Things to do in Li County

Chengtou Mountain Scenic Area

Chengtoushan Scenic Attraction is a national 4A-level tourist Attraction, including Chengtoushan National Archaeological Site Park, Chengtoushan Ancient City Site Museum, Chengtoushan Agricultural Grand View Garden and Chengtoushan Customs Town. The Attraction takes the ancient city culture, rice culture and sacrificial culture as its soul, combines the site landscape with the Souvenir ecological environment, architectural landscape and other elements, and provides a series of experience products, leisure projects and ecological landscapes to form a complete recreation system. Chengtoushan National Archaeological Site Park is built based on the Chengtoushan Site, a national key cultural relic protection unit. It is a national large site protection demonstration area and undertakes three major functions: site protection, cultural display and tourism and leisure. The park covers an area of ​​662 acres. The layout of the park is designed to extend two entrance roads to the south and west with Chengtoushan Site as the axis. Construction started in 2011, was basically completed and opened to the public at the end of 2015, and officially opened on June 7, 2016. The site park has attractions such as the entrance gate, visitor service center, painted garden, inscription stele, South Gate Ecological Square, moat landscape belt, and site area. Chengtoushan Ancient City Ruins Museum is a landmark building in Chengtoushan Tourist Attraction, covering an area of ​​100 mu. It displays the brilliant ancient civilization of southern China represented by the prehistoric ruins of the Liyang Plain, with the Chengtoushan Ruins as the "leader", based on the prehistoric human remains of the entire Liyang Plain for hundreds of thousands of years. The museum has an art hall, a basic cultural relics exhibition hall, a temporary exhibition hall, a multimedia demonstration hall, etc. The Chengtoushan Ancient City Ruins are located in the northwest of Lixian County, about 10 kilometers away from the county seat, covering an area of ​​18.7 hectares. From 1991 to 2014, it was hosted by the Hunan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, and 15 archaeological excavations were carried out (including joint excavations with Japanese archaeological experts from 1998 to 2001), revealing a total area of ​​nearly 9,000 square meters and unearthed more than 16,000 cultural relics. According to research, it is the earliest (6300 years ago) well-preserved ancient city site in China, rich in content, and with a very clear cultural sequence; the site area contains the earliest (6300-6500 years ago) and well-preserved rice field remains discovered in the world. The discovery of Chengtoushan Ancient City is of great significance to the study of major academic issues such as the development of prehistoric settlements, the history and technology of city construction, the formation of civilization factors in the Yangtze River Basin, and the rise and development of rice farming.

Xishang Art Museum

Pengshan Scenic Area

Attraction in Li County, Hunan Province is a national AAA-level tourist Attraction built with 1,000 acres of wetlands, 2,000 acres of waters, and 3,000 acres of mountain forests. It is mainly divided into the Hometown Dream Experience Area, Ecological Oxygen Bar Experience Area, Recreation Experience Area, Water Experience Area, Folk Culture Experience Area, and Zen Culture Experience Area, integrating food, accommodation, sightseeing, entertainment, experience, shopping, etc. Surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, the mountains, waters, and islands are naturally integrated, making people immersed in it and reluctant to leave. Hometown Dream Experience Area: It includes five functions, including food, accommodation, entertainment, education, and shopping. You can experience a journey of simple rural customs while having fun. Eat original ecological healthy food; stay in theme homestays and elegant guest rooms; KTV, bar, tea art and other leisure and entertainment are all available; Chengtoushan Geological Culture Museum, Botanical Science Park, calligraphy and painting room, etc., are fun and educational; buy self-grown and self-made agricultural products, organic purple rice, seasonal special fruits, etc. Recreation Experience Area: The Ferris wheel overlooks the mountains, rivers, and the city, and the Liyang Plain. There are more than ten thrilling and interesting amusement projects, including the Crescent Coaster, 7D Cinema, Roller Coaster, Live CS, Bumper Cars, Carousel, etc., allowing you to put aside all your worries and enjoy yourself. Water Experience Area: With the Lishui River as the center and the river island wetlands as the backdrop, there are pleasure boats and speedboats on the water to tour the mountain and water scenery on both sides. There are camping tents, barbecues, bonfires, motels, yurts, food streets and other special experience projects on the shore. Folk Culture Experience Area: Traditional wood-pressed tea oil has a strong aroma, homemade pure grain cave wine Pengshanchun and other series of wines are fragrant and healthy, free-range poultry, farmers' pickled bacon and ecologically grown fruits and vegetables in the Attraction will satisfy your appetite, and there are more folk experience projects such as making glutinous rice cakes waiting for your participation. Zen Meditation Culture Experience Area: The "Siwang Temple" built in memory of King Peng Li Yuanze is located on the top of Pengshan Mountain. Step into this holy place with a lot of incense, listen to the Zen talk of Confucian scholars, a bite of vegetarian food and a cup of Zen tea are enough to cleanse your soul. Ecological oxygen bar experience area: Attraction has a moderate average temperature, lush vegetation, excellent water quality, fresh air, mountains and waters connected, and movement and stillness interdependent. It is known as the natural oxygen bar of Jiuli. Climb up Pengshan, breathe the fresh air, lean against the pavilion and look into the distance, and take in the beautiful scenery of the Liyang Plain.

