Magical Zhangjiajie
I have heard that the Tianmen Cave, 999 Heavenly Ladders, 99 bends of Tongtian Avenue, Guigu Plank Road, and suspended glass bridge in Zhangjiajie are particularly magnificent, magical, thrilling, and exciting. The natural peaks and rocks formed in the forest park are lifelike, and the natural oxygen bar Jinbian Creek and Shili Gallery are like a landscape painting. Just thinking about these makes me feel like I am there, and my heart can't wait to fly to Zhangjiajie. I always do my homework before going out, such as checking the bottom, asking friends who have been there, reading Ctrip's guides, and asking Du Niang. Although Zhangjiajie is scorching hot like a furnace in August, and children usually don't have time to go to school, only winter and summer vacations are available. However, it is heard that the temperature in Zhangjiajie city is high, and the scenic area will be relatively cool. So on August 11th, set aside all concerns and boldly move forward. We have set off with our large army. There is no high-speed rail from Shenzhen to Zhangjiajie, only trains and planes. During the summer vacation, I couldn't afford a plane ticket, so I chose a regular train and slept there in the morning.
On the first day: Tianmen Mountain, admission fee is 238 yuan/person, half price for children, and accommodation is 148 per room. There was a small mistake in the travel arrangement this time. We shouldn't have chosen to go to Tianmen Mountain in the afternoon, but in the morning, so that we could see the fairyland of Tianmen Mountain shrouded in clouds and mist. Arrive in Zhangjiajie at 9am on the 12th, first go to the hotel to freshen up and fill your stomach before you have the strength. The tickets we bought for the 2-3 pm cable car up the mountain and bus down the mountain; There are three routes up and down Tianmen Mountain: Route B is for bus up and cable car down. Route C is for bus up and down. During peak winter and summer tourism periods, all hotels and tickets must be booked in advance, otherwise it is really difficult to find a ticket. The hotel is located across from Tianmen Mountain Cableway, separated by a road, making travel and dining very convenient. We went to queue up at 2pm in the afternoon, and as soon as we arrived at the cable car center, we were stunned and overwhelmed with people. At noon in August, the city of Zhangjiajie was scorching hot at 39 degrees Celsius, but it couldn't stop the Chinese people's enthusiasm for Tianmen Mountain. We were a group of eight, and although we had children, we hardly needed to take care of them. We could take care of ourselves. I saw some people holding children under one year old, and I couldn't help but feel sweat for them. I couldn't help but admire them. Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area takes good care of tourists. Seeing the large number of people and hot weather, many sunshades, air conditioning fans have been set up. It's been about half an hour, and it's our turn. I was overjoyed and thought we could get on the bus soon. Unexpectedly, we had to wait for an hour in a convoy with three floors inside and three floors outside. At 3 o'clock, we took the cableway. The cableway of Tianmen Mountain passes through the city, villages, lakes, and forests all the way, and the journey is quite thrilling because the terrain is steep, and the cableway rises and falls intermittently, with 99 winding mountain roads visible underground. For people who are afraid of heights, courage is still needed. I am a tomboy who can jump and take 360 degree photos in the car.
The daughter's expression was like seeing some monster. Her father was a little afraid of heights and dared not move all the way. He sat as steady as Mount Tai and held tightly. Grandma has always been quite strong, with better physical fitness than us.
After 30 minutes, we arrived at the top of Tianmen Mountain. The mountain top is divided into two lines, east and west. We took the west line: Guigu Zhandao - Glass Bridge - Yunmeng Xiang - Tianmen Cave. Unfortunately, we didn't reach Guangming Peak this time because we arrived at the top around 4 o'clock. The Ghost Valley boardwalk is built against cliffs, with thousands of meters of cliff valleys below. Thinking about it can make one feel uneasy, but as long as you think it's just a road with protective barriers, you won't be afraid. As for the glass bridge, it's nothing. Although it's built on a cliff, it's only a few tens of meters long and can be crossed in one go. When walking, look ahead, not at your feet, and children jump and jump on it.
