A severely underrated 5A scenic spot

Guilin not promoting this place is a bit of a pity, such spectacular scenery is worth the trip no matter how far! Location: Bajiaozhai Scenic Area in Ziyuan County, Guilin. Attraction: This is a scenic spot that spans two provinces. On the Guangxi side, it's called Bajiaozhai Scenic Area, and on the Hunan side, it's called Shishan Scenic Area (including Bajiaozhai, Tianyi Alley, Zixia Cave, and Chili Peak). Opening hours: 07:30-17:30. Ticket price: The ticketing for this spot is a bit complicated. There is only one attraction on the Guilin side that costs 100, while a combo ticket for several attractions on the Hunan side costs 136, and they are not interchangeable. Travel: For self-driving, directly navigate to 'Bajiaozhai Scenic Area'. For high-speed rail in the Guangxi direction, get off at Guilin North Station, and there is a bus directly to the scenic area from Guilin North Bus Station around 9:00 am, returning at about 16:30 in the afternoon. In the Hunan direction, you can take the high-speed rail to Dongkou Station, and then take a taxi from there. Accommodation: In the Guangxi direction, there are fewer homestays at the foot of the mountain, scattered and generally average due to its remoteness, but the advantage is that it's close to the mountain entrance. In the Hunan direction, the scenic area is larger, so there are relatively more choices, with many available from a few kilometers outside the scenic area all the way to the town. Touring: If you're going back and forth on the same day, it's strongly recommended to climb the mountain from the Guilin side, as the main scenery is concentrated here, and the whole climb takes about 4 hours. Climbing from the Hunan side doesn't offer much scenery, but the advantage is that there are many shady forests. If you plan to play for two days, it's suggested to climb from the Hunan side, enjoy the views at the top, and if you have the energy, go down a distance towards the Guangxi side, then return the same way to Hunan. Photography spots: 'Group of Snails Gazing at the Sky', 'Pod of Whales Frolicking in the Sea', 'Dragon Head Incense'. If you climb up from the Guangxi side and descend on the Hunan side, you don't need to buy an additional ticket, unless you want to visit other attractions in Shishan, in which case you'll need to buy a combo ticket. If you climb up from the Hunan side and descend on the Guangxi side, you need to buy an additional ticket. For self-driving, you can't climb up one side and descend the other; you have to return the same way, otherwise, after descending, you'll need to drive an extra 20 or so kilometers of mountain roads to get back to your original location, and the key point is that there's no transportation back, and your car is still waiting for you on the other side. If you're going back and forth on the same day, just visit Bajiaozhai, climbing up and down from the Guangxi side. If you have two days, climb from the Hunan side, go down a distance towards the Guangxi side from the mountain top to get a closer look at 'Group of Snails Gazing at the Sky', then return the same way, which is quite tiring. Experience: The transportation is not very convenient, the scenery is good, the location is a bit remote, and perhaps because it's so remote, not many people come here. I encountered less than ten people in the entire scenic area, but it's definitely worth promoting vigorously.