Wangxian Valley China | The Viral Fairytale Cliff Town

Prepare to have your expectations blown away by the regional fairy tale town, Wangxian Valley China! This place blew our minds and is definitely not an ‘Instagram vs Reality’ moment!

If you’ve come across this viral China town on Instagram and are curious about how to get there, what attractions to visit, and the best accommodation options, then continue reading. We will cover all the details for you.

In more good news, Wangxian Valley (also referred to as Wangxiangu 望仙谷) is easily accessible from Shanghai, being just 3.5 hours away. Making Wangxian an easy add-on to your China Travel Itinerary!

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About the Wangxian Valley?

The Wangxian Valley was once an abandoned quarry, that was transformed into a magical and fairytale like tourist attraction. Its beauty is unremarkable and after witnessing it first-hand, it was easy to understand why it draws over a million visitors every year.

It offers rugged canyons, hanging cliffside houses and buildings, cascading waterways, amazing food, and a cultural emersion.

How to get to Wangxian Valley / Shangrao China

Wangxian Valley is located within the Jiangxi Provence, an hour drive or bus from Shangrao Train Station. Here’s how you can get there…

How to get to Wangxian Valley from Shanghai

Firstly, you will need to get yourself to Shangrao. Shangrao is well connected to many major cities in China by train, including Shanghai which is 2.5 hours by Bullet train.

You will need to pre-purchase your bullet train tickets to Shangrao Railway Station and this can easily be done through the Trip app. We booked all our trains using Trip, and found it an easy platform to navigate and manage (change or cancel) our bookings. You can book tickets within 14 days of your travel date, and it’s a good idea to book as early as possible, as trains sell out.

How to get to Wangxian Valley from Shangrao Train Station

Upon arriving at the Shangrao Railway Station you can make your way to Wangxian Valley, in one of two ways. (approximately – 1 to 1.5 hours)

By Bus: There are buses that run from Shangrao. Buses depart from Shangrao High Speed Railway Station at 7:30, 9:00, 10:00, 11:20, 12:40, 14:00, 15:20, 16:30. This is your cheapest option.

By Car or Taxi: Your Guest House may be able to arrange a ride for you, likes ours did, or you can order a ride through DiDi or haul a taxi driver at Shangrao Station. Expect to pay 80-100 yuan for your trip which for us worked out to be about $17 Australian. For this price we preferred the convenience of taking a private car.

TIP: The Wangxian Valley is a great stopover point for anyone wanting to continue on to visit Zhangjiajie and / or Furong. From Shangrao you can take a bullet train (approximately 6 hours) or an overnight sleeper train to Zhangjiajie West Railway Station.

You can check out our Zhangjiajie Itinerary and Guide here.

Tickets and Opening Times at Wangxiangu Valley

We pre-purchased our Wangxiangu tickets through Trip. This saved us a lot of time, as we did not have to line up twice, (once to buy tickets and another to enter).

The Wangxian Valley opens at 8am and closes at 10pm

Tickets cost approximately $30 AUD depending on the exchange at the time.

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Best time to visit the Wangxian Valley

We arrived to the Valley just after lunch and stayed until dark. It is a completely different experience when the valley of hanging buildings is illuminated so we highly recommend staying until after the sun goes down.

There is a great variety of restaurants as well so you will not go hungry and can stay for dinner.

You can visit Wangxian Village year-round and each season brings its own unique touch and feel:

• SUMMER (June to August): Summer brings the HEAT and you can expect HOT temperatures. Activities like river rafting are great options in the Wangxian Valley in Summer.
• Spring (March to May) and Fall /Autumn (September to November): Are both popular months as the daily temperatures are more pleasent. It is also when the Valley displays its most vibrant Spring and Autumn colours.
• Winter (December to February): Wangxian Village turns into a Winter Wonderland with temperatures averaging around 2°C (36°F) during Winter.

