Travelogue Guide: Detailed Zhangjiajie & Fenghuang Guide
Route design: Beijing West–Zhangjiajie (train) -> go straight up the mountain, stay on the mountain (standard rooms with private bathroom) for two and a half days. Wangcun (Furong Town, by bus), stay at Wangcun's finest hotel, said to be where Song Zuying stayed while filming an MTV (negotiated 80 yuan standard double room with AC). Next day at noon take a bus to Jishou, transfer (immediately)-
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.
Route design: Beijing West--Zhangjiajie (train) -> go directly up the mountain, stay on the mountain (standard rooms with private bathrooms) for two and a half days in Wangcun (Furong Town, by bus), stay at the finest hotel in Wangcun; it is said that Song Zuying stayed here when filming an MTV (negotiated price 80 for a standard double room, with air conditioning). At noon the next day take a bus--Jishou, transfer (immediately)--Fenghuang, stay in a stilted house (40 per day for a standard room) (in two and a half days visited the Southern Great Wall, Huangsigiao, Shujiatang), in the evening take a bus to Jishou (stay at Xiangyun Hotel, 60 yuan per day for a standard room with air conditioning), buy a train ticket to Beijing on the 21st
Estimated per person: 1,800 yuan
China has two of the most beautiful small towns, one is Changting in Fujian, and the other is Fenghuang in Hunan.
This remark by Rewi Alley has long been a yearning and expectation of mine, and during the Spring Festival of this year, I fulfilled this long-cherished wish.
My journey to the border town began at Nanhua Gate. Nanhua Gate had long been demolished, and when people realized this and began to regret it, they had no choice but to rebuild a modern antique-style Nanhua Gate. Later, a local complained to me that demolishing Nanhua Gate cut off the dragon vein of Nanhua Mountain and ruined the feng shui of Fenghuang, so this place that produced outstanding people never again saw anyone of extraordinary talent. Although this is a superstitious view, in that era that both rejected excellent foreign culture and thoroughly smashed traditional Chinese civilization, how many extremely stupid and painfully regrettable foolish things did we do!
The Tuojiang Bridge is the perfect place to admire the Tuojiang River running through the city; looking downstream, the full splendor of the ancient town unfolds before your eyes. After descending from the bridge, stroll along the riverside beneath the city wall. If a fine drizzle were drifting down at this moment, how delightful that would be!
The ancient jumping stones have been replaced by a wooden plank bridge, crossed by young women carrying children on their backs and unhurried elderly people. Women on the bank still wash clothes with wooden paddles, beating out a slow and elegant rhythm. These people do not bear the heavy pressures of modern civilized life; they may be poor, but they enjoy a life that is relaxed in body and mind.
Perhaps because people again missed the ancient jumping stones, beside them two new rows of jumping stones were built with red strip stone, one higher and one lower, more orderly and more closely spaced, yet lacking the simple, unadorned charm. Still, hopping back and forth on them lets people recover at least some childhood memories. The clear and lovely Tuojiang River reflects people's happy figures, and the river ripples because it is filled with people's joyful laughter. The women washing clothes by the river occasionally look up at us travelers passing through the ancient town, then smile and bend their heads again, and so the sound of wooden paddles that has echoed for who knows how many years rises once more along the bank. In fact, in my view they too are passers-by; the Tuojiang River has dissolved how many hopes and how many sighs of their mothers and grandmothers and carried them away into the distance.
The majestic North Gate stands by the river, reminding people that this small town, seemingly aloof from the world's strife, in fact once saw beacon fires and heard the sound of war drums and horns.
Local rulers through the ages emphasized the military and neglected the literary, so this place, whose scenery of small bridges and flowing water was no inferior to Jiangnan, had far fewer romantic legends of talented scholars and beautiful women; what there was amounted only to street gossip about romantic affairs. But the master of regional literature Shen Congwen unearthed great humanity from these ordinary multitudes living in the border town and along the Yuan River, and thereby made the small town of Fenghuang known to the world.
Below the North Gate was once a thriving river dock, but now, with improvements in land transportation in the Xiangxi region, one no longer sees the scene of merchant ships gathering and porters bustling about.
