Húnán
Húnán
Pop 66 million
Why Go?
As the birthplace of Mao Zedong, Communist Party cadres might wax lyrical about the sacred standing of Húnán (湖南) in the annals of Chinese history, but it's Húnán’s dramatic scenery that is the real draw.
A magnificent landscape of isolated mountain ranges and jagged, karst peaks envelops more than 80% of the province. The most astonishing example is found at the phantasmagorical Zhāngjiājiè, one of China's most surreal national parks. Here, as in other parts of the province, geological marvels thrust up majestically from green vales fed by tributaries in the fertile Yangzi River basin.
People have long made a home amid Húnán's natural wonders, taming the rocky slopes into terraces of lush fields, and their distinctive cultures live on in charming villages and towns, the most alluring being the historic riverside settlement of Fènghuáng.
When to Go
AApr & May After a chilly (though not freezing) winter, spring brings welcome warmth, and mountain flowers.
ASep & Oct Temperatures cool after a scorching summer. Autumnal leaves emblazon Zhāngjiājiè.
ADec–Feb Tour groups disappear from Fènghuáng. Zhāngjiājiè is sometimes brushed with snow.
Best Places to Sleep
Húnán Highlights
1 Zhāngjiājiè Hiking among the otherworldly peaks of one of China's most spectacular national parks.
2 Fènghuáng Wandering this gorgeous river town at night, marvelling at its lights.
3 Chángshā Sampling authentic, chilli-laden xiāng cài (Húnán cuisine) in the food-loving provincial capital.
4 Héng Shān Ascending the slopes of the sacred Taoist mountain.
5 Fúróng Zhèn Sizing up the magnificent waterfall alongside this quaint old town.
6 Bīngláng Valley Exploring its magnificent 1km-long pitch-black cave before emerging into the sun on the far side.
7 Déhāng Hiking off in search of waterfalls amid the gorgeous greenery of west Húnán.
8 Hóngjiāng Old Town Meandering around the old town, checking out its good-looking crop of ancient buildings.
History
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Húnán was one of the empire’s granaries, transporting vast quantities of rice to the embattled north. By the 19th century, land shortages and feudalism caused widespread unrest among farmers and hill-dwelling minorities. These economic disparities galvanised the Taiping Rebellion in the 1850s, ensuring widespread support by the 1920s for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Húnán’s Mao Zedong.
8Getting There & Around
Chángshā is loaded with bullet trains, heading south to Guǎngzhōu (2½ hours), north to Běijīng (six hours), east to Shànghǎi (seven hours), west to Sháoshān (25 minutes) and northwest to Xī'ān (six hours). It also has flights to every major city.
Local trains can get you around the province, although long-distance buses are more frequent and often faster. Within towns and cities, local buses cost ¥1 or ¥2. Carry exact change.
Chángshā 长沙
%0731 / Pop 2.5 million
For three millennia, this city on the Xiāng River (湘江; Xiāng Jiāng) flourished steadily as a centre of agriculture and intellect. In the 1920s it was still so well preserved that British philosopher Bertrand Russell is said to have compared it to a medieval town, but not long after, the Sino-Japanese War and a massive fire in 1938 gave Chángshā (长沙) an irreversible facelift, leaving little of its early history. These days it's a modern, energetic city, known mainly for sights relating to Mao Zedong, but with its magnolia-lined streets and riverine aspect, it's a pleasant enough stopover and provincial capital.
Chángshā
1Sights
1Sights
Old City Walls & Tiānxīn PavilionHISTORIC SITE
(古城墙、天心阁; Gǔchéngqiáng、Tiānxīn Gé
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; 3 Tianxin Lu; 天心路3号 park free, pavilion ¥32; 
h7.30am-6pm; 
g202)
The old city walls, which once stretched for 9km around ancient Chángshā, were built of rammed earth in 202 BC, reinforced with stone in AD 1372 (during the Ming dynasty), damaged by the Taiping in 1852 and finally demolished in 1928, save for this imposing 251m-long section. You can enter Tiānxīn Park for free and wander around the old wall, but you have to pay to climb up on top of it, and to visit the attractive Tiānxīn Pavilion atop it.
The extant section was restored in 1983.
Tangerine IslePARK
(橘子洲; Júzi Zhōu
GOOGLE MAP
; h24hr; 
mJuzizhou)
F
The most famous of the city’s parks is a 5km-long sliver of an island smack bang in the middle of the Xiāng River. A reflective 32-year-old Mao immortalised it in 'Changsha', probably his best regarded poem, after standing at its southern tip and looking west towards Yuèlù Mountain one autumn day. A towering granite bust of a youthful Chairman with flowing locks now stands at the spot – but faces in a new direction.
You can walk a circuit of the island on the pleasant riverside promenade, or catch a hop-on, hop-off sightseeing electric trolley (¥20) for the 9km round trip by the metro entrance, or rent tandem bicycles (¥30 per hour).
Húnán Provincial MuseumMUSEUM
(湖南省博物馆; Húnán Shěng Bówùguǎn
GOOGLE MAP
; %0731 8451 4630; 50 Dongfeng Lu; 东风路50号 g136 from train station)F
This formerly first-rate museum was undergoing a complete rebuild at the time of research and was far from completion at that time.
4Sleeping
You can find basic rooms clustered around the train station, but you get what you pay for and there are better pickings further afield.
Chángshā International Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(长沙国际青年旅舍; Chángshā Guójì Qīngnián Lǚshè %0731 8299 0202; www.hnhostel.com; 61 Gongshang Xiang; 东风路下大垅工商巷61号 dm ¥35-40, s/d/tw/tr ¥88/108/118/138; 
a
i
W; g136 from train station)
Chángshā's first youth hostel, and still its best, although rooms – simple, bright and clean – could do with freshening up. The lovely lobby is great for sitting down with a coffee or beer, and there's a backyard with table tennis and a pool table. Travel notices pinned up around the place are in Chinese only, but some staff speak a little English and are happy to help out.
The location is pleasant – tucked away down a quiet, tree-lined residential street – but out of the way. Take bus 136 from the train station and get off at Xiàdàlǒng (下大垅) bus stop. Cross the road, walk along the alley called Dongfeng Ercun Xiang (东风二村巷), which is opposite the bus stop, and you'll find Gongshang Xiang behind the shops, running parallel to the main road. From Xiàdàlǒng bus stop, buses 112 and 901 go to Jiefang Xilu.
Its sister hostel – Yuèlù Mountain International Youth Hostel (岳麓山国际青年旅舍; Yuèlù Shān Guójì Qīngnián Lǚshè %0731 8536 8418; 50 Xinmin Lu; 新民路50号 dm/s/d ¥40/98/128; g旅1, mYingwanzhen) – isn't as nice, but is OK if this place is full. It's on Xinmin Lu, which is opposite the entrance to Yuèlù Mountain.
Old Street International Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(古巷国际青年旅舍; Gǔxiàng Guójì Qīngnián Lǚshě
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0731 8225 3500; gxhostel@126.com; 56 Duzheng Jie; 都正街56号 dm/s/tw/d ¥45/98/108/138; aiW)
This small Hostelling International place, parcelled away along the restored old street of Duzheng Jie, has a fabulous location in a charming area not far from Chángshā's pulsing nightlife. The staff are friendly and speak English. From the train station, take bus 139 to the Tianxinge (天心阁) stop, which takes you close to Duzheng Jie.
oSheraton Chángshā HotelHOTEL$$$
(喜来登酒店; Xǐláidēng Jiǔdiàn
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0731 8488 8888; www.starwoodhotels.com; 478 Furong Zhonglu; 芙蓉中路一段478号 r from ¥750, plus 15% service charge; 
naiW
s)
The 380-room Sheraton is a benchmark of luxury in Chángshā, with contemporary, fully equipped rooms and a glass-window enclosed swimming pool, among other tempting amenities and restaurants.
PRICE RANGES
SLEEPING
The following price ranges refer to a double room with bathroom.
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| $ | less than ¥150 |
| $$ | ¥150–400 |
| $$$ | more than ¥400 |
EATING
The following price ranges refer to a meal for one.
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| $ | less than ¥40 |
| $$ | ¥40–80 |
| $$$ | more than ¥80 |
5Eating
The lanes off the major shopping street, Huangxing Lu, and on and around the nightlife hub Taiping Jie, are good for street food. Follow your nose to the stalls selling chòu dòufu (臭豆腐; stinky tofu), a popular local delicacy.
Breakfast here is all about mǐfěn (米粉; rice noodles). Almost anywhere open early will serve them, usually in a number of varieties; beef (牛肉粉; niúròu fěn) is popular.
oSōnghuājiāng JiǎoziguǎnDUMPLINGS$
(松花江饺子馆
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; 102 Wuyi Dadao; 五一大道102号 dumplings from ¥6, mains ¥30-60; h10.30am-10pm)
Not a romantic choice, this bustling eatery specialises in the mellow cuisine of northern China. Dumplings (饺子; jiǎozi) are the speciality and come in many varieties, including pork and chives (¥6), lamb and onion (¥8) and just pork (¥6). There are also tasty lamb kebabs (¥6) and fine beef-filled fried bread (¥8). There's a picture menu.
