Furong Town

Three people spent 10,000 yuan to turn Furong Town into a top-level wild adventure of “overnight stay in cliff stilt houses × hiking the secret Mengtong River × exploring a thousand-year-old Tujia ancient village”! An average of 3,500 yuan per person to stay in the same riverside room as in "Furong Moonlight"—is it a crazy deal or underestimated? Who says Hunan only has Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang Ancient Town? This time, the three of us—two recently resigned post-90s travel photographers and a documentary director who won awards for filming "Xiangxi People"—hit it off immediately: We avoided the popular check-in spots and insisted on using a 10,000 yuan budget to complete a life experiment in this "thousand-year-old town hanging on a waterfall": “a midnight exclusive lantern lighting ceremony → hiking the undeveloped Mengtong River gorge to capture wild macaques → visiting a hidden Tujia mountain village to hear elders tell stories of corpse driving.” What was the result? We captured epic scenes of “ten thousand lights reflecting on the flying waterfall” in a heavy rain, slept in a century-old wooden house with no Wi-Fi but the sound of the stream, ate “smoked pork stewed with blood rice cake” slow-cooked for eight hours over firewood, and discovered stone tablets engraved with ancient totems in the mountains. 3,500 yuan per person, not a budget trip, but an authentic experience earned through physical effort. On the high-speed train back, we were all silent: “This is not tourism; it’s a heartfelt touch of the ‘southern secret realm.’” Don’t rush, this guide will tell you how to turn what you thought was “just a night view” of Furong Town into a National Geographic-level poetic and wild experience. 🗓 Day 1｜Arrive at Zhangjiajie West by high-speed train → drive through the Wuling Mountains → check in to cliff stilt house inn Depart from Guangzhou South in the morning (G6144, second class ¥480/person ×3 = ¥1,440), leaving at 7:20, arriving at Zhangjiajie West Station at 12:18. Pre-book a seven-seat business car for pickup (including driver ¥600/day ×2 days = ¥1,200), winding along Provincial Road S228. Outside the window, hills gradually turn into knife-cut karst peaks shrouded in mist, a “real-life ink painting” slowly unfolds. Stop briefly at Wangcun Old Street for photos (free): Capture the “bluestone slab road + weathered wooden doors” scene. Children gather around asking, “Are you here to film a TV drama?” Arrive at Furong Town Scenic Area entrance at 4 PM to buy tickets and enter (tickets ¥100/person ×3 = ¥300): Take the eco-friendly shuttle to the mountaintop parking lot. Walk downhill into the ancient town core area, with roaring waterfalls along the way. Check in at Qifengju Riverside Waterfall View Inn in the evening. This is a designer guesthouse converted from a century-old Tujia stilt house, with only 5 rooms open, each with panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows and a private terrace facing the main flying waterfall curtain. Booked two nights at an off-season special price of ¥1,280 per night, totaling ¥2,560 (including double breakfast + welcome fruit plate + butler service). Upon check-in, the host served three bowls of steaming rice wine and fried Artemisia dumplings: “This is our highest hospitality ritual; drink it and you won’t fear damp cold.” Attend the Night Lantern Lighting Ceremony in the evening (free but requires advance reservation): At 6:30 PM sharp, light up a thousand red lanterns across the town. Capture a time-lapse of “ten thousand lights reflecting on the waterfall like a star river falling.” The director was so excited he almost dropped his camera: “This is the most magical night scene of China I’ve ever seen!” Then stroll through the ancient town, listening to street performers play the unique Tujia single-reed instrument Dongdongkui, its sound mournful and plaintive. 