When I was surfing Internet, I accidentally saw a picture of an outdoor elevator close to a hill so, I interested to know more. I searched more information about the place and I discovered that, it is the largest and tallest outdoor elevator in the World. It is situated in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. It is also where the Hollywood movie "Avatar" was filmed. Because of that, I kept my dream to visit there one day.
Boilong Elevator
After I visited Turkey on 2023, I thought I would like to go to Egypt, UAE, or Japan in 2024 but, because of the war between Palestine and !sr@il, and also these countries have diplomatic ties with z!@nis, I have changed my mind. I wasn't interested go to 'munaf!k' countries and I thought, I might not travel anywhere in 2024.
Every day, I read and listen to news regarding Palestine. I found out, china has no diplomatic ties with !sr@!l. Coincidentally, I have a dream to travel to Zhangjiajie so, I think, it is the ideal destination.
I kept searching about Zhangjiajie and also the ancient cities near it. They are Furong and Fenghuang. Once I had the information needed, I made decision to travel there. That was the last minute decision. Usually, I book international plane tickets a year early. This was the first time I book 4 months early.
After considered about several factors, I decided to fly with China Southern Airlines. I paid a round trip ticket to Changsha (The largest city in Hunan Province) at cost RM1189.
I got several issues before I travel there, they are:
1. 1st until 7th October are public holiday
I made a mistake when I decided to travel there in the early October because 1st until October 7th are public holidays especially on the October 1st. It is the National Day. It is a peak season. There could be a lot of challenges for me, particularly if I wish to use the public transportation.
I decided to take the high-speed train from Changsha to Zhangjiajie on the October 1st. I had to reserve my tickets in advance to avoid them selling out. I discovered that, in order to make a reservation on the 12306 China Railway website, I need to register first. However, My sign up process was problematic, and I'm not sure why. I made multiple attempts but was unsuccessful.
It took me a month to find trip.com. It is a website similar to booking.com and agoda. It originates from China. Via the website, we can reserve a high-speed train ticket in China. Thus, the issue is resolved. I paid the ticket Rm104.68. I also found out, trip.com is a better option if you want to book a hotel in China because it offers a wide selection and lower pricing than other websites.
2. China prefer cashless payment
Cash is used less frequently in China now. Most people prefer to pay with WeChat and Alipay. So, I installed WeChat and tried to use it. However, I discovered that WeChat Pay Malaysia had stopped offering its payment service as of September 1st, 2024, and they ask people who still have balance in their account to withdraw them.
My second option I have is, Alipay. But I have an issue. I need to get a Chinese debit card in order to reload the Alipay. It caused me to struggle. I need weather WeChet or Alipay to use the public transport there.
I was looking for a solution to this issue. Eventually, I discovered that when we see the Alipay logo, Malaysians can use the Touch'nGo eWallet abroad. It look likes that the Touch'nGo eWallet can replaces Alipay for Malaysian. So, that solved my problem.
I also found out about Wise Card as well. We can use this card in store, online or withdraw from ATM machine in local currency like a local. With the Wise card, we never have to be concerned about exchange rate markups, or high transaction fees when we spend abroad. If you like travelling abroad, I recommend that you have this card because it is cheaper than other debit cards for international transactions.
3. Most of international apps are ban
I found out, china bans WhatsApp, Google, Gmail, yahoo, YouTube, twitter, messenger, etc. Meanwhile, I need Whatsapp, google and yahoo mail no matter where I go. In order to get out of the dilemma, I have to install a VPN or get a spesific sim card that can access the content they are blocking. After considered several factors and after I found a suitable sim card in Shopee, I choose to use the sim card there. It's cost RM70 for 12 days. Actually, this is the first time I've used the SIM card abroad. I have never used even a SIM card. I only used the free WiFi in hotels and public areas when I was online.
I booked hotels 2 months early. In Downtown Zhangjiajie, I choose to stay near Tianmen Mountain Cable car station because it is easy for me to get the cable car to go to the summit of the mountain. I got a standard room at price RM80.70 for 2 nights.
In Wulingyuan, I decided to stay in Wulingyuan town because it is situated in the middle of Zhangjiajie national forest park tickets station and Grand Canyon. In addition, I choose this location since it is close to bus station, making it simple to me to get to other places. It's close to a pedestrian street as well. It calls Xibu Street. It easy for me go get any things I needs. I paid RM149 for a standard room, for 3 night.
