2010 Zhangjiajie Travel Guide—Notes—Zhangjiajie Travel Diary
2010 Zhangjiajie Travel Guide—Notes Personal Diary 1. For a trip to Zhangjiajie, it is not recommended to go by yourself or join a tour group with a fixed itinerary and all tickets already purchased. Independent travel offered by travel agencies or directly contacting a local guide is recommended, for the following reasons: a) Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang are two cities that rely purely on tourism; almost all the high-rise buildings visible in the urban area are hotels and inns, with no unified standards for software and hardware,...
Zhangjiajie Travel Diary
2010 Zhangjiajie Travel Guide——Things to Note
Personal Diary
1. When traveling to Zhangjiajie, I don't recommend going on your own or joining a tour group with a fixed itinerary and all tickets pre-purchased. Instead, I recommend a self-guided tour offered by a travel agency or directly contacting a local guide. Here's why:
a) Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang rely purely on tourism. Almost all the high-rise buildings you can see in the city are hotels and restaurants, with no unified standards for facilities or service, and prices vary wildly. They rip off tourists, and it's hard to choose between places with leaking roofs, no electricity, no air conditioning, etc. (This is inevitable—we ran into 3 such cases in 4 days.) Travel agencies will usually switch you to a second hotel, but on your own it could be a real hassle.
b) There are many scattered attractions, and plenty of unlicensed touts. If you go on your own, you'll be harassed.
c) Zhangjiajie's weather is changeable, and good or bad weather directly affects your travel experience. Take my group as an example: the first day was fairly sunny with pleasant temperatures and mild sun, but we spent the whole day at Golden Whip Stream (a low canyon) and Yellow Dragon Cave (indoors)—two places focused on close-up scenery and unaffected by weather. It started raining on the first night and kept raining until noon the next day, but we happened to go up the mountain on the second day. Aside from freezing half to death (the mountain was covered in rime), all the scenic spots were shrouded in mist and clouds—we didn't even catch a glimpse of Hallelujah Mountain. After we finally came down the mountain, the mist cleared and the rain stopped. The fourth day was set for Mengdong River rafting. It was overcast all morning, cold~, but the 100-plus rafting fee was non-refundable. I was dying inside. Luckily, by the time we reached the scenic spot, the sun finally came out, which is why I have the chance to sit here and chat with you all.
2. Girls, it's best to bring your own shower cap. (The kind everyone used as shoe covers in computer class in elementary school.) This trip I finally learned its real purpose: you can't avoid showering every day there, and by the time you get back to the hotel it's basically bedtime. The longer a girl's hair, the harder it is to dry—with one of those, no worries. But most hotels don't provide them.
3. The rafting isn't very thrilling because the boat is large, but the scenery on both banks is stunning. Definitely bring a camera. No need to spend over a thousand yuan on a special waterproof bag or waterproof camera—just bring a slightly larger Lock&Lock box. Bring a bottle of water—a bottle of water midway costs 3.5 RMB. Girls, bring some snacks, or they'll rip you off without mercy.
Capital comes into the world dripping from head to toe, from every pore, with blood and dirt.
Some dare to take risks for a 100% profit.
Some dare to risk beheading for a 200% profit.
Some dare to trample all human laws for a 300% profit.
——Karl Marx
4. When rafting, absolutely do NOT buy a water gun. Trust me, you'll be interested in water fights for at most 5 minutes, but you'll be rafting for 2 to 3 hours. For Mengdong River rafting, the scenery on both banks is beautiful, and there are many calm stretches—great for singing, reciting famous literary works, otherwise you'll feel terribly stifled. And reciting classical Chinese prose will make others look at you with new respect, making your ****/***friend worship you completely. Of course, this is my lesson learned, not experience. Recommended reading——'A Letter to Zhu Yuansi,' full text below:
The wind and smoke are all cleared away; sky and mountain share one color. Drifting with the current, east or west as it wills. From Fuyang to Tonglu, over a hundred li, the strange mountains and wondrous waters are unmatched under heaven.
The water is all pale blue-green, a thousand zhang deep yet clear to the bottom. Swimming fish and fine pebbles are visible without obstruction. Swift rapids faster than arrows, fierce waves like galloping horses.
On both banks, high mountains, all covered with cold-resistant trees. Competing upward with their momentum, each striving to be higher; vying to point straight up, forming thousands of peaks. Spring water striking rocks, making a clear ringing sound; lovely birds calling to each other, chirping in harmony. Cicadas sing endlessly, monkeys cry without cease. Those who soar to the sky like kites, seeing these peaks, calm their hearts; those managing worldly affairs, glimpsing these valleys, forget to return. Crossing branches block the sky above, making it dark even by day; sparse twigs interlace, sometimes letting the sun through.
5. Bring a water cup! Bring a water cup! Bring a water cup! Don't bring a raincoat! Don't bring a raincoat! Don't bring a raincoat! Don't bring a raincoat! Don't bring a raincoat! Don't bring a raincoat! Don't bring a raincoat!