The dumplings are priced by the liǎng (两; 50g), which gets you six dumplings. You must order at least two liǎng (èr liǎng) of each type of dumpling and one portion is generally sufficient.
oHuǒgōngdiànHUNAN$$
(火宫殿
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0731 8581 4228; 127 Pozi Jie; 坡子街127号 dishes ¥5-88; h6am-2am)
There’s a great buzz at this landmark eatery, established in 1747 and set in and around a small templelike courtyard. Even Mao has eaten here, in 1958, and he praised the homemade choù dòufu (臭豆腐; stinky tofu; ¥18). The xiǎo chī (小吃; snacks) menu is for those eating in the courtyard and off to one side. The xiāngcài (湘菜; Húnán cuisine) menu is for those seated in the back room.
8Information
Bank of ChinaBANK
(中国银行; Zhōngguó Yínháng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 43 Wuyi Dadao; 五一大道43号 )
By the Civil Aviation Hotel. Has an exchange.
China PostPOST
(中国邮政; Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng
GOOGLE MAP
; 480 Chezhan Lu; 车站路480号 h9am-5pm)
By the train station.
HSBC ATMBANK
(汇丰银行; Huìfēng Yínháng GOOGLE MAP ; 159 Shaoshan Lu; 韶山路159号 )
Twenty-four-hour ATM in Dolton Hotel lobby.
Provincial People’s HospitalHOSPITAL
(省人民医院; Shěng Rénmín Yīyuàn
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0731 8227 8120; 61 Jiefang Xilu; 解放西路61号 )
One of the largest hospitals in the city, centrally located on Jiefang Xilu.
Public Security BureauPOLICE
(PSB; 公安局; Gōng’ānjú %0731 8887 8741; 2 Fenglin Yilu; 枫林一路2号 )
For visa extensions, go to this PSB about 2km west of the river. Yingwanzhen metro station is closest.
8Getting There & Away
Air
Chángshā’s Huánghuā International Airport (黄花国际机场; Huánghuā Guójì Jīchǎng %0731 8479 8777) has flights to pretty much every city in China plus services to Bangkok, Seoul, Phnom Penh and Singapore. Also has daily local flights to Huáihuà (¥820, one hour) and Zhāngjiājiè (¥500, one hour).
Book tickets through www.elong.net or www.ctrip.com, or at the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC; 中国民航售票处; Zhōngguó Mínháng Shòupiàochù
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0731 8411 2222; 49 Wuyi Dadao; 五一大道49号 h8.30am-5.30pm) near the train station.
Bus
Chángshā has multiple bus stations, but most travellers use South Bus Station (汽车南站; qìchē nánzhàn ) (take bus 107 or 7 from Chángshā Train Station, or bus 16 from Chángshā South Train Station) or West Bus Station (汽车西站; qìchē xīzhàn ) (at Wangchengpo metro station). Long-distance buses also leave from both train stations.
Buy bus tickets at the bus stations, or at the bus ticket office (长途汽车售票处; Chángtú Qìchē Shòupiào Chù MAP GOOGLE MAP ; north side, train station square) in the train station square.
Services from South Bus Station):
AFènghuáng ¥134, five hours, four daily (9am to 3.40pm)
AGuìlín ¥144, seven hours, 3.40pm
AHéng Shān ¥46, three hours, hourly 8am to 5.20pm
AHéngyáng ¥60, two hours, hourly 7.50am to 6.20pm
AHuáihuà ¥105, six hours, hourly 10.30am to 3pm
ANánchāng ¥118, five hours, one daily (8.30am)
AShànghǎi sleeper ¥326, 16 hours, 5pm
ASháoshān ¥32, 1½ hours, half-hourly 8am to 5.30pm
Services from West Bus Station:
AFènghuáng ¥145, five hours, eight daily (9am to 5.20pm)
AJíshǒu ¥136, 4½ hours, regular from 8.30am to 7.10pm
AZhāngjiājiè ¥119, four hours, hourly 8.20am to 6.30pm
Train
Both train stations are connected to the metro. Bullet trains leave from Chángshā South Train Station (长沙南站; Chángshā Nánzhàn Huahou Lu; 花候路 ).
Services from Chángshā Train Station (长沙火车站; Chángshā huǒchēzhàn GOOGLE MAP ):
ABěijīng Z-class hard seat/sleeper ¥190/334, 14 hours, 11 daily
AGuǎngzhōu T/K-class hard seat/sleeper ¥99/193, seven to eight hours, 30 daily
AHuáihuà T/K-class hard seat/sleeper ¥72/146, seven hours, 15 daily
AJíshǒu T/K-class hard seat/sleeper ¥75/142, seven to nine hours, five daily
AShànghǎi D-class bullet ¥258, seven hours, 10.35am
AShànghǎi K-class hard seat/sleeper ¥149/273, 15 hours, three daily (12.37am, 6.36pm, 9.53pm)
AWǔhàn K-class hard seat ¥54, four hours, 10 daily
AZhāngjiājiè T/K-class hard seat/sleeper ¥55/109, 5½ hours, six daily
Services from Chángshā South Train Station:
ABěijīng West G-class bullet ¥649, 5¾ to seven hours, 16 daily (7.30am to 4pm)
AGuǎngzhōu South G-class bullet ¥314, 2½ hours, every 10 minutes (7am to 9.15pm)
AHuáihuà South G-class bullet ¥153, 100 minutes, regular
AShànghǎi Hóngqiáo G-class bullet ¥478, five hours, regular
ASháoshān South G-class bullet 2nd/1st class ¥31/51, 25 minutes, regular from 8.10am to 6.45pm
AShēnzhèn North G-class bullet ¥389, 2½ hours, half-hourly 7am to 8.30pm
AWǔhàn G-class bullet ¥165, 1½ hours, half-hourly 7.30am to 9.58pm
AXī'ān G-class bullet ¥590, six hours, nine daily (8.20am to 4.32pm)
8Getting Around
To/From the Airport
Huánghuā International Airport is 26km from the city centre. Airport shuttle buses (机场巴士; jīchǎng bāshì MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Wuyi Dadao; 五一大道 ¥15.50) depart from the CAAC office on Wuyi Dadao near the train station, every 15 minutes between 5.20am and 10.30pm, and take 40 minutes.
Local bus 114 (¥3, 70 minutes, 6.30am to 6.30pm) also links the train station to the airport.
A taxi from the city centre is about ¥90.
The eagerly anticipated Maglev (磁浮; cífú; magnetic levitation train) was due to start operating by the time you read this, whooshing passengers from the airport to South Train Station in a mere 10 minutes.
Bus
Local buses cost ¥1 or ¥2 per trip. Carry exact change.
Metro
Handy Line 2 of Chángshā's metro (地铁; dìtiě; tickets ¥2 to ¥5) goes from Chángshā South Train Station to Chángshā Train Station then along Wuyi Dadao to Tangerine Isle and on to West Bus Station. Metro trains run from 6.30am to 10.30pm. Line 1 is under construction and may be operating by the time you read this.
Taxi
Taxi flag fall is ¥8; ¥10 after 10pm.
Sháoshān 韶山
%0732 / Pop 120,000
More than three million people make the pilgrimage each year to Mao Zedong’s rural hometown, a pretty hamlet frozen in time 130km southwest of Chángshā. The swarms of young and old drop something to the tune of ¥1.8 billion annually in Sháoshān (韶山). Mao statues alone are such big business that each must pass inspection by no fewer than five experts checking for features, expression, hairstyle, costume and posture. The 6m-high bronze statue of Mao erected in 1993 in Mao Zedong Sq is considered a model example.
Sháoshān can be easily done as a day trip, especially with the advent of the high-speed train from Chángshā, so there’s little reason to spend the night here.
1Sights
Sháoshān is in two parts: the modern town with the train and bus stations, and the original village about 5km away, where all the sights cluster. Only a handful of the popular sights have a genuine connection to Mao.
The minibus from town will drop you on the main road by the village, a few hundred metres from Mao's former residence; cross the small river to the left of the road. You'll then see Mao Zedong Square (with its Mao statue) to your right, but turn left to reach Mao's former residence.
Relic Hall of Mao ZedongMUSEUM
(毛泽东遗物馆; Máo Zédōng Yíwùguǎn h9am-4.30pm)F
This museum includes everyday artefacts used by the Great Helmsman, clothing he wore and photos from his life; it benefits from good English captions.
Sháo PeakMOUNTAIN
(韶峰; Sháo Fēng incl cable car ¥80; h8.30am-5pm)
This cone-shaped mountain is visible from the village. On the lower slopes is the forest of stelae, stone tablets engraved with Mao’s poems. You can hike to the summit, where there's a lookout pavilion; this takes about an hour.
Dripping Water CavePARK
(滴水洞; Dī Shuǐ Dòng ¥50; h8am-5.30pm)
Mao secluded himself here for 11 days in June 1966, 3km outside of Sháoshān village, to contemplate the start of the Cultural Revolution. His retreat was actually a low-slung, cement and steel bunker (not the cave, which was a few kilometres away). Members of the Mao clan are entombed nearby.
Mao Zedong Memorial MuseumMUSEUM
(毛泽东同志纪念馆; Máo Zédōng Tóngzhì Jìniànguǎn h9am-4.30pm)F
Exiting Mao's home, turn left and walk straight on to Mao Zedong Sq where, on your left, you'll see the entrance to this museum, which celebrates Mao's life through paintings and old photos, assisted with decent English captions.