In furong, I decided to stay close to The Furong ancient Town because I can go to any spot attractions in walking distance. I paid for a standard room RM160.88 for 2 nights.
I decided to stay close to spot attractions in The Fenghuang ancient Town as well. I paid RM97.84 for 2 nights.
In Changsha, I choose to stay in the city centre. It is close to Wuyi Square Station (Metro Station).
On October 1, my plane was supposed to take off at 3 am, however it left KLIA 10 minutes earlier, at 2.50 am. I arrived in Changsha at 7.20 am, 30 minutes early as scheduled. Every procedure at the airport was done successfully. Then I head in the direction of the Maglev Express Station. I bought a ticket to Changsha South Railway Station for 20¥. When I arrived at the station, the staff informed me that it was the wrong station. I have to go to the Changsha Railway Station. I'm not aware of any more high-speed train stations in Changsa. So, I have to take a metro and get off at Jintai Square Station. At 9.30, I arrived at the station. It was still early. My train was scheduled for 12.05 pm. I regret booking that time. I had to wait for a long time.
All the announcement at the high speed train station were in Chinese Language. so, I asked for a woman to assist me in finding the right train. She requested me to wait, when the time came, she would take me to the correct train. After hearing the announcement, she asked me to wait in line for the checking process. After checking process, I boarded the train to Zhangjiajie West Railway Station. I got there at 2:27 p.m. After that, I took a bus to the city centre. My hotel is close to bus station and also cable car station.
On October 2, I walked out early to the cable car station to get a Tianmen Mountain ticket. When I arrived at a ticket counter, the worker informed me that there were no line A tickets available. They only had line C tickets (RM167.14). Because of the line A ticket is sold out, I am unable to take a direct cable car from Zhangjiajie city. I must first board a shuttle bus, which will bring me to another cable car station. It is far from the city center. I did as she said till I arrived at the cable car station. When I got there, I rode the cable car up Tianmen Mountain. I can see the 99 Bends from the cable car before I reach the mountain.
I still had a long way to go. In order to continue my journey, I had to decide between taking the escalator or climbing the 999 Stairs, often known as "The Stairway to Heaven". I decided to use the escalator but it costs money. I made a payment of Rm19.45. I had no energy to climb the stairs.
Then, I continue my journey by walking around the cliff-hanging walkways.
I have to pay RM 15.33 to go through this transparent glass skywalk.
Tianmenshan Temple. It is situated on the summit of Tianmen Mountain
Tianmenshan Temple
I paid RM 15.33 for this mini cable car to go to Yunmeng Fairy Peak
Yunmeng Fairy Peak
At 2 pm, I returned from Tianmen Mountain . I took a bus to 72 wonder towel at 3 pm. It's a very unique structure. It is the World tallest stilted structure in the Tujia ethnic style. Here, visitors can enjoy the charm of the ancient city and appreciate the traditional culture of Zhangjiajie. This building is inspiration by Ming and Qing dynasties. I paid RM 12.01 for the entrance fee.You can see the scenery here by clicking this link, https://youtu.be/Xn5_-ywU5hI
72 Wonder Towel
I rode a bus to Wulingyuan city centre On October 3, at 7 am. I will be here for four days and three nights. I paid RM7.91 for the bus ticket. I headed to my hotel first when I got there. I placed my luggage there. Then, I walked to Wulingyuan Sign Gate. Actually, there are five access gates to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. They are east entrance which was originally named as Wulingyuan Sign Gate, southeast entrance which was originally named as Zimugang Gate, south entrance which was originally named as Forest Park Luoguta Gate, west entrance which was originally named as Yangjiajie Gate and north entrance whose former name is Tianzi Mountain.The picture below is a trademark for Wulingyuan Sign Gate. The entrance fee for the National Forest Park is RM137.94. The ticket is valid for three days.
