Wufeng & Chaibuxi
A Tujia mountain county in southwest Hubei, combining the sheer cliffs and stone forests of Chaibuxi Grand Canyon, the virgin forests of Houhe, the tea country of Caihua and Duling Ski Resort.
Wufeng Tujia Autonomous County lies in the southwest of Yichang, Hubei Province, bordering Shimen in Hunan and Hefeng. The county seat, Wufeng Town, sits in the Tianchi River valley at a fairly high average altitude, making it a classic Tujia mountain county of western Hubei. Using the county seat as a base, this destination covers Chaibuxi Grand Canyon and Yuyangguan in the east, Houhe National Nature Reserve in the southwest, and the Caihua tea area and Duling Ski Resort in the west. Chaibuxi is a 4A-rated national forest park and geopark, famed for its sheer cliffs, stone forests and deeply cut gorges; Tianmen Gorge in Houhe preserves large tracts of virgin forest, where dove trees (Davidia, the 'handkerchief tree') bloom in Apr–May; Caihua and Yuyangguan produce Wufeng Maojian and Yihong black tea and were stops on the Ten Thousand Li Tea Road; Wufeng International Ski Resort at Duling offers skiing in winter and a cool retreat in summer. The climate is humid with cool summers: April for spring tea, Jul–Aug for escaping the heat and Oct–Nov for autumn foliage are the best times; in winter the high mountains get snow for skiing, but roads ice up easily. Getting there: from downtown Yichang it's about 1.5 hours' drive to Yuyangguan and about 2.5 hours to the county seat; buses run from Yichang to Wufeng and Yuyangguan, and travel between sights is mainly by self-drive or chartered car. Allow 2–3 days: one for Chaibuxi and Yuyangguan, one for Houhe, and one for the Caihua tea gardens or Duling. Mountain roads are full of bends, so drive carefully in rain or fog; check official notices for ticket prices and opening hours.
Top sights
- Chaibuxi Grand Canyon – A national 4A-rated canyon in eastern Wufeng, where cliff-top stone forests alternate with deep gorges and clear streams. Cliff trails and…
- Houhe Tianmenxia Gorge – A 4A-rated gorge within Houhe National Nature Reserve, featuring primeval forest, deep valleys, streams, and dove tree groves. Known as the…
- Duling & Wufeng International Ski Resort – A large ski resort on the alpine meadows of Duling, the biggest in central China. It's great for skiing in winter and cooling off in summer…
- Caihua Tea Gardens – The home of 'Caihua Maojian' tea, with tea plantations covering the hillsides. In spring, you can pick and process tea and experience the T…
- Yuyangguan Ancient Town – One of the starting points for the distribution of Yihong black tea along the Great Tea Route, with old streets, former tea shop sites, and…
- Baixi River National Wetland Park – A national wetland park near the county town, with clear streams, dense forests, and habitats for many rare plants and animals. Ideal for e…
- Baiyizhai – A high mountain stronghold north of the county town, famous for its 'ice cave that freezes in midsummer and stays warm in winter' and the r…
- Changsheng Cave – A limestone cave on the bank of the Tianchi River, southeast of the county town. It has three levels and over a hundred named features, wit…
- Wufeng Town & Tianchi River – A Tujia mountain town with the Tianchi River flowing through it, offering riverside paths, a people's square, and nighttime Tujia 'arm-swin…
Where to eat
- Gutan Villa (Yuyangguan Branch) – An established farmhouse restaurant in Yuyangguan Town, known for cured pork knuckle hot pot and mountain vegetables, w…