It's almost 6 o'clock, and if it's too late, we won't be able to catch the bus down the mountain. We took the through mountain escalator to rush to Tianmen Cave. To reach Tianmen Cave from the top of the mountain, we had to take 12 escalators, which run through a tunnel on the steep cliffs of the mountain. After getting off the escalator, we were all stunned. In front of us was the 999 level sky ladder, which was steep and had a slope of nearly 50 degrees. Without supporting the guardrails on both sides, we wouldn't dare to walk, especially when going down, our feet were trembling and our hair was dizzy. We adults were moving down step by step, and the three children had already arrived at the foot of the mountain, urging us relentlessly. Looking down from the top of the mountain, the people below were like ants densely packed.
After descending the mountain, it's already past 8 o'clock and I'm so hungry. After finishing my meal, I'll wash up and go to bed early. Tomorrow, I'll go to the forest park.
The best thing about traveling to Zhangjiajie is that you don't need to drag your luggage everywhere. There is a convenient service. Where you go, you can send your luggage directly there. We live in Tianmen Mountain. We have to take a bus to the Forest Park to arrive. On the morning of the 12th, we wrote a luggage delivery list in the hotel. It costs 20 yuan for a box. By the time we arrived at the hotel in Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot next afternoon, our luggage had arrived. We can play with peace of mind now.
The second day: the entrance of Zhangjiajie Forest Park - Huangshi Village - Jinbianxi - Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot Town Exclusive Memory Inn.
Take a bus from Zhangjiajie Bus Station to the main entrance of Forest Park, which costs 12 yuan per person and takes about 45 minutes. There are many private minivans at the entrance of the bus station, so don't believe it. If you go out for sightseeing, try to take a bus at a regular station. I met a young couple on the bus to the forest park and they were tricked. They first took a private car outside and said they were going to the forest park, but were later taken to a tour group. There are five entrances in the forest park: the forest park ticket station, the Shuirao Four Gate ticket station (Zimugang ticket station), Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot ticket station, Tianzishan ticket station, and Yangjiajie ticket station. If we can't even finish the horse riding and flower watching tour in a day, usually it takes 2-3 days, and we will be exhausted in just 3 days. The ticket is 245 yuan (excluding cable car fees), and you can enter and exit continuously for 4 days. There are many cable cars in the forest park, with Huangshizhai cable car priced at 65 yuan/person, Tianzishan cable car priced at 72 yuan/person, Bailong Sky Ladder priced at 72 yuan/person, and Shili Gallery small train priced at 38 yuan/person one-way. Accommodation includes 180 single rooms and 210 double rooms. Meal fees are based on the AA system, with breakfast costing 10-15 yuan per person and lunch and dinner costing 20-30 yuan per person. I will handle the payment, bookkeeping, and final settlement
The tickets were booked in advance on Qunar website. We arrived at the entrance of the forest park at 11am and were escorted by Ctrip customer service. After picking up the tickets, we entered the forest park, where the air was fresh and cool. After walking for a while, we found a large oxygen bar where we could see various strange shaped stones, blue sky and white clouds. Seeing the wild monkeys all over the mountain, the children love it and chase after them to feed them. However, these monkeys are very fierce, so don't attack them. Try to hide the food as much as possible, otherwise they will take the initiative to attack. Along the way, I met an aunt who kept asking if we wanted to hire a tour guide. I said no, but she continued to follow us and kept saying that they were locals. After the land was occupied, they started a business of pimping in the scenic area. The government would give them a series of discounts, such as the cableway in the scenic area, which was originally priced at 72 yuan. If they went to buy it, it might be 60 yuan. They would earn the middle price difference. This can be negotiated with her. Later, she helped us buy the cableway tickets to Huangshi Village, and she also provided us with a free tour guide to visit the main attractions of Huangshi Village. Auntie repeatedly told us not to turn back in the forest park, otherwise we will go further and further.
