The Yellow Lion Village (Huangshi Zhai) is the highest village in the Zhangjiajie area. The village actually sets atop a 1,200 meter (3937 ft.) high plateau. Stone steps lead to the top, a quiet area relatively free of tourists, from which you can take in the beautiful karst formations and the obscure cliffs adjacent to the village. Below the village lie the waters of Jinbian Creek and the ancient Heizongnao Forest. more >>

The entire length of the Yellow Dragon Cave is about 12 km (7.5 mi) and it has 4 distinct levels. There are dry caves and watery caves including 2 palaces, 8 halls and 96 corridors, sure to satisfy any avid spelunker. Stalactites and stalagmites fill the whole cave. And if you can bring yourself to do it, when you whack a stalactite hard enough it will resonate at a certain pitch. There's also an 11 km (7 mi) long cave and a 50 meter (164 ft.) high waterfall to be explored.   more >>

Golden Whip Brook is located inside the Wulingyuan Scenic Area of Zhangjiajie and several places of interest can be found nearby. The brook meanders its way through 5.7 km (3.54 miles) of mountains and valleys, from north to south and the further you venture upstream, the fewer people you'll see. You can enjoy the dense forest and oddly-shaped peaks from either of its banks. Leg-weary visitors are often seen resting on a rock by the stream, watching fish swimming in the water or soaking sore feet. The park is a great place to escape the summer heat, and is a natural oxygen bar. After the first 2-3 km the paved pathways become less well-trodden so watch out for slippery moss, particularly after rainfall. Also watch out for playful monkeys along the way, they're use to having people around and aren't adverse to pinching anything edible direct from your hands. Nearby places of i... more >>

A beautifully preserved riverside town in southwest Hunan, Fenghuang (凤凰县 Fènghuáng Xiàn), or "Phoenix Town," is home to a large number of Tujia and Miao minorities, which is reflected in both the architecture and the local customs. The old town lies at the foot of a mountain spread across the two banks of the Tuo River (沱江 Tuó Jiāng). The river can be crossed via a number of small stone and wood bridges or by hopping across twin rows of stepping stones. Billed as "China's most beautiful town," Fenghuang is one of the domestic tourist industry's picture postcard destinations, but western visitors expecting a waterside idyll should be prepared for something rather different, particularly if arriving by night. Colorful lights adorn every rooftop and hilltop pagodas shout their presence with flashing lasers while music blasts out f... more >>