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Hunan Province Attractions

Tianmen Fox Fairy Show

Known as the world’s first real-scene musical drama with the high mountains and deep valleys as the stage background, Tianmen Fox Fairy was put on at the foot of Tianmen Mountain, Zhangjiajie in September, 2009. Originated from a traditional Chinese myth and folk tale- “Love between Man and Fox”,...

Known as the world’s first real-scene musical drama with the high mountains and deep valleys as the stage background, Tianmen Fox Fairy was put on at the foot of Tianmen Mountain, Zhangjiajie in September, 2009. Originated from a traditional Chinese myth and folk tale- “Love between Man and Fox”, the drama integrates the elements of folk music and modern art. As the story progresses, you will find settings everywhere from the foot of the hill to the peak, be it spotlight, stage for the chorus, background houses…everything. The visual presentation is spectacular and amazing, the music is impressive, and those dancers and singers are also charming.

Every night except harsh winter months it will be on show at the Grand Valley of Tianmen Mountain. Here you can listen to sweet singings, admire colorful lighting scene, and experience the strong folk custom of Tujia and Miao minorities. Since this open-air drama is only performed at night, when the weather gets cold you had better bring a coat to enjoy it.

With an investment of 120 million Yuan and a cast of 530, the wonderful drama has attracted bout 150,000 travelers from home and abroad since its debut performance. Tickets are available from most travel agencies or hotels.

The Tianmen Mountain and Tianmen Cave are grand and magnificent. A 5km valley with altitude difference of more than 1000m nestles in the magnificent and extraordinary Wuling Mountain Range. The valley boasts fragrant grass, chattering stream and mist wafting from the valley, which make the valley like a heaven of peace and happiness.

The main stage of the A Fox Fairy of Tianmen Mountain – the New Story of Woodman Liuhai blends with wonderful mountains, valleys, forests, streams and waterfalls to form the only large stage against the background of towering mountains and valley in the world, measuring all over 1 kilometer in depth, width and height respectively. The central stage of the play is built above the brook, looking like an inverse ancient tree floating on the bubbling stream, which blends with surrounding natural landscapes perfectly. Occupying a total area of 10000m2, the stage is the largest stage for performance in the world up to now. Moreover, it is designed to be made of glass steel, which becomes transparently bright under lighting effect to create fantastic scenes with color variations.

● Production Team:

Planner & Chief Director: Mei Shuaiyuan, creator of China landscape live-action and general producer of Impression of Sanjie Liu, Zen Music ShaoLin Grand Ceremony, Jinggang Mountain, Dreamlike Glory of the Song Dynasty, Proud Son of Heaven - Genghis Khan, Chinese Mountain Tai - Grand Ceremony of Worship and other live-actions.

Music Art Director: Tan Dun, the most influential Chinese composer in the world and the winner of Grammy and Oscar original music prizes.

Composer: Zhang Xiao, young composer, one of the composers of Impression of Sanjie Liu and composer of Jinggang Mountain and Dreamlike Glory of the Song Dynasty.

Playwright: Zhang Rensheng, famous playwright who has won the "Best Works Award of the Ministry of Publicity of CPC & Wenhua Playwright Award of the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China" for many times.

Executive Director & Editor: Min Rui, one of the executive editors of the opening ceremony and closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Chief Stage Art Designer: Yan Wenlong, famous art designer, chief stage art designer of the opening ceremony of Shanghai Special Olympics and other large-scale performances, and the stage art designer of Chinese Mountain Tai-Grand Ceremony of Worship, the Interpretation of Dujiangyan and other large-scale performances.

Lighting designer: Wang Yugang, lighting designer of Impression of Sanjie Liu, Dreamlike Glory of the Song Dynasty and other live-actions.

Digital video producer: Beijing Crystal Digital Technology Co., Ltd, digital technique producer of the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games.

● Project Implementation and Stage Design:

A Fox Fairy of Tianmen Mountain – the New Story of Woodman Liuhai is unveiled against the background of a valley measuring about 5km in length stretching from the mountain gate of Tianmen Mountain scenic spot to the top of Tianmen Mountain, with altitude difference of 1100m. The main stage is built at the lower end of the valley in the mountain gate; tens of extraordinary mountains alongside the valley as well as the towering Tianmen Cave are the profound background of the main stage. The main stage blends with the valleys, wonderful mountains, forests, streams and waterfalls to form a super-large stage measuring several kilometers in depth and over a thousand meters in width and height difference.

The auditorium and main stage occupy a total area of 19880 m2. The panoramic stage made of glass steel occupies an area of 10000m2, which is transparently bright with lighting effect to form a fantastic scene. The performance areas are divided into five parts: central stage, mankind's world on the left, fox's world on the right, the singing platform in the front left and the live-action of terrace and timber bridge at the back.

