A Rare Chongqing-to-Chongqing Flight: A 3-Day, 2-Night Experience in the Spirited Small City of Wushan, with Mountains and Water
Wushan is truly far, so far that there is a rare 'Chongqing to Chongqing' flight. But Wushan is truly beautiful, so beautiful that whether by subway, bus, or plane, I am willing to go again and again. So I went three times.
The people of Wushan told me that unlike downtown Chongqing, which is often gray and hazy, Wushan enjoys bright, clear, and sunny weather most of the time.
The people of Wushan also told me that if you want to see all the mountains in Wushan, a week is not enough. Only after arriving in Wushan did I realize that Wushan is not just about red leaves; it also has stories, spirit, and even an immortal aura.
Here, Beibei, who has visited Wushan three times, summarizes a 3-day, 2-night itinerary. Whether you fly or just go, Wushan is worth visiting many times.
Departure: Chongqing → Wushan Means: Plane or High-Speed Rail
Since the direct flight route Chongqing ⇌ Wushan opened on August 16, 2019, it has become easier to spend a weekend in Wushan. The flight takes about 48 minutes. Previously, driving from the main city to Wushan took over 6 hours. Of course, you can also take the high-speed rail to Wanzhou, then take a bus from Wanzhou to Wushan (about 2-3 hours). I have tried both ways. Each has its merits. There are many high-speed trains from Chongqing to Wanzhou. 1.5-2 hours per one-way trip, about 90 yuan per one-way trip. Then from Wanzhou to Wushan, about 67 yuan per one-way trip, bus, 2 hours per one-way trip.
✈️ Flight Information: Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday: Chongqing → Wushan, takeoff around 10:00, landing around 11:00; Wushan → Chongqing, takeoff around 17:40, landing around 18:45 (specific flight times may vary slightly).
The feeling of flying is that just after takeoff, it's time to descend. The flight attendants only have time to hand out a bottle of water. I have to mention Wushan Airport here. The altitude of Wushan Airport reaches 1771.48 meters, making it the highest civilian airport in Chongqing.
Wushan Airport has 4 check-in counters and 3 domestic security channels. The terminal uses facial recognition systems and self-service check-in devices, making travel more convenient for passengers.
I think Wushan Airport is very beautiful because there is an observation deck outside the terminal where you can see Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge. It is also the only airport in China where you can enjoy the extreme landscape of high gorges and flat lakes.
Day 1: Chongqing → Wushan Recommended two best hotels in Wushan; Wushan Museum to see 'Wushan Goddess'; Late night snack: Wushan grilled fish
Day 2: Goddess Peak and Daqiao Farmhouse
Day 3: Goddess Sky Road and return
Recommended Two Accommodations in Wushan
Having visited Wushan three times, I recommend two local good hotels: Wushan Jiangshan Hongye Liangjiang Holiday Hotel + Wushan Kaichuang Days Hotel. [Wushan Jiangshan Hongye Liangjiang Holiday Hotel] Located in the center of Wushan city, with unbeatable river views, it is also the best hotel in Wushan in my opinion.
The lobby of the hotel shows its magnificence.
The hotel is very well-located, at the confluence of the Daning River and the Yangtze River, very close to the tourist center for the Small Three Gorges, just a few minutes' walk away, convenient for booking trips and tickets.
In Wushan, it is truly a 4-star standard, with a large free parking lot. So many locals choose it for weddings, banquets, and conferences.
The floors are not high, and the rooms are spread out on both sides along the river, so almost every room has a river view.
The toiletries are also a customized version for Liangjiang Holiday Hotel.
There is a large bathtub, and the whole room is spacious, including the bathroom.
From across the river, the whole hotel looks magnificent, and at night it is brightly lit and very conspicuous.
Facing the Three Gorges, you can take a walk along the river and enjoy the view morning and evening.
Across the street, there are many places to eat, drink, and have fun.
The hotel itself is a scenic spot, with beautiful riverside scenery and a great balcony view.
If you are touring the Three Gorges, the dock is right next door.
Breakfast is served from 7:30 to 9:30, with a rich variety and a spacious dining room.
