Yongding District (the city area) and Wulingyuan District. The two counties are Sangzhi and Cili. Zhangjiajie's core scenic area is in Wulingyuan. If you come directly to Zhangjiajie, no matter what mode of transportation you choose, your first stop will be Yongding District. From Yongding District to Wulingyuan is still over 30 kilometers. Whether you take a train, plane, or long-distance bus, you first need to get to the downtown bus station. The downtown bus station has buses to the scenic area, which makes things very convenient.
How to get to the downtown bus station from different places:
If you take the train (Zhangjiajie Railway Station moved from the North Station to the newly built South Station on January 18th), before January 18th you could take Bus No. 2 or No. 7 (1 yuan/person), or a taxi at 25 yuan/person. After January 18th, when you exit the platform, there will be many Bus No. 6 and taxis waiting for you. The bus costs 1 yuan/person but doesn't go directly to the bus station—you can get off at Department Store Building and walk left 200 meters to arrive. A taxi costs about 5 yuan/person. (Be especially careful of drivers who sweet-talk you into staying at a hotel or going to a travel agency—don't listen to them. They're all touts. What that means, I don't need to tell you. So no matter what, just get to the station.)
If you come by plane, there's a civil aviation bus waiting for you at the exit. Show your boarding pass and it will take you free of charge to the Civil Aviation Hotel on Daqiao Road in the city area. If you feel its route is too limited, you can also take a taxi from across the exit for about 30 yuan to any corner of the city area. Think it's too expensive? Then don't take it—walk out of the airport gate in five minutes, and outside it'll only cost 15 yuan.
Then it depends on your arrival time. If you arrive before 4 PM and feel full of energy, just take the bus directly to the scenic area at 12 yuan/person. A group of 5-6 people can charter a private car (about 100 yuan). If you arrive after 4 PM, don't make any plans—just stay in the city area. There are hotels of different grades near the station: ordinary hotels (40-60 yuan/room), two-star (80-120 yuan/room), three-star (160-200 yuan/room), five-star (320-480 yuan/room).
The area around the downtown bus station is the most prosperous part of the city center, and it's very convenient to eat there. If you just want to fill your stomach, any nearby restaurant will do. If you want something to your taste, go to the nearby Xiangshui Renjia (a national chain, with flavors from all over the country to choose from). If you want something more distinctive, try the Yanbodu Fish Restaurant over at Jin Hai An. If you want something even more distinctive, with both Tujia flavor and nutrition, go to Jiudouliang for wild game, Tujia cured meat, Tujia sausage, small river shrimp, Hezha (ground bean curd), and many other Tujia specialty dishes—everything you could want, a real feast for your taste buds. If it's noon or dusk and you don't want street food or hotel food, go to a place called Yinmandou for pickled vegetable beef—it's incredibly delicious. 25 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 Sanxiaguo by the Fengwan Bridge for Zhangjiajie specialty dishes—dry-fried intestines and walnut meat hot pot, 15 yuan per portion, the taste is peerless. Coming here and not eating it? You might as well not have come to Zhangjiajie at all! There are many more distinctive things I won't go into—they seem too complicated and I can't be bothered. Let this webpage explain it to you: http://www.33519.com/meishi/1133135274.shtml
3. If you want to buy something in Zhangjiajie, I recommend two places: the relatively large and well-stocked Wanjia Shopping Center and the Meini chain. No matter which hotel you stay at, when you go out and take a minibus, just tell the driver to go to Wanjia Shopping—it only costs 1 yuan. A taxi has a starting fare of 3 yuan. The first floor of Wanjia is worth a stroll, with Miao silver jewelry for sale—the prices aren't expensive, they're distinctive, generally no bargaining, and fairly reasonable. In the corner of the first floor, there's a place selling specialty items—worth a look.
On the second floor, you can buy daily necessities—everything you need. On the hill opposite Guanghe, there's a memorial tower in a free park. Climb up and you can see the whole city area. The scenery on the hill is nice, lush and green.
