Beautiful Xiangxi - morning fog in Laochang Village, Maoping Township, Longshan County. Photo by Zeng Xianghui.
Set off and go to Xiangxi. Photo by Gao Kui.
Gao Kui. The mountain country I love.
Xiangxi, on a large scale, should include the entire western part of Hunan, including Zhangjiajie City, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Huaihua City, etc. It is surrounded by the two major mountain ranges of Wuling and Xuefeng and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, bringing together the upper reaches of Yuanshui and Lishui and their tributaries. And our ride around Xiangxi in mid-to-late October last year was only within the range of "Xiangxi Prefecture", the westernmost part of Hunan, which can be regarded as the westernmost part of Greater Xiangxi. Most of its borders border with the neighboring provinces of Guizhou and Sichuan. The peaks here are majestic and handsome, and the rivers and streams are clear and clear; There are many historical relics here, the cultural history is thick, and there have been many famous figures; The folk customs here are peculiar, the folk customs are fierce and simple, especially those film and television dramas with the theme of Xiangxi, such as "The Story of Bandits in Oolong Mountain" and "Scarlet Xiangxi", etc., which add a layer of mystery to this land and attract many tourists. For us cycling enthusiasts, it is a secret treasure that we have to go to explore. So at the beginning of October, I sent out an invitation
Charming Xiangxi, you are a magical land.
I've been longing for a long time, and I've wanted to explore the secrets for a long time.
Not afraid of high mountains and dangerous roads, not afraid of steep slopes and sharp bends.
Explore the peculiar folk customs and the beautiful landscapes.
Riders are always on the road.
Invincible, brave and fearless.
Riding in Xiangxi in mid to late October).
At 7 o'clock in the morning of October 17th, the morning glow radiated ten thousand golden rays, and the air was thin and cool and fresh. My riding friend Lao Liu and I gathered at the intersection of Hande Avenue on the outskirts of Hanshou City as promised, and set off towards the land we liked. This is also my third long-distance ride after riding Wuhan and Qinghai Lake in 2023
In the autumn high season, Xiangxi travels, and the secret places of other places are explored and secluded.
The scenery is full of poems all the way, and the wheels are rolling to write spring and autumn.
Riding in Xiangxi in the golden autumn starts - in Hande Avenue).
Camping in Biwa Park.
According to the original plan, Lao Liu and I planned to take a direct ride to Longshan County in Xiangxi (bordering Laifeng County, Hubei Province), and then ride back to ride and enjoy the scenery in each county and scenic spot. This can not only reduce the riding time of nearly 300 kilometers and at least 3 days of short sleep, but also take into account that riding from high altitude to low altitude may have more downhill roads, which can also reduce the intensity of riding and save some physical strength. Hanshou is nearly 400 kilometers away from Longshan County, and it takes about 4 days to reach Longshan County by bicycle.
However, Hanshou did not have a car to Longshan County. We had to change our original plan and ride while watching, if we encounter a car to Longshan County on the road, we will see if we can catch it smoothly.
In fact, Lao Liu and I are not sure to ride to Longshan County, which roads will be guided by navigation. Xiangxi Mountain has many dangerous roads, steep slopes and sharp bends, and the place of life is unfamiliar, and the road ahead is really uncertain. However, we always believe that navigation will give us the best path to ride.
On October 17th, we started from Hanshou, passed through Hande Avenue, passed through Deshan Economic Development Zone, Heyuan Town, entered Taoyuan Town, Qihe Town, Shuangxikou Town, Reshi Town, and Lingxi Town in Cili County, Zhangjiajie City, and finally reached Cili County. On the first day of riding, we pedaled 135 kilometers, and we were fortunate to cross the entire Taoyuan Wonderland!
When I arrived at Cili County, it was already more than 5 o'clock in the afternoon. The night in the mountains gets dark early, so it's imperative to find a campsite first. Cyclists generally prefer to camp in a relatively safe place that is sheltered from the wind and rain, has a water source and is relatively quiet.
Not far from entering Cili County is the county's Xiangyun Bus Terminal. We asked a motorbike driver about the city's ** park. He said there were no parks in the county. We were a little puzzled. In fact, counties, cities and towns in mountainous areas are limited by geographical location, and are generally built along streams and rivers, and most of them are "rectum" streets. Besides, the mountain people have lived in the green mountains and green waters for generations, so isn't that just a natural "park"? Who of them is rare for those man-made parks? But these riders from the Lake District are rare and weird.
Sure enough, Lao Liu and I asked while riding, and walked through most of the streets, and the citizens couldn't say why, and we really didn't see the park. When we finally asked the passer-by, he said that there was a park with flowers on the outskirts of the city a few kilometers away, which made us overjoyed.