Former Residence of Mao ZedongHISTORIC SITE
(毛泽东故居; Máo Zédōng Gùjū h8.30am-5pm)F
Surrounded by lotus ponds and rice paddies, this modest mud-brick house is like millions of other country homes except that Mao was born here in 1893. By most accounts, his childhood was relatively normal, though he tried to run away at age 10. He returned briefly in 1921 as a young revolutionary and firebrand. On view are some original furnishings, photos of Mao’s parents and a small barn. No photography allowed inside.
MAO: THE GREAT HELMSMAN
Mao Zedong was born in the village of Sháoshān in 1893, the son of ‘wealthy’ peasants. Mao worked beside his father on the 8-hectare family farm from age six and was married by 14.
At 16, he convinced his father to let him attend middle school in Chángshā. In the city, Mao discovered Sun Yatsen’s revolutionary secret society. When the Qing dynasty collapsed that year, Mao joined the republican army but soon quit, thinking the revolution was over.
At the Húnán County No 1 Teachers’ Training School, Mao began following the Soviet socialism movement. He put an ad in a Chángshā newspaper ‘inviting young men interested in patriotic work to contact me’, and among those who responded were Liu Shaoqi, who would become president of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and Xiao Chen, who would be a founding member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Mao graduated in 1918 and went to work as an assistant librarian at Peking University, where he befriended more future major CCP figures. By the time he returned to teach in Chángshā, Mao was active in communist politics. Unlike orthodox Marxists, Mao saw peasants as the lifeblood of the revolution. The CCP was formed in today's Xīntiāndì area in Shànghǎi in 1921, and soon included unions of peasants, workers and students.
In April 1927, following Kuomintang leader Chiang Kaishek’s attack on communists, Mao was tasked with organising what became the ‘Autumn Harvest Uprising’. Mao’s army scaled Jǐnggāng Shān, on the border with Jiāngxī province, to embark on a guerrilla war. The campaign continued until the Long March in October 1934, a 9600km retreat that ended up in Yán'ān in north Shǎnxī province. Mao emerged from the Long March as the CCP leader.
Mao forged a fragile alliance with the Kuomintang to expel the Japanese, and from 1936 to 1948 the two sides engaged in betrayals, conducting a civil war simultaneously with WWII. Mao’s troops eventually won, and the PRC was established on 1 October 1949.
As chairman of the PRC, Mao embarked on radical campaigns to repair his war-ravaged country. In the mid-1950s he began to implement peasant-based and decentralised socialist developments. The outcome was the ill-fated Great Leap Forward in the late 1950s and the chaos of the Cultural Revolution (1966–76).
China saw significant gains in education, women’s rights and average life expectancy under Mao’s rule; however, by most estimates, between 40 and 70 million people died during that era of change, mainly from famine. Five years after Mao’s death, Deng Xiaoping famously announced Mao had been 70% right and 30% wrong in an effort, some say, to tear down Mao’s cult of personality. Yet today, Mao remains revered as the man who united the country, and he is still commonly referred to as the ‘Great Leader’, ‘Great Teacher’ and ‘supremely beloved Chairman’. His image hangs everywhere – in public places, schools, taxis, restaurants and living rooms – but exactly what he symbolises now is the question that China grapples with today.
4Sleeping
With the advent of the high-speed train connection from Chángshā, there is even less need to overnight here. Nondescript hotels with rooms for around ¥140 after discounts are close to the bus station in the new town. In the village itself, touts are happy to lead you to a nóngjiālè (农家乐), a local family’s guesthouse.
Máo Jiā FàndiànHOTEL$
(毛家饭店 %0731 5568 5132; r from ¥160)
Has huge rooms facing onto an overgrown courtyard.
Sháoshān BīnguǎnHOTEL$$
(韶山宾馆 %0731 5568 5262; 16 Guyuan Lu; 故园路16号 s & d ¥468, plus 10% service charge; ai)
The rooms here are clean and bright – four-star standard issue. You’re paying for location and the fact that Mao and various CCP bigwigs slept in the building next door in June 1959.
5Eating
Restaurants are all over the village, each and every one serving Mao’s favourite dish, Máo jiā hóngshāoròu (毛家红烧肉; Mao family red-braised pork) from around ¥45 and up. It's almost mandatory to partake.
oMáo Jiā FàndiànHUNAN$$
(毛家饭店 Sháoshān Village; 韶山 mains ¥25-65; h6am-9pm)
The best-known restaurant in the village was opened in 1987 by business-savvy octogenarian Madam Tang, who used to live in the house opposite Mao, but who now owns a restaurant empire with more than 300 outlets worldwide. Máo Zédōng hóngshāoròu (毛泽东红烧肉; Mao's favourite braised pork belly; ¥58) takes pride of place as first dish on the menu.
8Getting There & Away
Bus
Buses (¥32, 1½ hours) from Chángshā South Bus Station terminate at Sháoshān Bus Station (韶山汽车站; Sháoshān Qìchēzhàn Yingbin Lu; 迎宾路 ), where you need to transfer to a minibus (¥2.50 one way, ¥10 hop-on, hop-off) for the village, 5km away. Minibuses also shuttle between the sights, but it's nicer just to walk around once you're there.
The last bus back to Chángshā from the bus station leaves at 5.30pm.
Train
The new fast-train service (2nd/1st class ¥31/51) zips regularly to Sháoshān South Train Station (韶山南站; Sháoshān Nánzhàn) from Chángshā South Train Station between 8.10am and 6.45pm, making it the fastest way to reach Sháoshān. The journey takes a mere 25 minutes.The last train back to Chángshā departs at 9.26pm.
8Getting Around
A tourist minibus (中巴; ¥10) lets you hop on and off at the key sights with one ticket from 7am to 6pm. Pick it up in front of sights and the Sháoshān Bīnguǎn. Expect to pay ¥100 for a taxi to take you around. Local minibuses (¥2.50) also take you to the sights from Sháoshān South Train Station; a taxi will cost you around ¥20.
Héng Shān 衡山
%0734
About 130km south of Chángshā rises the southernmost of China’s five sacred Taoist mountains – Héng Shān (衡山) – to which emperors came to make sacrifices to heaven and earth. The ancients called it Nányuè (南岳; Southern Mountain), a name it now shares with the town at its base. The imperial visits left a legacy of Taoist temples and ancient inscriptions scattered amid gushing waterfalls, dense pine forests and terraced fields cut from lush canyons. Bring extra layers, as the weather can turn quickly and the summit is often cold and wet.
1Sights & Activities
Turn right out of the main bus station to reach the páifāng (牌坊), a decorative stone archway, and a focal point in town.
Walk through the páifāng to reach the tourist centre (1km; follow signs for Zhùróng Peak) and the town's temples, all of which are also signposted.
Héng ShānMOUNTAIN
(衡山 )
Seventy-two peaks spanning 400km comprise Héng Shān, but most visitors focus on Zhùróng Peak (祝融峰; Zhùróng Fēng ¥120), rising 1290m above sea level.
The lung- and knee-busting, 13km ascent up winding paths, steep staircases and, in places, a road busy with tourist shuttle buses, takes around four hours one way, although it can fill the best part of a day if you take in the many temples en route. Alternatively, tourist buses, or a combination of bus and cable-car, can ferry you almost the whole way up in a sedentary posture.
If you want to take the bus, buy the bus ticket (车票; chē piào; ¥80 return, including cable car), along with your entrance ticket (门票; mén piào; ¥120) on the 2nd floor of the modern tourist centre, where you can also store luggage (¥10 per bag) and pick up a free leaflet with a map (地图; dìtú) on it. Buses depart directly from here to the mountain's halfway point (半山亭; Bànshān Tíng; 15 minutes). From there, you can either take the cable car (横山索道; suǒdào return trip included with bus ticket) to Nántiānmén (南天门; five minutes), or change to another bus. From Nántiānmén, it's a 30-minute hike to Zhùróng Peak.
Note, the mountain is open 24 hours, but the buses and cable car only run until around 6pm. It's worth packing a waterproof jacket, although you can buy plastic ponchos (¥10) from hawkers.
If you decide to hike up the mountain (a wise choice, as you'll miss most of the temples if you take the bus), it's nicer to start up the tree-lined road 300m east of the tourist centre marked by the stone Shènglì Archway (胜利坊; Shènglì Fāng). This road leads to another entrance, where you can pay admission, and then to a tranquil path that winds 5km past lakes, waterfalls and streams in Fànyīn Valley (梵音谷; Fànyīn Gǔ), almost to the cable car departure point at Bànshān Tíng. Along the way, you can stop to see the colourful figures of Taoist and Buddhist scripture on display in Shénzhōu Temple (神州祖庙; Shénzhōu Zǔmiào), the grand and dignified Nányuè Martyrs Memorial Hall (南岳忠烈祠; Nányuè Zhōngliècí), dedicated to the anti-Japanese resistance, and a stele inscribed with a dedication from Kuomintang leader Chiang Kaishek celebrating the pine forest. Before you jump on the cable car, take a break at Xuándōu Guàn (玄都观), an active Taoist temple. The couplet carved at the entry reminds weary climbers that the path of righteousness is long, so don’t give up halfway through!
The next 4.5km up to Nántiānmén frequently takes the busy road and scattered staircases, but there are plenty more inspiring temples along the way. Once you reach Nántiānmén, it’s a chilly (outside of July and August) 30-minute ascent to the peak – you can rent coats (¥20) by the cable car station.
