On the sixth day of the total itinerary, September 3rd, Thursday, visit Zhangjiajie Forest Park (the third day)

Today is the last day to visit Zhangjiajie Forest Park. The plan is to visit the Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area, then take the Tianzi Mountain cableway down the mountain to visit the Shili Gallery, and finally leave the park from the Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot Ticket Station.  

In the early morning, the boss's father knocked on the door and asked me to go watch the sunrise. The night before, he told us that it would be a sunny day this morning and we might see the sunrise. Ask us if we want to watch, and if so, he will come back in the morning to call us. Among the four people, only I responded to the call.

The boss drove me and another middle-aged couple of tourists to the roadside near Daguantai. Several guests from other homestays had already arrived, and everyone stood quietly, waiting for the moment when the sun rose.

The above sunrise photos were taken alternately with a mobile phone and a mirrorless camera. They are not professional and do not reflect the spectacular scenery seen in person.

After breakfast, I checked out and paid the bill. I entrusted the boss's father to check our luggage down the mountain, and the cost is still 30 yuan per piece. The homestay van arrived at Sanchakou Station again and said goodbye to the owner's father after getting off. After three days together, we have become friends. Speaking of which, some may wonder why it's always the boss's father? Actually, the boss is having a pleasant trip to Sichuan these days!

Tianzishan, formerly known as Qingyan Mountain, is located in the northern part of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, adjacent to the Suoxiyu Scenic Area to the east. It was named after the local peasant uprising led by Xiang Dakun, a member of the Tu family in the late Song and early Ming dynasties, and was named "Xiangwang Tianzi".

Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area is one of the four scenic spots in Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot. Broadly speaking, it starts from Tianzi Pavilion in the east, ends at Jiangjun Rock in the west, and connects Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Yuanjiajie) in the south, stretching for nearly 40 kilometers. Geographically speaking, both Daguantai and Laowuchang are within the scope of Tianzishan. But in a narrow sense, especially in the introduction of travel agencies, Tianzishan Scenic Area basically refers to He Long Park and several surrounding attractions.

Today's tour path is: Sanchakou Station → Shentang Bay → Dianjiang Platform → Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area (Helong Park, Yunqingyan, Yubi Peak, Fairy Scattering Flowers, etc.) → Tianzi Pavilion → Tianzi Mountain Cableway Downhill → Shili Gallery → Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot Ticket Station Exit the Park

Take the scenic transportation bus from Sanchakou Station to Helong Park (be careful not to take the wrong bus), and inform the driver to get off at "Shentang Bay" before boarding. Otherwise, do not stop.

The Shentang Bay scenic spot is located on the way from Sanchakou to Helong Park, but after getting off the bus, you still have to walk up a staircase to reach the observation deck. This is a small scenic spot, and due to inconvenient transportation, group tours are unlikely to come here. I only met a local tour guide with a family and was surprised to see us.

According to the "Cili County Annals" in the Wanli year of the Ming Dynasty, Shentangwan was originally called "Shentangzhai". It is located in the western part of Suoxiyu and is a semi-circular deep valley depression. Shentang Bay is surrounded by cliffs on three sides, with only one side having a gap on the mountain that overlooks the bottom of the bay. The bay is bottomless and mysterious. It is said that whenever the weather changes, there will be continuous drumming and the neighing of war horses coming from the valley floor, like thousands of troops fighting fiercely. According to local legend, the leader of the Tujia ethnic uprising, "Xiang Wang Tianzi," Xiang Dakun, was surrounded and suppressed by officers and soldiers. After being defeated, he threw himself into Shentangwan and died in battle. The ghost of Emperor Xiang lingers in the bay, leading his subordinates to set up camp and camp, accompanied by pythons, fierce beasts, and poisonous insects. They train their troops day and night, always ready for revenge. Regarding this legend, later classics such as "Yongding County Annals" and "Xiang Family Genealogy" have recorded it. The beautiful and tragic legends add to the mysterious color of Shentang Bay, and attract brave and knowledgeable warriors throughout history to venture deep into it, exploring and tracing its roots. But it's not about losing one's life at the bottom of the valley, or returning with no success. As a result, this is the only secret place in Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot where no one has set foot.

