Before going on a trip, do your homework first. The weather forecast shows that there will be rain in both the north and west directions, and less rain in the southeast direction. Then consider non popular attractions and finally determine the travel location as Xiushanchuan Hegai.

10.03 Yinbeibei Xiushanchuan River Cover

8: Departure at 45, cloudy with haze. Passing through Changshou and Fuling, after 11 o'clock passing through Wulong, the haze dissipated and the air improved. The Wulong Mountains stretch continuously, and the Baima Mountain Tunnel Group is about 70 kilometers long. Along the way, there are billboards for the Wulong Baima Mountain Scenic Area, which is a newly developed scenic spot. It is located across from Xiannv Mountain and can be visited in the future.

The traffic flow outside the city is relatively high, but there is still no traffic jam. After passing through Wulong, the traffic flow decreases.

Lunch was held at 12:30 in the Qingping service area, but it was poor. We continued on at 13:00.

15: 15 Xiushan Guanjing refueling arrived at Xiushan River at 16:30

Chuanhegai Grassland Tourist Area is located in Yongdong Township, Xiushan County, Chongqing City, bordering Yezhuping Town, Baojing County, about 40 kilometers away from the county seat, with a total area of 28 square kilometers. The average altitude of the scenic area is 950 meters, the annual average temperature is 12.1 degrees Celsius, and the forest coverage rate is 43%. In spring, you can see the mountains covered in red, in summer, you can enjoy the coolness and escape the heat, in autumn, you can admire the beauty of the mountains and snow, and in winter, you can appreciate the charm of northern China. Chuanhe Gai is mainly characterized by the scenery of Yingshan Hong, strange peaks and rocks, and high mountain grasslands. It has unique geological features and abundant resources, with underground rivers crossing the entire Gai area. The scenic spots such as Sawtooth Rock, Golden Toad Seeking Phoenix, General Rock, Comb Mountain, and Zhu's Martyrdom are breathtaking. It is known as the 'Table Mountain of China'. It is a national AAAA (4A) level scenic spot. (excerpt)

On the way up the mountain

Chuanhe Gai Starry Sky Hotel

18: Around 15, go to Comb Mountain to watch the sunset. The sunset time is around 18:30.

The round sun is like an egg yolk, no longer shining brightly during the day, slowly falling into the twilight. The sky gradually darkens, and a faint moon can be seen hanging in the sky.

Sunset over Comb Mountain

Hotel night view

10.04 Qingxiu Shanchuan River Gai-45 Turn - Aizhai Bridge - Dehang Miao Village - Jishou

I wake up at 5:30 in the morning and go to Heart Rock around 6:00 to watch the sunrise. The sunrise time is 6:38.

I saw the complete sunrise, from the initial red light on the horizon, the clouds gradually turned red, and then the sky was filled with colorful clouds. The red sun slowly rose, and the rosy glow above was magnificent, very beautiful!

Morning light on Comb Mountain

In the morning, go down the mountain towards Hong'an and take 45 turns.

On the highway in the border town, after 11 o'clock, you will arrive at the Aizhai Bridge Scenic Area, where you can see the Aizhai Bridge from multiple angles. The entrance fee for the scenic area is 140 yuan per person, and there is an additional charge for the glass covered bridge, which is a bit misleading.

The Aizhai Extra Large Suspension Bridge is located in Aizhai Town, Jishou City, Xiangxi Prefecture, Hunan Province, about 20 kilometers away from the city center of Jishou. It is one of the eight national key planned highways - the Changsha Chongqing Expressway Hunan Section Ji (Shou) Cha (Dong) Expressway, which is a key project. The project is a double decker highway and sightseeing channel dual-use bridge, as well as a four lane highway super large bridge. The bridge type scheme is a steel truss stiffened single span suspension bridge with a total length of 1073.65m and a main span of 1176m, creating four world firsts and greatly improving the traffic situation in Hunan and Chongqing provinces. (excerpt)

The Aizhai Panshan Highway is a wonder of the National Highway 319 (formerly known as Xiangchuan Highway). From bottom to top, it reaches the top of the slope through 13 bends. The mountain is steep and steep, and there is a highway overpass near the top of the slope, which is rare in the country. On the mountaintop, there is a monument to the deceased employees of the Xiangchuan Highway and a bronze statue of the pioneer who paved the way. (excerpt)

At noon, we had a simple lunch at the bottom of Aizhai Valley. After 3 o'clock, we arrived at Dehang Miao Village, with a scenic spot ticket of 70 yuan per person.