At the top is Zhù Róng Palace (祝融殿; Zhù Róng Diàn), an iron-tiled, stone structure built for Zhu Rong, an ancient official who devised a method of striking stones to create sparks. After his death, he became revered as the god of fire.
Nányuè TempleTAOIST, BUDDHIST
(南岳大庙; Nányuè Dàmiào ¥60; h7.30am-5.30pm)
This huge Taoist and Buddhist temple originally dates to the Tang dynasty and was moved from Héng Shān summit to its foot in the Sui dynasty and then rebuilt many times, most recently in the Qing dynasty. Each carved panel in the main pavilion’s balustrade tells a legend of one of Héng Shān’s peaks. Its north gate is opposite the tourist centre.
Zhùshèng TempleBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(祝圣寺; Zhùshèng Sì 67 Dong Jie; 东街67号 h5am-6pm)F
A 10-minute walk east of Nányuè Temple, this Zen (Chan; 禅) Buddhist temple, with an attractive stone-carved entranceway, dates as far back as the Tang dynasty. Outside, on Dong Jie, you can watch carpenters making wooden Buddha statues for the various temples in town.
4Sleeping & Eating
The cheapest hotels can be found near Nányuè Bus Station. On the lower slopes of the mountain, basic hotels line the road at various places, while some places exist higher up on the mountain, for those who want to catch the sunrise.
Nányuè has more than its share of restaurants. Zhurong Lu, the road that Nányuè Telecom Hotel is on, is a good choice for a variety of eateries. Accommodation places cook up meals on the mountain, although they can be pricey (but the vegetarian meals at Zǔshī Temple are decent value).
In Town
Auspicious Margin HotelHOTEL$
(吉缘宾馆; Jíyuán Bīnguǎn %187 1149 7187; 338 Hengshan Lu; 衡山路338号 r ¥70-100; aiW)
Opposite the bus station, this simple place has a slightly bizarre name and a variety of room choices, all with air-con, TV, bathroom and wi-fi.
Nányuè Telecom HotelHOTEL$$
(南岳电信宾馆; Nányuè Diànxìn Bīnguǎn %153 0734 2269; www.nydxhotel.com; 173 Zhurong Lu; 祝融路173号 s/tr/ste ¥228/248/578, d ¥198-268; aiW)
This large hotel has comfortable, smart twins and doubles and a good restaurant, serving up some tasty dishes. Turn right out of the bus station, left through the páifāng (decorative stone archway) and it's on your left.
Cohere HotelHOTEL$$$
(枕岳楼大酒店; Zhěnyuèlóu Dàjiǔdiàn %0734 539 8888; 8 Jinsha Lu; 金沙路8号 s/d/ste ¥688/888/1088; 
pnaiWs)
The nicest hotel in Nányuè is this attractive health resort that doesn’t serve soda in the lobby bar. It has everything else you might need though – foot massages, gym, pool, roof garden, ping-pong room, three restaurants and an ATM. Rooms discounted by 40% in slow periods; another reason to avoid the peak holiday crush.
On the Mountain
Zǔshī TempleGUESTHOUSE$$
(祖师殿; Zǔshī Diàn near Nántiānmén; 南天门附近 d ¥348; i)
The rooms in this Taoist temple are spartan for sure, but the views are magic and vegetarian rice meals are served up throughout the day. It's a five-minute walk from the cable-car station by Nántiānmén – turn left as you exit the cable car.
Wàngrì Tái JiēdàizhànHOTEL$$
(望日台接待站; Wàngrì Tái Jiēdàizhàn %0734 566 3188; Wàngrì Tái; r from ¥360; W)
The mountain's highest accommodation, this place is just a 10-minute walk below Zhùróng Peak (up to your right as you are climbing), and has small but modern twins with air-con-heaters, TV, bathroom and wi-fi. Cooked meals also available (mains ¥30 to ¥60).
8Information
Bank of ChinaBANK
(中国银行; Zhōngguó Yínháng 270 Hengshan Lu; 衡山路270号 h9am-5pm)
Just past the páifāng (decorative arch), this branch changes money and has a 24-hour ATM.
Tourist CentreTOURIST INFORMATION
(旅客服务中心; Lǚkè Fùwù Zhōngxīn Yanshou Lu; 延寿路 h7am-5.30pm)
Tourist leaflets and maps are available at this modern tourist centre, where you can also store luggage.
8Getting There & Away
Very regular bullet trains from Chángshā South Station (2nd/1st class ¥65/100, 29 minutes, 7.11am to 9pm) stop at Héng Shān West Station (衡山西站; Héng Shān Xīzhàn), 10km from Nányuè town centre.
Returning to Chángshā, bullet trains leave Héng Shān West Station roughly half-hourly from 9.09am to 9.09pm; trains take 34 minutes in this direction. You can buy tickets at a train ticket office (火车票代售; huǒchē piàodàishòu %0734 568 2222; 167 Zhurong Lu; 祝融路167号 commission per ticket ¥5; h7.40am-9pm) near the páifāng – walk through the páifāng, and it's on your left (on the way into town).
Buses from Chángshā arrive at Nányuè Bus Station, which has 12 buses a day back to Chángshā (¥42, three hours, 7.50am to 4.30pm).
8Getting Around
Local buses wait at the train-station car park to take passengers to Nányuè (¥6). They will drop you at a small local bus station, called Zhōngxīn Zhàn (中心站), which is diagonally opposite the main Nányuè Bus Station (南岳汽车站; Nányuè Qìchēzhàn).
Zhāngjiājiè 张家界
%0744 / Pop 1.7 million
Rising from the subtropical and temperate forests of northwest Húnán, Zhāngjiājiè (张家界) has a concentration of quartzite-sandstone formations found nowhere else in the world. Some 243 peaks and more than 3000 karst pinnacles and spires dominate the scenery in this Unesco-protected park. If caught in the right light or when the early-morning mountain mist rolls in around them, the effect is otherworldly.
For thousands of years, this was a remote land known mainly to three minority peoples: Tujia, Miao and Bai. Today more than 20 million visitors come here every year. It is also home to more than 3000 distinct plant species as well as diverse fauna. You'll see lots of macaques on the main trails (remember, they are wild so don't feed them), while endangered species such as the Chinese giant salamander, Chinese water deer and the elusive clouded leopard (only their tracks have been seen) lurk deep in the park.
1Sights
The National Park
Wǔlíngyuán Scenic & Historic Interest AreaNATIONAL PARK
(武陵源风景区; Wǔlíngyuán Fēngjǐngqū adult/student ¥248/160)
The national park's official name is the Wǔlíngyuán Scenic & Historic Interest Area, but almost everyone refers to it simply as Zhāngjiājiè, the name of one section of the park.
The park, covering a vast 264 sq km, is divided into three main areas: the Zhāngjiājiè, Tiānzǐ Shān and Suǒxī Valley scenic areas.
Zhāngjiājiè is also the name of the city (张家界市; Zhāngjiājiè Shì) 30km south of the park, and the village (张家界村; Zhāngjiājiè Cūn) by the 'Forest Park' entrance.
There are access points on all sides of the park, but most enter from the south, passing through Zhāngjiājiè village to the Zhāngjiājiè National Park entrance (张家界公园门票站; Zhāngjiājiè Gōngyuán ménpiàozhàn), more commonly called Forest Park (森林公园; Sēnlín Gōngyuán). Otherwise, many enter from the east through the less spectacular Wǔlíngyuán entrance (武陵源门票站; Wǔlíngyuán ménpiàozhàn).
Organised tours to the park and Jiǔtiān Cave (九天洞; Jiǔtiān Dòng ¥76; h8am-6pm) often include a rafting trip (漂流; piāoliú), or you can join a tour and just do the rafting trip. While good white-water rafting is possible northwest of Zhāngjiājiè near the Húběi border, you'll have to make special arrangements for the equipment and transport.
Most rivers are pretty tame, so don't expect great thrills, but the scenery is fantastic. The actual rafting usually lasts about four hours, with about the same amount of time taken up in travel to and from the launch area.
A simply staggering admission fee includes ¥3 compulsory insurance and buys a ticket that is valid for two days. It must be used on consecutive days, and thumb prints are taken at the entrance, so tickets can't be resold or passed on. There are admission fees to some other sights within the park as well. Available from the ticket office, and hotels in the village and city, the Tourist Map of Wulingyuan Scenic Zone (武陵源景区导游图; ¥5) contains an English-language map of the scenic area and a Chinese-language map of Zhāngjiājiè City.
Zhāngjiājiè Scenic AreaNATIONAL PARK
From the 'Forest Park' entrance, there is an early opportunity for a bird's-eye view of the karst towers from Huángshí Village (黄石寨; Huángshízhài), a 3km loop on a plateau 1048m up. It’s a two-hour slog up 3878 stone steps, or a half-hour by electric bus (free), then cable car (one way ¥67).
Back on the canyon floor, the Golden Whip Stream Scenic Route (金鞭溪精品游览线; Jīnbiānxī Jīngpǐn Yóulǎnxiàn) is a flat path meandering 5.7km east along its namesake stream to the Báilóng Elevator (白龙天梯; Báilóng Tiāntī; one way ¥72), a cliffside lift rising 335m in under two minutes to the Tiānzǐ Shān section of the park. There are steps up the cliff as well (one hour).
