7-Day Zhangjiajie Tour, Zhangjiajie Travelogue, Zhangjiajie Travel Reference
7-Day Zhangjiajie Tour Many people are waiting, waiting for an opportunity—an opportunity to escape the hustle and noise of the city and experience the natural scenery of Zhangjiajie and the folk customs of Xiangxi.…… Now that you finally have the time, you may not know how to make the most of your trip to Zhangjiajie. Read this post and you will find out: D1 Changsha-Zhangjiajie On the first day, explore Zhangjiajie's city area, Puguang Temple, the pedestrian street, the Martyrs' Tower, Dayong…
7-Day Zhangjiajie Tour
Many people are waiting, waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, to experience the natural scenery of Zhangjiajie and the folk customs of Xiangxi......
Finally having the time but not knowing how to best enjoy Zhangjiajie. After reading this post, you'll know:
D1 Changsha-Zhangjiajie
On the first day, we toured Zhangjiajie city area, Puguang Zen Temple, the pedestrian street, the Martyrs' Tower, Dayong Bridge Park......
D2 Golden Whip Stream-Yuanjiajie-Yangjiajie
It rained heavily all night last night and still hadn't stopped by six in the morning. We were worried it would affect today's itinerary. Around eight o'clock the weather began to clear up. Seeing the good weather, we were very happy. At eight o'clock we set off, boarding a minibus heading to the Zhangjiajie scenic area. Before nine we arrived at the scenic area gate and bought tickets (245+3 RMB). After entering the gate, we hired a local mountain man to carry our backpacks (50 RMB). Relieved of the heavy bags, we felt much lighter. First we took the route to Golden Whip Stream. Golden Whip Stream is 7.5 kilometers long in total, ending at Water Winding Around Four Gates. The stream water is very shallow, and it gets its name from flowing past a Golden Whip Rock. Golden Whip Stream winds left and right between two gorges, with trees on both sides shading it, very serene. Walking on the bluestone path, we could only look up at the high mountains on both sides. We listened to the guide tell the legends of each peak and appreciated their graceful postures. Along the way, the scenic spots on the cliffs beside us included Mother and Child Deep in Love, Pig Bajie Carries His Bride, Divine Eagle Guards the Whip, Wenxing Rock, Purple Grass Pool, Meeting After a Thousand Miles, and more. They all looked very true to life. The mountains here are like pillars stuck into the ground, very unique. By ten o'clock we met many people, most of them tour group visitors. After walking and stopping for more than an hour, we reached a fork. To the right was the way to Water Winding Around Four Gates, which was easier; to the left, stone steps climbed all the way up to Back Garden (a scenic spot in Yuanjiajie). We decided to go up the stone steps on the left. Along the way we met very few people, only a few coming down the mountain, and truly felt the quiet seclusion in the mountains. After climbing the steps for more than an hour, panting heavily, we reached Back Garden. It was already twelve o'clock, so we ate at a farmhouse restaurant by the road: three meat dishes, three vegetable dishes, and one soup. The plate of stir-fried cured meat with tofu tasted so good that we quickly cleaned it up. After a full meal, we began to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Yuanjiajie. Standing on Mihun Terrace and looking level at the peaks, we felt the view was very open. The trees by the road were blooming with pink and snow-white flowers, adding decoration to the surrounding green, very beautiful. When we reached the end of Yuanjiajie, the No. 1 Bridge Under Heaven, it was already 13:30. The "No. 1 Bridge Under Heaven" is a stone bridge naturally formed by the mountain body spanning a canyon. Seen from afar, it looks somewhat perilous. After crossing the stone bridge, we walked a circle around a small hill beside it. Looking out at the mountains from here, it felt very spectacular, with bamboo-shoot-like peaks standing tall one after another. What we saw before us was like a natural painting, extremely beautiful! Leaving the No. 1 Bridge Under Heaven, it was already past two in the afternoon. After picking up our luggage, we took a bus directly to Shijia Brothers Inn to check in. The conditions were good: 24-hour hot water in the room, private bathroom with shower, and quite clean. We were very satisfied with such conditions even on the mountaintop. After resting a little, we set off for Yangjiajie, which is a very essential scenic spot in Zhangjiajie, usually visited only by independent travelers. The scenic spots in Yangjiajie include: Wulong Village, Tianbo Mansion, One Step to Heaven, Sky Corridor...... Speaking of Wulong Village, everyone must have seen "The Story of Suppressing Bandits in Wulong Mountain." The characters in it, such as Mountain-Piercing Leopard and One-Eyed Dragon, all stayed here. To enter Wulong Village, you must pass three perilous checkpoints, and inside there is also a One-Line Sky. If you are very large, I suggest you don't go; you definitely won't get through, haha! In my heart I sighed at how amazing it was that the bandits back then could find such a place to hide. After passing Wulong Village, you reach Tianbo Mansion. First you must cross a wooden bridge, which sways as you walk. With more than 300 meters of open air below and a distance of more than 10 