Address: No. 333 Ningjiang Road, Wushan County, Chongqing
[Wushan Kaichuang Days Hotel] Although this hotel does not have an unbeatable river view, it is located in a lively downtown area, convenient and with quality.
The hotel is built by Chongqing Kaiyue Industrial Group and is fully managed by the internationally renowned American Days Hotel Group (China).
The lobby design blends European classical and modern fashion. There are over 100 guest rooms.
The underground garage has a dedicated parking area and a direct elevator. It is not far from the dock by car or bus.
There is also a milk service at night, with a choice of cold or hot, and you can tell it is fresh milk, not powdered milk.
The自助早餐 is also rich, and the hotel has 6 Chinese private dining rooms with different styles, serving Sichuan, Cantonese, and Hunan cuisine.
Address: Building 9, No. 216 Jingtan 2nd Road, Wushan County, Chongqing (near Zhongyang Wangfu)
On the first day of arrival, we strolled around the city center, because visiting the mountains in Wushan takes a whole day. First stop: Wushan Museum.
To understand a city, you should start with its museum. Wushan Museum has a collection of over 50,000 pieces (sets) of cultural relics, including 1,345 precious ones, ranking second in Chongqing in terms of quantity. It will become an important cultural landmark at the eastern gateway of Chongqing.
Wushan Museum has 4 floors:
The first floor is the lecture hall. When you arrive at Wushan Museum, first go to the lecture hall to watch a short video about the origin of Wushan to get a general understanding of its history and culture.
The second floor features the theme exhibition of Wushan, Wushui, and Wushu culture.
The third floor is the exhibition hall of unearthed relics from Wushan, with the most treasures. The fourth floor is the 'Ticket Era of a Century of Wushan', mainly showing daily life after reform and opening up, including food stamps, projectors, comic books, and other items, full of memories.
📌 Exhibition Highlights:
1. Treasure of the museum: The Eastern Han Dynasty gilded Sinitic-shaped ornament of the Four Spirits and Xi Wangmu, with a gilding thickness of only 1μm (equivalent to one percent of a single hair), the gilding process is very complex.
2. Treasure of the museum: Eastern Han Dynasty kitchen figurine, the ancestor of Wushan foodies. Wushan began making grilled fish 2000 years ago. From the figurine's expression, you can see the joy of eating grilled fish today.
3. Treasure of the museum: Grain-pattern jade bi, different from other jade, it is stone jade, lacking transparency, mainly used for offering sacrifices to heaven.
4. Treasure of the museum: Han Dynasty green-glazed double-handled pottery fu. Fu was a cooking vessel in ancient times, equivalent to the pot people use for cooking today.
Besides Wushan and Wushui, Wushan's business card also includes mysterious and long-standing Wu culture.
Among the Daxi cultural sites discovered in Wushan, many artifacts related to divination, sacrifice, and ritual were unearthed, showing the ancient Wushan people's worship of deities. The Wushan area is also the cradle of primitive religion in the Neolithic Age.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays. Visiting hours: 09:00-17:00. Ticket: Free. Guide service: 1. Lecturer explanation: 100 yuan per session for groups under 15 people (Chinese explanation); 2. Audio guide: 30 yuan/unit, deposit 100 yuan; 3. WeChat guide: free, scan the QR code to follow 'Wushan Museum' official WeChat account. Reservation: Visiting the museum requires advance reservation through the 'Wushan Museum' official WeChat account. Address: No. 369 Pinghu West Road, Wushan County, Chongqing (full visit about 1-2 hours)
During this National Day trip to Wushan, I was fortunate to witness the first premiere of the large indoor fantasy show 'Wushan Goddess'.
Wushan, as a county town in Chongqing that developed its tourism industry relatively early, centered around tourism, should have had its own performance long ago. This newly released 'Wushan Goddess' is performed in the newly renovated Wushan Goddess Theater in the downtown area, providing another entertainment option for tourists visiting Wushan at night. I think it's great.
Entering the theater via a transparent sightseeing elevator to the fourth floor, the indoor layout is also refreshing, with a clean and trendy Chinese style, appealing to young people.