Tiānzǐ Shān Scenic AreaNATIONAL PARK
This area is on top of the plateau, and hence enjoys most of the park's more spectacular (and busiest) viewpoints. Touring here means manoeuvring around particularly large crowds (and waiting in long lines for buses), but the vistas are worth it; not least the No 1 Highest Natural Bridge (天下第一桥; Tiānxiàdìyī Qiáo), a remarkable stone structure spanning two peaks, 357m above the canyon floor.
A further 30-minutes bus ride from here, at the far end of the plateau (before it descends into the Suǒxī Valley), is the Grand Sightseeing Platform (大观台; Dà Guān Tái), a massively popular spot for sunrise. Near here clusters a collection of other fine viewpoints, including Celestial Bridge (仙人桥; Xiānrén Qiáo) and Emperor's Throne (天子座; Tiānzǐ Zuò). A cable car (索道; suǒdào; one way ¥67) can whisk you down into the Suǒxī Valley, or you can hike down then take a cute monorail tram-car (电车; diànchē; one way ¥52) along a short stretch of the valley.
Zhāngjiājiè City
Tiānmén MountainMOUNTAIN
(天门山; Tiānmén Shān ¥258; h8am-4.30pm)
Visible from anywhere in Zhāngjiājiè City, this distinctive mountain range features Tiānmén Dòng (天门洞), a prominent keyhole cut through the mountainside. The seriously lengthy 7km-long Tiānmén Mountain Cable Car (天门山索道; Tiānmén Shān Suǒdào) is Asia's longest, and takes half an hour to hoist you up. The cable car is included in your entrance ticket. There are several glass-bottomed walkways at the top, including a nerve-shredding 100m-long stretch over a 300m drop that opened in 2016.
ZHāNGJIāJIè IN TWO DAYS
If you're stuck for ideas, the following mini-itinerary takes in all three of the park's main zones, and can be done leisurely in two days, or in one day at a push.
Enter the park at the Zhāngjiājiè National Park entrance, more commonly known as Forest Park. Follow the Golden Whip Stream Scenic Route, an easy 5.7km path along the canyon floor, which leads to the Bǎilóng Elevator. Before you reach the elevator, though, take the steps up to your left at a point called Qiānlǐ Xiānghuì (千里相会), about one hour from where you started.
It's a tough one-hour climb to the top (you're now in the Tiānzǐ Shān Nature Reserve), from where you can follow a short path to various viewpoints, including the famous No 1 Highest Natural Bridge. From here you can either hop on one of the free tourist buses, or walk along the main road (20 minutes) to Zhōngtiān International Youth Hostel, where you can either stop for the night, or just for lunch or a drink. Either way, don't forget to check out the path behind the hostel, which accesses two stunning viewpoints.
The hostel is right beside Wàng Qiáo Tái (望桥台) bus stop. From here, take a free bus about 30 minutes further up the mountain to the bus stop for the Grand Sightseeing Platform, and find a rarely taken trail, which starts near a place called One Dangerous Step (一步难行; Yī Bù Nán Xíng). Follow this cliff-hugging trail through dripping-wet forest and past numerous small waterfalls, until, after about an hour, you reach a small rural hamlet where, if it's getting late, you can stay the night in the rustic family guesthouse Qíngrén Kèzhàn. Or turn left to follow the lane back up to the main road where you can pick up another free bus, at Xiāng Dà Lù Kǒu (湘大路口) bus stop, to the terminus at the Tiānzǐ Shān cable car station (天子山索道站; Tiānzǐ Shān suǒdàozhàn).
It's ¥67 to descend in the cable car. Alternatively, follow the stepped path down (about one hour – the views are fabulous in places). At the bottom (you're now in the Suǒxī Valley area) you can take the monorail tram-car (¥52 one way, 10 minutes) or walk another 20 minutes to a bus depot. From the depot you can either take a free bus 10km to the Wǔlíngyuán park entrance (武陵源门口; Wǔlíngyuán ménkǒu), from where buses head back to Zhāngjiājiè City (¥12, 45 minutes), or turn right to get back to the path where you began your hike. After a few hundred metres you'll reach the bottom of the Bǎilóng Elevator before continuing for about 90 minutes along the Golden Whip Stream Scenic Route again, back to the Zhāngjiājiè entrance.
2Activities
With more than 40 limestone caves hidden along the banks of the Suǒxī River and the southeast side of Tiānzǐ Shān, the region offers ample opportunities to raft (漂流; piāoliú) and tour caves.
Zhōngtiān International Youth Hostel in Zhāngjiājiè City runs numerous one- and two-day tours, including a number of rafting trips (per person ¥200 to ¥500).
BīNGLáNG VALLEY
oBīngláng ValleyAREA
(槟榔谷; Bīngláng Gǔ )F
A free alternative to Zhāngjiājiè national park, this staggeringly beautiful mountain valley and its caves, natural arches and vertiginous cliffs, 90 minutes by bus from town, makes for a sublime day trip or overnight expedition. And it's free to enter. You begin by descending through a beautiful flat valley called Moon Valley (月之谷; Yuè Zhi Gǔ) surrounded by limestone cliffs before climbing to a vast cave called Cathedral Gate (教堂们; Jiàotáng Mén), after which you thread through a bamboo forest to make your way towards a 1km-long subterranean cave.
On the way you will pass the Two Layer Cave (双层洞; Shuāngcéng Dòng) before reaching the astonishing Angel Castle (天使城; Tiānshǐ Chéng) – a formation of vast limestone cliffs that encircles you – with the Angel Gate (天使门; Tiānshǐ Mén) at the far end, a further cave that drills through the entire cliff to the far side.
A low-hanging cave entrance on the far side of the valley leads to the Mí Cave (迷洞; Mí Dòng), but whatever you do, don't enter without a guide and a head lamp. It's 1km long, pitch black, devoid of mobile signals and if you take a wrong turn, you could easily get lost. But it's an astonishing experience. One section is full of litter, not dropped by visitors, but swept in by river waters that flow in here during the rainy season (though usually only to a shallow depth). Eventually – after about half an hour of walking in the dark – you will see the faint glow of the exit, a cavernous opening leading to a breathtaking valley called Star Valley (星之谷; Xīng Zhī Gǔ) surrounded by colossal limestone cliffs. Give a good shout: the echo acoustics are phenomenal.
Not far away is Bīngláng Hole (槟榔孔; Bīnláng Kǒng), another natural cave leading through to the other side, from where you can make your way back to the bus drop-off point. Locals still use the naturally formed cave to reach villages on the far side, thus avoiding a circuitous detour.
To reach Bīngláng Valley, take a bus (¥17, 90 minutes) towards Qīng'ān Píng (青安坪) from the west bus station (汽车西站; qìchē xīzhàn) on Ziwu Lu (子午路) in Zhàngjiājiè City and disembark at Bīnglángǔ Nóngjiā Lè (槟榔谷农家乐), simply the name of a family homestead by the valley access point. Buses leave at 8.20am and 1.30pm; the last bus back is at 3.30pm. It is, however, best to take a guide; arrange one through the Bājiè Youth Hostel. Cheng Lifeng is an expert guide who takes visitors for around ¥100 per person; he does not speak much English, however, but should be able to arrange an English-speaking guide for you.
If you want to spend the night here, Bīnglángǔ Nóngjiā Lè at the drop-off point has simple and cheap rooms for around ¥40 and can cook meals, but the hosts don't speak any English.
4Sleeping & Eating
Hotels can be found outside all main entrances to the park, although, naturally, they cost more than hotels in Zhāngjiājiè City. Inside the park itself, family-run guesthouses (客栈; kèzhàn) are dotted along the main road in the Tiānzǐ Shān area. Expect to pay ¥50 to ¥100 for a room.
Every guesthouse will also do meals (around ¥30). Snack stalls and restaurant shacks line all the main hiking trails around the park.
Zhāngjiājiè Village
oGuìguān International HotelHOTEL$$$
(桂冠国际酒店; Guìguān Guójì Jiǔdiàn %0744 571 2999; d ¥680-1280, ste ¥3380-3980; naiW)
A short walk before you reach the main Forest Park entrance, this elegant four-star hotel is interspersed with pleasant courtyard gardens sprouting magnolias and water features, and managed by polite and courteous staff. The most affordable standard rooms can come down to ¥380, which is a steal, although rooms with mountain view will set you back more.
Zhāngjiājiè City
oBājiè Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(八戒青年旅舍; Bājiè Qīngnián Lǚshě %0744 829 9577; Dayong Fucheng, Jiefang Lu; 大庸府城解放路 dm ¥40, s & d ¥98-128, tr/q ¥168/198; iW)
The nearby bars can get noisy at night, but this hostel in Zhāngjiājiè City has a lovely atmosphere, with well kept rooms, pool table, ping pong and a quiet library. Rooms are smart and comfortable and staff are helpful, although they're more used to dealing with Chinese guests. From the airport, take bus 4 to the Dayong Fucheng stop (大庸府城) and climb the steps to the hostel.
From the train station, hop on bus 6 to the Dayong Fucheng stop. There's another branch within the National Forest Park itself, located in Dīngxiángróng village (丁香榕村).
Zhōngtiān International Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(中天国际青年旅舍; Zhōngtiān Guójì Qīngnián Lǚshè %0744 832 1678; 4th fl, Zhōngtiān Bldg, cnr Ziwu Lu & Beizheng Lu; 子午路和北正路街角，中天大厦4楼, Zhāngjiājiè City dm from ¥40, tw & d from ¥138; aiW)
In an anonymous office block, this OK hostel has a rooftop garden, a small bar and sofa-strewn area for sitting in. Rooms are only passable though and seriously need a refurb. Helpful staff speak some English, which is a plus, and the claypot rice meals (¥15 to ¥20), delivered from outside, are not bad.