meters, after crossing the wooden bridge you must climb a nearly 80-degree ladder before reaching the viewing platform. It was a bit scary, but I didn't want to miss the beautiful scenery above. Gritting my teeth, using both hands and feet, I followed the few people ahead and climbed up, experiencing once the feeling of a racing heartbeat. Standing on top, before my eyes were four huge natural walls, surrounded by countless peaks. The craftsmanship of nature is truly magical! If you come to Zhangjiajie and don't go to Yangjiajie, it would be a great pity; you wouldn't be able to experience the "danger" of Zhangjiajie. On the way back to our lodging, we passed the junction for One Step to Heaven and Sky Corridor, which required two hours. Because it was already past six and we were very tired, we gave up this scenic spot that is said to be very perilous and able to show the panorama of Yangjiajie.
D3 Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area
At nine in the morning we waited by the road for the tourist bus (bus fares on the mountain are included in the ticket). Many independent travelers staying on the mountain were already standing by the road. We waited 15 minutes before getting on. About 20 minutes later we got off at Shentang Bay, a place full of mystery. Legend has it that in the early Ming Dynasty, an ancient Tujia leader, King Tianzi, was defeated and trapped in Shentang Bay. Eventually unable to hold on, the entire army jumped off the cliff to their deaths. Whenever it is rainy or the weather changes suddenly, one can faintly hear the sounds of people shouting and horses neighing from the bottom of the cliff...... Not far from Shentang Bay is Dianjiang Terrace, where the Forty-Eight General Rocks below are lifelike, like generals and soldiers ready to set off. Then we walked to Helong Park, a place visited by tour groups. As you can imagine, it was crowded everywhere, mostly with Koreans. In the past two days we saw more Koreans than Chinese. Korean text could be seen everywhere in the scenic area, and even vendors could solicit business in Korean, showing how strongly Zhangjiajie has been promoted in Korea. The scenery here was average. Parting the crowd, we looked at Fairy Scattering Flowers and Imperial Brush Peak, then left. We had lunch at a small restaurant not far away. After lunch it was almost twelve. The guide took us to the essential scenic spot of Tianzi Mountain, Daguantai. The entrance is beside the road and has no sign at all. Without a guide, it would be very hard to discover that going in here leads to an excellent scenic spot. Very few people go there, so you can enjoy the beautiful scenery in peace. After riding the tourist bus for a while, we arrived at the entrance to Daguantai. We walked in along the road and saw the Daguantai sign. Three young people were resting by the road. We began to go down the stone steps. Just then a middle-aged couple had come up. They had gone down in the morning to sightsee, and from their panting appearance we could tell how tiring the route below was. After that, the six of us did not meet any other visitors. After walking countless steps and flat paths, seeing locked toilets, closed shops, and fallen branches on the ground that no one had cleared, we knew that very few people really came here. First we went to Immortal Bridge, a narrow stone bridge even more precipitous than the No. 1 Bridge Under Heaven. Wire fencing surrounds the stone bridge to remind visitors that it is dangerous here! A natural stone bridge more than 10 meters long and no more than 1 meter wide, with a valley 350 meters deep below and no guardrails on either side or around, if you are not careful walking on it, you will do a free-fall. Next was Tianzi Seat, surrounded by railings, with open valleys on both left and right. The scenery here was also very beautiful. The third scenic spot was One Step Hard to Take. Between two mountains is a distance of more than one meter, with an abyss below. If one step is not big enough, you fall down. It is said that several people once fell from here, and afterward no one dared cross. Later an iron bridge was built, but walking on the iron bridge, I still felt a chill under my feet and was somewhat afraid. The last scenic spot was Divine Chicken Pecking Food, from where one can look far at the dried-up Ten-Mile Gallery. On the way back, there were constant rustling sounds in the bushes on both sides, probably small animals such as birds and squirrels. As we walked, we heard the sound again. Turning my head to look, the guide softly said to me: "Snake." I glanced back and couldn't see clearly, but it looked like the shape of a snake. With an "Ah!" the two of us quickly rushed forward. I hadn't known before that I could run so fast. Fortunately the snake didn't follow, haha. After that the guide chatted with us about snakes in the mountains. Going back, we kept climbing steps under the blazing sun. So tiring! Although tired, we were very satisfied with the scenic spots we visited in the past two days; they did not disappoint us. When we waited for the bus by the road, it was already three in the afternoon. We had walked at Daguantai for three hours and been exposed to the sun for three hours. Back at our lodging, we found that our faces were sunburned and peeling, wuwu! Today was too tiring. Once back, we fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow.