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Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park

Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is named after the natural wonder "Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park - Tianmen Cave." When visiting the attraction, you can enjoy a bird's-eye view of the winding Heaven-Linking Avenue and the stunning mountain scenery from the cable car. The brave can also walk along the cliff-hugging glass skywalk for an exhilarating aerial experience. Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is located close to Zhangjiajie city. The Tianmen Cave in the park is a natural karst cave, and locals believe it leads directly to heaven. For ordinary travelers, Tianmen Cave is not open year-round. During winter each year, due to snow and icy roads, both Tianmen Cave and the Avenue toward Heaven (a winding mountain road with 99 turns) leading to it are closed. The lower station of the attraction's cableway is located in Guanliping, Yongding District, and the upper station isTianmen MountainTop. In 2020, the attraction opened the express cableway. The lower station of the express cableway is near the entrance to Tianmen Mountain, and the upper station is atTianmen CaveNear the parking lot. Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is filled with ancient towering trees and intertwined vines. The attraction is divided into several main areas, including Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park - Tianmen Cave, central route, eastern route and western route. Travelers can choose different routes and areas to explore based on their preferences and physical condition. The core attraction along the central route is Tianmen Mountain Temple. Nearby lies the "Child-seeking cave," where folk legends claim Guanyin, the child-giving bodhisattva, manifested her divine power—devout prayers here are believed to grant offspring. The western route's highlight is a 60 m-long glass walkway clinging to sheer cliffs, with fully transparent flooring that induces both vertigo and exhilaration as visitors tread above abysses. Currently, the eastern route and Panlong Cliff each feature their own approx. 60 m glass walkways. No stay is allowed in the attraction, so it can only be visited within one day. There is a "Cherry Bay Restaurant" near Tianmen Mountain Temple, which offers snacks and fast food. Near the lower station of Tianmen Mountain cableway, there is transportation to the "Grand Canyon Theater", where you can watch the live show and magical musical "Tianmen Fox Fairy". Adapted from the mythological tale "Liu Hai cuts firewood", it tells a touching love story between a human and a fox. With live music, lighting effects, and captivating scenes like a giant moon, fox spirit transformations, snowflakes filling the sky, and high-altitude flying bridges, this legendary romance is vividly brought to life.