You can have luggage delivered to its branch inside the park for ¥20. It also runs day trips, including rafting. To get here, take bus 6 (¥2) from outside Zhāngjiājiè Central Bus Station to Lieshi Gongyuan (烈士公园) bus stop, then take bus 3 (¥2) to Beizheng Lu (北正路) and the Zhōngtiān Building will be up on your left. Go down the side of the building and take the crummy lift to the 4th floor.
The National Park
Zhōngtiān International Youth Hostel – YuánjiājièHOSTEL$
(中天国际青年旅舍，袁家界店; Zhōngtiān Guójì Qīngniánlǚshè, Yuánjiājièdiàn %0744 571 3568; Wang Qiao Tai bus stop, Yuánjiājiè; 望桥台袁家界 dm ¥50, d from ¥150, q ¥260; a)
This quiet hostel is a good choice within the park. Rooms are rather musty (everywhere's musty up here), but are clean and tidy. There's not much English spoken, but the food menu (mains ¥15 to ¥35), and notices around the hostel, are all in English. Air-con is an extra ¥20.
A path behind the hostel leads to two stunning viewpoints, while about 50m beyond the hostel are steps leading down into the canyon below.
The easiest and quickest way to get here is to enter the park through the Tiānzǐ Shān entrance (天子山门票站; Tiānzǐshān ménpiàozhàn) then take the free bus to Wang Qiao Tai (望桥台) bus stop (about 40 minutes). You can also get here from the Zhāngjiājiè entrance.
Bājiè Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %150 7446 9955; Dīngxiāngróng village; 丁香榕村 dm ¥50, s & d ¥138; W)
This rather simple hostel is clean, well located within the park for sunrise viewings from the Grand Sightseeing Platform and well staffed by English-speakers.
Qíngrén KèzhànGUESTHOUSE$
(情人客栈 %189 0744 1378; Xiangda Lukou bus stop, Tianzi Shan area; 天子山，湘大路口 r ¥80; W)
This remote, rustic, family-run guesthouse, has simple rooms, home-cooked meals and farmyard animals running around the courtyard. There's no English spoken, but the owners are friendly and there's wi-fi (no air-con, though). The simplest way to get here is via the free bus from the Tiānzǐ Shān park entrance to Xiangda Lukou (湘大路口) bus stop, not far before the Tiānzǐ Shān cable-car station.
Bīngláng Valley
Bīnglángǔ Nóngjiā LèHOMESTAY$
(槟榔谷农家乐 %153 8744 3719, 153 8744 3709; r ¥40)
At the drop-off point for Bīngláng Valley, this homestay has simple and cheap rooms and cooked meals, but the hosts don't speak any English.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Bars are largely limited to Zhāngjiājiè City. The Dàyōng Fǔchéng (大庸府城) complex north of Jiefang Lu (解放路) and just west of Beizheng Jie (北正街) has loads of bars and karaoke spots.
8Information
In Zhāngjiājiè City, tree-lined Beizheng Jie has everything you need: accommodation, restaurants, snack stalls, pharmacies, ATMs, internet cafes and bars tucked away down alleys, as well as a street-food market and a street-food night market (南门夜市; Nánmén Yěshì Nanzheng Jie; 南正街 h5am-2am) at its southern extension.
8Getting There & Away
Air
Zhangjiajie Héhuā Airport (张家界荷花机场; Zhāngjiājiè Héhuā Jīchǎng %0744 823 8417) is 6km southwest of Zhāngjiājiè City and about 40km from the Zhāngjiājiè National Park entrance.
There are flights to Běijīng, Chángshā, Chóngqìng, Guǎngzhōu, Hángzhōu, Shànghǎi, Xī’ān and other domestic destinations. Use www.english.ctrip.com for bookings.
Bus
Buses leave from Central Bus Station (中心汽车站; Zhōngxīn Qìchēzhàn %0744 822 2417), right beside Zhāngjiājiè train station. As well as those listed here, there are daily sleeper buses to cities such as Běijīng, Shànghǎi, Wǔhàn and Xī'ān.
AChángshā ¥110, four hours, at least hourly 7am to 7pm
AFènghuáng ¥80, four hours, 8.30am, 9.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm and 5.20pm
AJíshǒu ¥50, two hours, hourly 7am to 5pm
Train
The train station (火车站; huǒchēzhàn %0744 214 5182) is right beside Central Bus Station. Note, Huáihuà trains also stop at Jíshǒu (¥20, two hours).
ABěijīng hard/soft sleeper ¥361/552, 24 to 26 hours, three daily (12.36pm, 2.40pm and 6.16pm)
AChángshā hard seat ¥55 to ¥84, six hours, six daily between 3.36pm and 7pm
AHuáihuà hard seat ¥38, three to four hours, 12 daily
AYíchāng hard seat ¥44, five hours, three daily (5.58am, 9.15am and 4.10pm)
8Getting Around
A taxi from the airport costs about ¥100 to the park and ¥20 to town. To reach the airport from the city, take local bus 4 (¥2, 5.30am to 8.30pm) from outside the Tiānmén Mountain Cable Car; the journey takes around 30 minutes.
Shuttle buses travel every 10 minutes from Zhāngjiājiè Central Bus Station to the three main park entrances: Zhāngjiājiè (better known as Forest Park; 森林公园; Sēnlín Gōngyuán; ¥10, 45 minutes), Wǔlíngyuán (武陵源; ¥12, one hour) and Tiānzǐ Shān (¥13, one hour, less frequent). To find the various buses, go to the far left-hand door of the bus-station waiting room, turn left and follow the route to the buses. Buy tickets on-board the bus. Once inside the park, all buses are free with your park ticket, but other transport (cable car, elevator, monorail tram-car) costs extra, typically around ¥70 per ride.
A taxi from the city to the Forest Park entrance costs around ¥120.
Déhāng 德夯
%0743 / Pop 500
Set against a backdrop of forested peaks, the Miao village of Déhāng (德夯; admission ¥100) has been tarted up for tourism these days and lacks authenticity, but it's merely a base for exploring the stunning scenery with short and easy-to-follow hikes.
Bilingual signs and map-boards around the main square (where the bus terminates) show you the way to the various trailheads, including the Nine Dragon Stream Scenic Area, which energetically leads to the 216m-tall Liúshā Waterfall, one of China's tallest (although very skinny) waterfalls and the lovely Yùquánxī Scenic Area.
Liúshā WaterfallWATERFALL
(流沙瀑布; Liúshā Pùbù )
This lovely waterfall – very thin, but very tall indeed – concludes a lovely walk through a scenic area beyond the village. You can climb up behind the curtain of water, which is fun after the rains. It takes about two hours to walk to the waterfall and back, walking alongside a stream and across a bridge and past lush, green fields. The best time to walk to the waterfall is either early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when visitor numbers are down.
Nine Dragon Stream Scenic AreaAREA
(九龙溪景区; Jiǔlóngxī Jǐngqū )
This beautiful scenic area winds along a stream beyond the village, crossing a bridge and going past lush green fields. It takes around an hour to walk along its length, reaching the Liúshā Waterfall at its conclusion.
Yùquánxī Scenic AreaAREA
(玉泉溪景区; Yùquánxī Jǐngqū )
This 2.6km-long hike follows a path along the Yùquán Stream, past terraced fields and delightful views. Cross the Jade Fountain Gate (玉泉门; Yùquán Mén) to make your way to a waterfall and if you've the energy, climb the steps up to the Tiānwèn Platform (天问台; Tiānwèn Tái) for glorious views.
Simple inns (客栈; kèzhàn) are around the square and suspended over the river. The most attractive is the simple Jiēlóngqiáo Inn, overlooking the arched Jiēlóng Bridge (接龙桥; Jiēlóng Qiáo). Travellers wanting midrange comfort can find it in nearby (but soulless) Jíshǒu.
Restaurants are clustered around the square and main road. The inns also have restaurants, though their meals are more expensive than their rooms. Hawkers in the alleys proffer small bites, including skewers of grilled fish (táohuāyú; ¥3) and tiny crabs (xiǎo pángxiè; ¥5).
Jiēlóngqiáo InnINN$
(接龙桥客店; Jiēlóngqiáo Kèdiàn %135 1743 0915; r ¥80-150; W)
This small, varnished-wood inn by Jiēlóng Bridge has well kept rooms, with fan and TV. The downside is the shared bathroom, two flights down in the dank basement.
8Getting There & Around
Déhāng is accessed from the town of Jíshǒu (吉首). Buses to Déhāng (¥8, 45 minutes) leave frequently from outside Jíshǒu train station.
You can catch frequent buses to Fènghuáng (¥24, one hour, 7.30am to 7pm), Zhāngjiājiè (¥50, three hours, 8am to 5pm), Huáihuà (¥50, regular) and Chángshā (¥140, regular, 7.30am to 6.30pm) from Jíshǒu bus station.
Local bus 3 (¥2) links Jíshǒu's train and bus stations.