D4 Yellow Dragon Cave (underground karst cave scenery)
At 9:40 in the morning we took the Bailong Elevator (56 RMB, so expensive) and reached the foot of the mountain in just over a minute. Standing in the elevator, through the glass we could also see a great sight: Divine Soldiers Gathering. Today it was raining in the mountains, and everything was misty. We took a bus to Water Winding Around Four Gates and looked around casually. The so-called Four Gates Wound by Water means that four streams—Golden Whip Stream, Suo Stream, Dragon Tail Stream, and Mandarin Duck Stream—flow together at the same time. Ten-Mile Gallery had no water, and I heard the scenic spots there were average. To save time, we decided to give up this scenic spot, took a bus directly out of the scenic area, and then hired a car to Yellow Dragon Cave. At 11 o'clock we arrived at Yellow Dragon Cave. A guide dressed in Tujia clothing led us into the cave (usually one guide leads many people, so we were secretly happy). Yellow Dragon Cave is 13 kilometers long, up to 160 meters high, divided into four levels, and belongs to the limestone underground river erosion type of cave. Two water levels and two dry levels crisscross vertically and horizontally, forming caves within caves. Stalactites, stalagmites, stone columns, stone curtains, stone harps, and stone flowers are like crystal and jade, dazzling to the eye, rich and varied, too beautiful to take in all at once, and it has the reputation of an "underground maze." First we passed through a deep hundred-meter corridor. At the end of the corridor were two natural stone gates: one is the Gate of Happiness, and the other is the Gate of Longevity. If you enter through one first, then later you must come out through the other, which means your life will be happy and long. After passing these two gates, there were all kinds of bizarre stalagmites, stone columns, stalactites, and so on. Following the guide, we passed through Dragon Dance Hall, where there were countless stalactites. After that, we came to the Xiangshui River in Yellow Dragon Cave. Then we boarded the small boat for touring the cave. Listening to the guide's explanations, the colorful neon lights along the way shone on the cave walls, giving a dreamlike feeling. After getting off the boat, we closely followed the guide, passing one scenic spot after another, listening to related stories, and feeling the wonder of nature. The scenic spots in the cave include Loess Plateau, Huaguo Mountain, Stone Harp Mountain, Dragon Palace Hall, and so on. The Loess Plateau is the largest stone waterfall group among developed karst caves in our country, 96 meters wide from north to south, 105 meters wide from east to west, with a drop of 40 meters. It is very spectacular. Because it is loess-colored, it was named Loess Plateau. At Huaguo Mountain you can see various stone monkeys formed from stalactites in different shapes. And the "Pacifying Sea Divine Needle" in Dragon Palace Hall is the tallest stalagmite in Yellow Dragon Cave, 19.2 meters high. Judging by its growth of 1 centimeter every 100 years, you can know its age. After walking through all four levels and seeing so many peculiar stalagmites and stone columns, some like reclining pines, some like monkeys, some like rockets, some like ginger, some like fingers...... we couldn't help but marvel at the wonder of nature. When we walked out of Yellow Dragon Cave, it was already 12:30. The guide took us to eat. This last meal was arranged very sumptuously. We ate happily and were also very grateful to this honest and good guide. The three days of itinerary let us truly appreciate the beauty of Zhangjiajie and the wonder of Yellow Dragon Cave!