🗓 Day 2｜Hiking the undeveloped Mengtong River section + visit Yongshun Laosicheng ruins + private customized “Tujia Eight Bowls” feast Wake up at 5:00 AM to start the day’s highlight: hiking the undeveloped upper Mengtong River secret trail. ⚠️ Note: This area is not officially developed and requires a local forest ranger guide (coordination fee ¥320/person ×3 = ¥960). About 7 kilometers, takes 5 hours. Cross water three times, deepest up to knees. Capture “wild macaques climbing rocks and picking fruit.” Discovered suspected ancient hanging coffin relics (later confirmed as a tool storage site for herbal collectors). Return to the ancient town at noon for a private “Tujia Eight Bowls” feast at the inn (chef home service fee ¥880): Dishes Description ------ ----------- Main dishes: smoked pork stewed with blood rice cake, sour and spicy fish hotpot, smoked sausage steamed egg—all self-raised and homemade. Snacks: fried oily rice cakes, glutinous rice wine eggs, wild berry jam toast—mom’s cooking. Drinks: homemade “thorn pear wine,” slightly sweet with a lingering aftertaste. After a short nap, head to the Laosicheng Ruins in the afternoon, a World Cultural Heritage site and former capital of the Tusi Kingdom (tickets ¥68/person ×3 = ¥204): Explore abandoned palace foundations and sacrificial platforms. Photograph “ruined walls hidden among autumn woods.” Listen to the guide tell the legend of the last Tusi’s escape. In the evening, participate in the intangible cultural heritage “Daliuzi” percussion experience (materials + instruction fee ¥60/person ×3 = ¥180): Learn the Tujia traditional four-piece percussion set. Perform the “Welcome Song” live, attracting applause from tourists. At that moment, I suddenly understood: True civilization is not skyscrapers but someone willing to keep a drumbeat for a lifetime. 🗓 Day 3｜Boating on You Shui River + return to Zhangjiajie by high-speed train Leave the last day to light and shadow: Before checkout early morning, charter a boat to the upper You Shui River to shoot “morning mist over the ancient ferry” (hand-rowed boat rental ¥280/person ×3 = ¥840): Boat on the emerald river, green mountains like screens on both sides. Capture “fisherman casting nets silhouette at dawn” classic composition. View “black awning boats passing under bridges” ink painting scene. Then visit Luoyixi Ancient Village, the best-preserved Tujia settlement in northern Xiangxi (free): Photograph “blue bricks, gray tiles, and horse-head walls.” Chat with a centenarian about “how they avoided bandits back then.” Children chase us, saying, “Take a photo for me to post on Douyin!” Lunch at the town’s old brand “Grandma’s Snack Shop”: Handmade rice noodles ¥25 ×3 = ¥75 Sugar oil cake ¥6 Total ¥81. Taxi to Zhangjiajie West Station (¥260), take G6143 high-speed train back to Guangzhou South (second class ¥480/person ×3 = ¥1,440). 💰 Total expenses (for three people): Item Cost ------ ------ Round-trip high-speed train tickets 1,440 + 1,440 = 2,880 yuan Local transportation (rental + fuel + parking) 1,200 yuan Guesthouse accommodation for 2 nights 2,560 yuan Scenic area tickets and activities 300 + 204 + 180 = 684 yuan Private guide + special experiences 960 + 880 + 840 = 2,680 yuan Food and drinks 81 + others ≈ 300 yuan Total 9,984 yuan (16 yuan left for postcards) ✅ Real experience summary (for those wanting to “find their heartbeat”): Furong Town ≠ just a check-in spot: it is a “thousand-year-old living fossil of the Tujia + geological wonder + ethnic art treasure + model southern water town” multi-universe; Suitable for: photography lovers, deep travelers seeking authentic connection and cultural impact; Best seasons: April-June: abundant water, spectacular waterfalls September-November: pleasant climate, charming autumn colors Winter: occasional sea of clouds, tranquil and stunning Pitfalls to avoid: Do not enter undeveloped areas without permission; Mountain paths are slippery and full of poisonous insects, wear non-slip shoes; Respect ethnic customs, do not casually photograph sacrificial scenes. Hidden experiences: Book “nighttime firefly watching” at guesthouses; Join local photography groups to apply for “exclusive morning shooting spots”; Learn a Tujia phrase “nie kuo” (thank you) from elders—they will smile at you for a long time. This trip cost less than 10,000 yuan, enough for three months’ rent or a new camera. But what did we gain? The sound of wind by the waterfall, The thousand-year unchanged gaze by the hearth, The realization that “true Chinese beauty is not in photos but in the moment an old lady silently adds a third piece of smoked pork for you.” If the urban pace has dulled your senses, Come to Furong Town for a visit, Let a mountain awaken your memories, Let a ray of light teach you what “visible life” means.