Fènghuáng 凤凰
%0743 / Pop 421,000
Once a frontier town, Fènghuáng (凤凰) marked the boundary between the Han civilisations of the central plains and the Miao (苗), Tujia (土家) and Dong (侗) minorities of the southwest mountains. Protective walls went up in the Ming dynasty, but despite the implications Fènghuáng prospered as a centre of trade and cultural exchange. Its diverse residents built a breathtaking riverside settlement of winding alleys, temples and rickety stilt houses, which these days attract tourists by the bucketload. Do try to stay overnight – the town is bursting with accommodation options, and the sight of an illuminated Fènghuáng at night is quite awesome.
Fènghuáng
1Sights
4Sleeping
1Sights
Wandering aimlessly is the best way to experience the charms of the old town (古城; gǔchéng). The back alleys are a trove of shops, temples, ancestral halls and courtyard homes.
The through ticket (通票; tōngpiào; ¥148) gains you three-day access to the old town, plus entrance to all the major sights and a half-hour boat trip on the river. Ticket checks with almost military efficiency have plugged most of the gaps, so it's hard to avoid buying the ticket, which you will certainly need to enter the ticketed sights. Hang on to your hotel deposit receipt as this can be used at some of the entry points.
At the time of writing, there was word that the through ticket may be scrapped for entry to the town, but admission charges would apply to individual sights, so a new ruling may be in effect by the time you read this. Ticket offices are scattered around town. Sights are generally open 8am to 6pm. Come nightfall, much of the old town is dazzlingly illuminated, making it one of the most photogenic sights in China.
Inside the City Wall
Hóng BridgeBRIDGE
(虹桥; Hóng Qiáo MAP GOOGLE MAP ; through ticket for upstairs galleries)
In the style of the Dong minority’s wind and rain bridges, this attractive bridge vaults the waters of the Tuó River and is illuminated at night. Like some other sights in Fènghuáng, it's best viewed from a distance.
Stepping StonesBRIDGE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Stones laid out for crossing the river. Not a great idea to cross them after too many glasses of the local strong stuff.
Fènghuáng City WallHISTORIC SITE
(城墙; Chéngqiáng MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Restored fragments of the city wall lie along the south bank of the Tuó River. Carvings of fish and mythical beasts adorn the eaves of the North Gate Tower, one of four original main gates. Another, the East Gate Tower, is a twin-eaved tower of sandstone and fired brick.
Yáng Family Ancestral HallHISTORIC SITE
(杨家祠堂; Yángjiā Cítáng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; with through ticket)
West of East Gate Tower. Built in 1836, its exterior is covered with slogans from the Cultural Revolution. There are two lovely black-and-white frescoes of mythical animals on the rear walls of the main hall.
North Gate TowerGATE
(北门城楼; Běimén Chénglóu MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Carvings of fish and mythical beasts adorn the eaves of the North Gate Tower, one of four original main gates.
East Gate TowerTOWER
(东门城楼; Dōngmén Chénglóu MAP GOOGLE MAP ; with through ticket)
This Qing dynasty twin-eaved tower dates from 1715.
Jiāngxīn Buddhist TempleBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(江心禅寺; Jiāngxīn Chánsì MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Huilong Ge; 回龙阁 )
Secreted away on Huilong Ge, a narrow alley. The temple is inscribed with the characters 準提庵 above the door, identifying it as a former nunnery.
Chóngdé HallHISTORIC SITE
(崇德堂; Chóngdé Táng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Shijia Long; 史家弄 with through ticket)
The town’s wealthiest resident, Pei Shoulu has his personal collection of antiques on display in his former residence on Shijia Long. The collection of carved wood lintels, decorative woodwork and inscribed wooden wall plaques is simply gorgeous.
Confucian TempleCONFUCIAN TEMPLE
(文庙; Wén Miào MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Wenxing Jie; 文星街 )
This 18th-century walled temple and shrine to the celebrated sage is now a middle school.
Cháoyáng TempleTAOIST TEMPLE
(朝阳宫; Cháoyáng Gōng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 41 Wenxing Jie; 文兴街 )
Features an ancient theatrical stage and hall, and is now home to a silver-forging training centre.
Three Kings TempleBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(三皇庙; Sānhuáng Miào MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Great views of town, colourfully carved dragons, and thousands of lucky charms await up stone steps.
Outside the City Wall
The north bank of the river offers lovely views of Fènghuáng’s diàojiǎolóu (吊脚楼; stilt houses). Cross by stepping stones (跳岩; tiàoyán) – best navigated when sober – or the wooden footbridge (木头桥; mùtóu qiáo).
Wànmíng PagodaPAGODA
(万名塔; Wànmíng Tǎ MAP GOOGLE MAP )
This elegant and slim pagoda was built during the reign of Emperor Jiaqing. It cannot be climbed, but is gloriously illuminated at night and makes for simply beautiful photographs.
Huángsī Bridge Old TownVILLAGE
(黄丝桥古城; Huángsī Qiáo Gǔchéng ¥20)
A Tang dynasty military outpost 25km from town. The Southern Great Wall bus continues to here.
Southern Great WallARCHITECTURE
(南方长城; Nánfāng Chángchéng ¥45)
The Ming dynasty defensive wall, 13km from town, once stretched to Guìzhōu province. Take bus 2 from Nánhuá Gate to its terminus at Tǔqiáolǒng bus station (土桥垅车站; Tǔqiáolǒng chēzhàn), from where you can catch a bus here.
4Sleeping
Fènghuáng is stuffed with guesthouses (客栈; kèzhàn). River-view rooms come at a premium, but may also be a bit damp. All places have wi-fi, but reception can be bad in many rooms, so check first. Look for the sign 今日有房, which means 'rooms available'; book ahead for weekends and holidays. Many guesthouses only come with squat toilets. Using air-con costs an extra ¥20 at a lot of guesthouses.
oA Good YearGUESTHOUSE$
(一年好时光; Yī Nián Hǎo Shíguāng
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0743 322 2026; 91 Huilong Ge; 迴龙阁91号 r ¥100-130; aW)
There are just 10 rooms in this sweet, wood-framed inn on the river; all have balconies, showers and TVs but six have fantastic river views (¥130), with swings on their balconies. Staff are friendly and the location is quiet and secluded, tucked away a fair distance along Huilong Ge.
Shí'èr Hào Shíguāng HostelHOSTEL$
(十二号时光国际青年旅舍, Shí'èr Hào Shíguāng Guójì Qīngnián Lǚshě
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0743 350 0302, 137 6210 6759; 12 Zhongying Jie; 中营街12号 dm ¥47, r ¥118, with private bathroom ¥158; aiW)
Friendly, laid-back hostel with a quiet, back-alley location on historic Zhongying Jie. All rooms come with squat loo.
Border Town International Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(边城国际青年旅舍; Biānchéng Gúojì Qīngnián Lǚshè
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0743 322 8698; 45 Hongqiao Zhonglu; 虹桥中路45号 dm ¥35, d ¥70-90; ai)
Named after a novel by Fènghuáng’s famous son Shen Congwen, this hostel is a five-minute walk south of the Hóng Bridge. The pricier doubles are especially spacious, and those on the top floor have great views of the old town. Squat toilets.
Běiyīmén LǚshèGUESTHOUSE$$
(北一门旅舍
GOOGLE MAP
; %0743 366 6508, 153 0743 8250; 32 Laoying Shao; 老营哨32号 d ¥288-388; aiW)
This modern guesthouse has seven comfortable and tastefully decorated rooms with balconies overlooking the river. Bathrooms are small and there's a bar down below.
Phoenix Jiāngtiān Holiday VillageHOTEL$$$
(凤凰江天旅游度假村; Fènghuáng Jiāngtiān Lǚyóu Dùjiàcūn
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0743 326 1998; Jiangtian Sq; 虹桥路江天广场 s/d/tr/ste ¥658/688/858/1098; aiW)
The only proper hotel by the old town, Phoenix has decent, good-sized rooms, but bathrooms are small and there are no river views. Discounts are the rule, with singles and doubles being reduced to ¥298, except at the busiest times.
5Eating
Fènghuáng has plenty of cheap, tasty street food – everything from kebabs to spicy dòufu (tofu), homemade ginger sweets (姜糖; jiāngtáng) and duck-blood sausages. Look out for evening shāokǎo (street barbecues) on the north side of Hóng Bridge. If you crave fast food or an easy coffee, KFC is on Hongqiao Donglu.
oMiss Yang RestaurantHUNAN$$
(杨小姐的餐厅; Yángxiǎojiě de Cāntīng
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; 45 Laoying Shao; 老营哨45号 mains ¥30-80; h10am-midnight)
Specialising in local cuisine, particularly that of the Miao and Tujia people, such as Tuó River fish (沱江小鱼; Tuó Jiāng xiǎoyú), this intimate restaurant serves tasty delights in an atmospheric upstairs setting of varnished-wood furniture and colourful cushions. It also does a classic Jiāngxī chicken stew called sān bēi jī (三杯鸡), and its cured pork (腊肉; là ròu) dishes are superb.
There's also the spicy fish and sour cabbage soup (酸菜鱼; suāncaìyú) and tǔdòu fěn (土豆粉), a rice-noodle dish from neighbouring Guìzhōu province. You'll also find classic home-style dishes on the menu: the fried aubergine (家常茄子; jiācháng qiézi) is lovely. Downsides: the beer is expensive, service is both dilatory and unenthusiastic and there's no wi-fi. Photo menu.
