Enshi

Enshi Grand Canyon, the “floating boats” of Pingshan Gorge and Lichuan’s Tenglong Cave, with Tujia culture and cool summers: Hubei’s hottest off-the-beaten-path destination.

The Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture lies in the Wuling Mountains of southwestern Hubei, bordering Chongqing and Hunan. Its seat is Enshi City, and it governs Lichuan, Jianshi, Badong, Xuan’en, Xianfeng, Laifeng, Hefeng and other counties and county-level cities. It is Hubei’s only ethnic autonomous prefecture. The climate is subtropical mountain monsoon, and May–October is the best season: in summer Enshi city averages around 28°C, while high-altitude areas such as Lichuan’s Sumadang are around 22°C, making this a favorite summer escape in the middle Yangtze region. From November to March it is cold, damp, rainy and misty, and some scenic-area trails are closed. The main areas to visit fall into five zones. First, the area around Enshi city: Tusi City, the Daughters’ City night market, the Prefecture Museum, Longlin Palace and the Dong village of Fengxiangpo, which together take 1 day, plus half a day at the Suobuya Stone Forest to the north. Second, Enshi Grand Canyon (about 50 km from the city, with Qixingzhai and the Yunlong Ground Rift) and the nearby Luyuanping hike. Third, Lichuan: Tenglong Cave, Longchuan Water Town, and in the north Dashuijing, Yumuzhai and the summer retreat of Sumadang. Fourth, the Dixin Valley canyon in Jianshi to the east. Fifth, the southern route: the Shiziguan floating bridge and the Xianshan Gongshui night views in Xuan’en, the Tangya Tusi site in Xianfeng (a World Heritage Site), and the “floating boats” of Pingshan Gorge in Hefeng. Getting there: Enshi Xujiaping Airport is about 6 km from the city center. Enshi Station is on the Shanghai–Chongqing–Chengdu high-speed railway and the Yichang–Wanzhou railway, about 2 hours from Wuhan and about 2 hours from Chongqing. Lichuan, Xuan’en and Xianfeng all have high-speed rail stations. Public transport to Pingshan, Luyuanping, Tangya and similar places is inconvenient, so we recommend self-driving, a chartered car or a day tour. We suggest 4–6 days. Notes: Pingshan Gorge requires advance reservations and entry is by time slot; the Qixingzhai walk in the Grand Canyon takes about 5–6 hours; the mountains get a lot of rain, so rain gear and non-slip shoes are essential; Enshi Yulu tea, hezha (soybean-and-rice porridge), Tujia cured pork and oil tea soup are must-try foods.

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