It is also perfect for taking photos, with a full Chinese style atmosphere.
If you are a Hanfu enthusiast wearing Hanfu for photos, you will get great shots. It is also suitable for trendsetters in Chinese-style fashion to 'travel through the time tunnel'.
Outside the theater, there are many specialty areas where you can buy Wushan local products.
My favorite: dried potato balls:
We went to see it in the evening. There are two shows a day: one at 14:30 and one at 19:30.
The whole performance is less than an hour, with a short, concise, and easy-to-understand story. The story is simple: Yaoji, the Wushan Goddess, falls in love with a mortal named 'Aze'. To resist evil forces and save the lives of Wushan people, she sacrifices herself, turns into a mountain to stop the flood, a touching story of great love over small love.
Therefore, the whole performance is divided into four chapters, following the conventional plot pattern of film and stage dramas: budding love → danger arises (conflict intensifies) → facing choices → sacrifice and dedication. It is indeed different from many performances I have seen in tourist destinations before. It does not rely solely on stage design and dance to tell the story; it uses life-like dialogues and duet singing to interpret the plot, combined with anthropomorphic animal singing and dancing, and game-like secondary element fighting, which clearly aims to cater to young people's tastes with a strong variety show feel.
This 'Wushan Goddess' is directed by Wu Haoyu, the chief director of Hunan TV, and almost all actors are post-90s and post-95s. Youth and vitality are the biggest characteristics.
Since there are two shows a day, the female and male leads are played by two different actors each. From the first chapter 'First Love' to 'Entering the World', the relationship between the hero and heroine heats up quickly, with a peaceful, harmonious, and joyful atmosphere.
The anthropomorphic performances of various forest animals, singing and dancing, give a sense of watching a domestic version of 'Cats'.
In the third chapter 'Protection', the water demon appears, creating a tense atmosphere. The fighting performance and scene atmosphere in this chapter are like playing a game of 'World of Warcraft', with a strong secondary element style.
The water demon's makeup and dance moves are so cool and impressive that they greatly arouse the audience's enthusiasm.
When Yaoji turns into a stone mountain to save the people, Aze's heart-wrenching scream echoes through the entire theater, moving everyone present. The pain of forced separation makes every viewer's eyes red and tears well up.
In the final chapter 'Red Leaves of Wushan': Years later, the world prospers. Many villagers pray devoutly under Goddess Peak. An old man caresses the red leaf necklace on his chest, gazing at Goddess Peak, unwilling to leave for a long time. This is Aze, now with white hair, making us tear up again.
The story is really touching. Although the theater venue has limitations, the stage effects are excellent, the scenes are realistic, and immersive, showing that the creative team used high-quality production to make up for the venue's shortcomings. During the performance, the red silk that drifted into the audience during the wedding scene and the red leaves that fell from the sky at the end were two pleasant surprises, enhancing the viewing experience.
The holographic projection combined with lighting effects is emotionally and visually moving.
Large Indoor Fantasy Show 'Wushan Goddess'
Performance venue: Wushan Goddess Theater (formerly Wushan Cinema), No. 268 Guangdong Middle Road, Wushan County, Chongqing. Two shows daily: first show at 14:30, second show at 19:30. Ticket buyers must present valid ID. Ticket prices: (1) Listed price: 198 yuan/person; (2) Discounted price: 128 yuan/person; (3) Other discount policies: 1. Children under 1.2 meters without a seat are free, with a seat at 65 yuan/person. 2. Wushan residents can purchase at 99 yuan/person until December 31, 2020. Ticket purchase channel: 'Wushan Cultural Industry' WeChat.
Wushan has twelve peaks, and the most famous and beautiful peak is Goddess Peak.
The driver told me that once you cross Wushan's landmark 'First Bridge of Eastern Chongqing'—Wushan Yangtze River Bridge, you officially enter the Small Three Gorges area.
Before introducing the attractions, let's look at our route. We thoroughly walked down Goddess Peak from top to bottom! We took over ten thousand steps descending stairs, and our calves were completely exhausted.
As soon as we arrived at the top of Goddess Peak, we saw the legendary Wushan sea of clouds.
