Youyang

The thousand-year-old town of Gongtan with its stilt houses on the Wu River, plus Youyang's Peach Blossom Land, Huatian rice terraces, Tujia villages along the You River, and the Tujia hand-waving dance.

Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County lies in the far southeast of Chongqing, in the Wuling Mountains, bordering Hunan to the east and Guizhou to the south. It is Chongqing's largest district or county by area, and most residents are Tujia or Miao; the Tujia hand-waving dance (baishouwu) is listed as national intangible cultural heritage. The climate is mild and humid: peach and rapeseed blossoms bloom in March–April, and the crisp autumn days of September–November are the best time to visit. River valleys get hot in midsummer, when you can escape to the Changpu Grassland.

Areas to explore: ① Around the county town — the top-rated (5A) Youyang Peach Blossom Land and Youzhou Ancient Town, plus the Banxi Stone Flower Valley; the easiest area to reach; ② Along the Wu River in the west — Gongtan Ancient Town and the Apeng River; stay a night to enjoy the riverside at night, and take a boat through the Wu River Gallery; ③ The northern highlands — the Huatian terraces at Hejiayan and the Changpu Grassland, best by car; ④ The You River in the east — Houxi Ancient Town (now Youshuihe Town), Hewan Village and Longtan Ancient Town, with the greatest concentration of Tujia stilt houses.

Getting there: Youyang Station on the Chongqing–Huaihua Railway has bullet trains to Chongqing and Huaihua, and the Chongqing–Hunan Expressway runs the length of the county, with exits at Gongtan, Banxi and elsewhere. Sights are scattered and public transport is infrequent, so self-driving or hiring a car with driver is recommended. Allow 3–4 days: one for the county town, one for Gongtan, one for Huatian and the grassland, and one for the You River area. Tips: mountain roads are winding and often foggy, so avoid driving at night; ask permission before photographing people in ethnic minority villages.

Top sights

• Gongtan Ancient Town – A thousand-year-old town where the Wu and Aopeng rivers meet, with stilted houses built on sheer cliffs above the water. Bluestone streets…
• Youyang Peach Blossom Land – A 5A scenic area on the edge of the county seat. Emerging from Taigu Cave into open countryside, the fields, waterwheels, and farmhouses ar…
• Dieshi Flower Valley – A national 4A-rated scenic area in Banxi Town, where karst stone forests alternate with flower fields. Azaleas blanket the hillsides in spr…
• Huatian Terraces & Hejiayan – Ten-thousand-mu rice terraces and the Hejiayan Tujia ancient village in Huatian Township, at an average elevation of 800 meters. A tribute…
• Houxi Ancient Town – A Tujia ancient town on the banks of the Youshui River, where stilted houses and the Baishou Hall meet the morning river mist. A great plac…
• Hewan Tujia Village – A Tujia ancient village at a bend in the Youshui River, with dozens of timber stilted houses set against the hills and water. At dawn, fish…
• Longtan Ancient Town – A commercial hub in southeastern Chongqing, once called 'Goods Longtan'. It has well-kept Ming and Qing courtyards, firewall-style gables…
• Apeng River (Youyang) – The Apeng River rises in Lichuan, Hubei, and cuts deep gorges through Youyang before joining the Wu River at Gongtan. Its emerald waters an…
• Changpu Grassland – A 100,000-mu alpine meadow at an average elevation of about 1,400 meters, dotted with karst peaks rising from grass like islands. Free camp…
• Youzhou Ancient Town – A Tujia-style replica ancient street built into the hills north of Youyang county seat. Stacked stilted houses and night lights, along with…
• Chuanhegai Plateau (Xiushan) – A highland plateau with grassland in Yongdong Township, Xiushan, at an average elevation of about 1,200 meters. Its 45-switchback mountain…

Where to eat

• Tujia Eight Bowls (Youzhou Ancient Town Branch) – A Tujia restaurant inside Youzhou Ancient Town, near the Peach Blossom Land scenic area. It is known for its 'Eight Bow…
• Gongtan Ranyu Fish House – A well-known Wujiang fish restaurant in Gongtan Ancient Town. Fish is picked and killed on the spot, and yellow catfish…
• Taoyuan Riverside Tofu Rice – A budget restaurant by the river at Taohuayuan Square in the county town, around for about 30 years. Tofu with chili oi…

Itineraries

• Southeast Chongqing, Wujiang River & Tujia Ancient Towns – A self-drive route connecting Wulong, Pengsu, Gongtan, Youyang, and Qianjiang to experience karst landscapes, the Wujia…