Five-Star Zhangjiajie · 5 Days 4 Nights with Fenghuang Ancient Town (Tianmen Mountain + Zhangjiajie National Forest Park + Huanglong Cave + Fenghuang)

A deep dive into the flavours of western Hunan. Wander the lively old streets as visitors try stinky tofu for the first time — drawn in by the distinctive smell, they brave a bite and unlock the region's mountain character, a wonderfully surprising taste of western Hunan's street life. Hunan cooking is known for its heat and fragrance, and a full Tujia table is worth working through, from steamed cured meats to sour-and-spicy river fish. Sampling stinky tofu, rice tofu and sugar-oil rice cakes along the old street is the real way to meet western Hunan.

Zhangjiajie holds a quartz-sandstone peak landscape found nowhere else on earth. It is a World Natural Heritage site and a filming location for Avatar. Three thousand peaks rise straight from the ground while cloud surges between them; the gorges are deep and the pillars dense, a landscape so extraordinary it makes a one-of-a-kind visual feast. The peaks change with every shift of weather and light. Ride the Bailong Elevator or the cable car up and down, then look out from viewpoints at Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain — the real-world inspiration for Avatar's floating mountains is right in front of you.

Enter Tianmen Mountain, known as the foremost sacred mountain of western Hunan, where Tianmen Cave stands open in mid-air and ninety-nine hairpin bends wind up the mountain road. Cliff walkways thread through the cloud and the whole range of peaks and cloud sea lies below — every step on the glass walkway is a photograph, with a sheer valley underfoot and surging cloud beyond.

A natural high-mountain lake held in the arms of the peaks, its clear water like a mirror and green cliffs reflected on the surface. Cruise out across the water with the breeze on your face, mountains and water leaning into each other, Tujia mountain songs drifting over now and then — like walking through a western Hunan ink painting.

Step into Shili Gallery at Zhangjiajie, where one strange peak after another rises while cloud drifts slowly between them. Ride the sightseeing train at an easy pace through the gorge, green hills continuous and streams murmuring alongside, the rocks on both sides endlessly varied. Wild macaques appear in the trees along the way. Green forest and beautiful peak forest fill the view, the breeze carrying the scent of vegetation — no need to hurry, just immerse yourself in the landscape.

Step into western Hunan and soak up the rich culture of the Miao people. Silver ornaments gleam, colourful embroidery blooms on traditional dress, and Miao maidens dance in their festival best — a lively folk showcase brimming with ethnic artistry. You can also watch a traditional Miao wedding ceremony, with red umbrellas and red veils re-enacting an ancient rite. Timber houses and the sound of drums: every detail speaks of a heritage passed down for a thousand years, bringing you close to the authentic soul of western Hunan.

Stroll both banks of the Tuo River past stilt houses standing over the water and deep, winding old lanes. By day it is quiet and antique; by night it glows, reflections on the river making it both gentle and romantic — the border-town atmosphere and western Hunan tenderness Shen Congwen wrote about.