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Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is where Zhangjiajie tourism starts. "The world knows Zhangjiajie, but who knows Wulingyuan?" Many travelers cannot distinguish the relationship between Zhangjiajie and Wulingyuan. Generally, Zhangjiajie has two concepts: Zhangjiajie City and Zhangjiajie Scenic Area. Zhangjiajie Scenic Area refers to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, which together with Tianzi Mountain, Suoxiyu, and Yangjiajie forms the Wulingyuan attraction. Because Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was developed early and is well-known, even Zhangjiajie City was renamed after it, and people are accustomed to using Zhangjiajie National Forest Park or Zhangjiajie Scenic Area to refer to the Wulingyuan attraction. "Three thousand exotic peaks and eight hundred beautiful waters." The three thousand exotic peaks, in particular, are renowned worldwide. The mountains of Wulingyuan are entirely different from famous mountains around the world. Within its 398-square-kilometer area, more than 3,000 dense and intact sandstone peak pillars are scattered throughout, including 243 peak pillars over 1,000 meters tall. When the sea of clouds surges, these peak pillars appear to have no base, rising abruptly from the ground and piercing straight into the sky. Together with the redwood forests of North America and the glacial landscapes of Greenland, they constitute one of the world's four major natural geological wonders. Wulingyuan has a low elevation and is located in the subtropical zone. The area features lush forests and abundant water sources, and is home to a large number of endangered animal and plant species. Every peak pillar is full of vitality. Peak pillars, natural bridges, gorges, waterfalls, streams, pools, caves, and dense broad-leaved forests are often shrouded in mist and clouds on site, enhancing the beauty of the view. Together with the unique landforms, they form a distinctive view characterized by "steep mountains, elegant waters, wondrous peaks, secluded gorges, and beautiful caves," and are hailed as "an enlarged bonsai and a miniature fairyland." On December 14, 1992, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee unanimously approved the inclusion of Wulingyuan in the World Heritage List, filling the gap of China having no World Natural Heritage sites. The recognized outstanding universal value is: the quartz sandstone peak forest landform is rare in the world and has extremely high aesthetic value. UNESCO points out: "In terms of scenery, Wulingyuan can be compared with several national parks and monuments in the United States, such as the Grand Canyon, and can also be compared with the prominent sandstone peak areas of the Kimberley in Western Australia. However, because Wulingyuan has a lower elevation and is located in the subtropics, it has lush forests and abundant water sources. It also possesses a large number of peaks, displaying a more vertical profile than the heritage sites of the United States and Australia." At the end of 2009, the mesmerizing planet Pandora in the globally popular movie "Avatar" attracted countless viewers, and the prototype of its floating mountains originated from Wulingyuan. Meanwhile, Wulingyuan is also a live-action filming location for the Chinese classics "Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Journey to the West," as well as for films and TV dramas such as "Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal" and "Monster Hunt." In 2010, the unique landform of Wulingyuan was named "Zhangjiajie landform," becoming a globally recognized term and a rare landform type in the world named after a region. Attraction highlights Yuanjiajie: Landing on Pandora, the planet of Avatar Yuanjiajie is the filming location for the "Hallelujah Mountain" in the movie "Avatar," where you can explore the magical world of floating and scattered mountains from the film. If you happen to encounter a light rain in the mountains, or wait until the sky clears after the rain, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of misty fog and layered peaks even more. The Mihun Platform is an ideal viewing spot; standing on it, you are surrounded by hundreds of towering stone peaks with magnificent momentum. Tianzi Mountain: once you've seen Tianzi, no other mountain will do When visiting Tianzi Mountain, you will see various uniquely shaped geological views and oddly formed peaks, such as Yubi Peak, Fairy Presenting Flowers, Dianjiang Terrace, Hanging Garden, and Immortal Bridge. There is no need to worry too much about whether these natural formations resemble what they are named after, because "the primitive scenery and natural beauty" are what make Tianzi Mountain so captivating. Especially in the hazy fog after a fresh rain, it feels as if you are in a fairyland. By winter, when the mountain is covered in silvery white, the scenery becomes even more enchanting. Huangshizhai: see all the other mountains as small from the summit "If you don't climb Huangshizhai, your trip to Zhangjiajie is in vain." Huangshizhai is a viewing platform in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, surrounded by sheer cliffs and lush trees, and the top of the village is often shrouded in mist and clouds. Standing atop Huangshizhai and looking around, you can experience the lofty sentiment of "seeing all the other mountains as small." Yangjiajie: Thrills found in danger Yangjiajie is primarily known for its pristine natural beauty. With high mountains and narrow paths, it is famous for being "perilous" and is deeply favored by backpackers and adventurers. Wulong Village within the attraction is a very magical place in Zhangjiajie. It was once inhabited by bandits from western Hunan, and was later renamed after the TV series "Tales of Suppressing Bandits in Wulong Mountain." The village is built along the mountain, and there is a path up and down the mountain that requires using both hands and feet to climb to the summit. Suoxiyu: A natural ink wash landscape painting Suoxiyu is also called Suoxi, named because the stream within the attraction is shaped like a rope. Unlike other parts of the forest park, which are so steep and rugged, this place is shrouded in mist and clouds year-round, with clear streams flowing continuously through all four seasons and graceful peaks visible everywhere. Ten-Mile Gallery is the highlight attraction of Suoxiyu; within the 5 km-long gorge, wildflowers fragrance the air and fantastic peaks and unusual rocks abound. Walking through it is like stepping into a natural landscape painting. Golden Whip Stream: filming location of Journey to the West Jinbian Stream Gorge is the earliest developed area in the attraction. A clear stream runs through the valley, with towering peaks on both sides and lush greenery as far as the eye can see. This is also one of the filming locations for the classic version of Journey to the West, where fans can come and see iconic scenes such as the Water Curtain Cave and Cleaving the Mountain to Save the Mother.