Wulingyuan Sign Gate
On the first day at the National Forest Park, I began my adventure at Wulingyuan Sign Gate. I had to ride a cable car to go to Tianzi Mountain. I paid RM84.07 for the cable car fee. After reaching at the top of the mountain, I rode a shuttle bus to Tianzi Mountain Gate. After that, I had to climb and descend about four km of stairs to reach at the base of the mountain. There is no elevator and escalator. I was too exhausted to go on this journey all the way to the end. When I arrived at the base of the mountain, I took a mini train to go to 10 Miles Gallery. I was too tired to walk any longer. I paid RM23.32 for the train ticket. Then, I returned to Wulingyuan Sign Gate by a shuttle bus. I had no appetite on that day.
I began my journey from the south gate on the second day. To go to the gate, I have to take a bus from Wulingyuan Bus Station. After I arrived at the entrance, I had to take a cable car to go to Huangshi Village. The cable car ticket price is RM79.78. Then, I continued my journey by going up and down the stairs for nearly four km to arrive at Yangjiajie. I was exhausted. I had to go through the two days of hardship. I won't come here anymore, forever and ever. When I arrived at the Yangjiajie Gate, I had to take a cable car to the Yangjiajie Scenic Area. I paid RM46.72 for the cable car ticket. Then, I took a shuttle bus to Yuanjiajie and ended the journey at Boilong Elevator. I have to pay RM39.79 to go through this elevator. The elevator is the main attraction for me and because of it, I chose Zhangjiajie. I cannot find the best spot to take a photo of the elevator because there are a lot of threes covering up the elevator. You can see the scenery there by clicking this link https://youtu.be/YcGuMxPCBFs
On October 5, I took a bus, to go to Grand Canyon and Glass Bridge. I paid RM7.37 for the bus ticket. Meanwhile, for the entrance ticket, I paid RM108.14. I began the journey at the Glass Bridge. There were a lot of people here. They like me, enjoyed taking photos
I proceeded to climb the hill's slopes until I reached the first Elevator. When I got there, I used the elevator to descend. To continue the journey, I had to choose whether to pay for the second elevator or to descend via the steep stairs. So, I chose the steep stairs. After half of the stairs, I regret because it was a long journey and I was very exhausted.
Elevator
When I arrived at the canyon, I had to go along on the edge of the canyon until the last journey, l had to ride a boat. It was a challenging activity. You can see the scenery there by clicking this link https://youtu.be/lB6o6JH-7Eg
It was still early in the day so, I visited Yellow Dragon Cave. I took a bus to go there. I paid RM6.12 for the bus ticket. I got there in the afternoon. I paid RM58.77 for the ticket fee. When I surf the internet, I notice the caves surrounding are colourful. I thought it was a natural scenery. Actually, it's lamp lighting. You can see the scenery there by clicking this link https://youtu.be/Lsmf3KQWAIo On October 6, I left Wulingyuan and went to Zhangjiajie Bus Station to take a Van to go to Furong. Furong is a small town. I arrived at Zhangjiajie Bus Station at 8.20 am but I had to wait until the van was full. The van was full at 10.50 am. I paid 40 ¥ for the bus ticket. It took 1 hour and 40 minutes to go to Furong. After arriving at Furong Bus Station, I had to take another van to get to Furong Ancient Town. It is situated 2 km from Furong Bus Station. When I got out of the van, a Chinese woman welcomed me warmly. She said something that I didn't understand. When I crossed the street, I was greeted warmly by another woman. Then, I carried on walking. After taking a few steps, I met another woman. She greeted me and showed me pictures of several rooms. Now, I understood, that they greeted me because they wanted to persuade me to buy their products.