Scenery along the way

Dehang Miao Village, meaning "beautiful canyon" in Miao culture, is located 24 kilometers west of Jishou City with an area of 580 square kilometers. This is a magical land, a beautifully crafted scenic pearl! In this self-contained Dehang Scenic Area, there are streams crisscrossing, deep canyons, waterfalls cascading, peaks competing for beauty, ancient trees and flowers, rare birds and animals, and Miao ethnic scenery. (excerpt)

Unfortunately, it is currently the dry season, and the Flowing Sand Waterfall in Dehang Miao Village has no water, and the creek is also basically devoid of water.

I arrived in Jishou at around 6pm and stayed at the Century Landscape Hotel. Next to it, I had dinner at the Emperor's Dinner, Xiangxi Tujia cuisine, and couldn't do without sea peppers. The chopped peppers and steamed taro were also good, but even someone like me who can eat spicy food thinks it's a bit spicy.

Tujia hat lamp

Chop pepper and steam taro

10.05 Qingjishou Hong'an Town

In the morning, it took over an hour to drive from Jishou to the border town of Hong'an, passing through the Aizhai Bridge. Arrive at Hong'an Town, Xiushan, Chongqing at around 10 o'clock.

Aizhai Bridge

Due to the fact that the booked Chongqing Xiushan Tea Cave Photography Homestay can only be checked in at 2:00 pm, we will first explore the border town.

Border Town Chadong, formerly known as Chadong, is located at the border of Hunan, Guizhou, and Chongqing provinces in Huayuan County, Xiangxi Prefecture, Hunan Province. It was founded in the eighth year of the Jiaqing reign (1803) and is known as the "Three Provinces with One Foot". The famous novella "Border Town" by literary master Shen Congwen integrates the beautiful scenery, kind customs, and simple human feelings of the tea cave, depicting the pastoral style of the border town. It has attracted countless literati and poets from home and abroad to visit and explore, thus driving the local tourism industry. In 2005, Chadong was officially renamed as Biancheng Town. It borders Xiushan County in Chongqing to the west and Songtao County in Guizhou to the south, separated by a river. The majority of the population are Tujia, Miao, and Han ethnic groups, with a strong ethnic minority flavor. (excerpt)

Rafting on the Qingshui River

Chadong - Shen Congwen's Border Town

Tired of walking, sit down and have a bowl of Hunan Anhua pounded tea.

Lunch Eucommia ulmoides Stone Chicken (dry pot), the chicken is very small, about the size of a pigeon, and the meat is still relatively tender.

Take Lala Ferry back to Hong'an Town and check into the inn.

Lala Ferry

Sitting leisurely on the balcony of the inn in the afternoon, drinking coffee, enjoying the scenery, and playing with my phone, it feels quite leisurely.

Balcony view

Looking far into the tea cave

Hong'an Old Street

For dinner in Hong'an Town, we tasted the local specialty "One Province Boils Three Provinces", Hunan fish, Guizhou tofu, and Chongqing Xiushan pickled Chinese cabbage. The fish is somewhat similar to Huanglading, locally known as horned fish. The meat is relatively soft and tender, with a smooth texture. The tofu is delicate and may be sour tofu, which tastes better than water tofu.

In the evening, I went back to the inn to see the owner's photography works. The owner is a photography enthusiast, and there are photography works hanging in the hallway. The camera and lens models, exposure time, and other parameters were also indicated, giving a professional feeling. The pictures are very beautiful, and I am amazed that in order to produce a work, good weather, the ability to endure hardship, and patience are still necessary.

Balcony night view

10.06 Yin, Hong'an Town Beibei

In the morning, the small town is quiet. The inn girl recommends Yujia's specialty beef noodle soup from Qiaotou, Hong'an Town. The noodles are dry and the variety of dishes is limited, which is more in line with my requirements. It is probably because the price of noodles is relatively high, the taste is average, and the braised beef is also good.

Lunch at the Wulong service area at noon, with a wide selection of food and refueling options.

Return to Beibei around 4:30 pm in the afternoon.

Addendum:

1. Highlights of travel, sunrise. Because of the mist, the dazzling light of the sun was filtered out, and we could see the red sun slowly rising and the colorful clouds changing in the sky, instead of a dazzling white light that was so bright that nothing else could be seen.

2. Because the weather forecast was cloudy and light rain, I only brought rainy shoes and did not bring sunscreen clothes. However, it was a sunny day and I was severely sunburned.