Live Your Best Lives
Hiking to find waterfalls, exploring caves and crossing bridges, sleeping in the forest, eating in the countryside...
In April, I came across this niche secret place in Xiangyang: Jiuluzhai.
The rising mist is the mountains waking up in the morning, gently embracing my arms.
Xiangyangcheck the details
Xiangyang City is a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Site. Located on the south bank of the middle reaches of the Han River, it is surrounded by water on three sides and backed by a mountain on one side, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it a highly valued location by military strategists throughout the ages. Construction began around the sixth year of Emperor Gaodi of the Western Han Dynasty (201 BC), with the site suspected to be on the Han River northwest of the present-day Xiangyang Ancient City. Around the time Liu Biao relocated the capital of Jingzhou to Xiangyang, he built a new city east of the city, roughly the size of its present-day equivalent. The old city served as a military fortress until the Tang Dynasty, when Zhang Jianzhi abandoned it for embankment. It is now largely submerged in the Han River. Since Liu Biao's arrival in Xiangyang as governor of Jingzhou, Xiangyang City has served as the seat of a prefecture, county, prefecture, and county. During the Song Dynasty, the original earthen fortress was converted into a brick structure, and the straight-entry gates were replaced with garrison-style gates. The city measures approximately 1.6 kilometers from north to south and 1.4 kilometers from east to west. During the early years of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, the ancient city was renovated. The south bank of the Han River was moved northward. To connect the northern city with the Han River and strengthen the defense of the northeast corner of the city, the city was expanded northeastward, resulting in a circumference of 7.3 kilometers and an area of 2.5 square kilometers. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the city was repeatedly damaged by the Han River and required several repairs.
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Climb any viewing platform during the climb and you can get a glimpse of the grandeur and majesty of Dajing Mountain.
Take a stroll in the canyon "after the rain in the empty mountains" and let your body be surrounded by negative oxygen ions. Accompanied by gurgling water and cascading waterfalls of all sizes, you can fully enjoy the unique mountain and water pleasures of this secret place.
Above the canyon is a sightseeing cable bridge, which is also the "bridge of life" for local villagers.
Explore the karst caves, where you only need to listen to nature, not yourself.
Stay in a fairytale forest cabin, wake up to a misty morning, and hear the adorable bleating sheep 🐑 from the window...
I like everything about Jiulu Village.
A peak, the King of Chu, rises from nowhere, isolated and alone in the deep mountains. Witnessing the vicissitudes of life for three thousand years, the secret realm of Jingshan reigns supreme.
▼This majestic mountain with its feet on the earth and its head in the blue sky is Chuwang Peak. It is like a mighty general, gazing at this magical land with sharp eyes and majesty.
Why is it called Chuwang Peak?
The King of Chu here refers to Xiong Tong, the first true King of Chu. Yuxiong, a servant of the Zhou Emperor, was once the teacher of King Wen of Zhou. In 1043 BC, due to his meritorious service, his great-grandson Xiong Yi was granted the fourth-rank title of nobility, known as the Prince of Chu. His fiefdom was 50 li in radius, located in the Jingshan area of present-day Baokang, then known as Danyang. Xiong Yi, who settled in Jingshan, was the first Prince of Chu.
In 740 BC, Xiong Tong ascended the throne as the 17th Prince of Chu and led his army to attack the surrounding vassal states. He requested a promotion from the Zhou emperor and a title of nobility. Rejected, Xiong Tong proclaimed himself King Wu of Chu. Legend has it that before launching his campaign against Sui, King Wu of Chu, Xiong Tong, visited the Bawang River to converse with the spirits and divine good and bad luck.
Jiuluzhai Village is surrounded by cliffs on three sides and connected to the outside world on one side. In ancient times, there were only nine small paths that relied on stone steps and ropes to climb up and down, hence the name.
▼Candle Peak stands tall and majestic, and looks like a burning candle.
One ditch, two flats, five gullies, nine roads lead to the towering mountain stronghold; seven rivers, three waterfalls and a narrow strip of sky support the Green Lion and White Elephant Peaks.
