Fanjing Mountain West Route

When you get to Tongren, people will definitely ask you, 'Have you been to Fanjing Mountain?' There are two routes to the mountain, the east route and the west route. The east route is under the jurisdiction of Jiangkou County, while the west route is managed by Yinjiang County, and the tickets for the two are not interchangeable. The east route is the one most travel groups take to ascend the mountain because it has a cable car that goes to the summit. However, to reach the core area platform at the top, you still need to climb several hundred steps. The west route is a hiking trail, requiring a 5.5-kilometer walk along the mountain road. I chose the west route, but why? Because the path is gentle, there are scenic views, and it's easier to descend (which I will describe next time). To get from Tongren City to the entrance of the Fanjing Mountain West Route scenic area, you need to take the only bus at 2 pm from the tourist bus station opposite the Tongren Railway Station. The bus heads to Ziwai Town and takes about 2 hours to reach the Tuanlong Village three-way junction, where you then call the hotel to arrange a pickup to the hotel for check-in. I checked into the West Route Inn in the mountains after 4 pm that day, and at night, I gazed at the mountain village, the mountain scenery, the sunset glow, and the horizon. The beautiful sunset glow indicated that tomorrow would be a good day.