I rented a long, narrow pole boat and drifted on the water that once bore the weight of the border town's profound history. The water was so clear to the bottom that one could see the swaying water plants. On the river surface were reflected the mottled, old reflections of the few remaining stilted houses. Perhaps because they have borne too much wind and rain over the years, the stilted houses lean shoulder to shoulder, worn and aged, tottering as if about to fall. Like hunchbacked old people leaning on canes, they murmur to the passing boat travelers on the river, recounting the vicissitudes of a lifetime. Yet this is precisely where Fenghuang's scenery lies. We visitors have come from thousands of miles away, is it not to seek out your aged figure? The border town in Shen Congwen's writing, we have drawn near to you, only the stilted houses have fallen silent, and the sound of the boatman's oars makes the river seem even quieter. And what of the boatmen's work chants on the water? What of the songs of the poor drifting from the windows of the stilted houses? They have drifted with the Tuojiang River to a distant place that can no longer be found.
After passing the cluster of buildings, on the left bank is Xiachang Pavilion, built with funds raised by Jiangxi merchants, and on the right is the lush Nanhua Mountain.
Nanhua Mountain breathes green and holds mist; the green hills remain as before. Xiachang Pavilion has carved beams and painted rafters, yet the people are gone and the building empty. Time is like the flowing water on the river, passing away to the ends of the horizon......
Going ashore and heading south along the city wall past the East Gate, one comes to Rainbow Bridge. Rainbow Bridge was originally a wind-and-rain bridge and was also destroyed; this is a newly built one. The three arches of Rainbow Bridge are semicircular, and together with their reflections on the water they look like three round full moons shining on the river. How many lone boats drifting far away have these full moons watched off, and how many returning sails of wanderers coming home have they called to......
Wander freely along the ancient streets of the small town; the alleys are winding and deep, and stepping into them is like burying one's head in a thick history book, leaving one momentarily at a loss. Sometimes my thoughts are also drawn back to bygone years, hoping to hear a peddler's street cry, bump into two children chasing and playing, or glimpse through a half-closed door a virtuous Miao woman bending her head over needlework......
The owners of the small town have changed generation after generation, but the old houses along the alleys still exude a vigorous ancient style. The bright red Spring Festival couplets on the doors still show forceful calligraphy, and the mood of their wording has its own distinctive character, completely unlike the couplets we city dwellers buy on the street, which have no individuality at all. People in the fast pace of life deal even with something as important as the New Year so perfunctorily, pursuing things bitterly all day long yet not knowing that a peaceful life is in fact wonderfully delightful. As long as you can calm your mind and savor it carefully, there will always be something in an ordinary life that moves you deeply.
Some households have a sign at their door reading something like "key protected residence." The main gate is tightly closed; I really want to go in and take a look, yet cannot bear to disturb the family's enjoyment of the domestic happiness they have had for generations.
The stone-slab street underfoot is smooth and slightly uneven. Sometimes a wide-eyed little dog pokes its cute little head out from behind a wooden door and stares at you curiously. The shops on both sides, apart from small restaurants, mostly sell local products such as batik and silver ornaments, still in the wooden-board style, not shrouded in the modern commercial atmosphere of glass display windows. So you need not worry at all that the shopkeeper will ask an exorbitant price; for very little money you can buy a very beautiful silver ornament, and every item you take back to your hometown can reflect the simple folk customs of the people of Xiangxi.
By the time I had wandered until it was late, I randomly stumbled into a small restaurant called "Old Street." The authentic local flavors made me so happy I forgot about home. Five dishes and one soup for several people cost only twenty-eight yuan! Only when we were full did we learn that the owner who had just served us the dishes was actually a local cultural celebrity, Mr. Ma Tisheng, chairman of the Shen Congwen Research Association. So each of us bought a copy of his essay collection "Hometown," signed by him.
Early the next morning I again came to Zhongying Street to visit Shen Congwen's former residence, a courtyard-style building. Sitting beside the master's desk, listening to the gentle breeze outside tapping the window lattice, the small courtyard witnessed the master's childhood joys. Could that small patch of blue sky above the central light well in the courtyard really also attract a pair of wings longing to fly?
Once again I poled a boat downstream. Not far outside the city, on Tingtao Mountain, is Shen Congwen's grave. In front of the mountain bloom plum blossoms that brave frost and snow. There is no ornate tomb mound, only a multicolored strange stone serving as the tombstone, on which is written the epitaph composed by Mr. Shen Congwen himself: "Think as I think, and you may understand me; think as I think, and you may understand people." "A soldier, if he has not died on the battlefield, should return to his hometown." A master indifferent to worldly fame and of noble character has now returned in spirit to his native place and is buried in this quiet spot by the mountains and water where he read in his lifetime; he should be able to rest in peace.