Is there anywhere to stay INSIDE the Scenic Area?

There is VERY LIMITED accommodation options inside the scenic area of Wangxian itself and these are your 2 x guesthouse options.

• Wangxiangu Cliff Homestay
• Xiansu

Given the limited number of options, it’s important to book in advance, so that you avoid disappointment.

Where else to Stay, nearby?

TIP: We found the booking site Trip to have the BIGGEST selection of properties throughout the whole of China, strangely Bookings.com really didn’t have the quantity of hotels. Trip is also where we booked all of our Trains, so it was great to keep them all together.

Search for Hotels in the Wangxian Valley on Trip

Where we stayed…

We stayed at Shan Shui Ju Homestay which was located in Guangxin District only 1.5km from the Wangxian Valley scenic spot. It offered modern rooms, with spa baths and beautiful mountain views. The hosts were amazing and offered a drop off and pick up service to the scenic spot.

They even brought us a basket of local mandarins, allowed us to check-in at 7.30am and made us Breakfast. We would highly Recommend this Homestay as your base to explore the region. The river, bridge and surrounding town were so beautiful, and it has loads of small restaurants nearby to eat at.

Book here: Shan Shui Ju Homestay

Things to do inside the Wangxian Valley Scenic Spot?

At the scenic spot, there are two main pathways to choose after you enter. They both offer an opportunity to see everything within the valley, but one requires more upward stairs.

1. Right route – This is the most popular route and where you will follow along the waterways and see distant views of the hanging cliff buildings as well as the waterfalls. This route is suggested if you would like to get to the Restaurants and food faster.
2. Left route – This route will head UP to the cliffside hanging buildings straight away, and requires a lot of steps UP. We opted for this route as we wanted to see this part of the valley earlier in the day, rather than at night.

Wangxian Valley at Night

By evening time, head to Qiansheng Bridge. This is a famous landmark in Wangxiangu, known for its stunning views of the sunset. It’s also a great viewpoint to see the artificial moon peeking out above the litup mountain.

What to eat at Wangxian Valley China

You definatley want to come hungry to the Wangxian Valley! It offers a wide selection of street snack foods and restaurants. You can find lots of Chinas favourite dishes and snacks as well as Shangrao’s local specialty dishes

Nearby attractions to Wangxian Valley / Shangrao Region?

We suggest spending at least 1-2 nights exploring the whole Shangrao region.

Suggested Itinerary:

Day 1 – Explore the Wangxian scenic spot and the around your guesthouse area, Guangxin District.

Day 2 – Take a Taxi / Didi or Driver to go to the Jiangxi Lingshan Scenic Area (approximately 50 minutes drive)

Return to Shangrao Railway Station to take a bullet train to your next destination…or explore more of Jiangxi.

Jiangxi Lingshan Scenic Area

Located approximately 50 minutes from Wangxian Valley, and 40 minutes north from the Shangrao Railway Station you will find the Jiangxi Lingshan Scenic area.

Here you can take a cable car to the top of the granite Lingshan mountain range, 1496 meters above sea level. Once at the summit, you have the choice of multiple routes that all wind around the top of the mountain peaks. The hanging pathways are so impressive, and equally as scary…lol. The routes vary from a few to 5-7 km long offering stunning views at every turn.

We also loved the Sky Mirror viewpoint (pictured below) it’s a must-see.

It is a very unique lookout, nothing like we’ve ever see. The effect you get from the sky and clouds reflected on the mirrors, creating the illusion of an endless sky is out of this world. It’s a perfect spot for pictures and videos!

Opening hours: 08:00-17:00 (Latest entry time:15:00)

Cost: Approximately $20 AUD

Tickets: Pre-purchase here

Time: Allow 5-6 hours minimum, including the cable car up and back

Getting there: Expect to pay 100-120yuan ($25-$30aud) for a Didi, Taxi or Driver to or from Wangxian or Shangrao Railway Station.

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