Published: December 6, 2023Trip Time: SeptemberDuration: 5 daysCost per person: ¥2,000Travel with: Spouse
Day 1 (Fri, Sep 8): Leave Chengdu in the evening and stay in Chongqing
Take a train from Chengdu East Railway Station to Chongqing. There are frequent high‑speed trains to Chongqing West Station and Chongqing North Station.
Tip: Even though trains are frequent, tickets can sell out on the day. Book in advance.
Our train:G8731 Chengdu East (dep 17:25) → Chongqing North (arr 19:14)Duration: 1h49m | Second class: ¥161
Chongqing North Station is about 18 km from the city center. We stayed at a hotel in Yubei District, close to the station. We took a taxi there after arriving.
Day 2 (Sat, Sep 9): Drive to Wulong Fairy Mountain Town at noon
We woke up late after our 9-day West Sichuan trip. We packed for 3 days in Wulong and left extra luggage at the hotel front desk.
Top Wulong attractions: Three Natural Bridges, Longshuixia Ground Crevice, Fairy Mountain National Forest Park – all in Fairy Mountain Town. Self-driving is the most convenient way.
After lunch, we picked up our rental car at Chongqing North Station (South Square). We checked the engine, tires, oil, coolant, brake fluid, and windshield washer fluid, then did a test drive.
We left at 13:30 for Cuiyun Road, Fairy Mountain Town.Route: Chongqing North Station → Inner Ring Expressway → Baomao Expressway → Cuiyun RoadDistance: 204 km | Time: 3h30m | Toll: ¥90169 km expressway; 5 service areas.About 46 km from Wulong Town, we passed a 12.9 km tunnel group: Baima, Yangjiao (4.6 km), Dawan (3.2 km).
We arrived at Cuiyun Road at 17:00.Wulong’s average elevation is about 1,900 m, 3–4°C cooler than downtown Chongqing.We chose a homestay with an elevator. Cuiyun Road is quiet with little traffic.
Day 3 (Sun, Sep 10): Three Natural Bridges & Longshuixia Ground Crevice
We prepared trekking poles, raincoats, hiking shoes, insect repellent, snacks, and water.We drove to Fairy Mountain Visitor Center at 8:20.Parking: ¥5/hour | 400 spaces.
Wulong Three Natural Bridges (5A)
UNESCO World Natural Heritage and the only filming location for Zhang Yimou’s Curse of the Golden Flower (2006). Famous for “three bridges embracing two sinkholes” – the world’s largest natural bridge cluster and second-largest sinkhole cluster.
Ticket: ¥135 (peak) / ¥95 (off-peak)Includes entry, shuttle bus, and elevator. Optional exit sightseeing bus: ¥15.
Longshuixia Ground Crevice (4A)
A spectacular karst landscape formed by orogeny millions of years ago. Deep, narrow, and full of hidden waterfalls.
Ticket: ¥115 (peak) / ¥85 (off-peak)Opening hours: 08:00–17:00
We bought both tickets (total ¥250) and took the shuttle bus from B2 of the visitor center.The bus took 5 minutes to the bridge parking lot; we walked 7–8 minutes to the entrance.
Touring Three Natural Bridges
The three bridges: Tianlong, Qinglong, Heilong. They cross the Yangshuihe Canyon and form two large sinkholes.
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Glass viewing platform (extra charge)Sticks out 11 m from the cliff, 280 m above the bottom. Great panoramic view.
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Elevator down (80 m, ~1 minute)Takes you straight to the sinkhole floor.
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Tianfu InnA full-size Tang‑style inn built for the movie. Perfect photo spot from above.
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Tianlong Bridge235 m high, second highest natural bridge in the world. Look back – you can see an “elephant” shape on the cave wall.
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Tianlong SinkholeHuge, flat sinkhole between Tianlong and Qinglong. A Transformers dinosaur statue is here.
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Qinglong BridgeWorld’s highest natural bridge (281 m). After rain, mist and rainbows look like a green dragon rising. Through the arch, it looks like a green dragon sword. From behind, it looks like carp leaping over the dragon gate.
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Shenying SinkholeA square sinkhole surrounded by cliffs. The rocks look like an eagle spreading its wings.
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Heilong BridgeDark and deep, like a black dragon coiled inside. Look up – you’ll see a vivid gorilla face on the cliff.
The whole walk is about 4 km, mostly flat with one short downhill section.Most people take the electric shuttle (¥15) up to the exit (7 minutes).We finished in 2 hours 40 minutes.
Touring Longshuixia Ground Crevice
We took the shuttle bus 10 minutes to the Ground Crevice.A sister scenic area to the sinkholes, but focused on water and narrow canyons.
- Total length: 5 km; hikeable part: ~2 km
- Narrowest point: 1 m
- Depth: 200–500 m
- Waterfalls, streams, and cliffside plank roads
We took an elevator 80 m down, then walked along stone paths carved into the rock.In wet season, it’s full of waterfalls; in dry season, less spectacular.Highlights: Water Curtain Cave, Yinhe Waterfall, Shengxiang Playing in Water.The hike is simple, one way, no getting lost. We finished in ~2 hours.
We took the shuttle back to the visitor center and picked up our car at 15:00.
Fairy Mountain National Forest Park (5A)
Nicknamed “Oriental Switzerland” – alpine meadows, forests, cool climate.Elevation: 1,900 m; highest peak: 2,033 m.Ticket: ¥60 (fixed price); free for seniors ≥65.Optional small train: ¥25. Parking: free.
Tip: Cooler (4–7°C), big temperature difference; bring a jacket and rain gear.
It rained on and off. We waited until 16:40 when it stopped, then bought small train tickets.The train stops at:
- Grassland
- Horse walking area
- Horse riding area (¥100/ride)
The Wavy Road and vast green meadow are the most famous spots. Sheep walk freely among visitors.We enjoyed the grassland briefly before catching the last train.The winding road through meadows and forests is beautiful.
We left the park around 18:00 and drove back to Fairy Mountain Town (30 minutes).A full, satisfying day exploring three 5A spots.
Day 4 (Mon, Sep 11): Return to Chongqing + Hongyadong & Chaotianmen
Left Fairy Mountain Town at 9:00.Route: Visitor center → Baomao Expressway → hotelDistance: 200 km | Time: 3h20m | Toll: ¥110
Arrived at hotel at 12:30, returned the car at Chongqing North Station by 14:00.
Hongyadong (4A)
Chongqing’s top landmark – a 11‑story stilt‑house complex by the Jialing River.Free entry; only 2 small zones charge.Lighting time: 20:00–23:00.Crowded even on Monday! Great views from the east side and Qiansimen Bridge.
Chaotianmen Square
Where Yangtze and Jialing rivers meet. Under renovation until the end of 2023.Raffles City is nearby – a futuristic landmark.
It rained heavily on the way back. We walked 570 m to our hotel in the rain – Chongqing’s hills make short walks feel long!
Day 5 (Tue, Sep 12): Chongqing → Xiamen
Continuous rain, so we canceled plans to visit Liziba Light Rail and Huguang Guild Hall.Flight: MF8492 Chongqing Jiangbei (13:40) → Xiamen Gaoqi (16:10)2.5 hours – arrived home safely.