No. 3 of Best Things to Do in Hunan Jiangxi Fujian Region

Orange Isle Scenic Area

Orange Isle Scenic Area is a narrow sandbar lying across the heart of the Xiang River in Changsha, stretching approx. five km. It faces Yuelu Mountain to the west and borders Changsha's old city to the east, surrounded by water on all sides. Named after the abundant orange trees planted on the isle, it was historically called Shuiluzhou. Formed by river alluvium, this sandbar has existed for over a millennium, where the "River and sky in evening snow" scenery was once among the Eight Views of Xiaoxiang. In 1925, the poem "Spring in a pleasure garden - Changsha" was composed here, with its iconic line "Alone I stand in the biting fall, watching the Xiang River flow north past Orange Isle's head," which made this riverine landmark widely renowned. The highlights of the visit are concentrated at the islet's head: A granite art sculpture over 30 m tall, modeled after the 1925 youth image, stands facing the river as Changsha's highly recognizable landmark. Nearby, the Questioning Heaven Platform extends toward the river center, where leaning on the railing reveals the mighty Xiang River flowing northward, with Yuelu Mountain and the city skylines on both banks facing each other across the water. The Songju Pavilion, white marble poetry stele, and the 200-year-old ancient phoenix tree at the islet head are all in this area. Heading north from the islet head, a hundred-acre orange orchard bears golden fruits in fall, while bamboo groves, peach orchards, plum gardens, and osmanthus groves take turns showcasing seasonal flora. The historic Zhuzhang Ferry (where Zhu Xi and Zhang Shi once crossed the Xiang River for lectures) and the Huxiang Culture Exhibition Hall are scattered along the way. At the islet's tail, the reconstructed Jiangshen Temple and Gongji Tower area was precisely where ancients admired the "River and sky in evening snow" scenery. The island is long and narrow, making round-trip walks quite tiring. A sightseeing train is available for transportation, with multiple stops along the way for hopping on and off. Travelers with limited time are advised to head straight to the island's tip to see the sculpture and river views, then stroll leisurely along the riverside path. At dusk, watching the sunset over the Xiang River and seeing the lights gradually illuminate both shores from the island's tip is especially worth setting aside time for.

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in Hubei

The Three Gorges Dam Tourism Area

The Three Gorges Dam Tourism Area is located in the Xiling Gorge section of the Yangtze River in Yichang, Hubei. It is a scenic attraction built around the Three Gorges hydro project, covering over ten square kilometers. Currently, it offers travelers three viewing spots: Tanzi Ridge, the 185 viewing platform, and the river closure memorial park. The dam crest itself is not open to travelers, so visits primarily revolve around these three attractions. Tanzi Ridge is the highest accessible point in the dam area, named for its jar-shaped summit viewing platform resembling an overturned jar. It also served as the survey site for the dam's initial location selection. From the ridge top, visitors can overlook the Three Gorges Project in its entirety—the dam, power station, and twin five-level ship locks are all visible. The five lock chambers cascade down the mountainside, earning the nickname "Fourth Gorge of the Yangtze." The park displays engineering artifacts like ancient riverbed stones, river closure rocks, and foundation stones from the dam site, complemented by model exhibits that help visitors intuitively understand the origins and development of this mega-project. The 185 observation platform is located on the left bank of the dam. It gets its name from sharing the same elevation of 185 m as the dam crest. Standing on the platform feels like being atop the dam: on one side, the dam and vertical ship lift are within close reach, offering a chance to witness ships "riding the elevator" over the dam; on the other side lies the vast, tranquil reservoir upstream. The stark contrast between the stillness above and the dynamism below the dam is striking. The closure memorial park is situated on the right bank downstream of the dam, preserving artifacts like tetrahedral closure stones and large loading machinery used during the construction. It's an ideal spot to view the dam's full frontal grandeur. During flood seasons when the dam releases water, torrents rush out from the deep outlets, creating towering mist and thunderous echoes that reverberate through the valley—a truly awe-inspiring spectacle. The three attractions are far apart, and the scenic area provides shuttle buses for transportation. It is recommended to reserve half a day to visit them in order.

