Travel Notes | Winter trip to Zhangjiajie

Get on the train bound for Snow Country and go to the distant place of your dreams without looking back!

Zhangjiajie is located in the northwest of Hunan, in the upper reaches of the Lishui River, in the hinterland of the Wuling Mountains. It is one of the most important tourist cities in China and the birthplace and central area of ​​the revolutionary base areas in western Hunan and Hubei and Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and Guizhou. In 1992, Wulingyuan Natural Scenic Area, which consists of three major scenic spots including Zhangjiajie Forest Park, was included in the World Natural Heritage List by UNESCO.

The purpose of this trip is to go to the scenic spots in Zhangjiajie to see the natural scenery, so I decided to take a short trip of three days and two nights. I didn’t do any research before departure, so I just took a look around on the train. Hahaha, everything. It went quite smoothly, and I got a lot of surprises, Kaisen!

DAY1: Yuanjiajie and Yangjiajie in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Scenic Area

We departed from Zhangjiajie city at 11 noon and took the scenic spot bus at the Zhangjiajie City Center Passenger Terminal, which went directly to the Forest Park Bus Station. The fare was RMB 12 per person and the journey took about 40 minutes. Of course, you can also choose to enter through the Wulingyuan Gate, or take a special bus from the Central Passenger Terminal to Wulingyuan Bus Station, which takes about 40 minutes. Because we were not too pressed for time, we wanted to hike to the top of the mountain (Yuanjiajie). We also learned that there are about 3,000 steps on the Forest Park side and about 4,000 steps in Wulingyuan. Finally, we decided to enter through the Forest Park gate and exit through the Wulingyuan gate. .

As a reminder, there are two gates to the scenic area, one is the gate of the Forest Park Scenic Area, and the other is the gate of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area. There are special buses from the urban area to the bus stations near these two gates, so you don’t need to take a taxi. Of course, There will be many people in front of the bus station asking if they want to go to the scenic spot, so you can ignore them. For safety reasons, it is better to take the bus at the bus station.

If you start early, you can choose to hike up the mountain from the Forest Park or Wulingyuan Gate. The hike up the mountain on both sides takes 3-4 hours, depending on your personal travel conditions. Of course, if you are afraid of running out of time or don’t want to hike up the mountain, you can take the cable car up Tianzi Mountain near Wulingyuan Gate. The picture above is a map of the scenic spot, which is quite detailed and can be used for reference.

Our itinerary: Enter the Forest Park – pass through the Natural Oxygen Bar, Monkey Park – along the Golden Whip Stream – walk up the Luanchuan Slope (starting to climb the steps, come on) – Yuanjiajie attractions (Back Garden, Ecstasy Terrace, Hallelujah Mountain) , the best bridge in the world) – Yangjiajie (free scenic bus at Yuanjiajie Station) – Laowuchang (the innkeeper will pick you up)

Be careful , as soon as you enter the gate of the scenic spot, there may be monkeys staring at you, so remember not to carry any food bags (plastic bags, paper bags, open cloth bags) etc.), I was really scared that I would be robbed as soon as I entered the door. They were robbing people of food. Most of my food was taken away. I cried! Just watch the monkeys quietly and don't feed them or play with them (a group of them may pounce on you).

You can occasionally see monkeys while walking along the Golden Whip Creek, but the further you go into the mountains, the fewer the monkeys are. After all, the monkeys are smart enough to gather at the gate and wait for "prey", so if you are hungry, you should replenish your supplies in time. ,Hahaha. The roads along Golden Whip Creek are very gentle, with no continuous high steps. Maybe it's winter, and the flow of Golden Whip Creek is not that big (I guess it's frozen at the top of the mountain and can't flow down), and the flowers and trees on the roadside are not so lush and leafy. It should be beautiful in summer.

When you get to Luanchuan Slope, you have to climb the stairs all the way up, so be mentally prepared. Because it’s winter, the higher you climb, the colder it gets, but since you’re climbing stairs, it’s still too hot in the end! Luangchuanpo road seems to be rarely used in winter, because we didn’t see many tourists along the way, hahaha. Later, we occasionally met a few tourists coming down from Luangchuanpo, saying that the steps above were all covered with snow. It was ice. They didn't dare to climb anymore and went back down the mountain. Of course, there are also tourists who actually hiked down this road. When they saw us climbing up, they kindly reminded us to walk slowly, hahaha.

Really, the higher you go up, the more beautiful the scenery becomes. Look, the trees on the roadside are covered with ice, and it feels like you are in the kingdom of ice and snow.

Entering the back garden attractions in Yangjiajie is really beautiful, hahaha, I finally saw the legendary rime landscape.

There are quite a lot of tourists here in Yuanjiajie, so we saw another "acquaintance" - monkeys, hahaha, they are everywhere wherever there are people. Isn't it said that they are wild? They are not afraid of people. Are they mature? La! There are some food stalls here, where you can take a break. The price is the price of the scenic spot, which is acceptable. But you have to charge for boiling water, which is not very happy, so you should remember to bring a thermos cup when traveling in winter.