(2) Xiangxi Trip
At 15:00 we boarded the bus from Zhangjiajie (43 RMB) to Jishou. By the time we reached Jishou it was already 17:50. We took a taxi (4 RMB) to the railway station square. In the square were tourist buses going to Dehang, 4 RMB per person, with a ride of 40 minutes. Dehang means "beautiful canyon" in the Miao language (ticket 60 RMB). The village is very small, probably only a few dozen households, located in a small canyon. We got off at the Miao village square. The young ticket-selling girl on the bus recommended that we stay in a bamboo house by the small river (20 RMB/person). From the second floor of the bamboo house, you could see the mountain opposite; the visual effect was good. After putting down our luggage, the girl told us we could go see a performance booked by a tour group. When we arrived at the performance venue, it was already almost halfway through. It was a local folk performance. We watched with great interest for 20 minutes, but finally could not overcome the protests of our stomachs, so we went to a small restaurant by the village square. Dinner was local cured meat, wild vegetables, mountain bamboo shoots, and the like. The taste was all right.
D5 Liusha Waterfall
It poured rain all night, and by morning it still hadn't stopped. We were both happy and worried: happy because the water at Liusha Waterfall today would surely be very heavy, worried because the road conditions might be bad in the rain. We set off at 7:50, joined by a retired gentleman from Shanghai staying next door. We carefully moved forward along the wet and slippery stone-slab path by the riverbank. The rain alternated between heavy and light. Holding an umbrella, I carefully stepped on the stone slabs, afraid that with one careless slip I would fall into the surging river. At a few of the slipperiest sections, I had to grab my companion's sleeve and walk across trembling with fear (my shoes had no anti-slip effect, so I appeared very timid). Along the way, from time to time we could see small waterfalls drifting down from the mountains on both sides. The mountain road was rugged, sometimes passing through mountain streams, sometimes crossing a single log over emptiness, sometimes wading through water unsteadily. My shoes were already full of water, and I shivered as I walked. Finally, after an hour, a long waterfall fell from the sky, as if a huge white cloth were hanging on the cliff. The waterfall has a drop of 216 meters and is said to be the highest waterfall in the country. At this time, rolling water flew down from the cliff into a deep pool, with a sound like thunder, shaking the valley, majestic and magnificent! We danced with joy and shouted loudly, forgetting the hardship just now, forgetting the cold, forgetting our soaked bodies. Because the water force was too great, blowing toward us like a fierce wind, we could not get close and could only stand in the distance and quickly take a few photos with the camera; the lens was also quickly wet. At this moment we truly felt the grand momentum of "flying water straight down three thousand feet, as if the Milky Way were falling from the ninth heaven." It was too cold, so we only stayed 15 minutes before hurrying back. Along the way we met no other visitors, and only when we were almost back at the village did we see a backpacker carrying a bag into the mountains. By the time we reached the village it was already 10 o'clock. The free performance had just begun. We changed out of our soaked shoes, put on slippers, and hurried to the performance venue. The program was all right, but we only watched for 20 minutes. The cold under our feet made us hurry back to our lodging. We dried the shoes with a hair dryer and put cotton strips inside. After putting them on, they felt a bit drier, but after a while the moisture in the shoes began to make us feel very cold again. After lunch, we took a bus to Jishou, took a taxi to Jishou Bus Station, and boarded the minibus from Jishou to Fenghuang (12 RMB, one hour's ride). By the time we reached Fenghuang it was already past three in the afternoon. We took a taxi to Hong Bridge (5 RMB), looked at several inns by the Tuo River, and finally stayed at Hexian Inn by the river (0743-3222936, 20 RMB/person, standard room). The room was very clean. Unfortunately it did not have a balcony facing the river, but when we opened the window, we could see the scenery of the Tuo River. After putting down our luggage, Iris and I first went to the ancient town streets to look for a place where we could book train and plane tickets. Many places on the street could conveniently book plane tickets and train tickets for boarding at Jishou, but tickets for boarding at Huaihua generally had to be bought in Huaihua. On my return trip I needed to board at Huaihua, so I planned to buy them at Huaihua Station when the time came. After that, my damp shoes made me shiver constantly, so I rushed into a shoe store and bought a pair of shoes, which finally made me feel a little warmer. We continued strolling on the street. Both sides of the old street were full of shops: restaurants, accessories, clothing, local products, craft workshops, and so on. For dinner we ate at Ambassador Restaurant, which was very lively. Because Iris and I both ordered non-spicy dishes, we were unable to experience the local sour, spicy, and strongly flavored characteristics. Back at the inn, we told the attendant that we wanted to join the one-day tour to Laodong Miao Village the next day, and that someone would come to the inn to pick us up early the next morning.