Leaving Shentang Bay, return to the roadside and walk to the next station "Dianjiangtai". The observation deck is not far from the highway.

Dianjiang Terrace is also a famous landscape in Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot. Standing on the observation deck, Lingkong looked down and saw dozens of towering pillars rise from the ground, resembling the scene of a military parade point on the campus. It is said that those stone pillars are the incarnations of the generals of the 'King of Heaven' and the 'Great Kun'.

Return to the highway again and wait for the transportation bus to reach the terminal station "Helong Park".

Walking down (south) from the steps next to the He Long bronze statue, there are four observation decks distributed from west to east, which can be walked one by one for sightseeing.

The first Tianzi Observation Deck, here, offers a panoramic view of three thousand unique peaks in Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area, including Wuzhi Mountain, Stone Peak Forest, Stone Boat Sailing, and Imperial Pen Peak. It is magnificent, resembling humans and animals, swords and spears, with different expressions that are truly amazing. However, without a tour guide's introduction, it's impossible to figure out which one is which. This is also a drawback of independent travel.

The second one is the Yunqingyan Observation Deck, which offers a view of the Xihai Peak Forest.

The third observation deck is called 'Painting Midstream'

The fourth observation deck is called "Turtle King Fossil", but it is still unclear which one is the Turtle King.

After reading the "Turtle King Fossil", we walked up and passed by Marshal He Long's tomb. My wife refused to visit any cemeteries (in fact, there are many famous cemeteries in Europe that are popular tourist attractions, where you can see tombstones of celebrities and scholars with different styles), so she passed by without entering and continued to climb. Follow the directional signs to reach Xiannv Sanhua and Yubi Peak.

Yubi Peak is one of the best scenic spots in Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area. It is recognized as a landmark of Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot sandstone peak forest scenery, and it has constantly appeared in various media and promotional materials at home and abroad. The first Zhangjiajie special stamp issued in 1999 is its beautiful image, which can be called a wonder in the world.

There are also imperial peaks in other places, but they are all pens. The Imperial Pen Peak in Zhangjiajie is actually a pile of pens, with dozens of intricately arranged peaks rising from the valley, soaring into the blue sky. It is said to be the peak formed by the imperial pens discarded by the Emperor when he was defeated. Recently, several peaks have been staggered and parallel, with a peak height of over 100 meters. The stone peak on the right is like an inverted imperial pen, while the one on the left is like a 'Jiangshan' that has put down its pen.

Fairies scattering flowers is one of the essence scenic spots of Tianzi Mountain. On the slope facing east diagonally opposite the Imperial Brush Peak, there is a beautiful stone peak standing in the clouds. From the side, this stone peak looks very much like a young girl holding a flower orchid. She stands facing east, with clear eyebrows, distinct lines, and a charming posture. The shrubs growing on the summit are like her headdress, lifelike in appearance. At the end of spring, the sky blows, clouds drift, shrubs on the rocks drip green, and flowers bloom on the mountainside and foothills like a fairy scattering flowers into the world, hence the name "Fairy Scattered Flowers". According to legend, she was transformed into the beloved consort of the King, waiting here for the return of the King.

Tianzi Pavilion is a famous scenic spot on Tianzi Mountain in Zhangjiajie, located on a terrace 200 meters east of Helong Park. It was built with donations from the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government in 1995. The three characters "Tianzi Pavilion" were inscribed by Guan Shanyue, a master of contemporary landscape painting and Lingnan School of Painting.

