Baofeng Lake

Baofeng Lake, a large body of water in Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve, is the only water-themed scenic spot in mountainous Zhangjiajie. Different from the spectacular and expansive scenery in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianmen Mountain, etc., it offers a quiet and elegant landscape. Floating on the lake via a boat, you can feel a gentle breeze brushing your face, as if it blows away all tiredness and distress; hiking lovers are also able to enjoy themselves on silent mountain trails.

The scenic spot is not very large in area, and with eco-buses and sightseeing cruises in service, it doesn’t require much walking, making it a good destination for family visitors.

Charming Baofeng Lake

 Located above the sandstone mountain, Baofeng Lake is one of the highest-altitude alpine lakes in China, thus called the “Holy Lake in the Sky”. Looking down from the mountaintop, the clear water sparkles like jewels in the sun. Tourists can take a boat to fully appreciate the water scenery. As the cruise sails onward, it’s surprising to see towering unique stone rocks surrounding the lake: some shapes like a huge toad looking up at the sky, called Golden Toad Swallowing Moon; some looks like Fairy Looking in the Mirror. Your boat will also be welcomed by cheerful songs of the Tujia minority ethnic group.

Fairy Looking in the Mirror Rock

 Yingwo literally means eagles' nest. It is said that there was once a bandits' village on the mountaintop; they occupied the land like eagles allocate their home there, hence the name. No village remains nowadays, but challenging terrain and pristine scenery make it a great site for mountaineering. Tourists ascend along a circular trail with steep stone steps that form a 75° angle with the ground. Unique peaks, thick moss, dense forests, and falling waterfalls bring visitors into a jungle adventure. Without many visitors, the trails here are much quieter.

In the middle of the climb, you will pass through a 100-meter-high (110 yards) gap between two steep peaks crowded together, named One-Line Sky, because it’s so narrow that only a slim strip of sky can be seen above and only one person can pass at a time. Reaching the mountaintop, people will see another scene: an ancient deserted temple is located at a short distance; on the left side is an “Echo Wall” with a height of more than 80 meters (88 yards) and a width of more than 30 meters (33 yards). Shouting in front of the wall, one can hear the echo wandering around. 
 The 80-meter-wide (262-foot) Baofeng Waterfall once ranked among the 10 most beautiful waterfalls in Zhangjiajie. It flows from the mountainside, dozens of meters high, serving as the outlet of Baofeng Lake. Every 10:00 and 14:00 are the best times to watch the waterfall when the flow reaches its maximum. By then, you won’t be surprised why it would be the film location of the famous Chinese TV series Journey to the West. 

Baofeng Waterfall

 Baofeng Lake, with Baofeng Waterfall, and Yingwo Village are located in two distinct areas. Many tourists appreciate the water scenery only for a relaxing tour; if you have 2 more hours, go trekking in the village, which also serves as a way to maximize your ticket.
 1. Check your ticket to enter.
2. Spend 5 minutes taking the eco-bus to the cruise pier from the entrance square.
3. Admire lake scenery on the boat with a free tour guide, covering 2.5 km (1.6 mi) in about 0.5 hours.
4. Return to the entrance square by eco-bus.
5. Sightsee the waterfall and giant salamander ecological park. 
6. Leave the scenic area.

Boat Pier

Sightsee on Cruise

 1. Find the uphill walkway near the waterfall after viewing the lake and waterfall successively.
2. Hike along a 6-km-long (3.7-mi) circular mountain road to rise an elevation of 300 meters (328.1 yards), passing by One-Line Sky, rock cave, cliffside plank road, Buddhist Goddess of Mercy Temple, Baofeng Temple, etc. Continuously walking forward, you can descend back to the entrance square.
3. Exit the scenic spot.

Entrance Square

Get on the Eco-bus

 1. Baofeng Lake is recommended to tourists who
a. Travel with their family, particularly with children and seniors. Different from large mountainous attractions requiring over 20,000 steps for a day trip, Baofeng Lake scenic area is relatively small, and lake sightseeing is mainly done by boat and eco-bus, which needs little physical exertion.
b. Like hiking on quiet trails or want a low-pace trip. Not many tourists come here, making it possible to fully visit at your own pace.
c. Have a short spare time but don’t want to idle it away. For example, you plan to visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park the next day but have arrived at Wulingyuan in the afternoon, or your return flight or train is scheduled in several hours but you have nothing to do.

Tourist Boat

2. Boats may stop service in the low-water season in winter. 

3. If you plan to hike, it would be better to go with someone else, as the deep mountains and forests can be deserted.

4. Be careful stepping on mossy stairs of the hiking trail, particularly after the rain.
 Baofeng Lake is located in Wulingyuan District, about 34 km (21.1 mi) away from Zhangjiajie city center. You can take a direct tourist bus at Zhangjiajie Central Bus Station to reach the scenic area. The whole journey takes about 40 – 50 minutes and costs CNY 13.
 The best option is to hail a taxi directly, with a 10 min ride at CNY 10, given the short distance. Or you can take the city bus Wulingyuan No. 2 from the east gate of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park or from Wulingyuan Bus Station to Baofeng Lake in about 30 minutes. To note that the bus departs with a long interval of about 30 min – 1 h, thus not advised for tourists with a tight schedule, although it costs only CNY 2.

Drop-off Point of Tourist Bus

Taxi at East Gate of Forest Park

 

Ticket Type	Price
Adults between 18 - 59	CNY 110
Children aged 14 - 18 and seniors aged 60 - 65, with 18 and 65 included	CNY 55
Children under 14 and seniors aged 65 and over	Free of charge;  Optional insurance at CNY 4

Notes: 
1. The ticket includes entrance fee, sightseeing boat, and the round-trip rides of the eco-bus.
2. Where to buy: ticket window at the entrance, third-party ticketing agencies. No official online booking is offered.
 Apr. to Oct.: 07:00 - 18:00, with last entry at 17:40
Nov. to Mar.: 07:30 - 17:30, with last entry at 17:00