6. Absolutely do not participate in anything not stipulated in the travel contract, or you'll cry too late: I was forced to go to the so-called Tujia Customs Park——Yuanjia Village (110 RMB) [sensitive words] [sensitive words] [sensitive words], exactly the same as the Li village I saw in Hainan and the Bai village I saw in Yunnan [sensitive words] [sensitive words]. On the fourth day, unable to resist the guide's persuasion, the whole group changed the 148 RMB Fenghuang tour to a Miao village. We were dragged to a village the size of a basketball court, walked around for 30 minutes, watched another performance, and there was home-brewed Miao liquor in the village (even less flavorful than Erguotou). I chatted with the owner for a while, and after we got friendly, he took me to see the wine cellar—to see how amazing the Miao wine cellar is.
7. Zhangjiajie city and Fenghuang city both have large supermarkets, pharmacies, and hospitals where you can restock supplies.
8. To go to Fenghuang Town, you have to leave Zhangjiajie city and enter the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. All public toilets there charge a fee, 1 RMB per person. Senior citizen cards, student cards, officer cards, and disabled veteran cards are all invalid. VeryCD, it's really a two-way charge. Puzzled by this, I asked a Zhangjiajie guide why. The guide said: 'Alas, the people of Zhangjiajie are just too lazy. A toilet is either fenced off so people can't use it, or opened free for people to use—they just sit there too lazy to collect money.' Speechless, completely speechless.
9. After arriving, within Zhangjiajie's scenic areas (Wulingyuan District; Yongding District doesn't matter), and throughout the entire Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, no one accepts coins when buying things. Before the trip, I saw an online guide mention this. At the time I thought it was some Tujia custom or taboo—when in Rome, right? I didn't ask much when I got there. But then at the Meini supermarket in Zhangjiajie (Many, equivalent to Dennis in Zhengzhou), I saw an older woman in front of me paying a 20 yuan bill entirely with 5-jiao coins. I couldn't resist asking the guide, and it turned out locals are afraid of counterfeit coins. Damn, that hurt my feelings.
10. There are hundreds of hotels in Zhangjiajie city, and similar in Fenghuang. So when you go out wandering, remembering your hotel name is useless—taxi drivers simply can't remember them. Instead, find the nearest bus stop and note the stop name.
11. If you're going to Fenghuang because you read 'Border Town' or because of Shen Congwen, I suggest you turn back early, otherwise----------it's now the Fenghuang farmers' market rather than Fenghuang Town. There you'll find all kinds of 'specialty' souvenirs sold at tourist spots across the country. If you have rhinitis, boating on the Tuo River is fine; otherwise wear a mask, or if you really don't have one, buy a 5 RMB portion of 10 pieces of stinky tofu on the shore before boarding. Fenghuang's night view = neon lights + red lanterns lit by electric bulbs. Even more tragic: if there are fewer tourists from Monday to Friday, the red lanterns aren't even lit.
12. Fenghuang's night market is just incredible. On a hundred-meter-long street, shops line up one after another. The first is Fenghuang specialty fried skewers: fried potatoes, greens, gluten, tofu~; the second is Xiangxi specialty fried skewers: fried potatoes, greens, gluten, tofu~; the third is Cuicui BBQ: fried potatoes, greens, gluten, tofu~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Wow! Dozens of shops are all clones! It made my scalp tingle just looking at it.
13. When buying things in Fenghuang, start bargaining from 70% of the price. Don't push too hard—settling around 40% is fine. After all, it's not easy for them to do business, and you should let them make a 10% profit, right?
14. The must-buy specialty in Fenghuang is Zhenggan Zhang's ginger candy—very tasty. If you forget to buy it, go on Taobao and buy it at the 'Fly Out of Fenghuang' shop for 18 RMB per pack, free shipping over 98 RMB.
15. Zhangjiajie city has a McDonald's. If you're homesick or waiting for a train, go in and sit for a while. McCafe is 8 RMB a cup with unlimited refills. There are seats and music, and a 5 RMB discount card works there too. Easy to find—take a taxi and say McDonald's; there's only one in the whole city. Or take Bus No. 2 to the Meini Baida stop.
The most important things go last:
1. Be sure to follow the guide's arrangements and save the guide's phone number. Xiangxi was originally a wild and remote land—watch your life.
2. Inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, you need to take shuttle buses and queue up. In the off-season, you'll queue about half an hour at each stop on average. In peak season, at least an hour, or unlimited. There's no good solution. When queuing in the rain, keep warm.
3. After seeing the Number One Bridge Under Heaven at Tianzi Mountain, you absolutely must take the cable car down. Zhangjiajie's mountains go straight up and down. Walking down is both tiring and steep. I'm an 18-year-old guy (who goes to the gym every day) and I was half-dead from walking down. If you don't listen to my advice and insist on walking, and get tired halfway and want to take a sedan chair, be sure to clarify the price. For example, 50 kuai has multiple meanings: 1. 50 to carry you to any random place, no extra charge, no leaving; 2. 50 per person; 3. 50 to carry you to an agreed place. But the third case is rare and hard to find, and the carriers have no work permit, no ID number, no name—don't even think about complaining.
4. To be continued