Things to do in Jishou

No. 4 of Best Things to Do in Xiangxi Prefecture

Aizhai Wonders Tourist Area

Aizhai Wonders Tourist Area is located in Jishou City, the capital of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. It is the core tourist area of Dehang Scenic Area. It is 19 kilometers away from the urban area and has a total area of 8.1 square kilometers. There are three scenic spots in the canyon. It is a comprehensive cultural tourist area that integrates sightseeing, experience, science popularization and leisure. Aizhai Wonders Tourist Area was officially opened to the public in 1987. It was approved as a provincial-level scenic spot in 1991, a national scenic spot in December 2005, and a national 4A-level tourist attraction in 2013. In the Aizhai Wonders Tourist Area, the mountains are ups and downs, the cliffs are tall and straight, the peaks are towering, and the streams and rivers are vertical and horizontal, forming many cliffs, stone walls, waterfalls, and virgin forests, forming six wonders, which is the origin of the name "Aizhai Wonders". : Strange Road (Aizhai Highway Wonders, Strange Bridge (Steel Truss Girder Suspension Bridge with Large Span across the Canyon - Aizhai Bridge), Strange Village (Miao Village on the Back of an Eagle - Jidou Miao Village), Strange Valley ( Yuquan River, Jiulong River, Hangxia River Canyon, etc.), strange waterfalls (Liusha Waterfall with high drop, Yudai Waterfall, Yinlian Waterfall, Hangxia River Waterfall Group, etc.), strange customs (Tianxiagu Township), which fully demonstrate the beauty of western Hunan. The unique landscape, classic humanities and modern technology.

Selected for Best Things to Do in Xiangxi Prefecture

Aizhai Bridge

The Aizhai Bridge is located in the Azhai Town of Xiangxi, Hunan Province. The Aizhai Bridge Scenic Area is composed of the Aizhai Bridge, the Jidou Village and the Tiantiantai. The Aizhai Bridge spans the Azhai Grand Canyon, and the Deyi River passes through the valley bottom. The bridge deck design elevation and the ground height difference are up to 100 meters. The bridge type scheme is a steel truss stiffening beam single-span suspension bridge, which adopts a structural design scheme in which the tower and the beam are completely separated. Here you can feel the shock of the vast bridge project and appreciate the beautiful pastoral scenery of Aizhai Town.

Selected for Best Things to Do in Xiangxi Prefecture

Dehang Grand Canyon Scenic Area

The Dehang Grand Canyon Scenic Area is located on the road to the Zhangjiajie-Phoenix line. It is different from the masculine gas of Zhangjiajie, which belongs to the quartz sandstone landform. The Dehang Canyon, which belongs to the limestone karst gorge, has a graceful appearance. Along the secluded canyon, you can climb to the highest point in the canyon, the Heavenly Desk, to see the surrounding stalagmites, and recall the scenes of Qu Yuan's grief. Climbing a climbing plate Gufeng on the peak overlooking Deyi Miao Village, visiting the quicksand waterfall with great drop, can not help but open up.

No. 5 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Xiangxi Prefecture

Dehang Miao Village

Dehang Miao Village is nestled deep in a canyon. "Dehang" means "beautiful canyon" in the Miao language. The Jiulong Creek flows through the village, and over 100 Miao households have built their homes along the creek and against the mountains. They still use the Miao language for daily conversation, and women enjoy wearing silver ornaments and collarless embroidered clothing, making it a vivid example of the Miao village customs in western Hunan. The village is surrounded by rugged mountains and sheer cliffs, with precipices, stone walls, waterfalls, and primitive secondary forests unfolding in layers. The Liusha Waterfall at the end of Jiulong Creek has a drop of over 200 m. The water cascades down from the sheer cliff like a veil brushing against the face, hence the name "Liusha" (meaning "flowing gauze"). Crossing the stone arch bridge in the village, you can climb Pangu Peak. The top of the peak is covered with tangled primitive forests between the large and small peaks, and it is surrounded by cliffs on all sides. Reaching the summit offers a panoramic view of the canyon village. The Three Sisters Peaks on the ridge of the new village are smaller at the top and larger at the bottom, resembling three Miao girls in skirts when viewed from afar. Stilt houses with blue tiles and stone foundations wind along the creek, their upturned eaves and carved lattice windows half-hidden among green trees and cooking smoke. The waterwheels and stone mills by the creek creak as they turn, powered by the water, exuding an idyllic, old-world charm. In the village, you can encounter Miao customs such as singing songs to block the gate and offering toasts to welcome guests, watch a Miao drum dance with resonant beats, or try your hand at making ciba (glutinous rice cakes), weaving Miao brocade, or learning to sing Miao songs. During traditional festivals like the Miao New Year or the Eighth Day of the Fourth Lunar Month, the whole village dresses up in silver ornaments, with singing and dancing continuing endlessly. When visiting, you might want to walk from the Miao village along the Jiulong Creek trail deep into the canyon to find the Liusha Waterfall at the end. The waterfall's scenery changes significantly with the water volume. You can appreciate its grandeur during the wet season and the ethereal "flowing gauze" effect during the dry season, each with its own unique charm.