In the deep alleys of Wenxing Street in the ancient town is an exquisite Miao-style courtyard. Though not very eye-catching, it produced China's first prime minister------Xiong Xiling. The soil and water of Fenghuang brought forth this child prodigy of Xiangxi, who passed the provincial examination at sixteen and became a Hanlin scholar at twenty, later becoming the first prime minister of the Republic of China. After withdrawing from politics, he devoted his whole life to education and philanthropy, becoming yet another proof that this border town produces outstanding people and is favored by nature.
Chaoyang Palace is also a well-preserved ancient building. It was formerly an ancestral hall built by the Chen clan and, like other ancient buildings in Fenghuang, is small yet exquisite. On both sides of the stage with its interlocking brackets and multiple eaves hangs an interesting couplet: "A space of a few feet can be home, can be country, can be all under heaven; figures through the ages include the worthy, the foolish, and immortals." But now the music has ended and the people have dispersed, the people gone and the building empty. Standing in the empty courtyard, imagining the prosperity and splendor of former days, experiencing today's painted-face life, and coldly watching the world where the worthy and foolish, the loyal and treacherous still take turns performing......
A dozen or so kilometers out of the city, heading straight for Huangsiqiao Ancient City, we passed a section of the ruins of the Southern Great Wall and had the driver stop so we could climb up. From the broken walls one could still feel the arrogance of those years. It was built at the time to prevent Miao uprisings, with a total length of several hundred li. But the former might has been battered by the wind and rain of time until almost no trace remains, leaving only a few lonely sections before our eyes. The winter wind blows over the withered grass, and one can imagine the rolling beacon smoke and the flash of blades and shadows of blood of those years. Tyranny and corruption brought others blood and the breakup of families, and left oneself a self-dug grave. No dynasty can last for ten thousand generations as its rulers wish.
The ancient city of Huangsigiao stands near Alaying. Many places around here take their names from military garrisons with the character 'ying' (camp), which shows how intense the ethnic conflicts and class antagonism were at the time. This ancient city, first built in the Tang Dynasty, is well preserved. Climbing the city tower and looking beyond the walls, you see patchwork farmland and scattered Miao villages in the distance, all shrouded in the lonely, desolate twilight of winter. Today the city is filled with Miao people who live in peace, free from worldly strife. At nightfall, the bright moon still rises, but you will never again hear the lingering Qiang flute and the homesick lusheng of the frontier soldiers that once drifted on the west wind along the ancient road and the beacon-fire border walls...
On the evening of the day I was about to leave Xiangxi, I came once more to the Tuo River by the North Gate, took a stroll, and then sat on the bank watching the scenery before me. Women gathered up their washed clothes and slowly left; the laughter of children gradually faded away; the crimson dusk seeped in bit by bit and silently extinguished itself in the river. The lights of the stilted houses gradually flickered to life in the gentle ripples of the Tuo River. A soft evening breeze brushed against my heart, which longed for peace, yet my mind still wandered freely: Why did I come to Xiangxi? What am I looking for? Have I found it?
The small town, like a little boat moored at the dock gently swaying, was falling peacefully asleep in the cradle of the Tuo River. I silently told myself: Yes, you have found it...
A Self-Guided Travel Guide to Fenghuang Ancient Town in Xiangxi
Scenic Spots:
Fenghuang is beautiful in its scenery, beautiful in its nature, and beautiful in the harmony between man and nature. The mountains are not high but elegant; the waters are not deep but clear and refreshing. Pavilions and towers nestle among the peaks and streams, delicate and lovely, as if you have entered a painting. That is why the elderly New Zealand friend Rewi Alley believed that China has two of the most beautiful small towns: one is Fenghuang in Hunan, and the other is Changting in Fujian.
Fenghuang Ancient Town is divided into five major scenic areas:
Ancient Town Scenic Area:
This area is centered on the ancient town, extending east to Hongqiao (Rainbow Bridge), south to Yannao City, west to Chitangping, and north to the Tuo River, covering an area of 1 square kilometer. It is the area with the greatest concentration of ancient and modern architecture in Fenghuang and the most prosperous region, and it is also the 'heart' of Fenghuang County. The ancient town has a history of over a thousand years and has formed many scenic spots and historical sites. This place is the 'throat of Qian and Chu' (Guizhou and Hunan), with an important strategic position, and has always been a key border town. After the mid-Qing Dynasty, military and political officials in charge of 'guarding the border,' 'stationing troops at the border,' and 'pacifying the border' were permanently stationed here, and strategists and scholars followed in their wake, with men of letters and poets also seeking it out. Consequently, large-scale construction was undertaken. Every building was exquisitely designed, with dougong brackets and flying eaves, carved dragons and phoenixes, and gilded polychrome paintings. Due to the needs of the rulers' policies, Fenghuang has more temples and ancestral halls than other places, and most of them are concentrated in the ancient town. Therefore, the ancient town is known as the 'magnificent hall.' The ancient town is a stretch of charming green mountains, half an Athenian city. The entire beautiful and natural scenery of the ancient town is endless to admire.
