NATURAL WONDERS OF HUNAN PROVINCE

As you would expect, as beautiful as this area is, it has become a popular destination to visit. A vast landscape however, it is no problem to find areas of the park which are hidden away from other groups to enjoy the spectacular scenery in peace and your well-informed guide will ensure you have a genuine experience away from the throngs of visitors.

The Zhangjiajie National Forest Park contains the largest concentration of karst rock formations in the world. The peaks shoot up from the thick vegetation which covers approximately 90% of the park, while waterfalls and limestone caves dot the picturesque wonderland.

Depending on the time of year and season you visit, you may be lucky enough to see clouds engulf the peaks, creating the illusion that the tips of the karsts are floating on air. Or, if you travel in winter, you might even see a dusting of snow on the peaks, adding to the charm and beauty of the natural wonder.

Floraphiles will be in their element in the park, which has several thousand different species of plant to discover, including the extremely rare ‘Lobster Flower’ which grow in humid and shady places and are known to change color several times a day.

Lunch will be taken in a restaurant which serves a number of local specialties near the main entrance of the park. Hunan cuisine is one of the eight main varieties of the diverse foods of China and chili is often the base of most dishes in this cuisine. So if you’re not a fan of spicy food, make sure that you tell your guide in advance!

Now with a full and happy stomach, your day will continue with a stroll along the Golden Whip Stream, giving you another angle from which to absorb the sight of the astonishing karst summits. The peaks have been given a number of different poetic Chinese names, including the ‘Magical Eagle Protecting the Whip’, which is the tallest of the karsts.

With stream water babbling alongside you, and pure air filling your lungs as you meander your way around the vast expanse of lush, green land, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is a real treat for those who’ve recently visited one of China’s megacities.

As well as stunning natural landscapes, the park’s extensive forestation also offers habitat to an abundance of wildlife, and you may be lucky enough to spot a Musk Deer, a bear, an endangered Golden Pheasant or a pangolin (a mammal similar to an anteater), which inhabit thenational park.

Your entire walk in the park will last around two hours, after which you’ll come to rest at the Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve. From there, you will be able to either take a quick ride on an electric tram, or go on foot along the Ten Mile Gallery, a scenic pathway along the river that’s flanked by karst formations.

After visiting the gallery, you will then head back to the city of Zhangjiajie, where you will spend the night.

Unlike the other mounts, Tianmenshan is a not a mountain per se, but rather a whole collection of karst formations, that combined together are a truly spectacular sight. The journey up to the top lasts around 20 minutes and the views from the cable-car are nothing short of outstanding. The rock formations all around are stunning and the mountain itself is akin to a natural cathedral. The top of the formation is more than 1,500m above sea level and dominates the entire region.

After the cable-car ride, you will take a stroll through the intriguingly named ‘Ghost Valley’, along a safe and secure path which includes a 60-meter section that has been turned into a glass-bottomed walkway. The walkway is at the top of an 800-meter sheer drop, positioned on the edge of a cliff. While on the walkway, you will be provided with a pair of special shoes which are distributed to visitors to protect the glass from being marked.

Throughout your time atop the Heavenly Door Mountain, you will spot an endless number of red ribbons tied to the branches of nearby trees on which visitors write anything from good luck messages, to their prayers or declarations of their undying love. Many believe that because the trees are so close to the the heavens, their messages to the gods will have a better chance being seen.

Around midday you will be treated to lunch at a vegetarian restaurant inside the recently restored Tianmenshan Temple. The temple has been a spiritual pilgrimage site for Buddhists in Western Hunan since the days of the Ming Dynasty.

In recent years, Tianmenshan has begun attracting a growing number of extreme thrill-seeking visitors, who come in search of the ultimate adrenaline rush. In 2007, the French ‘Spiderman’ Alain Robert climbed 200 meters up a sheer cliff face, and then in 2011, American base-jumper Jeb Corliss jumped from an 800 meter-high platform.

After visiting Tianmenshan you will then return to Zhangjiajie before travelling onwards to Furongzhen (also known as ‘Hibiscus Town’), a small town which is home to the Tujia hill tribe. This settlement is full of charm, and is a far cry from the bustling cities of China.

Approximately eight million Tujia people hail from Western Hunan and the Hubei Province just to the north. In Furongzhen you can see many houses built on stilts alongside a river and next to a mountain, and are the main architectural interests of the town.

Although the new town development contains little of interest, the old town is thoroughly fascinating. Built on the sides of the cliff and flanked by beautiful waterfall which tumbles into the adjacent river, the town is a delightful sight any time of year. The main road away from the village winds down towards the  harbor where children bathe in the evening while older residents wash their clothes in the river. The village truly provides a unique taste of local life!

You will then retire to the hotel for the night, to get plenty of rest in preparation for tomorrow’s activities.

Welcome to the land of the H’mong, one of the largest hill tribes in China and Southeast Asia. The H’mong are thought to now number approximately nine million in China alone, and can be found in the Yunnan, Guizhou and Hunan Provinces. One principal characteristic of the H’mong which makes them easily identifiable is the incredible range and diversity of their clothing, which is a mixture of batik and silver finery.

Dehang is a labyrinth of paved streets filled with wooden houses, surrounded by giant karsts. It’s very common to see local people wearing traditional H’mong clothing around the village, and the locals still utilize the wells next to the old arched bridges for their everyday needs.

While in Dehang you will have the opportunity to walk to the summit of one of the highest hills in the area, which takes about an hour to climb, and provides spectacular views. Well worth the ascent, once you arrive at the summit you’ll enjoy a pause to soak in the incredible panorama of the region around Dehang and its surrounding karst formations.

After descending from the peak, your route will take you alongside a babbling brook that weaves around nearby paddy fields where the convivial H’mong people go about their daily chores. The philosophy of ‘retirement’ being almost non-existent in China, and especially in the rural areas it’s possible to see people of advanced years working into their old age.

Your hour-long walk will lead you to the spectacular Liusha Waterfall. At 216 meters high, it is considered by many to be the biggest in China and spectacularly crashes into a pool bordered by the majestic karst hills, giving an amphitheater effect, with the waterfall center stage.

You’ll then have the chance to marvel at the enchanting natural wonder as you enjoy a delightful picnic (weather permitting). You can even try a crab skewer, made from the delicious crustaceans that inhabit the river. Satisfied and with a full stomach, you’ll then return to the village and set off for Fenghuang by car, which will take around two hours to reach (depending on traffic), where you will spend the night in a traditional guesthouse.