Because in winter, there is quite a lot of fog on the mountain, so basically everything you see from the mountain to the bottom is a vast expanse of white. It’s a bit of a pity, but there are gains and losses. I’ll probably go there again in the summer.

After enjoying the scenic spots around Yuanjiajie, we drove to Yangjiajie, but when we got there it was already after four o'clock. It gets dark early in the mountains, so we didn't dare to go further into the mountains, so we just waited The innkeeper is here to pick you up.

As a reminder, there is a cable car here in Yangjiajie that goes directly to the gate of Tianzi Mountain . As for the gate of Tianzi Mountain, I didn’t know about it until later. It is also one of the gates of the scenic spot. Like the previous two gates, it has a ticket office, but I'm not sure how to get there from the city.

The boss's home is in Laowuchang, which is the center of the entire scenic spot. The boss A was super nice. He chatted with us along the way, introduced the route, and even stopped at places with beautiful scenery to let us take photos! No, this lake is basically difficult for individual tourists to see.

The way to the inn is a mountainous road. I am really afraid that only experienced drivers can drive such a mountain road. When we arrived at the inn, the boss asked us to put away our luggage and go to the front hall to warm up by the fire and wait for dinner, hahaha. In Hunan, people are accustomed to warming up over fires in winter. Nowadays, most of them use electric stoves (top table and bottom stove). Of course, there are also charcoal stoves, which are really warm when you put your hands and feet in them.

No, the first dish that the boss served was Guo Zhangjiajie’s special dish, Sanxia Guo . The three ingredients he made at home were really authentic, smoked bacon, old tofu and shiitake mushrooms. The taste was special. Awesome, before we made it, we specifically asked if we could eat spicy food. Hahaha, are the chili peppers in Hunan hotter than those in Hubei?

DAY2 Laowuchang and Tianzi Mountain in Wulingyuan Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie

The next morning we had breakfast at the boss’s house. The boss’s wife cooked and made noodles. Look, they were all red oil, hahaha. They also fried eggs. The boss’s wife kept telling us that these were their own chickens without any added hormones. The feeds are all free-range. After we finished eating, the boss’s little daughter took us on a small trail to the Sky Garden and the God Soldier Gathering Spot near Laowuchang. Because it was so foggy in the morning, we could only see part of the mountain tops, hahaha.

After we recovered and came back, the boss sent us to the top of Tianzi Mountain. Since we didn’t play well in Yangjiajie yesterday, we wanted to ask the boss to take us to Yangjiajie. Later we found out that the mountain road there was closed and difficult to walk, so we went to Tianzi Mountain. Hahaha, if you have any regrets, then go down there. Let’s go again. After getting off the bus, the boss gave us two pairs of non-slip shoe covers , hahaha, it is really necessary, I will mention it later.

The scenery is even more beautiful on the way to Tianzi Mountain, hahaha. The video at the beginning of the article was recorded in the car on the way to Tianzi Mountain. Later, we were asked to come down and take pictures on the way. I’m so happy. Walking on this road is really beautiful. It's like a fairyland. As a reminder, the terrain on the Tianzi Mountain side is much higher than that on the Yuanjiajie side, so the temperature is relatively lower. In winter, be sure to keep warm and prevent freezing.

Our tour route: Tianzi Mountain (around Helong Park) – see the Tianzi Pavilion – walk to Wolong Ridge (start climbing the stairs down the mountain, come on) – Shili Gallery – the gate of Wulingyuan Scenic Area – return to the city

Because we arrived at the top of Tianzi Mountain around 12 noon, it was still early, so we wanted to hike down the mountain directly. We took a look near Helong Park and prepared to go down the mountain. Later, because I took the wrong road, I went to the place where I took the cable car down the mountain. Hahaha, it is said that the scenery of this cable car line is particularly beautiful. I will take it again next time!

However, the walk from the station on the top of Tianzi Mountain to the cable car is also very scenic and takes about 30 minutes. There was heavy fog when we went up, but the fog cleared when we turned back. We saw two different scenery, which was very happy.

A small episode, I got hungry when I got to the top of the mountain and wanted to soak the instant noodles in my bag and eat them, but I couldn’t get any hot water, so I thought about buying something to eat, and then I asked for the ones that might be given to me, so I bought some. After cooling down a plate, I reheated the roasted chestnuts. Well, I really got hot water this time. However, the instant noodles still haven’t been soaked, crying!

So, remember to bring a thermos cup when traveling in winter!

No, we missed the side road to Tianzi Pavilion just because we didn't notice the sign of McDonald's. Hahaha~ Fortunately, I found the right way in time.

This is a group of photographers I met by chance, hahaha, they look so professional, but the equipment they carry must be very heavy!

If you take the road from McDonald's towards Wolong Ridge, you can see the Tianzi Pavilion. The tower in winter is really like traveling back in time to ancient times. So, let's go to the Forbidden City to watch the first snowfall together next winter!