Goddess Peak Scenic Area is huge. I think it's enough to spend a whole day there. We took a car, then a cable car, then hiked, and then took a boat—we used all kinds of transportation.
Goddess Peak, also known as Wangxia Peak or Meiren Peak, is one of the twelve peaks of Wushan and is hailed as the 'Oriental Goddess'. Not only does it offer opportunities to get close to the 'Goddess' from multiple angles and dimensions, but you can also enjoy sunrise, sunset, clouds and rain changes, and the picturesque four seasons.
Of course, if you come to Wushan, you should choose to see the red maple leaves around November. The Small Three Gorges set against the sea of red maple leaves is truly beautiful.
Although the maple leaves had not turned completely red when I went, I think Wushan Goddess Peak is beautiful even without red maple leaves.
We took an unconventional route, avoiding the crowds: from the top of the mountain to the foot, then by boat. So we tried the newly opened cable car. One-way: 75 yuan/person. Generally, no one rides round-trip. The cable car is not long, just a short section at the top.
Looking into the distance from the top of the mountain is very clear, giving a sense of 'one glance at all the small mountains'. The air at the top is very good; it feels like a few extra breaths could prolong life.
The scenic area's transportation is also very convenient. Whether by bus or car, it's a good choice. Of course, I personally suggest driving (renting a car) for more convenience.
After getting off the cable car, we began the 'downstairs' journey all the way to the Small Three Gorges.
Locals say that on sunny days, Goddess Peak is clear and beautiful, while on cloudy days, it is also dreamily beautiful.
Goddess Peak, also known as Wangxia Peak, Meiren Peak, Fairy Peak, and the best of the twelve peaks of Wushan. Legend has it that the Wushan Goddess Yaoji lived here. A huge rock stands out among the green peaks and clouds, like a graceful and beautiful girl, hence the name Goddess Peak. Especially after watching the 'Wushan Goddess' performance the night before, seeing Goddess Peak became even more emotional.
Halfway down the mountain, we came across the Goddess Temple. The Goddess Temple was built in 676 AD during the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Its original site was at Feifeng Peak in Wushan County, Chongqing, and it was built for Goddess Peak.
Moreover, the Goddess Temple was also immortalized in poetry. 'The Poem of Wushan Goddess Temple' is a seven-character regulated verse by the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi. The poet, while visiting the Wushan Goddess Temple, was inspired by the legend of the Wushan Goddess and wrote a fine chapter describing Goddess Peak.
The Goddess Temple is located on Goddess Peak, the most beautiful of the twelve peaks of Wuxia, and is steeped in the beautiful mythology and profound cultural heritage of the Goddess.
It adopts traditional architectural forms such as pavilions, terraces, towers, galleries, and roof styles including hip roofs, cross roofs, gable-hip roofs, square pyramidal roofs, and double-pitch roofs.
The layout is symmetrically designed along the central axis, with layers raised, featuring Yautai, the Ghost of the Mountain, the main incense path, left and right climbing corridors, the Goddess Hall, Zhaoyun Pavilion, Muyu Pavilion, Yaoxian Hall, and the Goddess with the Moon among other structures.
The stairs on Goddess Peak are quite steep. Let me share this view.
The corner of the Small Three Gorges seen from Goddess Peak is truly magnificent, showing the great rivers and mountains of our motherland.
We also saw a soaring eagle circling the sky.
Address: About 15 km east of Wushan County, on the north bank of the Wuxia Gorge of the Yangtze River, within the famous Three Gorges Scenic Area. Ticket: 80 yuan/person. Other suggested tour guide: Small Three Gorges route: County → Ermatou tourist reception center by boat → Longmen Gorge → Bawu Gorge → Dicui Gorge → Madu River disembark → transfer to a black awning boat for tour of Little Small Three Gorges → return to county (about 4 hours total). Ticket info: 120 yuan/person (including round-trip boat fare). Boat departure time: 8:30-14:00 (rolling departures based on passenger flow).
On the third day, since we had an evening flight, we decided to visit another spot—Goddess Sky Road. This time, the mountains without sunlight had a different beauty amidst the clouds.