Zhangjiajie's city area isn't big, but there are many things worth appreciating. If you want to learn about Tujia customs, go to the Tujia Customs Park (which has ancient-style architecture—the world's tallest stilted building, Nine Heavens, Tujia song and dance performances, crying marriage, bonfire parties, barbecue, etc.), the Old Courtyard (the filming location of "Bloody Xiangxi," where Zhu Rongji studied), and Xiuhua Mountain Hall (which houses ethnic Tujia items collected over the owner's lifetime, especially famous for the owner's three treasures). Those who like art and believe in feng shui can go to White Sheep Ancient Temple (praying to Buddha there is very efficacious; ticket price 20 yuan/person). These are all man-made attractions.
If time permits, you can visit Tianmen Mountain (it has several world records: the world's highest natural mountain-piercing cave—Tianmen Cave; the world's longest single-line circular passenger cableway at 7,127 meters long, with a height difference of 1,277 meters and a one-way ride of 24 minutes; and the world's number one road wonder, only 12 kilometers long but rising sharply from 200 meters to 1,300 meters in elevation, with 180-degree hairpin turns everywhere. Ticket price 258 yuan/person).
For more details, please see the following:
First, let me clarify something: the Zhangjiajie Scenic Area refers to a broad concept that includes the Forest Park (that is, Huangshizhai, Jinbian Stream, and Yuanjiajie), Yangjiajie, Tianzi Mountain (including Daguantai and Laowuchang), and part of Suoxiyu—the Ten-Mile Gallery. These places share a single ticket of 248 yuan, which means whether you only visit Yuanjiajie, or the Ten-Mile Gallery, or Laowuchang, or all of the above places, you must pay 248 yuan. There are 5 ticket gates through which you can enter: the Forest Park ticket gate, the Wulingyuan ticket gate, the Tianzi Mountain ticket gate, the Shuirao Simen ticket gate, and the Yangjiajie ticket gate. Buying a ticket at any ticket gate allows you to enter the above scenic areas. However, the following people can enjoy discounts: 1. Tour guides and travel agency managers, with relevant credentials, can be exempted from tickets to any scenic area in Zhangjiajie as well as cable car and elevator tickets. 2. Children under 1.2 meters can be exempted from tickets to any scenic area in Zhangjiajie as well as cable car and elevator tickets. 3. Seniors over 70 years old, with their ID cards, can be exempted from the 248-yuan main entrance ticket to the Zhangjiajie Scenic Area. 4. Journalists at or above the provincial level, with relevant credentials, can be exempted from the 248-yuan main entrance ticket to the Zhangjiajie Scenic Area; whether other scenic area tickets and cable car/elevator tickets are exempted is highly flexible. 5. Active-duty military personnel, with officer's credentials, can be exempted from the 248-yuan main entrance ticket. 6. Students under 24 years old can buy a discounted ticket for 134 yuan. Zhangjiajie City has two districts: one is Yongding District, namely the urban area, and the other is Wulingyuan District, namely the scenic area. The Zhangjiajie Scenic Area mentioned above administratively belongs to Wulingyuan District. In Suoxiyu, apart from the Ten-Mile Gallery sightseeing route, which is included in the 248-yuan main entrance ticket to the Zhangjiajie Scenic Area, there are many highlight attractions for which you must buy separate tickets, such as Baofeng Lake, Longwang Cave, Huanglong Cave, bonfire parties, and whitewater rafting.
As just mentioned, the Zhangjiajie Scenic Area has five ticket gates, and buying a ticket at any ticket gate allows you to enter the above areas. However, ordinary tourists had best choose to enter the scenic area through the Forest Park ticket gate, the Wulingyuan ticket gate, or the Tianzi Mountain ticket gate, because the other two ticket gates have no direct buses and are very inconvenient. Entering the scenic area from the Tianzi Mountain ticket gate has two advantages: first, you can directly reach Yuanjiajie or the top of Tianzi Mountain; second, you can save more than 50 yuan in elevator or cable car costs, because from the Forest Park to Yuanjiajie you must take the Bailong Elevator or climb several thousand steps up the Luancuan Slope, and from Wulingyuan you likewise must take the cable car or climb more than 6,000 steps up Tianzi Mountain to reach the top of Tianzi Mountain. However, entering the scenic area from Tianzi Mountain requires a 77-kilometer bus ride, which takes two hours; the travel time is twice that from the Forest Park or Wulingyuan. Therefore, entering the mountains from the Tianzi Mountain ticket gate is only for those who want to save money and energy. Also, self-driving visitors can drive their cars into the scenic area through the Tianzi Mountain ticket gate; from the Forest Park and Wulingyuan, cars cannot be driven into the scenic area. From Zhangjiajie Bus Station to the Tianzi Mountain ticket gate, the fare is 13 yuan. Do not charter a car; unless you pay 200 to 300 yuan, the driver will not take you to Tianzi Mountain.