Soul CafeITALIAN$$
(亦素咖啡; Yìsù Kāfēi
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; 17 Huilong Ge; 回龙阁17号 mains ¥35-65; h8.30am-11.30pm; W)
This upmarket cafe serves proper coffee (from ¥25) and the setting is lovely, with sofas, comfy chairs, lampshades everywhere and river views, but the food is overpriced (and toast in the breakfast sets comes without butter, which costs a further ¥20). If you want to push the boat out, there are imported wines, Cuban cigars and hookah pipes (¥90).
8Information
Bank of ChinaBANK
(中国银行; Zhōngguó Yínháng GOOGLE MAP ; Nanhua Lu; 南华路 )
You can change money at this branch on Nanhua Lu, a short walk from the Nánhuá Gate Tower.
Kāimíng PharmacyPHARMACY
(开明大药房; Kāimíng Dàyàofáng
GOOGLE MAP
; 132-1 Hongqiao Zhonglu; 虹桥中路132-1号 h7.30am-10pm)
Round the corner from China Post.
People’s HospitalHOSPITAL
(人民医院; Xīn Rénmín Yīyuàn
GOOGLE MAP
; %0743 322 1199; Hongqiao Zhonglu; 虹桥西路 )
Southwest of the old town.
Tourism Administrative Bureau of FènghuángTOURIST INFORMATION
(凤凰旅游中心; Fènghuáng Lǚyóu Zhōngxīn
GOOGLE MAP
; %0743 322 8365; h6.30am-6pm)
Off Wenhua Sq.
8Getting There & Away
Buses from Fènghuáng Bus Terminal (凤凰汽车客运总站; Fènghuáng Qìchē Kèyùn Zǒngzhàn) include the following:
AChángshā ¥140, five hours, hourly 7.30am to 5.30pm
AGuìyáng ¥160, seven hours, one daily, 3pm
AHuáihuà ¥40, three hours, hourly 8am to 6pm
AJíshǒu ¥22, one hour, frequent 6.30am to 7.30pm
AZhāngjiājiè ¥80, 4½ hours, hourly 8am to 5pm
There are also frequent buses to Tóngrén (铜仁; ¥25, 1½ hours, 8am to 4pm), from where you can change for Zhènyuǎn in Guìzhōu province.
There’s no train station in Fènghuáng, but you can book tickets at the train ticket booking office (火车代票处; Huǒchē Dàipiàochù
GOOGLE MAP
; %0743 322 2410; 12 Hongqiao Zhonglu; 虹桥中路12号 h7.55am-10pm) south of Hóng Bridge.
8Getting Around
Local bus 1 goes from Fènghuáng Bus Terminal to Nánhuá Gate Tower.
Hóngjiāng Old Town 洪江古商城
%0745 / Pop 60,783
This little-known town (洪江古商城; Hóngjiāng Gǔ Shāngchéng) boasts an extraordinary history as a Qing dynasty financial and trading centre, due to its fortuitous location at the confluence of the Yuán (沅江; Yuán Jiāng) and Wū (巫水; Wū Shuǐ) Rivers. At one time it was the main opium-distribution hub in southwest China. Dating as far back as the Northern Song dynasty, the surrounding city is mostly modern now, but the past lives on in the remarkable old town, which is still home to a few thousand people. When arriving or departing by bus, look out for the delightful old white pagoda on the south side of the river to the west of town.
1Sights
The old town can be visited in half a day. It spreads in a maze of alleys running uphill from Yuanjiang Lu (沅江路) – a road running close to the riverbank – but can be accessed from all sides.
Admission to the old town includes guided two-hour tours in Chinese. If you enter via any of the alleys connecting to the main roads, you may get in for free, but you won’t be allowed into the notable buildings without a ticket and you may also be stopped by a random ticket-checker and directed to the ticket office.
The old town undulates in a delightful, higgledy-piggledy, often steep, maze of narrow stone-flagged alleys and lanes. Many of the less important buildings remain in a charming state of dilapidation, but a consistent program of restoration is underway. English and Chinese signposts point the way to the more notable buildings, most of which have been fully restored, and there's a metal map on a board at the heart of town for you to consult. Notable buildings include the tax office, an opium shop, a brothel, a pharmacy, a newspaper office, ancestral halls, courtyard homes of prominent merchants as well as several guildhalls (会馆; huìguǎn), including the superb facade of the Tàipíng Palace (太平宫; Tàipíng Gōng).
Liú YuánHOUSE
(留园 )
The Liú Yuán is a magnificent old house – it's now lived in by several families, but it used to belong to a wealthy merchant and is named after the garden in Sūzhōu; it stands in front of a colossal courtyard. Most buildings are of the yìnzǐwū (窨子屋) style, characterised by a series of adjoining courtyards, high exterior walls and concave roofs. You can enter many to admire their interiors; look out for the numerous Tàipíng Gāng (太平缸), huge water vats for putting out fires.
4Sleeping
Wǔlíngchéng HotelHOTEL$$
(武陵城酒店; Wǔlíngchéng Jiǔdiàn %0745 766 6717; 40 Xinmin Lu; 新民路40号 d ¥298-588, ste ¥1288; aiW)
Uphill along Xinmin Lu and set back from the road up some steps, this place is quite a smart choice, with well turned-out staff, a restaurant, and rooms that are clean, tidy and well presented. The hotel is almost at the junction with Xingfu Xilu, towards the post office. Rooms are regularly largely discounted.
8Information
Bank of ChinaBANK
(中国银行; Zhōngguó Yínháng 318 Xinmin Lu; 新民路318号 )
Changes foreign currency, if you ask politely. It's around 400m downhill from the Wǔlíngchéng Hotel.
Hóngjiāng Old Town Ticket OfficeTICKET OFFICE
(off Yuanjiang Lu; 沅江路 ¥140; h8am-6.30pm)
The official entry point to the old town is here. You can try to enter by any of the other side alleys off Yuanjiang Lu, but you may be stopped by one of the wandering ticket collectors who will direct you to the main ticket office.
8Getting There & Away
Don’t confuse Hóngjiāng Old Town with Hóngjiāng City (洪江市; Hóngjiāng Shì), the town on the railway 30km west. The old town is most easily reached via the town of Huáihuà (怀化).
Buses from Huáihuà:
AChángshā ¥150, four hours, frequent 7.30am to 6.20pm
AFènghuáng ¥39, one hour, frequent 7am to 6pm
AHóngjiāng Old Town ¥18, 90 minutes, half-hourly 6.30am to 6pm
AJíshǒu ¥52, two hours, eight daily
Buses to and from Fènghuáng use Huáihuà West Bus Station (汽车西站; Qìchē Xīzhàn) at 80 Huaixi Lu, which is walking distance from Huáihuà train station – turn right out of the train station, walk down Yingfeng Dajie (迎丰大街) and then turn right at the roundabout along Huaixi Lu (怀西路).
Buses to and from Chángshā and Hóngjiāng old town use Huáihuà South Bus Station (汽车南站; Qìchē Nánzhàn).
Local bus 12 links Huáihuà's train station and South Bus Station.
Buses back to Huáihuà (6.30am to 6pm) from Hóngjiāng old town leave from the bus station (416 Nanyue Lu; 南岳路416号 ). It's a 15-minute walk to the old town across the bridge from the bus station, or a ¥5 taxi ride.
Fúróng Zhèn 芙蓉镇
The road between Jíshǒu and Zhāngjiājiè runs through hills, terraced fields and minority villages, and past rivers and lush, verdant scenery via the Tujia settlement of Fúróng Zhèn (芙蓉镇), an old town (古镇; gǔzhèn) elevated to fame in the 1986 film Hibiscus Town. Until around 10 years ago, the town was simply called Wáng Cūn (王村; Wang Village), before being renamed in honour of the movie. Wandering down the steps of the old riverside town is charming, but the main draw is the gushing waterfall alongside the hamlet, splendidly illuminated come nightfall.
Wandering down the main old village street (admission ¥110), which descends in steps to the wharf and the Yǒu River (酉水) at its foot, is a charming excursion. Historic buildings on the way down include the Guanyin Hall (观音阁; Guānyīn Gé No 105) at No 105 and the Tóngzhù Guǎn (铜柱馆 No 15). The highlight, however, is the Fúróng Zhèn Waterfall (芙蓉镇瀑布; Fúróng Zhèn Pùbù included in old town ticket), which divides the village and can be crossed via stepping stones to the far side, affording the most amazing views of the town, especially at sundown as the lights begin twinkling. Have a camera ready. Note: it's possible to slip into the old town without paying, but you won't be able to enter any of the ticketed sights.
There are numerous hotels and guesthouses where you can find a double room with shower for the night for around ¥100. If you want a room overlooking the falls, you can find rooms for around ¥150.
There are a few restaurants on your left as you walk down the main steps to the river, with tables overlooking the waterfall, which serve up a variety of local and regional dishes, including nationwide home-style fare. Expect to pay around ¥20 to ¥40 for mains.
Most of the restaurants overlooking the falls also double as spots where you can sit back with a beer; they stay open till late, especially during the summer months. Shops selling locally fermented rice wines, costing from around ¥15 for half a jīn (300g), line the path down to the river.
Regular buses (¥25, one hour) run between Jíshǒu north bus station and Fúróng Zhèn from 7.30am to 5pm. Take the bus for Wáng Cūn (王村), the old name for Fúróng Zhèn. Buses (¥30, 90 minutes) run every hour from the bus station in Fúróng Zhèn to Zhāngjiājiè between 7.30am and 5pm.