Nanhuashan Scenic Area:
The entire scenic area features layered peaks of verdant green, with lush trees and vegetation. In the morning, thin mist wraps the green; in the evening, the slanting sun congeals into purple. When rain comes, it is like splashed ink; when mist disperses, it is like gossamer veils. Whether lightly made up or heavily adorned, it is lovely in both sunshine and rain. The scenic area includes three major sights: 'Nanhua Layered Green,' 'Orchid Path Woodcutter's Song,' and 'Mountain Temple Morning Bell.' In short, the Nanhuashan Scenic Area is: winding paths through layered forests, snail-shell coiffures embracing green peaks, delightful in both sunshine and rain, with colors to savor one by one.
Shawan Scenic Area:
The center of this scenic area is Shawan. It includes five of the former Eight Great Sights: 'East Ridge Greeting the Dawn,' 'Dragon Pool Fishing Lights,' 'Brahma Pavilion Returning Waves,' 'Stream Bridge Night Moon,' and 'Fantastic Peak Standing Elegantly.' It has long been known as the 'Bright Garden.' Here, a curve of green water is surrounded by green mountains on all sides. Hermitages, halls, temples, and shrines; pavilions, terraces, towers, and chambers are scattered like stars, with classical and modern architecture interwoven in a unique style. The mountain colors are so verdant that rain cannot wash them away, and the melodious birdsong is carried on the wind.
Qiliang Cave Scenic Area:
Located 5 kilometers from the county seat. It features the characteristics of being fantastic, elegant, secluded, and steep. It belongs to the karst erosion-dominated type of peak-cluster valley landscape, concentrating the wonders of heaven and earth, ancient and modern, into a single cave.
Huangsigiao Ancient City Scenic Area:
In the Miao area 25 kilometers from the county seat, there is a complete stone city. The city site lies among the green trees and unusual rock formations of the hills around Huangsigiao Village. It is a world-famous scenic area and also the site of an ancient battlefield where 'host and guest fought each other' in close combat. The ancient city was first established during the Chuigong period of the Tang Dynasty, and was renovated and repaired during the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Today the ancient city remains intact and stands towering. The city tower, over 10 meters high with a brick-and-wood structure, was entirely designed and built in the Qing Dynasty, with coffered ceilings and relief carvings, flying eaves and upturned pavilions, magnificent and spectacular. Ancient barracks of blue stone and earthen bricks still faintly survive. The ancient city stands majestically on the Chu border, looking proudly over Qian and Chuan. There are scenes within scenes, scenes beyond scenes, scenes connected to scenes, and scenes everywhere, making the entire Fenghuang county seat a unique 'painting village' with picturesque scenery.
Scenic Area Fees:
Apart from Nanhuashan National Park, Shen Congwen's Former Residence, Huangsigiao Ancient City, and Qiliang Cave, which charge admission, all other scenic areas and spots are free.
There are several routes to Fenghuang:
Route One: You can first take a bus to Jishou, then take a bus to Fenghuang. There are very many buses from Jishou to Fenghuang. After getting off the train, you can go directly to the bus station and take a bus to Fenghuang; the fare is 12 yuan. You can also first spend 1 yuan to take a bus to Qianzhou, then from Qianzhou take a bus to Fenghuang. The fare is 8-9 yuan. The former is safe and punctual, with a bus every half hour; the latter is more flexible and convenient, and you can arrange it yourself. Buses from Jishou to Fenghuang run from 6 AM to 8 PM.
Route Two: You can also get off the train at Huaihua and take a bus to Fenghuang, but the buses are not as convenient as from Jishou. The Fenghuang bus station has two buses daily, at 11 AM and 3 PM. Although they are not very punctual, they are very safe. Under no circumstances should you take the bus from Huaihua to Tongren (passing through Fenghuang) after 6 PM. Not only is it unpunctual, but it is also unsafe. (Fares range from 18 to 25 yuan and can be negotiated.)
Route Three: You can also take a bus from Tongren to Fenghuang. There are fewer buses, and the fare is unknown, but since you can negotiate, it is roughly 12 to 18 yuan. (Strongly recommend coming from Jishou.)
Fenghuang Transportation:
The most common form of transportation is the motorized tricycle. Within the city, 1 yuan is enough; outside the city, it is 2 yuan or 5 yuan depending on the distance.