If you choose not to enter the scenic area from Tianzi Mountain, then if you arrive in Zhangjiajie in the morning, it is recommended that you enter the scenic area from the Forest Park. If you want to splurge, chartering a taxi to the Forest Park costs 100 yuan; it depends on your bargaining skills. If you are reluctant to spend the money, go to the bus station (there is only one bus station) and take a BUS. Remember, it is to the Forest Park, not anywhere else. 12 yuan per person and you are done. If it is in the afternoon, then enter the scenic area from Wulingyuan; likewise take a bus from Zhangjiajie Bus Station, and the fare is 12 yuan.
Both take only 40 minutes. Once you arrive at the scenic area, do not get carsick; hurry and buy your tickets to enter the mountains. Zhangjiajie tickets can be used for two days; specifically, within two days you can freely enter and exit the main gate many times. Want to play for several more days? No problem. Stay in a family inn inside the scenic area, and if you do not leave the main gate, no one can do anything about it. This is because inside the scenic area and when leaving the main gate, tickets are not checked; tickets are checked only when entering the scenic area.
IV: How to tour within the scenic area
Ordinary tourists generally like to enter the mountains from the Forest Park, so I will use the Forest Park as the starting point to design a highlight self-guided route for everyone. Those who buy tickets to enter the mountains from the Tianzi Mountain and Wulingyuan ticket gates can arrange the route in reverse or make slight adjustments. After entering the mountains, the first place you reach is a spot called the Great Oxygen Bar. Hurry and relax, breathe in some negative ions. After a American medical expert came to Zhangjiajie, he said that every breath taken at the Great Oxygen Bar is worth 5 US dollars. Think Zhangjiajie tickets are expensive? It does not matter. Hurry and take six deep breaths and you have earned it back. Do not be greedy; once your belly is full, that is enough. If you really feel it is not enough, on the way back fill a plastic bag with a pack and take it home to breathe slowly. Here, you should first consider how to tour Zhangjiajie. From the Great Oxygen Bar square, you can go left up to Huangshizhai, go right to Yaozizhai, and go straight ahead to Jinbian Stream.
The so-called saying "If you do not go up Huangshizhai, your trip to Zhangjiajie is in vain" must not be believed; it is a lie. The scenery above is ordinary, and there are huge numbers of tour groups. Going up and down wastes time and energy, and if it wastes your money on the cable car, others will shout "the advertisement succeeded!" Yaozizhai, by contrast, is especially steep and dangerous; climbing up and down takes a day, there are no households on the mountain, and of course no food either. You absolutely must not collapse from exhaustion or faint from hunger, because Zhangjiajie still has too many sights waiting for you to enjoy.
You can take the route via Jinbian Stream, a very beautiful canyon; you must walk it. It is 7.5 kilometers long in total. You can follow this stream all the way until you reach a place called Shuirao Simen, which is one of the places that will kill your film, and there is also a very good place called the Bailong Elevator there, which is absolutely recommended. After taking the elevator to the top, there are Tianzi Mountain shuttle buses to transfer you to the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area. I think the essence of Zhangjiajie is here, so do not miss this route. The elevator going up is 56. If someone thinks their physical strength is good, they can also avoid spending this 56 yuan. There are two other routes that can directly climb up to Yuanjiajie: Shadao Gully and Luancuan Slope. Shadao Gully is rarely visited; if you are alone, absolutely do not go, or even if you are not carried off by ghosts, you will be scared to death by it! I suggest you take Luancuan Slope; occasionally you may still run into a few people along the way.