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Yellow Crane Tower

Yellow Crane Tower is a landmark building of Wuhan. It is located on the bank of the Yangtze River and above Snake Hill in Wuchang. Many celebrities have written famous poems about the tower. Yellow Crane Tower was built during the Three Kingdoms period, but it was destroyed many times. What we see now is the reconstructed version built in 1985. When you climb the Yellow Crane Tower, you can see the spectacular view of the Yangtze River and Wuhan's three districts.

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Hunan Museum

Hunan Museum is a relatively large history and culture museum in Hunan Province, and among its collections, the artifacts unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tombs are particularly representative. "The Changsha Mawangdui Han Tombs Exhibition" is the museum's permanent exhibition, presenting in a concentrated way the precious artifacts unearthed from three Western Han tombs. One of the most striking exhibits in the exhibition is the plain silk unlined robe with straight-cut front, as thin as cicada wings and weighing less than 50 grams, whose weaving technique is astonishing. In addition, visitors can see well-preserved printed silk padded robes, fine and elegant embroidery, brightly glossy painted lacquerware, and an exquisite T-shaped painted silk painting. More than 100,000 characters of silk manuscripts were unearthed from Tomb No. 3, among which are many lost texts long since gone from circulation, covering fields such as philosophy, history, astronomy, and medicine. The "Topographic Map of the Southern Part of the Changsha Kingdom," also from Tomb No. 3, was drawn using techniques broadly similar to those of modern maps and holds important value in the study of ancient maps. The well-preserved body of Lady Xin Zhui unearthed from Tomb No. 1 has survived intact for more than two thousand years and is another major highlight of the exhibition. The museum also features permanent exhibitions such as "Hunan People: A Historical and Cultural Exhibition of the Three Xiang Regions," displaying collections including Shang and Zhou bronzes, ceramics from famous Hunan kilns, and Ming and Qing calligraphy and paintings, presenting the historical and cultural threads of Hunan from different dimensions. The Mawangdui Han Tomb Exhibition and the Three Xiang Historical and Cultural Exhibition together form the museum's two core exhibitions, and are well worth setting aside ample time to view in detail.

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Hubei Provincial Museum

The Hubei Provincial Museum has ten treasures of the museum, including those unearthed from "Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng" the Hubei Provincial Museum's Zenghouyi chime bells; the Yue Wang Goujian sword, a masterpiece of the cold weapon era; the fossilized skull of the Yunxian Man dating back 1 million years; and a treasure of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain: the plum vase with the Four Loves design. The museum's regular exhibitions also feature distinctive characteristics of ancient Chu culture and ancient Yangtze River civilization. The Hubei Provincial Museum consists of the comprehensive exhibition hall,Chu culture hall,Chime bell hallIt is composed of multiple pseudo-classical buildings, and the layout reflects the high-platform architectural layout format of ancient Chu architecture, namely "one terrace, one hall" and "multiple terraces forming a group." Unearthed in 1978 at "Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng" in the Hubei Provincial Museum - the Zenghouyi chime bells have a wide range and their excavation rewrote the history of world music; the sword of Goujian, King of Yue, a masterpiece of the cold weapon era, is still incomparably sharp to this day, and displayed beside it is the "spear of Fuchai, King of Wu"; the geological age of the Yunxian human skull fossil is approx. 1 million years ago, earlier than the Peking Man skull fossil; the Yuan blue-and-white plum vase with four loves design is an extremely rare masterpiece among Yuan dynasty blue-and-white porcelain. Hubei is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and belonged to the territory of the Chu state during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. The permanent exhibitions at the Hubei Provincial Museum showcase ancient civilizations of southern China that differ from the Yellow River civilization of the north. The museum's current permanent exhibitions include "Yunxian Man: Prehistoric Humans in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River," "Qujialing: Prehistoric Culture in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River," and "Panlongcheng: Bronze Civilization in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River." In addition to viewing cultural relics at the Hubei Provincial Museum, you can also enjoy chime bell performances. In the museum's performance hall, chime bell performances are held from Tuesday to Sunday, and it is closed on Mondays.