The central stage is built on a brook with an inverse ancient tree floating on bubbling stream to form an integral live-action stage together with protruding stone bed. As to the mankind's world on the left, many Tujia wood huts with black tile carved windows and wooden fences are built along the mountains as stage art landscapes. And these simple wood huts are connected with each other to form a distinctive village of western Hunan. In the fox's world on the right, bizarre rocks are built amid forests, and rare flowers and grass are embedded to form a fantastic natural fox paradise. In the singing platform hanging on a hill, more than 100 girls wearing traditional costume, silver adornment and silver bells of Tujia Rthnic Group sing to offer people with wonderful aural enjoyment. The live-action of terrace and timber bridge with rich pastoral characteristics at the back echoes with the village from afar. The whole stage is natural as if it has been standing there for thousands of years at the foot of Tianmen Mountain to tell a legend.

Hunan Province Articles

Top Hunan Province Tours

$310 Per Day

3- Day Popular Tour In Zhangjiajie

Day 1    Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Full day trip to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park,take Bailong Elevator up Yuanjiajie,Bailong Elevator is the said to be the worlds tallest full-exposure outdoor lift,double-deck sightseeing elevator.Yuanjiajie is the inspiration for Hallelujah Mountain in AVATAR , Where you will also find the aptly named First Bridge under Heaven, Lover Peaks and so on.

Continuing to Tianzi Mountain, it takes you 40 minuts from Yuanjiajie to Tianzi Mountain by public bus, after arriving in Tianzi Mountain, you will have a bird’s-eye view of all the mountains and valleys of the Wuling Mountains. Visit Western Sea, Helong Park, Viewing Terrace etc.Take Tianzi cablecar down and check in hotel for a rest.
Accommodation: Wulingyuan Downtown

Day 2    Baofeng Lake & Glass Bridge

After breaking in the hotel, we head to Baofeng Lake where is the masterpiece of nature and human beings’wisdom. Baofeng Lake is pure just like a big crystal among Bao feng mountain Range.When you cruise, you can hear authentic song from Tujia minority people,you can fully understand the harmony and peace between human beings and nature.

Transfer to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, have a walking on the Glass Bridge, Glass Bridge is the highlight of Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, located in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge is the highest and longest transparent glass bridge with a length 430 meters and a width 6 meters. It is 300 meters above the ground level and it can bear 800 persons standing on it at the same time. (need to book the tickets in advance)
Accommodation: Wulingyuan Downtown

Day 3    Tianmen Mountain

Full day to explore Tianmen Mountain,take the longest cablecar in the world up Tianmen Mountain,have a walk on the mountain plank road built along the face of cliffs. You will feel like walking in a fairy land when the mist is still heavy.The must-visit scenic spots are: Tianmen Cave, Glass Road, Tianme Temple.

See you off in the airport and looking forward to seeing you again in Zhangjiajie.

$300 Per Day

Zhangjiajie and Guilin 6 Days Tour

Itinerary:

Day 1.  Zhangjiajie Arrival

Arriving in Zhangjiajie Airport. Picking up and transfer to your hotel in Zhangjiajie. Free activities or having a rest at your hotel.

D 2.  Wulingyuan Scenic Area: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Golden WhipBrook, Yuanjiajie, Tianzi Mountain)

This day you are heading to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Wulingyuan Scenic Area. The first main attraction in the park that you will visit is Golden Whip Brook. It covers a distance of 7.5 km from north to south, winding across mountains and valleys. The brook is limpid through the year, with many scenic spots along the way. Then you will take Bailong elevator (1,070 ft. glass elevator) go up to Yuanjiajie Senic Area. You will visit Greatest Natural Bridge, Enchanting Terrace and Heaven Pillar. Heaven Pillar is AVATAR Mountain. The movie AVATAR was shot here. Enjoy Hallelujah Mountain. In the afternoon, you are going to Tianzi Mountain by tourist car. You will see Xihai,Helong Park, Imperial Writing Brush Peaks, Fairy Dispersing Flowers, etc.

Suggested accommodation area: Wulinyuan District of Zhangjiajie.

D 3: Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge (The world's longest and highest glass bridge) -- Tianmen Mountain (the longest cable car of the world, glass skywalk)

In the morning, you will go to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon for seeing the highest and longest glass bridge in the world. It's about 50 minutes driving distance from Wulinyuan. Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge (also called Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge) is a bridge located in Zhangjiajie, China, above the Wulingyuan area. The bridge, built as an attraction for tourists, is glass-bottomed and is transparent. It is the longest and tallest glass bottomed bridge in the world. The bridge, opened to the public on 20 August 2016, measures 430 meters in length and 6 meters in breadth, and is suspended about 300 meters above the ground. The bridge spans the canyon between two mountain cliffs in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, Hunan, China. After finished the glass bridge then you will go to Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park. Your heart will beat fast on the world’s longest cable car at Tianmen Mountain. You will do the glass skywalk. It is a suspended glass walkway almost a mile (1,430 meters) above the ground. It built at the cliff-side of Tianmen mountain. You will take an eco-friendly bus driving on the ‘99 Bends’ mountain road.

Accommodation area: Yongding District of Zhangjiajie

D 4:  Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang (Phoenix Ancient Town)

Driving to Fenghuang from Zhangjiajie on highway in the morning (It takes 3.5 hours). You could take a boat ride on Tuo River and appreciate the beautiful river and the ancient town. Walking up and down both sides of Tuo River and enjoying the harmonious atmosphere in the ancient town. Get relax while watching the rows of traditional wooden houses built on stilts and looking at what the local people do. At night you will see the different beautiful view of the town. You will see the gorgeous lit up buildings and bridges.