I walked more than 3700 steps down the mountain from Huangshizhai at around 3 o'clock. My calves were sore and I walked barefoot. My three children and grandmother left us behind and nowhere to be seen. I have always thought about going down the mountain, and once there is the Golden Whip Creek, with natural air conditioning and winding water. Even if it is dry for a long time, it will not stop flowing. The Golden Whip Creek is lush green, with flowing water and clear water to the bottom. This is a joyful paradise for children, and they can't bear to leave. It was getting late and we still had 7.5 kilometers to go, which would take 2 hours. At this point, we adults were already exhausted, but the children were still full of vitality, chatting and laughing all the way. I helped us walk all the way to Shuiluo Simen to take the bus. There are many free buses within the forest park that can take you to any stop.
We stayed in the exclusive memory inn in Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot Town for three days to visit the Forest Park and the Grand Canyon Glass Bridge. The environment here is comfortable, and it is also convenient to eat and shop. It takes 10 minutes to Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot Bus Station, 15 minutes to the Forest Park Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot Sign Gate, and the boss is also good. She helped us sketch the journey of the next day after watching us work so hard that night. This day has left us five adults exhausted and sore all over our bodies. On the third morning, I woke up and wanted to give up today's itinerary. My feet were really sore.
Day 3: Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot Sign Gate - Tianzi Mountain Cableway - Helong Park - Tiansheng Bridge - Avatar Scenic Spot - Take the Bailong Sky Ladder
Before coming, I saw the guide and said that the gate of Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot was full of people. Because all the tour groups entered the park through this gate, we also entered the park through this gate the third morning. It was horrible. It took more than 40 minutes to queue up at the gate to wait for the bus. At first sight, it was full of people. When the bus came to the park, all the people rushed to the park. It was scary to see. It was our turn. The three children rushed up as soon as the bus arrived. At Tianzishan Cableway Station, there was another queue. Today's attraction is classic and distinctive, Tiansheng Bridge: a bridge naturally formed by crustal movement between two mountains, covered with concentric locks. The Bailong Sky Elevator is the highest outdoor elevator in the world, with a vertical height difference of 335 meters and a running height of 326 meters. It can descend the mountain in 66 seconds. Through the glass, one can have a panoramic view of the gathering of divine soldiers.
The fourth day: The Grand Canyon Glass Bridge - Shili Gallery - Xibu Street. At 9:00 a.m., there is a car from Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot Gas Station to the Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, which costs 12 yuan per person. After 30 minutes, the ticket is 141 yuan per person. The glass bridge is really not worth it. It is more breathtaking in Tianmen Mountain. We went from queuing to playing here for about 2 hours and then returned to the Ten Mile Gallery.
From 1 o'clock to Ten Mile Gallery: We took a small train in and walked out. Along the way, we encountered a pouring rain, and the Ten Mile Gallery was like a fairyland after the rain, shrouded in smoke. On both sides of the valley of the Shili Gallery, there are rich natural landscapes. The rocks on the mountain form more than 200 stone landscape shapes like people and things, birds and animals. Among them, "peacock opens its screen", "old man picking herbs", "husband and wife hold children", "three sisters peak" and other scenic spots. I visited the Ten Mile Gallery until 5 o'clock and felt that there was more time. The children didn't have enough time to play at Jinbian Creek the day before yesterday, so they went to play in the water at Jinbian Creek again. In the evening, I strolled around Xibujie to buy some souvenirs and specialties, and on the fifth day, I took a taxi back home.
The five-day budget trip to Zhangjiajie has ended. A friend's family of 2 adults and 2 children spent a total of 6000 yuan. Our 2 adults and 1 child spent around 5200 yuan, and our nephew spent around 2100 yuan
Travel is a journey full of unknown encounters, and everything is beyond your control. I like to take my child out for fun in limited time and money, allowing her to broaden her horizons, meet different people, appreciate different scenery, experience different customs and cultural differences, taste different foods, exercise courage, and handle unexpected events along the way. I am willing to accompany you to grow together on the journey of life.
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