Tongren

Fanjingshan World Natural Heritage Site, with Mushroom Rock, the Red Clouds Golden Summit and a sacred site of Maitreya Buddha; at its foot lie Yunshe village in Jiangkou, Shiqian's hot springs and Tongren's old town.

Fanjingshan rises where Jiangkou, Yinjiang and Songtao counties of Tongren meet in northeastern Guizhou. It is the main peak of the Wuling Mountains, with its highest point, Fenghuang Peak, at 2,572 m. Inscribed as a World Natural Heritage Site under the name "Fanjingshan" in 2018, it is the only habitat of the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey and China's sacred site of Maitreya Buddha. The highlights are on the summit: after taking the cable car up to Wanbao Rock, you can climb the Red Clouds Golden Summit (the New Golden Summit, 2,336 m, a peak split in two and linked by a bridge), see Mushroom Rock and the Ten Thousand Books rock formation, and visit Cheng'en Temple — usually half a day to a full day. Down below, Jiangkou county town is the hub for accommodation and transport; nearby is Yunshe, a Tujia village known for its Shenlong Pool spring and traditional papermaking. In Tongren city, the Zhongnanmen old town along the Jinjiang River makes a good stop for its night views and street food, while Shiqian County to the southwest has hot springs and Ming-dynasty buildings. The best season is May–October; in summer the summit is only 15–20°C, ideal for escaping the heat. The summit is often wrapped in cloud and mist, so seeing a sea of clouds or a Buddha's halo on a clear day is down to luck. In winter the summit is snowy and icy, and trails and cable cars may close. Getting there: from Tongren Fenghuang Airport, Tongren South Station (Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway) or Fanjingshan Station, take a scenic-area shuttle or bus to Fanjingshan's East Gate (Jiangkou side), about 1–1.5 hours; it's about 4 hours' drive from Guiyang. Entry tickets, sightseeing buses and cable cars must be booked in advance under your real name via the official mini-program. Daily numbers are capped in peak season and on public holidays, and cable car queues can reach 1–2 hours, so try to enter as soon as the park opens. Note: climbing the Golden Summit involves scrambling up about 300 m of near-vertical steps with iron chains — those afraid of heights, older visitors and children should judge their abilities. Mountain weather is changeable, so bring a raincoat and a jacket. Do not feed the monkeys.

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