Accommodation:
Very convenient. Generally you can find inns, with prices ranging from 40 to 100 yuan per night. Generally, 50 yuan per night is the best value.
Food:
Not too expensive. For 60 to 100 yuan, you and 3 to 5 friends can have a wonderful feast, depending on your own choices. For one person, about 20 to 30 yuan per day for food is enough.
Climate:
There are no long periods of extreme heat in summer, nor long periods of frost in winter. The climate is pleasant.
Notes:
Pay attention to your health and guard against acclimatization, which could affect your travel plans.
Zhangjiajie Guide:
1. Zhangjiajie is very large. Under no circumstances should you join a tour group, because then you simply cannot appreciate the most beautiful scenery. Yangjiajie and Yuanjiajie are must-visits. The ticket is only valid for two days (natural days, not 48 hours; fingerprints are recorded, and you can enter and exit multiple times within two days, but it becomes invalid after two days). Therefore, it is best to stay in the mountains. There are no hotels but there are farmhouse inns. Camping on the mountain is rather dangerous due to wild animals, but it can be attempted if there are many people. All transportation within the mountain is free, with shuttle buses running between different scenic areas. Almost all scenic areas in Zhangjiajie are covered by the ticket; others that are farther away would only be considered if you have a lot of time.
2. Be sure to visit Wangcun before Fenghuang; otherwise you will be overshadowed by Fenghuang and find Wangcun bland. In fact, Wangcun has very distinctive features of its own. You should spend some time taking the ferry from the dock to the opposite bank, where you can see the panorama of Wangcun. A round trip costs only 2 yuan.
3. In Fenghuang, you must do as people online say and 'read while walking.' Walking really is the most important thing. Look at every street in Fenghuang, look at every scene in Fenghuang. You must walk in the early morning, in the evening, and at night. In two days I saw every place in Fenghuang, and it is truly simple and honest. You can walk along the Tuo River to Shen Congwen's grave and then walk back along the opposite bank. You should also visit the new town. The greatest enjoyment in Fenghuang is the snacks. You must eat them all, eating non-stop. When I left Fenghuang I could barely bend over, yet my mouth still wanted more. They are so delicious.
4. In Fenghuang, you must stay in a stilted house, and one facing the river. It is best to stay one night on the south bank and one night on the north bank; you will see different scenery. Choose locations near Hongqiao and near the North Gate. I stayed at Yonghong Inn, directly facing the North Gate. I must say a few words about the proprietress: she is truly so simple and honest. From when I checked in until I left, she never asked me for any identification or a single cent of deposit. This kind of trust, in my memory, exists only abroad. Moreover, based on her own experience and travels, she will tell you about many routes and ideas for reference.
5. The most important thing in Fenghuang is to observe the local customs and folkways. I hope everyone will not destroy their simplicity (including in Zhangjiajie). Do not use outside influences to affect their honesty. In a word: if Fenghuang loses its simplicity, it loses Fenghuang. Spend more energy thinking about how to protect some of humanity's pure lands. Do not forget our Lvye motto: take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints—including no damage to folk customs.
6. To visit the villages around Fenghuang, you can charter a car, which is faster. Current prices range from 60 to 80 yuan per day depending on your bargaining. However, many roads are rough, and the drivers drive without complaint; even I felt sorry for their cars. Go and see for yourself. Shujiatang is optional; it is not well preserved. These old houses are all used by local villagers to raise pigs, with pig manure everywhere, but it is indeed authentic.
7. Our itinerary in Zhangjiajie was: on the first afternoon, walk and enjoy Golden Whip Stream and Shuirao Simen (Water Surrounding Four Gates), appreciating the scenery along the way, listening to Guide Shi's explanations, and even feeding the monkeys, haha. Then we took the elevator up to Yuanjiajie to rest and stay overnight.
On the second day, take a bus to part of Tianzi Mountain and Yangjiajie.
On the third day, visit the scenic area near He Long Park on Tianzi Mountain and the Ten-Mile Gallery.
The best are One Step to Heaven and the Sky Corridor.
Regrets: I didn't go to Dehang (you can spend two days and one night there, visiting the villages where the raw Miao people live — that's the truly authentic experience — and then see the natural scenery, which is different from Zhangjiajie). Regret 2: I should have spent another day in Wangcun, but taking a boat directly to the primeval secondary forest and Zuolong Gorge offers scenery completely different from the rest. Regret 3: In Fenghuang, I should have visited Leijiazhai and Duoluozhai to see the original Tujia villages and the surrounding scenery.