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
AFèn
ghuáng ¥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
1Cháoyáng TempleA2
2Chóngdé HallC2
3Confucian TempleB2
4East Gate TowerC2
5Fènghuáng City WallB2
6Hóng BridgeC2
7Jiāngxīn Buddhist TempleD3
8North Gate TowerB2
9Stepping StonesB2
10Three Kings TempleC3
11Wànmíng PagodaD3
12Yáng Family Ancestral HallC2
4Sleeping
13A Good YearD3
14Border Town International Youth HostelC3
15Phoenix Jiāngtiān Holiday VillageC2
16Shí'èr Hào ShíguāngB3
5Eating
17Miss Yang RestaurantB1
18Soul CafeD2
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 f
our 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.
Lonely Planet China Page 98