Things to do in Songtao

No. 2 of Best Things to Do in Tongren

Tongren Grand Canyon

Tongren Grand Canyon Tourist Scenic Spot is located in the Daxing Town area in the south of Songtao Miao Autonomous County near Tongren Phoenix Airport, 25 kilometers away from Tongren City, 35 kilometers away from Phoenix Ancient City in Hunan Province, and within 500 kilometers away from Guiyang, Changsha, Chongqing and other provincial capital cities. The gate of Daxing Expressway near the airport is about 7 kilometers away from Tongren Grand Canyon Scenic Area. You can take a plane at Tongren Phoenix Airport to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Tongren Grand Canyon from a high altitude. The river course in the scenic spot runs north-south, and it is about 10 kilometers from the outlet of the Macaohe Power Station in Daxing Town, the development area of the scenic spot, to the end of the Pinghu tour. The area is 408-520 meters above sea level, and the rafting river is 408-428 meters above sea level. The karst landform has created many canyons in the Wuling Mountains, but the Tongren Grand Canyon is the most representative one among them. The river in Tongren Grand Canyon originates from the Suma River in Kerong in the Laer Mountain Area of Fenghuang. Tongren Grand Canyon starts from the outlet of Mancaohe Hydropower Station to the dam of Tianshengqiao Hydropower Station. In the scenic area, the water is clear and the stones are strange, the forests are lush and flowers are flourishing, the clouds are shrouded in mist, cliffs, caves and waterfalls, and the scenery is charming. The Tongren Grand Canyon tourist attraction is divided into three parts, one is the canyon, the other is rafting, and the third is the flat lake tour. It integrates steepness, seclusion, seclusion, openness, strangeness and danger into one, and combines primitive canyons and forests, spotless fresh air, and charming streams and waterfalls into a fantastic natural scenery.

Miao King City

Miao King City is a well-preserved ancient Miao Fort integrating politics, economy, culture, military heritage and architecture. The fort features stilted buildings with Miao characteristics. Tourists can learn about the history and culture of the Miao people. It is a decent place for cultural landscape. Tourists can walk around the fort, take photos and experience the ancient stilted buildings and Miao building. Tourists can enjoy the leisure times and slow life in the fort as a local people.

Guizhou Red Stone Forest

The Guizhou Red Stone Forest, located in Songtao Miao Autonomous County, preserves the geological memory of the ancient Yangtze Sea about 500 million years ago. This ancient seabed, which originates from the Zuolongxi Canyon, once deposited a large amount of carbonate materials mixed with mud and sand. After the uplift of the earth's crust and the erosion and dissolution of water for hundreds of millions of years, it has carved out a stone forest landscape composed of ochre-red rock layers. The dark red, crimson purple and gray-white rock surface clearly shows wavy sedimentary textures, witnessing the vicissitudes of the ancient ocean. In the scenic area covering an area of ​​about 5 square kilometers, the jagged stone pillars are more than 20 meters high, forming a maze-like stone wall, karst gully and natural bridge. At dawn and dusk, the rock mass presents a flame-like color change under the light, forming a strong visual contrast with the surrounding primitive secondary forest. Three circular trails connect the main viewing points, among which the "Undersea Maze" area retains a complete marine fossil layer. There is a geological museum at the entrance of the scenic area, which displays trilobite and hornstone fossil specimens collected from rock strata.

Hidden Dragon

Songtao Qianlong Cave Attraction is located in Qianlong Village, Wuluo Town, Songtao County, Guizhou Province, 65 kilometers away from Songtao County, 10 miles away from Wuluo Town, and 28 kilometers away from Fanjing Mountain Peach Blossom Spring Attraction. It is backed by the towering Fanjing Mountain Range, and the rolling mountains have bred Unlimited magic and beauty. Qianlong Cave is a bright and dazzling pearl on the eastern foot of Fanjing Mountain, and is a boutique scenic Attraction on the Fanjing Mountain tourist loop. There are four distinct seasons here, the climate is pleasant, and the average annual temperature is 16.5℃, which is suitable for summer vacation, health preservation, and leisure vacation. With an altitude of 1,200 meters, it is a rare ancient karst cave group with a high altitude in the Wuling Mountains and growing in the white cloud rock layer. What is amazing is that it is still growing and breeding. The density of stalagmites in the cave is rare in the world, and it is a typical southern karst geological wonder. After Chinese and French experts explored Qianlong Cave in 2005, it was hailed as "the first wonder of China". There are 15 halls (6 to be developed) and more than 50 halls in the cave. The developed section is about 2 kilometers long. The round trip time is about 2 hours. The scenery in the cave is varied and exquisite. For example, the Buddha Kingdom Fairy Mountain with thousands of Buddhas paying homage to the Buddha, the jade fingers of the Tathagata Buddha holding up the sky; the spring dawn of the Miao village in the paradise is poetic and picturesque; the West Lake in the cave is about to bloom, and it is like the fairyland of Yaochi and the fairy from the sky; the 800-meter Hexi Corridor is full of dust and smoke, and the scenery is fragrant... There are also three-color crystal mud as smooth as oil, the ice-clear Antarctic ice sky, the vast and misty Fairy Mountain Tianchi, etc.... Wherever you go, stalagmites, stone curtains, stone pillars, stone waterfalls, and stone flowers are bizarre, magical, and dazzling under the neon lights. The uncanny craftsmanship of nature makes Chinese and foreign tourists amazed.