Elephant Trunk Hill, known locally as "Chuandongzi," resembles a fully formed elephant strolling out of the forest, its trunk extended, drinking from the confluence of three rivers. A closer look reveals the elephant standing over 30 meters tall, with a natural stone gate five to six meters wide formed between its trunk and body.
▼Paper mill ruins
After the rain in the empty mountains, it is the best time to stroll in the canyon. The air is moist but fresh, with raindrops lingering on the grass and trees, green moss, and smooth rocks... Take a sightseeing bus to the paper mill ruins, get off, and walk along the Bawang River to Huanglong Cave. The air is fresh all the way, with countless large and small waterfalls. At the end is the six-fold waterfall, which is about 20 meters high and 8 meters wide.
Heaven created the Yellow Dragon Cave, and its six-tiered waterfall is the most magnificent in the world. May I ask where the clear stream originates from? It leads directly to the Goddess Peak in the gorge.
▼Walk to the end of the canyon, above the Liudie Waterfall, you will find the Huanglong Cave.
▼The entrance of the cave is like the entrance to a fairyland
Walking into the cave, I entered another world entirely. I loved the lines, shaped by eons of time, the work of nature; I loved the sound of the underground river flowing like a tidal wave; I loved the water droplets that happened to drip onto the brim of my hat... Here, you only need to listen to nature, not yourself.
Huanglong Cave is a typical karst landform, with a length of more than 600 meters. There are various wonders in the cave (Cloud Palace, Dragon Seal Book, Golden Cicada Treasure Hunt, Hundred-foot Dragon Pond...), underground rivers, and dozens of stalactites.
When I reached the end of the cave and saw the emerald green, deep, and tranquil "Bai Zhang Long Tan," I was a little convinced that the Yellow Dragon once lived here...
This is the Jiuluzhai Canyon Cable Bridge. The bridge ends at Shanshuling in Baizhu Village, and at Longdongbian in Jiuluzhai Village, with a dangerous ravine in between. Below the bridge is the confluence of the Bawang and Zhankou Rivers—a place where three mountains sandwich two rivers, offering a panoramic view of the sky.
Far more than just a tourist attraction, this cable bridge across the canyon is also a "bridge of life" for the local villagers, serving as their only way out of the village.
▼I happened to see an old man crossing the bridge
From the glass deck at the center of the bridge, you can see the gurgling stream below and experience the thrill of floating in mid-air. A gentle breeze on one side, yet a sense of trepidation on the other, a mix of beauty and caution—it's a truly fascinating experience. Even better, from the bridge, you can see Elephant Trunk Hill, a unique feature of our scenic area.
▼While traveling, I happened to see the Liaoning aid medical team returning to Xiangyang for recuperation in the scenic area. I would like to pay tribute to them.
There are many ways to wake up to a new day. Awakening in a misty forest to the bleating of lambs 🐑 from the window—I can't imagine a more delightful morning than this... This is a wooden villa in the Jiuluzhai Scenic Area.
The single-family log cabin area consists of seven cabins. Small villas typically feature a king-size bedroom (with private bathroom), a standard bedroom (with private bathroom), and a large common living room. Large villas are split over two floors, each housing a king-size bedroom with private bathroom, a standard bedroom, and a deluxe suite (with living room and bathtub).
▼Youyou and I live in the outermost building. When we wake up in the morning, the lamb is right in front of our window. I love this window that overlooks the forest.
▼In front of the hotel, a small alpine lake
▼The other direction is the tourist center of the scenic area, including restaurants, etc.
▼Big Villa
▼Standard room (private bathroom)
▼A corner of the suite
Staying here: From the mountain, you can admire the majestic Jiulu Village; at the foot of the mountain, you can enjoy the waterfalls and explore the caves...
How to eat? If you choose to stay overnight in Xiangyang, you should definitely have a bowl of this must-have breakfast: the spicy, spicy, and fresh Xiangyang beef noodles, recommended to me by several taxi drivers.