My hotel is situated near the ancient town. So, when I got there, I checked in my hotel first, kept my luggage, and took a rest for a while. After that, I visited the ancient town. It just a few steps from my hotel. I paid RM 66.12 for the entrance ticket. The ticket is valid for three days. You can see the scenery there by clicking this link https://youtu.be/8rmA8QiW28k
Tomorrow morning, October 7, I took a bus at Furong Bus Station to go to Red Stone Forest Park. It is situated at the end of a street in Jietong. If you come to Furong with a travel agent, they hardly ever bring their customers here. I have no idea why. Usually, the travel agents only bring their customers to Furong Ancient Town and they rarely stay in the town. They just stop by and continue their journey to Fenghuang and stay there. I paid RM73.47 for the entrance ticket. The red stone is shown in the pictures below. Although the stone is red, it seems brown because of the moss covering it. You can see the scenery there by clicking this link https://youtu.be/Gpvwa4vfWFI
After finished visiting the Red Stone, I waited for the bus. An hour later, there was a bus coming. I asked the driver, whether the bus go to Furong. He answered, "No". So, I still waiting for the bus. Suddenly, three police officers came here. The driver requested assistance from the police officers. Among the three of them, only one person can speak English and I only talked with that person. The policeman asked me, where I was going to go. I replied, I wanted to go to Furong. One of them called Furong Bus Station, and the staff informed the police officer, that there was not a bus to go there. The police officer told me, it's a remote area. When no person wants to come here, the bus will not come here too. So, they decided to send me to my hotel. They are very nice. They refused to take my money, they claimed, it is their responsibility. When we arrived at the hotel, The police officer met the hotel owner and talked with him. I don't understand what they talked about but it was about my safety. When I wanted to go out in the evening, the hotel owner gave me his phone number and asked me to call him if I needed his help.
I checked out of my hotel in the early morning of October 8. I boarded a minibus to the Furong bus station before taking another bus to Furong high-speed train. My train to Fenghuang was scheduled for 8.08 a.m. I paid RM34.55. The journey took forty minutes. If you visit here, you must take a high-speed rail to Fenghuang. There is no direct bus service to Fenghuang. You have no other options if you use public transport. When I got to the Fenghuang High-Speed Train Station, I boarded a tourist bus to Fenghuang City. I paid 7¥ for my bus ticket. I walked to my hotel as soon as I arrived. When I arrived at the hotel, I was fortunate when the hotel owner allowed me to check in early. After took a break and ate some food, I went out . When I was in Fenghuang, I only spent my time at Fenghuang Ancient Town and the city center. I don't have to pay anything to visit the ancient town. I only have to pay when I visit specific attractions. You can see the scenery there by clicking the link https://youtu.be/Uv_s0TP3WbE
My visit to Fenghuang ended on October 10. I have to continue my travel to Changsha in order to catch a flight back to Malaysia. There is no direct train or bus service that goes there. To get to Changsha, I need to take a bus to Jishou Bus Station first. From there, I must catch an express bus. I spent RM86.82 on the bus ticket. The trip took five hours. I arrived at Changsha bus station at 3.30 p.m.
I continued my journey by riding the subway to Wuyi Square Station. This station is located in the city center. It is large because it connects to several other subway lines. When I arrived, my Google Maps had an issue. It took a long time to arrive at the hotel. When I arrived at the hotel, the employees spoke to me in high tones. I couldn't understand. I requested her to talk through a translation application. She refused, just saying no hotel. I checked the trip.com app, and it said I could get a refund if I cancelled by 6 p.m. So, I decided to cancel the booking and I had no feeling to stay there. I looked at another hotel near Wuyi Square Station, I found 7 Days Inn Hotel. I paid 132¥ for a night. It is a very comfortable room.
My last day there was October 11, I visited Orange Island in the morning. The island is known as Orang Island because it produced oranges during the early Tang Dynasty. Orange plants are still growing there today. However, nowadays people come here not because of the orange but, the Young Mao Zedong Statue. It is a well-known trademark there. Many people gathered there to take photos of the statue.
The Young Mao Zedong Statue
After visited orange Island, I wondered at Taiping Street and HuangXing Street. They are old pedestrian street. People can get goods in cheaper price there.
I left Changsha at 3 p.m. because I was too fatigued to wonder any longer. I took the subway to get to the airport. I spent RM3.72 for the subway ticket. The journey took one hour. I rested at the airport while, I waited for my departure at 9 pm. The plane arrived and left the airport on time. There were plenty of available seats , so I can sleep comfortably. Alhamdulillah, I arrived at KLIA safely about 2 am. It was an adventure trip.
Based on my experience there, I come with several conclusions:
1. Even though Chinese people are nasty and aggressive, they are willing to assist foreigners. Every bus driver I encountered, informed me once we got at our location.
2. Every person I met, was guiding me when I asked about something
3. They enjoy communicate with me by using translation apps when they do not understand English
4. I didn't met any Muslim when I was there and I didn't find any halal restaurant
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