Hunan has two new national high-quality rural tourism routes
2024-02-02
These tourist routes consist of colorful countryside and happy New Year celebrations trips. The colorful countryside trip highlights the regional characteristics, folk and ethnic customs, history and culture, as well as farming civilization of the countryside. It aims to tap the diversified value of the countryside and expand the multiple functions of agriculture.
The happy New Year celebrations route focuses on the characteristics of winter and Spring Festival, and promotes New Year custom culture, festival activities, ice and snow sports, rural food, the New Year market, hot spring wellness and family travel.
Colorful countryside trip to Zhangjiajie
In winter, tourists can appreciate the magnificent peaks in Wulingyuan Scenic Area, climb the Eye of the Sky Attraction, explore the secretes of Qixing Mountain, and admire spectacular scenery of Tianmen Mountain and Tianmen Cave.
Itinerary
Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic Area, Xiehe Village, Qixing Mountain Tourist Resort, Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park, Zhangjiajie Wanfu Hot Spring Resort
Best visit time
December to February of the following year is the best time to visit Zhangjiajie.
Qixing Mountain Tourist Resort
Qixing Mountain Tourist Resort is located in Tianmenshan town, Yongdian District, Zhangjiajie City, between Tianmen Mountain and Xiongbi Rock, with an area of about 11.32 km2. It also boasts 24 km of cliffs and about 2,000 mu (about 133 hectares) of well-preserved primitive secondary forest, with a forest coverage rate of 87%. It is 1,528 meters above sea level, and the top of the mountain is a giant karst platform.
Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park
Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park
Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is located at the south of the main urban area of Yongding District, Zhangjiajie, named after Tianmen Cave, a natural wonder.
The unique karst platform landform of Tianmen Mountain is rare, and the forest coverage rate of the mountaintop reaches 90%. It has many strange stones and trees, like a garden in the air.
Xiehe Village
The unique karst platform landform of Tianmen Mountain is rare, and the forest coverage rate of the mountaintop reaches 90%. It has many strange stones and trees, like a garden in the air.
Xiehe Village
Xiehe Village is rich in tourist resources. Baofeng Mountain, backed by Baofeng Lake, is 1,200 meters above sea level and faces Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie far away.
Baofeng Mountain has more than ten scenic spots such as Baofeng Temple, Yunpan Rock and Fengtou Mountain. It’s a good place for outdoor mountain climbing, trekking and photography.
Zhangjiajie Wanfu Hot Spring Resort
The resort is a tourism and leisure resort that integrates catering, accommodation, leisure, business meetings, outdoor expansion and other functions. It’s a national 4A level tourist attraction integrating Chinese blessing culture, hot spring wellness culture and hot spring entertainment culture.
Recommended characteristic food
Recommended characteristic food
Tujia Sanxiaguo (a dish stewed with cured meat, daikon and tofu), Steamed Tujia Black Rock Fungus (a dish stewed with a native chicken, a pig elbow, cuttlefish, a pig stomach, mushrooms, eggs, black rock fungus, ginger), Sour Cabbage Stewed with Beef, and Dish prepared with pork.
Transportation
It’s 35-minute drive from Zhangjiajie urban areas to Wulingyuan Scenic Area (including Qixing Mountain and Tianmen Mountain), with a total length of 38.5 km.
Xiehe Village is 18 km away from the center of Zhangjiajie City, with 30 minutes’ drive. The village is 15 km away from the Wulingyuan Core Scenic Area, with 20 minutes’ drive.
Tourists can also take the special bus to Xiehe Township at Zhangjiajie Bus Station, which is about one hour’s drive.
New Year celebrations tour to Xiangxi Prefecture
Introduction to the route
In Xiangxi Prefecture, tourists will be enchanted by the beautiful scenery of the prefecture. In Tujia mountain villages of Xiangxi, tourists can appreciate brilliant ethnic culture and rich folk customs. Tourists can also taste delicious food, and experience such activities as hand-waving dances, Tujia New Year celebrations and Tujia brocade weaving.
Itinerary
Furong Town in Yongshun County, Red Stone Forest in Guzhang County, Guzhang Laosiyan, Yongshun Bu’ermen, Yongshun Laosicheng, Shuangfeng Village in Yongshun County, Rebala Scenic Area in Longshan County.
Best visit time
December to February of the following year is the best time to visit these scenic spots.
Main rural scenic spots
Furong Town
Furong Town is known as a “millennial ancient town hanging on the waterfall”. With a strong flavor of Tujia New Year, tourists can taste authentic Xiangxi smoked bacon, Furong Town rice tofu and rice wine, watch wonderful performances and so on.
Laosiyan
Laosiyan is a relatively well-preserved ancient residential community of the Tujia ethnic group during the Ming and Qing dynasties in Xiangxi. It was once the outpost of the Tusi Domain and an important water dock leading to other places.
In winter, tourists can come to the simple and natural ancient village and attend a Tujia temple fair.
Bu’ermen Hot Spring Resort
Bu’ermen Hot Spring Resort is located in Bu’ermen National Forest Park, with a temperature range of 39.8 to 41 degrees Celsius throughout the year and a daily flow rate of over 2,400 cubic meters.
It consists of a hot spring area and a hot spring travel service center. The travel service center is equipped with service function rooms such as changing rooms, shower rooms, a gym and a water bar.
Tusi Campsite in Laosicheng
Tusi Campsite is located opposite the tourist attraction of “Galloping Horses”, about 5 to 8 minutes by car from the Laosicheng National Archaeological Park. It integrates tourism, leisure vacation, characteristic entertainment and agricultural tourism. Tourists can learn about Tusi culture and relax themselves here.
Rebala Scenic Area
The scenic area is known for its beautiful scenery and Tujia customs. Tujia stilted buildings are arranged in rows by the mountain and water. Tourists can visit the ancient village and appreciate beautiful night scenery.
Recommended characteristic food
Recommended characteristic food
Xiangxi smoked bacon, Xiangxi glutinous rice cake, Guzhang teppanyaki, rice tofu in Furong Town, Xiangxi sour radish, etc.
Recommended Creative products
Guzhang Maojian Tea, Yongshun Vine Tea, Tujia brocade, Xiangxi bamboo weaving and so on.
Transportation
Transportation
Tourists can get off the highway at Furong Town Toll Station (Longshan-Jishou Expressway) and start the journey.
Furong Town is 23 km away from the Red Stone Forest, about 36 minutes’ drive. Furong Town is 48 km away from Tusi Campsite of Laosicheng, about one hour’s drive. The town is about 45 km away from Shuangfeng Village, about 45 minutes’ drive.
Laosiyan is only 5 km away from Red Stone Forest Geopark, about 13 minutes’ drive. Rebala is 60 km away from Shuangfeng village, about 1 hour and 6 minutes’ drive.
Tourists can take the Zhangjiajie-Jishou-Huaihua high-speed rail to Furong Town Station, and transfer to the scenic shuttle bus to Furong Town.
Tourists can follow the official Wechat account of “Xiangxi Xiangyun” to get the passenger station and bus information of Xiangxi’s counties and city. And each county and city has a bus to the towns and villages.