The Tianzi Pavilion is 30 meters high and is a six story four eave through style antique building. It features stone carved railings, granite flooring, catalpa doors and windows, and a golden glazed tile roof. From the Tianzi Pavilion, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Tianzi Mountain, which is very spectacular. Ascending the pavilion and gazing into the distance, one can see the deep waters on three sides, as well as the distant mountains and nearby peaks in full view.

The "Ode to the Emperor's Pavilion" was written by Mr. Jin Kejian, a famous local writer in Zhangjiajie. The entire text is fluent in language, with both parallel and scattered lines, and also excels in depicting scenery, expressing emotions, and reasoning. In the text, there are phrases such as "Ascending the pavilion and leaning against the railing, holding wine in the wind", "Eyes gathering in the vastness of the six rivers, rolling a beautiful roller shutter", "Wrapping clear streams to make ribbons, adorning flowers and fruits as accessories", "Have you not seen that three thousand strange peaks are being carved by axes, and eight hundred beautiful waters are breaking through the river". The famous lines such as' Although the Heavenly Lord is unique and generous, he is also a shining example of creation 'are no less impressive than Fan Zhongyan's' Record of Yueyang Tower'.

Walk back to the transfer point, take a transportation bus to Tianzishan Cableway Station, purchase tickets and take the cableway down the mountain.

There is still some distance from the cableway station to the Ten Mile Gallery, and you still need to take the scenic area transportation bus to get there.

Located in Suoxiyu Scenic Area, Shili Gallery is the essence of tourism in the scenic area. On both sides of this ten mile long valley, there are rich natural landscapes: verdant trees and fragrant wild flowers in the valley; Beside the ditch, Daifeng screens are arranged in various forms, like huge landscape paintings, hanging side by side on a thousand foot cliff. People walk among them, as if in a painting, hence the name Ten Mile Gallery. The strange peaks and rocks on the mountain have formed over 200 stone scenery shapes resembling humans, objects, birds, and animals. Among them, the most famous ones are "Zhuan Lou Lou", "Peacock Opening its Screen", "Lao Cai Lao Ren", "Shouxing Yingbin", "Xiang Wang Guanshu", and "Tiger Roaring in the Sky".

For the convenience of tourists, Shili Gallery has opened a sightseeing train, which can save a lot of energy. The disadvantage is that it cannot take photos freely. The best option is to take a small train for the outbound journey (as it is uphill, taking the train is relatively effortless), and walk for the return journey.

In the photo above, Shi Feng in his right hand stands face to face like an old birthday star, with distinct facial features, short hair and long eyebrows, deep eyes, and a charming smile. Having both form and spirit, it can be called a wonder. He raised his left hand high, as if greeting a distant tourist.

The above photos were taken on a small train and the effect is not ideal.

The Three sisters Peak is located in the deepest part of Shili Gallery Canyon and is one of the essence attractions of Shili Gallery. The three stone peaks stand side by side, which is like three sisters standing side by side. The elder sister on the left is carrying a child, the second sister in the middle is carrying a child in her arms, and the younger sister on the right is just married with a child in her belly. Located in the deepest part of Shili Gallery Canyon, it is one of the essence attractions of Shili Gallery. The three stone peaks stand side by side, which is like three sisters standing side by side. The elder sister is on the left, with a child on her back; The second sister in the middle is holding a child in her arms; The one on the right is my little sister, who just got married and is pregnant with a child.

Walking back

This stone peak is divided into two parts, with the left peak being larger and the right peak being smaller. It seems like a person is reading a book with great interest. He is the leader of the Tujia uprising, Xiang Wang Tianzi, and Xiang Dakun. The locals call this stone peak his incarnation, so the scenic spot is named "Xiang Wang Guanshu".

Walk back to the entrance of Shili Gallery and take the bus to Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot Ticket Station.

Get out of the park and take a taxi back to the secluded bamboo forest homestay. At this point, the three-day stay at Zhangjiajie Forest Park, although not perfect, was still satisfactory, and most of the planned itinerary was completed.

Unfinished to be continued