Day 2 in Zhangjiajie 张家界

I bused with my hostelmate today to the Southgate to tour Huangshizhai 黄石寨 and then Golden Whip Stream Scenic Area 金鞭溪景区. We started early and didn’t wait in any lines. Then she left the park to another area, and I toured Yangjiajie Scenic Area 杨家界景区 by myself self, which turned out to be exhausting due to long lines for cable cars, buses, and elevator. 

Huangshizhai is the most famous scenic spot in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. It is said that "If you don't visit Huangshizhai, you will be in vain in Zhangjiajie". It is said that Zhang Liang's master Huangshigong once came here to make elixirs, and Huangshizhai got its name from this. It is located in the middle of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. It is a huge square mountain platform with an altitude of 1,080 meters and an area of ​​16.5 hectares on the top of the village. It can be called the most beautiful viewing platform in Wulingyuan. Climbing up this natural viewing platform, you can see countless stone peaks and pillars, which are rugged and tall, competing for their own place, densely spread, and forming a vast peak forest. There are more than 20 major scenic spots in the territory, such as the Heavenly Book Treasure Box, the South Sky Pillar, the Natural Mural, the Star Picking Platform, the Black Cong Ridge, the Sky Bridge Remains, and the Yuanyang Spring.

The Golden Whip Stream Scenic Area is located in the eastern part of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. It is named after the Golden Whip Rock that it flows through. The Golden Whip Stream merges with the Pipa Stream in the west and flows into the Suo Stream in the east. It is a winding and deep canyon. The scenery on both sides is beautiful, with the Golden Whip Rock, the Eagle Guarding the Whip, Wenxing Rock, Zicao Pond, Qianli Xianghui and Tiaoyu Pond being the most unique. The Golden Whip Stream is 7.5 kilometers long and is named after the Golden Whip Rock where the Eagle Guarding the Whip is one of the "Top Ten Scenic Spots in Zhangjiajie". The Golden Whip Stream runs through the peaks and valleys, and the stream water is clear and undulating.

Yangjiajie Scenic Area is adjacent to Zhangjiajie in the east and Tianzi Mountain in the north. It covers an area of ​​34 square kilometers and has a maximum altitude of 1,130 meters. It is in the infancy of the evolution of peak forests. There are gullies and ravines in the area, clear streams, dense vegetation, and a forest coverage rate of up to 95%. Yangjiajie is the last of the four major scenic areas in Wulingyuan to be developed. It includes two small scenic areas, Xiangzhi Creek and Qingfeng Gorge.

From Wulang Buddha Worship Scenic Spot, walking along the top of the mountain out of the jungle, I walked east for 1.5 km for a peak on the ridge, 一步登天 1,130 meters above sea level, but gave up at the location with an iron ladder with 32 steps to the top of the peak. I just don’t like the ladder.

I felt exhausted when getting back to the hostel, so I ordered take out of chicken rice 鸡腿套餐饭（鸡腿＋青菜＋蛋＋香千＋米饭）.  Later, I remembered to try Changsha stinky tofu長沙臭豆腐 from a street vendor.