Besides the specialty beef noodles, locals actually prefer beef offal noodles and beef oil noodles. "Two taels of meat noodles, half beef or offal, bean sprouts and chili peppers, a big bowl of rice wine, three or five garlic cloves..." is a major feature of Xiangyang breakfast. Here, rice wine is also the city's calling card.
▼Xiangyang Beef Noodles
The restaurant also recommends Baokang black pork, Xiangyang pig's trotters, and fish in shark's fin soup. Locals also enjoy wild, natural kudzu root as a drink, claiming it helps regulate metabolism. Whether it's nourishing or not isn't immediately apparent, but I really enjoy the taste. I prefer the unsweetened kudzu root juice, which has a natural, refreshing flavor similar to lotus root starch.
▼Fish fin soup, delicious soup
▼Baokang Black Pork
Entering the Jiuluzhai Ecological Reserve, the menu features a new take on the wild countryside. Jiuluzhai currently has only one large restaurant, with most of the others being farmhouses (such as those in nearby Baizhu Village and Baifeng Village). Regardless of restaurant or farmhouse, the dishes are consistently fresh, featuring Chinese toon, bamboo shoots, pheasant, and fresh fish.
It is true that extremely fresh ingredients often only require simple cooking.
▼Seasonal bamboo shoots are my favorite
"Jingmei, there are few people, come quickly!"
Jiuluzhai (Ecological Tourism Area) is located in the southwest of Xiema Town, Baokang County, Xiangyang City, Hubei Province. It belongs to the Jingshan Mountains, with an average altitude of 1,200m. The forest coverage rate is as high as 95%, and the negative oxygen ion content is 20,000-25,000 per cubic centimeter. It is very suitable for a one-day trip or a two-day leisure tour.
【Mountain】Chuwang Peak, Candle Peak, Elephant Trunk Peak
【River】Bawang River
【Cave】Huanglong Cave
Navigate to "Jiuluzhai Ecological Tourism Area" and choose to depart from Wuhan (5 hours), Jingzhou (4 hours), Yichang (3 hours), Xiangyang (3 hours), etc., or transfer in.
① Family Hiking Route | Visitor Center Box Office → Chuwang Peak → Paper Mill Ruins → Huanglong Cave → Bawang River Valley Hiking Trail → Cable Car to Dalingtou Viewing Platform → Cliff Rope Bridge to View Elephant Trunk Hill (Approximately 3 hours)
② Canyon Sightseeing Route｜Visitor Center Box Office → Dayakou Viewing Platform → Candle Peak → Suspension Bridge → Chutianshu Viewing Platform → First Viewing Platform → Cliff Rope Bridge → Dalingtou Viewing Platform (Approximately 2 hours)
③ Exploring the Outdoors | Cableway Station → Lianghekou Viewing Platform → Zhankou River Stream Tracing → Fozuwang Waterfall → Luoguzhai River → Yixiantian → Jiuluzhai Village (approximately 8 hours)
① The scenic spot package (entrance fee 140 yuan + sightseeing bus 20 yuan + cable car round trip 55 yuan) is only 145 yuan per person with preferential policy;
② Baokang residents can purchase a package ticket (entrance fee 140 yuan + sightseeing bus 20 yuan + round-trip cable car 55 yuan) with their ID card for only 65 yuan per person;
③ Elderly persons over 70 years old, active military personnel, persons with disabilities, medical personnel from Hubei Province with valid identification, and medical personnel holding the "Spiritual Hubei Gratitude Card" and one of their family members are exempt from entrance fees to the scenic area. The package ticket (sightseeing bus 20 yuan + cable car round trip 55 yuan + insurance 5 yuan) is only 80 yuan;
④ Children under 1.2 meters are free of charge.
Tips:
Notice:
1. The above offers cannot be combined;
2. All visitors entering the park must bring their ID cards to purchase tickets;
3. All visitors entering the park must make a reservation through the "Visit Hubei" WeChat mini-program;
4. Ticket sales time for scenic spots: 8:30-15:00
