PERFECT ITINERARY FOR A WEEKEND TRIP TO WANGXIAN VALLEY IN JIANGXI PROVINCE, CHINA

May 2023

Jiangxi is a province in south-central China that's famous for its millennia-old porcelain tradition and historic sights. There’s so much to do and see in Jiangxi that a weekend just won’t cut it. But if you’re looking to dip your toe and explore a bit of what Jiangxi has to offer, I’d recommend starting with Wangxian Valley.

Here, you’ll find the famous hanging houses. It’s a newer construction area that is an imitation of an ancient city. There’s even artificial waterfalls, pools, and water slides in which rafters can go down. The valley is spectacular and breath-taking (in more ways than one).

This blog post will serve as an itinerary you can copy and paste for the perfect weekend in this picturesque village located in Jiangxi Province, China.

---

DAY 1

Jiangxi is a couple provinces away from Shanghai but is still a doable 2.5-hour train journey! I’d recommend heading off after work on Friday night and you’ll get into Shangrao Railway just after dinner time. If you’re leaving from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway (my personal favorite of Shanghai’s 4 stations), there’s a load of options for food and drink that you can purchase for your journey. Cheapest round-trip tickets are 380CNY / 53USD per person.

My next tip is to book a hotel in Shangrao city, near the train station. Since you’ll be arriving late and checking out relatively early, there’s no need to splurge on a ritzy hotel (unless of course, you want to!) My husband and I booked the Atour Shangrao Hotel. It’s 15-minutes from the railway station, is clean and has nice amenities, and the front desk staff were polite! The best part, it was 398CNY / 56USD for the night, including a hearty breakfast the next morning.

#winning

We were tired that night, but if you fancy walking around the main street that the Atour is located on, there’s quite a few (western) bars that caught my attention on Dianping. Many of them were highly rated and the one that caught my eye was Tao Brewing, a 10-minute walk away from the hotel, that had a ton of food and drink options.

---

DAY 2

After grabbing breakfast in the hotel, we pre-ordered coffees to-go (which were delivered to us by a ROBOT!!!!) and hopped in our Didi (Uber equivalent). The journey is about 60-75min to the scenic area, and we had no problems calling a Didi.

After the drive, we were able to check into our hotel about 1.5km from the scenic area…

…DO NOT DO THIS!

If there’s one thing I regret from this trip, it’s not staying in a hotel on the cliffs in the scenic area. By doing this, you’ll be able to beat the crowds early the next morning and have the scenic area to yourself when the area closes at 10pm. If you have a drone, you’ll also be able to use it without people/traffic interference during these times.

You can find accommodation options on the Dianping app. There were one or two scenic area hotels I saw on Trip.com, but they seemed to not be taking reservations.

At the scenic area, there are three paths from the main entrance:

1) Rafting route – If it’s a hot day, I’d recommend going here first. You will get soaked, but you’ll have the rest of the day to walk around and dry off. Alternatively, you could go here on your last day before you exit the park.

2) Regular route – This will be the most populated route, no matter the time of the year. You’ll see the two artificial waterfalls up close and this route will get you to the bars and restaurants faster.

3) Reverse route – Be warned, this will be about a 10-15min upwards walk, but the views of the hanging houses are better on this route in my opinion.

By evening time, head to Qiansheng Bridge. This is a famous landmark in Wangxiangu, known for its stunning views of the sunset. Capture the golden hues reflecting on the water and enjoy the peaceful ambiance. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this ✨golden✨ opportunity.

For dinner, explore the local restaurants in town. Try regional specialties like Jiangxi-style smoked duck, fish in sour soup, or various vegetable dishes. We went to 福家小院 restaurant, which had a great view of the river and fantastic food!

---

DAY 3

If you wake up early, take advantage of this time! The village opens at 8am to the public. Even if you get 30min-1hr of quiet time to walk around and drone, it’s worth it in my opinion. When you’re done, head back to the hotel to have breakfast!

In the afternoon, explore Wangxiangu Ancient Town. Admire the traditional houses, stone bridges, and tranquil canals that make this town a charming destination. Don’t forget to visit the Wangxiangu Temple. It’s a significant cultural and religious site in the area. Explore its beautiful halls, pavilions, and gardens while learning about the local history and traditions.

If you didn’t get a chance to go rafting the first day, consider doing this before you leave. It looked like a lot of fun, especially on a hot day! Rafting tickets were 238CNY / 36USD per person.

Booking a Didi back to Shangrao station was not a problem in the morning/afternoon. If it’s at night after the light show, there will be a lot of traffic, so keep this in mind when booking train tickets. Our driver got us to the station in 50 minutes, and the train station isn’t big so you shouldn’t have a problem getting through security. If you need something quick to eat, there’s a McDonalds at the outside ticketing area and a few convenience stores inside the station.

Note: This itinerary is flexible, and you can adjust the activities based on your personal preferences and the available time. Make sure to check the opening hours and seasonal variations of attractions before visiting.

Happy traveling,