2026 Global 100 - Night Attractions

Fenghuang Ancient Town

The ancient town of Fenghuang is located in the southwest of Xiangxi, Hunan Province. The ancient city was built during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers, with the Tuojiang River running through the city. The red sandstone walls stand on the shore, and the Nanhua Mountain is set against the city towers from the Qing Dynasty. A narrow wooden bridge with stone piers is across the river under the north gate of the ancient city. It was the passage out of the city in those days. The bluestone streets in the city, the stilt houses by the Tuojiang River, the numerous ancient buildings and the rich customs constitute the unique charm of western Hunan. The main attractions include the former residence of Shen Congwen, the ancient city museum, Chongde Hall, etc., which are worth visiting.

2026 Asia 100 - Best Things to Do

Fanjing Mountain

Fanjing Mountain is located in Tongren City in the northeastern part of Guizhou Province. It is the main peak of the Wuling Mountains, spanning the junction of three counties: Jiangkou, Yinjiang, and Songtao. Its highest peak, Fenghuang Mountain, rises over 2,500 meters above sea level; the Old Golden Summit is over 2,400 meters, and the New Golden Summit, also known as the Red Cloud Golden Summit, is over 2,300 meters. The three peaks stand side by side in majestic grandeur. Fanjing Mountain was originally named "Three Valleys Mountain," derived from "Fanjing Pure Land." Buddhism was introduced to this area during the Song Dynasty and flourished in the Ming Dynasty, when temples and monasteries dotted the mountain. Because its towering height rivaled the Five Great Mountains, the ancients honored it as "the patriarch of famous mountains." The Red Cloud Golden Summit is the iconic view of the entire mountain—a solitary peak rising straight from the ground and piercing the sky. The Golden Knife Gorge splits the summit from top to bottom into two halves, with only a narrow canyon where one can climb up along iron chains, and the gorge tops are connected by a flying bridge, making it extremely precipitous. At the summit, the Shakyamuni Hall and the Maitreya Hall face each other, serving as the core symbol of the Maitreya sacred site. The three main peaks connect to form a reclining Maitreya statue stretching over 10,000 m, which locals call "Fanjing Mountain." The Mushroom Stone is another representative view—a sandy slate pillar that is large at the top and small at the bottom, shaped like a mushroom, approx. 10 m tall, appearing on the verge of toppling yet having stood for many years. The surrounding stone forest peak clusters, such as the Ten Thousand Scrolls of Scriptures and Eagle Rock, are geological relics formed over a billion years ago and sculpted by wind and rain erosion. The mountain also preserves a well-intact subtropical primary ecosystem, where the Guizhou golden snout monkey is distributed, and ancient rare plants such as the dove tree also thrive and reproduce here. In fall, the layered forests are dyed in brilliant colors, and the red leaves in the mountains set off the ancient temple; you can take a cable car to overlook the autumn colors across the mountain, or follow the mountain trails to experience them up close.

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No. 11 of Best Things to Do in West Hunan Region

Biancheng Chadong Scenic Area

Chadong Ancient Town, located in Huayuan County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, China, is a fascinating cultural landscape. This small mountain town was built along the Xiangxi border official road, with a stream flowing beside it, giving the ancient town a tranquil and mysterious atmosphere. The history of Chadong Ancient Town can be traced back to ancient times. Its architectural style is a blend of the Miao and Tujia styles, providing tourists with an exotic experience. This ancient town is full of human fireworks, and the traditional way of life has been maintained to this day. Here you can feel the primitive and simple atmosphere of life.

2026 Global 100 - Best Things to Do

Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park

Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is named after the natural wonder "Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park - Tianmen Cave." When visiting the attraction, you can enjoy a bird's-eye view of the winding Heaven-Linking Avenue and the stunning mountain scenery from the cable car. The brave can also walk along the cliff-hugging glass skywalk for an exhilarating aerial experience. Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is located close to Zhangjiajie city. The Tianmen Cave in the park is a natural karst cave, and locals believe it leads directly to heaven. For ordinary travelers, Tianmen Cave is not open year-round. During winter each year, due to snow and icy roads, both Tianmen Cave and the Avenue toward Heaven (a winding mountain road with 99 turns) leading to it are closed. The lower station of the attraction's cableway is located in Guanliping, Yongding District, and the upper station isTianmen MountainTop. In 2020, the attraction opened the express cableway. The lower station of the express cableway is near the entrance to Tianmen Mountain, and the upper station is atTianmen CaveNear the parking lot. Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is filled with ancient towering trees and intertwined vines. The attraction is divided into several main areas, including Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park - Tianmen Cave, central route, eastern route and western route. Travelers can choose different routes and areas to explore based on their preferences and physical condition. The core attraction along the central route is Tianmen Mountain Temple. Nearby lies the "Child-seeking cave," where folk legends claim Guanyin, the child-giving bodhisattva, manifested her divine power—devout prayers here are believed to grant offspring. The western route's highlight is a 60 m-long glass walkway clinging to sheer cliffs, with fully transparent flooring that induces both vertigo and exhilaration as visitors tread above abysses. Currently, the eastern route and Panlong Cliff each feature their own approx. 60 m glass walkways. No stay is allowed in the attraction, so it can only be visited within one day. There is a "Cherry Bay Restaurant" near Tianmen Mountain Temple, which offers snacks and fast food. Near the lower station of Tianmen Mountain cableway, there is transportation to the "Grand Canyon Theater", where you can watch the live show and magical musical "Tianmen Fox Fairy". Adapted from the mythological tale "Liu Hai cuts firewood", it tells a touching love story between a human and a fox. With live music, lighting effects, and captivating scenes like a giant moon, fox spirit transformations, snowflakes filling the sky, and high-altitude flying bridges, this legendary romance is vividly brought to life.

Qiandong Caohai Scenic Area