Accommodation area: Fenghuang

D 5: Fenghuang to Longji Rice Terraces (Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces)

Driving to Longji Rice Terraces from Fenghuang in the morning (It takes about 6 hours. It is 370 km between these two places by car). Longji Rice Terraces also names Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces. It located in Longji Town, Longsheng County, Guilin City, Guangxi Province. It's the most popular attraction in Guangxi province, China.The terraced fields are built along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountain top, between 600 to 800 metres (2,000 to 2,600 ft) above sea level. A coiling terrace line that starts from the mountain foot up to the mountain top divides the mountain into layers of water in spring, layers of green rice shoots in summer, layers of rice in fall, and layers of frost in winter. The terraced fields were mostly built about 650 years ago. Longji Rice Terraces consists of 3 main parts. They are Rice Terraces of Ping'an Village, Rice Terraces of Jingken Dazhai Village and Rice Terraces of Longji Ancient Zhuang Village. You will take a cable car up to the mountain top for getting a panoramic view of the rice terraces in Dazhai village. And you will also visit Ping'an Village as well.

Accommodation area: Longsheng County (Guilin)

D 6: Yangshuo: Yulong River

Driving to Yangshuo county from Longshen county for seeing Yulong River (It takes 4 hours). You will take a bamboo raft to do the rafting on Yulong River. It's the perfect way to enjoy the beauty area of the mountain and water.

You also have an option of taking a helicopter for seeing the best part of Yulong River area from a god view.

At the end of the tour, your driver will drop you off at Guilin Airport or train stations in Guilin (or Yangshuo) or your hotels in Yangshuo county or Guilin. (Depends on your requirement)

$558 Per Day

5-Day Zhangjiajie & Fenghuang Ancient Town Classic Tour

Day 1: Zhangjiajie Arrival

After meeting with the tour guide, he/she will take you by private van and driver to your hotel for a good rest.

Accommodation: Best Western Grand Hotel in Zhangjiajie(Superior Class)/Sunshine Hotel & Resort Zhangjiajie(Deluxe Class)

Day 2: Zhangjiajie national forest park: Huangshi Fort, Golden Whip Brook

After breakfast, you will take the cable car to Huangshi Fort which is 1092 meters above sea level. It is the biggest sightseeing platform to view the spectacular scenery in the national park. Later, explore the famous Golden Whip Brook which covers a distance of 7.5 km winding across mountains and valleys. 

Accommodation:  Wulingyuan Hotel(Superior Class)/Pullman Hotel & Resort(Deluxe Class)

Day 3: Wulingyuan scenic area: Tianzi mountain, Yuanjiajie and Baofeng Lake

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up  and take you to Wulingyuaun Scenic Area to visit its two most classic and popular attractions. Take a cable car up to Tianzi mountain, and you will see large area of grotesque peaks thrusting up below. Walking along the steps, spectacular views unfold in front of you from different angels. In the afternoon, ride the public shuttle bus to Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, whose mountains are said to be the inspiration for Avatar's Hallelujah Mountain, and then take the shuttle bus for the Bailong elevator down the mountain. This glass elevator was built on the side of a cliff, and it claims to be the world's highest and fastest outdoor sightseeing elevator which takes only 1.5 minutes with 326 meters as the height.

After that, go to Baofeng lake that is a basin created by the terrain in the middle of this mountainous area. It is a leisurely experience as you boat on the clear water, see the hills of various shapes, and enjoy entertainment by the local minority people as they sing their traditional songs.

Accommodation:  Wulingyuan Hotel(Superior Class)/Pullman Hotel & Resort(Deluxe Class)

Day 4: Tianmen Mountain, drive to Fenghuang Ancient Town

After breakfast, take the longest cable car up to the top of Tianmen Mountain which got the name because of Tianmen hole(literally "heaven's gate) is a 131-meter-high hole formed naturally in the mountain like a doorway, well-known for being glided through by a world-class stuntman in a wing suit. To reach the hole, you can climb for about half an hour up the "stairway to heaven". Coming up to Tianmen mountain, Your heart will beat faster at on the world's longest cable car, the suspended glass walkway almost a mile(1,430 meters) above the ground, and the winding road with 99 curves.
    In the afternoon, 4 hours drive to Fenghuang Ancient Town, enjoy the night view in the town with all lights and lanterns on.

Accommodation: Government Hotel(Superior Class)/Phoenix Grand Hotel(Deluxe Class)

 Day 5: Fenghuan Ancient Town, Dehang Miao Village, Back to the next destination

After breakfast, wondering around in the ancient town with the cement pavements and characteristic wooden buildings (Diaojiaolou). 

In the afternoon, drive back to Zhangjiajie while on the way back, explore Dehang Miao Village which refers to "beautiful valley" to get an interactive with local Miao-minority people in person.

    End of service for 5-Day Zhangjiajie & Fenghuang Ancient Town Classic Tour, and you will be transferred to the airport/train station/bus station for your next destination.