The Three Gorges Cloud Top Goddess Sky Road Scenic Area has an average altitude of 1200 meters, situated at the top of Wuxia Gorge and the west bank of Goddess Stream. It is the spot in Wushan where the red leaves turn red earliest. You can drive from the county town across the Yangtze River Bridge to the Liuping Tourist Center in Jianping Township. Transfer to a sightseeing vehicle at scenic spots such as Tianzhan Lantern, Xianlv Platform, Yao Platform, Shanshen Temple, and Feiyun Platform, where you can look out at Goddess Peak and overlook Goddess Stream. Upon reaching the tourist center, transfer to a sightseeing cable car to get a close-up view of one of the farthest peaks of the Wuxia Twelve Peaks from the Yangtze—Jingtan Peak.
The Goddess Sky Road scenic area does not allow private cars. We saw the Wushan sea of clouds, especially after a light rain, when the entire mountain was in the clouds, like a fairyland.
Here you can also ride the highest cliff ladder in China, with a vertical height of 222 meters. It reminds me of Zhangjiajie's cliff ladder, but part of Zhangjiajie's cliff ladder is not completely on the cliff; the part that allows views of the cliff is only 172 meters.
Goddess Sky Road runs through the cliffs of the Three Gorges, then goes all the way up, with the mountain on the right and a sheer cliff on the left. Along Goddess Sky Road, there are many scenic spots for tourists to enjoy, from Feiyun Platform to Yao Platform, all providing viewing platforms for tourists to see the sites below the Three Gorges. When we went, the fog was too heavy, and we couldn't see anything, so we didn't get off the car.
Passing through Goddess Sky Road, we arrived at the top of the Goddess scenic area, then took a cable car down from the peak. This cable car's vertical height above ground exceeds 1 km. Then we walked a short distance to the Goddess Sky Ladder, and finally took another cable car to the bottom of Goddess Stream.
Transportation: Take a bus from Wushan County to Huangyan Village, then hire a car to the scenic area.
Ticket: 200 yuan/person. Opening hours: 08:30-18:00 (January 1 to December 31, Monday to Sunday). Location: 100 meters east of the intersection of County Road 003 and Provincial Road 301, Wushan County, Chongqing.
Besides grilled fish, the most famous thing in Wushan is the various ways of eating potatoes (yangyu). This time, I really got to see it. When in Wushan, you must go to the Daqiao Farmhouse recommended by locals. Not only can you see unbeatable night views, but it is also an old farmhouse with over a decade of history. Daqiao Farmhouse is located at 'High Gorges and Flat Lake'—on the shores of Daning Lake, with green ripples, giving a feeling of 'warm in winter and cool in summer'.
The main dish is Wushan's popular spicy chicken pot. There are four farmhouses here. From the east end of the bridge along the highway, the owners are Ren Lianxing, Ren Zebing (Yangtze River Bridge Farmhouse), Ren Yanlin (Brothers Farmhouse), and Gong Cunhui (Xiangxia Farmhouse) inside the road.
The most popular is the mid-section Yangtze River Bridge—Daqiao Farmhouse. On the roof, there is an observation deck and a leisure pavilion. They serve local chicken, preserved meat stewed with vermicelli, potato balls, spicy hot pot with no chemicals, and steamed potatoes.
The people of Wushan have taken the preparation of potatoes to the extreme. Whether boiled, baked, air-dried, or fried.
The Daqiao Farmhouse's specialty Daxi vermicelli is delicious. It doesn't become mushy or burnt in the soup pot; it's very chewy.
There are really large chunks of meat. Don't think it's too fatty; it's truly delicious, and I couldn't help but eat two pieces.
Because Wushan has long stretches of sunny weather, dried potatoes can be made. Small lumps look like chestnuts, have a very elastic and sticky texture, and taste different from regular potatoes, more like small rice cakes.
Wushan's 'Three Big Lumps' are also famous: potato lumps, corn lumps, and sweet potato lumps, especially kong yangyu and shredded potato pancake.
A city with mountains and water has spirit, and Wushan is one of them, worth visiting many times.