With such a beautiful scenery, of course I can’t help but take more pictures!

Walk along the road down the mountain from Tianzi Pavilion and you will enter Wolong Ridge. There are stairs covered with ice and snow all the way, some with handrails and some without, so this is the time to use anti-slip shoe covers. This artifact makes it feel windy when walking on icy and snowy roads (a bit exaggerated ~ hahaha). As a reminder, you must be careful not to slip when walking on such icy and snowy roads, especially steps, otherwise it will be really dangerous.

On the way down from Wolong Ridge, there are also various viewing platforms of various large and small scenic spots. The scenery is really beautiful. You can explore and discover by yourself slowly, and there will be unexpected surprises.

Of course, there were also scares, hahaha. On the road we were walking on, suddenly a large branch broken by ice and snow fell in front of us. Fortunately, we were a few seconds slow, otherwise we would have been hit. At that time, our hearts were shaking. .

As a reminder, in winter, the trees in the mountains are covered with ice and snow, and many are bent or even broken, so be careful when hiking.

There are really many steps on the way down from Wolong Ridge. About half way down, my legs were already shaking. Hahaha. Fortunately, I had beautiful scenery to accompany me along the way. I stopped and took pictures. It was tiring but worth it.

Take a closer look at the trees covered in ice and snow in the mountains. They are actually already quietly sprouting and blooming. So, spring is not far away from us!

The further you go down the mountain, the clearer the mountain becomes, because there is no heavy fog, nor much ice and snow. The trees on the mountain slowly turn from white to green, and it really seems like you have walked into winter. It's spring.

It was already five o'clock when we arrived near Shili Gallery. I was worried that I would not be able to catch the train on time, so I asked the staff who sold tickets for the small train. I was told that it would take more than 40 minutes to walk to the transfer station. Considering my trembling feet, I just bought the ticket. We got on the bus, it cost 30 yuan per person, and we arrived at the transfer station in about 8 minutes.

In fact, Shili Gallery is not really Shili Road, it is less than two kilometers, and it takes about 20 minutes to walk. Only then did I realize that I had been deceived. So, as a reminder, when traveling, you often ask tourists and the feedback you get will be more truthful than that of the staff!

It takes about 15 minutes by car from the transfer station to the gate of Wulingyuan Scenic Area. Note that all shuttle buses in the scenic area are free. When we arrived at the gate of the scenic spot, we went directly to Wulingyuan Bus Station and took a bus back to the city.

DAY3: Check in at Changsha Wenhe Lobster House

I ate the flavored shrimp once before and couldn't forget it, so I temporarily changed my route from Changsha back to Wuhan, hahaha, the time is about the same as the transit time from Yichang. It was after one o'clock when we arrived at the store. We thought it was no longer lunch time and there wouldn't be many people there. However, we still had to wait for 40 minutes after we went there. If you come all the way, just wait.

The main store is a 5-story tower, with the waiting area and takeaway sales area on the first floor. There are two large charcoal stoves in the waiting hall. Everyone sits around the stove to warm up. In addition, there is free ginger tea nearby. This ginger tea tastes pretty good, hahaha.

Although there are a lot of people waiting for a table, fortunately, tables are turned over very quickly. A table can be turned over every one or two minutes. I roughly estimated that at least 50 tables can be turned over in an hour. If the average consumption per table is 200, then based on this customer volume, , the boss is about to become rich. Note: The main store is open from 11 noon to 3 am.

emmm, I finally got to eat around two o'clock. I ordered the signature shrimp and the new crab head. The shrimp in winter are not too big and the crab heads are all female crabs. Fortunately, the ingredients are fresh and the taste is great, but it is too spicy. ,Hahaha. Of course, the portion is not large, so it feels a bit expensive, so just eat it occasionally. The stir-fried seasonal vegetables inside are very cost-effective and taste good. The lard bibimbap is also a must-order for everyone, it is very delicious!

I was really unexpected to be able to see the "Ice and Snow Kingdom"-like scenery during this trip, hahaha, so if you have nothing to do, go out for a walk more often, with a pair of eyes that discover beauty, go and have a good look The great rivers and mountains of our motherland are always full of unexpected surprises waiting for you!

Finally, I would like to remind you that it is really cost-effective to go to Zhangjiajie during the off-season (the innkeeper recommends not going during a long holiday, as there are too many people and the prices are expensive. He is really a conscientious boss. If you need it, you can ask me for the boss’s WeChat account). The tickets are very cost-effective. The discount is 115 yuan, which is valid within four days. After the first swipe card to enter, the rest can be entered with fingerprints. The scenic area is relatively large, and it is recommended to stay on the mountain for 1-2 nights.

In addition, Zhangjiajie also has the Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area. There is a cableway directly up the mountain in the urban area, and the glass plank road is within the Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area. There are also scenic spots such as Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon and Huanglong Cave.