14 Days in Xiangxi

Ride the Zhangjihuai high-speed line, open since December 2021, into Jishou East. Qianzhou Ancient City sits on the Wanrong River — billed as 4,000-plus years old, its Three-Gate opening is unusual among Chinese city gates. Snack stalls fill the lanes at night.

1. xiangxi qianzhou ancient city
2. xiangxi jishou city markets

The Aizhai Bridge (2012) spans 1,176 m, its deck hanging about 330 m above the canyon; the 1936 switchback road below is half the spectacle. Dehang's gorge path leads to the roughly 216-m Liusha waterfall. Buses and taxis link both from Jishou.

1. xiangxi aizhai bridge
2. xiangxi dehang miao village

About 50 km south of Jishou, or under 20 minutes by HSR from Jishou East to Fenghuang Gucheng station. Fenghuang Ancient City has its own city page on this site — with two weeks you can afford a second riverside evening here.

1. xiangxi fenghuang ancient city

The Ming-era Miao Frontier Wall, the so-called Southern Great Wall, ran some 190 km of wall and fortlets across Fenghuang county; the restored show section sits a short drive south of town. Back to Fenghuang for a last night.

1. xiangxi southern great wall

HSR from Fenghuang Gucheng to Furong Town station takes about half an hour. A slow afternoon among the stilt houses, the 1980s film locations and the waterfall under the town; lit up after dark.

1. xiangxi furong town

Hongshilin's red sandstone fins took shape some 450 million years ago; nearby Zuolong Gorge squeezes walkers between rock walls and ladder bridges. Shuttles run from the Furong Town area.

1. xiangxi hongshilin red stone forest
2. xiangxi zuolong gorge

The half-day drift through Yongshun's gorges runs roughly April to October — book ahead in summer. Off-season, swap in a second Dehang walk or extra time in Furong Town.

1. xiangxi mengdong river rafting

A full-day loop to the Tusi capital UNESCO inscribed in 2015, where the Peng clan ruled for some 800 years. Sleep in Yongshun county town to break up the northern leg.

1. xiangxi laosicheng site

An honest 2.5-3-hour haul north into Longshan county. At Liye, excavations in 2002 turned up some 37,000 Qin-dynasty bamboo slips; the slips museum beside the walled site opened in 2010. Overnight in Liye town.

1. xiangxi liye ancient city
2. xiangxi liye qin slips museum

South of Liye in Longshan's river junction country, Rebala keeps covered wooden corridor bridges and Tujia stilt houses, with Xilankapu weaving still on the looms. Afternoon road south to Huayuan county town.

1. xiangxi rebala tujia village

From Huayuan town it is a short hop to Chadong, renamed Biancheng in 2005 after Shen Congwen's 1934 novel. The Lala cable-ferry still pulls across the border stream by Chongqing and Guizhou. Drive back to Jishou — the longest leg of the trip.

1. xiangxi chadong biancheng

A day trip east into Luxi county, about 1.5 hours each way. Pushi was a Yuan River port once tagged Little Nanjing; its Ji-family courtyards and flagstone lanes sit above the water. Back to Jishou for the night.

1. xiangxi pushi ancient town

A rest-day rhythm — the prefecture museum in the morning, markets and a Dong-river walk after lunch, then one more evening in Qianzhou's lantern-lit lanes.

1. xiangxi qianzhou ancient city
2. xiangxi jishou city markets

One last unhurried bowl of rice noodles, then the HSR from Jishou East — or fly out of Xiangxi Biancheng Airport, opened in 2023 in Huayuan county.

1. xiangxi jishou city markets