After climbing up to Yuanjiajie, if your stomach can hold out, it is better to finish seeing the sights before eating, so that you will not have to backtrack. If you are really too hungry to bear it, then eat first and tour afterward. Walk along the road for more than ten minutes and you will reach the Number One Restaurant Under Heaven. The backtracking distance is not far. After eating, check your luggage for free, then go see the Back Garden, Mihun Terrace, and the Number One Bridge Under Heaven. After touring, take the eco-friendly bus and get off at the Yangjiajie parking lot, then find a farmhouse inn. Once the lodging problem is solved, you can put down the luggage you have carried all day. If you are full of energy in the afternoon, you can go to Wulong Village in Yangjiajie. Do you know the story of the Yang family generals of the Northern Song Dynasty? I heard this place was named because their descendants once lived in this area, but the scenery inside actually has nothing to do with them! What is related to this place is the film "Tracks of the Wulong Mountain Bandits Suppression." Wulong Village is said to have been an important place for bandit activities in the past, and the People's Liberation Army spent great effort to wipe them out. The terrain inside is extremely strategic and dangerous, and you must pass through the Three Ghost Passes. Going there will absolutely make you feel thrilled. The scenery of Tianbo Mansion is even more unique. In addition, if you are not tired yet, spend another two and a half hours round trip to see One Step to Heaven and the Sky Corridor. But you also need to see whether there is enough time. If it is too late, there are no lights in the mountains, and you may not be able to get back. If you did not go to One Step to Heaven in the afternoon, there is another scenic spot called "Mandarin Duck Waterfall" that is so beautiful there are no words for it. This is the only water resource landscape in the Zhangjiajie Scenic Area that can be enjoyed. After seeing mountains for several days, anyone can imagine your excitement at being able to see such a beautiful waterfall. However, the road is especially bad and belongs to an original scenic spot that has not yet been fully developed. Generally, those who go will fall twice. I suggest those with poor health skip it. Safety first.
On the second day, after getting up, generally your calves will be a little sore, but it does not matter; continue training and it will be fine. There are still many beautiful sights waiting for you to enjoy, such as Daguantai in Tianzi Mountain, Xianren Bridge (here you can see the uncanny workmanship of nature; it really looks man-made. Neither the bridge surface nor the bridge body has anything growing on it, and the shape is very neat, truly like a bridge), as well as One Step Difficult and Divine Chicken Pecking (this is the end of the Ten-Mile Gallery. Standing high and gazing far, friends who like photography will find this the best position to photograph the Ten-Mile Gallery. If it rains, here you can also see scenery that cannot be seen elsewhere.)
In the blink of an eye it is the third day, that is, the last day in the Zhangjiajie Scenic Area. Get up early and take the eco-friendly bus to the Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area. Remember that there is a place where you must get off and take a look, and that is the highly mysterious Shentang Bay. In the early Ming Dynasty, the Tujia uprising leader Xiang Dakun of this area jumped off the cliff here to his death after his failure. Since then, no one has dared to go down there. Whenever it rains, the sound of people shouting and horses neighing can be heard below. The locals know many legends about them. Not far from Shentang Bay there is also a famous Jiangjiang Terrace, where the dozens of peaks and rocks below are full of vigor, like generals and soldiers ready to set out. After touring these two scenic spots, you can go to Helong Park. In Helong Park there are man-made sights (the bronze statue of He Long) and natural sights (West Sea, Yubi Peak, and Fairy Presenting Flowers are very distinctive). After touring Tianzi Mountain, prepare to go down the mountain. There are two routes down from Tianzi Mountain. One is to spend 52 yuan to take the cable car down the mountain, then take a bus to the Wulingyuan ticket gate or the Ten-Mile Gallery. The other route costs no money but requires very good physical strength; five ups and five downs, about three hours, and you can also reach the Ten-Mile Gallery for sightseeing. From Wulingyuan Bus Station to Zhangjiajie urban area is very convenient; a bus every ten minutes, 12 yuan, and 40 minutes to reach the city bus station.