D6 Laodong Miao Village
Early in the morning, a guide holding a hemp-woven triangular flag and wearing Miao clothing came to the inn to pick us up and take us to Hong Bridge, where there was a special vehicle for pickup and drop-off, including round-trip bus and boat fares, lunch, guide, and folk performance, 88 RMB in total. The guide was a very nice Miao girl. Along the way she enthusiastically told us about various Miao witchcraft, Miao marriage customs, and clothing culture, and taught us some simple Miao phrases. First we took a bus to Duping Lake for a boat ride (agricultural machinery boat). The lake water was green, and both banks were rocky cliffs. Sitting on the boat enjoying the scenery on both sides and listening to the guide's clear singing, it felt so comfortable. After getting off the boat, we continued by bus and passed a small resort. The entrance was a suspension bridge, and walking on the suspension bridge we could enjoy the scenery on both sides of the stream. We got on the bus and continued forward, with laughter and cheerful voices all the way, crossing one mountain after another, and entered the Miao village. After getting off, we passed along a small path on the field ridges and entered a pitch-black karst cave. In the cave, two ritual masters in brightly colored clothing danced and chanted spells, probably to pray for blessings for us guests from afar. After the chanting, we left the cave and formally entered the village. Walking on the mountain road, from time to time there were children from the village greeting visitors. At the village entrance there was a primary school with very hard conditions. Many tourists bring stationery and snacks here for the local children. On the steps at the village entrance stood a row of Miao girls holding wine. Passing three barriers—the wine barrier, song barrier, and drum barrier—expressed their welcome to guests from afar. At noon we ate at a Miao home, around a small square table, eating Miao food. In the courtyard sat several Miao grandmothers, hand-weaving belts, 5 RMB each, quite pretty. After the meal, the guide took us around to see the houses in the village. The houses in Laodong are very distinctive, connected household to household and home to home. What we saw were mostly old residences of Tusi and some famous people in the village, all old houses with several hundred years of history. The window carvings were very exquisite. As we visited, we listened to the guide tell stories of the old houses. In one house we also saw a grandmother in her seventies spinning yarn. Her skin was especially good, and one could tell she must have been very beautiful when young. The guide girl confirmed our thought: the grandmother had been the village beauty of Laodong Village back then. Along the way we also saw some fortress-like houses with many gun holes in the walls. The structure of the houses was built back then to guard against bandits. After seeing the architecture, finally we watched a folk performance in a small square. The young men, girls, and older women of Laodong brought us a wonderful performance. After watching the performance, we left Laodong Miao Village after two o'clock. Overall, today's itinerary let us feel the simplicity and honesty of the people of Laodong and their unique ethnic minority culture. The Laodong trip was very worthwhile. By the time we returned to Fenghuang it was almost 4 o'clock. Walking on the stone paths on both sides of the Tuo River, we enjoyed the stilted houses on both banks, the Tuo River under the setting sun, the boats on the river, the students sketching, the women washing clothes by the river, and the grandmothers weaving cloth, feeling the unique charm of the ancient town. After seeing the Tuo River, we wandered through the streets and alleys, looking at ancestral halls and residential houses on both sides, the specialty workshops of folk artists, and searching for local products that interested us: twisted candy, dried kiwi, ginger candy, and so on. When hungry, we ate snacks in the alleys. As night fell, we were a little tired, so we went to a restaurant by Hong Bridge to eat, having local specialty dishes such as bracken with cured meat and small shrimp from the Tuo River.
D7 Fenghuang-Huaihua
We got up early, ate, and I walked alone to the other side of the Tuo River, strolling aimlessly along the river, looking at the stilted houses and Hong Bridge from different angles, taking photos, and feeling quite leisurely and content. Finally I went into the alleys and bought some beautiful hanging ornaments. (As long as you can bargain, the prices are quite cheap.) The Zhangjiajie trip came to a full stop. Beautiful Zhangjiajie, thank you for this opportunity that brought us a pleasant trip to Zhangjiajie: the peculiar Yellow Dragon Cave, the spectacular Liusha Waterfall, the simple and honest Laodong Miao Village, and the leisurely Fenghuang Ancient Town tour.
So, after reading this travelogue, are you tempted?