No. 5 of Night Attractions in Xiangxi Prefecture

Qianzhou Ancient City

The Qianzhou Ancient City is located at the bank of Wanrong River in the city of Jishou, the capital of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province. Since ancient times, the old city of Qianhou has been known as the Twin Cities on the Great Wall of the South together with Fenghuang Ancient City. There is a 10-mile ancient street in the city, 10-mile river in the city, and 10-mile walls outside the city. It was an important commercial port in the Qin and Han dynasties. It was also an important military command center on the South China Great Wall Anti-drainage Line during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Deru Village

Nestled deep in the canyons of Aizhai Town, Jishou City, Xiangxi, on the banks of the upper reaches of the Dong River, Deru Village, a typical Miao ethnic village, was once forgotten by the world, thus preserving its pristine and idyllic scenery. The crystal-clear Dong River flows through the village, its banks lined with karst peaks like a painting, the azure water reflecting the blue sky and green mountains. Fine pebbles carpet the riverbed, resembling the landscape of Guilin brought to the heart of Xiangxi, earning it the nickname "Little Guilin of Xiangxi." A winding stone slab bridge, supported by natural boulders, spans the river, becoming a popular landmark for tourists. However, with the ongoing Daxingzhai Reservoir project, this picturesque landscape is on its last legs, soon to disappear completely underwater, becoming a truly unique and irreplaceable secret. If you yearn to discover a pristine land untouched by commercialization, consider visiting it before it's submerged.

Liusha Waterfall

Liusha Waterfall is located at the source of Jiulong Creek in Dehang Scenic Area. The waterfall is 216 meters high, like a white silk in the air, like a silver gauze hanging on the wall, and is the highest waterfall in China. You can see Liusha Waterfall by walking a short distance along Jiulong Creek from Dehang Miao Village. The stream water soars down from the cliff, with a high drop, and the water scatters into quicksand below, so the waterfall is called Liusha Waterfall. In the flood season, the rolling water flies from the cliff into the deep pool, like nine dragons turning over the waves, magnificent; in the dry season, the water floats down the cliff, sometimes like a veil brushing your face, sometimes like a bead curtain hanging, like a white gauze washing the green pool, gentle and elegant. Tourists can walk along the mountain roads on both sides and pass under the waterfall. The light water floats down like mist and yarn, and it feels like entering a water curtain cave, with a drizzle that soaks into the heart.

No. 9 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Xiangxi Prefecture

Dalongdong Scenic Area

Dalongdong Scenic Area is located in Buchou Township, Huayuan County, 41 km from Jishou City, and can be reached by traveling 22 km along the Aidai Highway. It is the source of the Donghe River, the mother river of Jishou City, and the core scenic area ofShuanglong Scenic Area. The water at the source gushes out from a cave entrance on the mountainside, with a thunderous sound that can be heard from several miles away. The waterfall has a drop of approx. 208 m and a width of approx. 88 m, making it quite spectacular.

Aizhai Cliffs Glass Skywalk

Cliff Hanging Glass Road is on the edge of the Dehang Canyon and links the Paifang Parking Lot and Aizhai Bridge. It is a walkway suspended at great height with a sightseeing platform. The modern design reflects key elements of the Miao nationality culture such as "butterfly" and "ribbon." Visitors can experience the stimulating view of the glass road while having their limits tested.

Dalongdong Waterfall