It was getting dark. We didn't care about the fatigue of the journey, and immediately rushed to the suburbs. Asking while riding, walking and stopping, I finally found the place pointed by the passerby. Originally, it was called Pipa Park, and it was also a campground for cyclists. But when we looked around, the high mood suddenly fell again. Except for a few parked cars, it is difficult to see a single person here, and it is very deserted.
At this moment, the night was dark, the shadows were vague, and the stomach was grunting with hunger. Luckily we found a parking shed and a toilet next to it, so we had to do it tonight.
With a place to sleep, we let go of most of our worries. The next thing is to solve the problem of the stomach. A middle-aged man happened to pass by. We asked him if there were any small snack shops nearby. The middle-aged man pointed with his hand ahead and told us that there was a farm in the place in front of us. Our eyes lit up, we were half incredulous, half surprised, half delighted: we had no idea that there was a farm in such a remote place. The good thing is that in the past, when we rode out, we were looking for farms to eat and sleep. You take care of the business of the farm, and the owner will naturally provide you with a place to pitch a tent, and even provide you with hot water and a washroom, which is also the experience we usually explore when we go out on a camping trip.
Luckily, we hadn't let go of our panniers yet, so we rode to the farm. When we arrived at the farm, it was as if we had come to a fairyland on earth: the farm was brightly lit and the building of the courtyard was high-end. The rockery in the middle of the courtyard is delicate and towering, and the water is murmuring. The pavilion cloister is antique, and the ground is spotless. There are many cars parked on the spacious field in front of the hospital (it turns out that the car friends also have dinner and accommodation here). A group of local aunts and aunts lined up in a neat formation and danced to the rhythm of powerful music. In the woods next to the river, some pavilions and open-air stone tables and stone benches can be faintly seen. The evening breeze carries the cool air of the river to the face, which is refreshing, and the fatigue of the day seems to disappear in an instant.
The hostess is a middle-aged lady with a graceful and warm attitude. She arranged for the kitchen to stir up a few plates of warm and delicious dishes for us, and said that you can set up the tent in and out of the courtyard. The floor in the corridor is smooth and clean, and it is close to the bathroom, which is the first choice for setting up tents. We opened the tent, washed up briefly, and then fell asleep.
This end of the cloister where we pitched our tent was right next to the river. The river flows day and night. At night, it is like a beautiful woman playing a beautiful tune for us riders with a lute in her arms, and it rings loudly. Is this river called the Biwa River? Is Pipa Park also named after the river? Playing and listening, thinking, slowly, we fell asleep and spent the first difficult and emotional night of riding around Xiangxi.
After several twists and turns, he arrived at Yongsan.
As soon as it was dawn in the morning, Lao Liu and I got up. After a hurried wash, he quickly packed up the tent again. When you go out, others have given you convenience, be interesting, after all, this is a farm, don't affect the business of the owner.
Lao Liu Yuan and I were counting on the bus to Longshan County during the ride. However, we rode into Cili County, Zhangjiajie City, and did not encounter a bus. Perhaps, it's because we don't know much about the current traffic pattern. As everyone knows, now the railway, especially the radiation development of high-speed rail, has made great changes in the transportation of counties and cities, people have long chosen a more comfortable and fast railway, in the early years, those buses and buses to and from various cities and counties gradually faded out of people's sight because of the small source of passengers, replaced by those small vehicles that can only accommodate a few people.
Despite this, Lao Liu and I packed up and went to the Xiangyun bus station in Cili County to try our luck. As a result, when I inquired, Cili did not go to Longshan County for a bus. You must first take a bus to Zhangjiajie City, and then transfer to Longshan County. But what is annoying is that Cili went to Zhangjiajie City with some small cars, which could not accommodate our two bicycles at all!
It is also the road to the sky. Just as we were worried, a female flight attendant who was picking up passengers found out about our situation. Listening to her "German", I knew that she was running the bus line from Changde City to Cili County, and she was also from her hometown. She enthusiastically called us ** and contacted a bus driver she was familiar with who ran the Zhangjiajie tourist route. Fortunately, the bus driver was driving along the "Changzhang Expressway" in the direction of Zhangjiajie, passing through Cili County at about 11 o'clock in the afternoon. The lady who picked up the customers asked us to wait at a gas station next to the highway on the edge of the county.
A stone in my heart fell to the ground. But we were still more cautious, and asked the lady to ask the bus driver, Zhangjiajie, if there was a bus to Longshan County. The bus driver said that he had a friend's bus that ran to Longshan County, and their cars were usually parked together at the station.
After several twists and turns, we finally arrived in Longshan County at 5 p.m. on the same day and officially started our journey to Xiangxi.
To be continued).