Taohuayuan Ecotourism Area
Taohuayuan Ecotourism Area Travel Guide
One Day and One Night · Cultural + Nature Dual Experience|Budget per Person 1000 RMB
📍 Location: Taohuayuan Town, Taoyuan County, Changde City, Hunan Province
🚄 Recommended Transportation: High-speed rail + bus/taxi (suitable for departures from nearby cities such as Changsha, Wuhan, Chongqing)
📅 Best Seasons to Visit: Spring (March–April) for peach blossoms; Autumn (September–November) for pleasant weather and fewer tourists
🌟 Highlights:
- The real-life site of Tao Yuanming’s “Peach Blossom Spring”
- National 5A-level tourist attraction with rich cultural heritage
- Scenic mountain, water, and pastoral landscapes, quiet trails, ideal for families, couples, and artsy youth
- Experience ancient-style check-ins, Hanfu photoshoots, and farming interactions
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🗓 Itinerary (One Day and One Night)
✅ Day 1: Departure → Arrival at Taohuayuan → In-depth Tour
Morning: Departure & Arrival at the Scenic Area
- Suggested departure time: 7:00 – 8:00
- Recommended transportation:
- From Changsha:
- High-speed rail to “Changde Station”: about 1 hour, ticket around 60 RMB
- After exiting, take the [Changde–Taohuayuan] tourist shuttle bus (departures daily at 8:00/10:00), ticket 15 RMB, about 1 hour ride
- From Wuhan/Chongqing:
- Direct bullet train to Changde Station, then transfer to the shuttle
- Self-driving reference: Changsha → Taohuayuan about 3.5 hours, fuel + toll about 200 RMB (cheaper if shared by two)
📌 Tip: Book tickets and bus schedules in advance via the “Taohuayuan Tourism Service” WeChat official account
Noon: Simple Meal at Scenic Area Entrance + Check-in
- Time: around 12:00
- Recommended restaurants: “Qingu Renjia Farmhouse” or “Yuanli Small Eatery”
- Signature dishes: stir-fried cured meat with bamboo shoots, native chicken soup, lei cha (local intangible cultural heritage drink)
- Average cost per person: 50 RMB
- Accommodation options (budget-friendly):
- Guesthouses: “Qixi Xiaozhu,” “Guiqulai Ju,” “Taoyuan Mountain Lodge”
- Room types: standard room / queen bed room
- Price: about 260 RMB/night (including breakfast)
- Environment: white walls and black tiles, flower gardens in courtyard, some with scenic windows
> 💡 If returning the same day, no need to stay overnight, but staying one night lets you experience the morning’s “fresh fragrant grass and falling blossoms” atmosphere.
Afternoon: In-depth Tour of Taohuayuan Scenic Area
- Time: 13:30 – 17:30
- Scenic area tickets:
- Adult ticket: 128 RMB (off-season discounts often available, online advance purchase can save 10–20 RMB)
- Student/senior ticket: 64 RMB (with ID)
- ⭐ This guide calculates based on full adult ticket price; actual cost can be reduced by group deals or holiday promotions
- Recommended main route (about 3 hours walking):
> Visitor Center → Qinxi Boating (optional) → Qin Valley Entrance → Huran Pavilion (origin of “suddenly enlightened”) → Peach Blossom Pool → Qin People Village → Viewing Platform overlooking pastoral scenery → Exit
📷 Must-visit photo spots:
1. “Extremely narrow, just enough for a person” tunnel — recreates the original scene from “Peach Blossom Spring”
2. Qin Valley Village — thatched cottages, stone mills, sounds of chickens and dogs, like traveling back a thousand years
3. Peach Blossom Forest Trail — in spring, falling blossoms everywhere, perfect for photos
4. Square Bamboo Garden — unique square-shaped bamboo, rare nationwide
🛶 Optional experiences (not required):
- Qinxi Boating: take a small boat slowly into the valley, very atmospheric (one way 30 RMB)
- Hanfu photoshoot: rental service available in the scenic area (30 RMB/hour), bringing your own is cheaper
Evening: Guesthouse Dinner + Nighttime Chat about Taohuayuan
- Return to guesthouse to rest
- Dinner can be at the guesthouse or nearby restaurants (about 50 RMB per person)
- At night, listen to insects and birds, read a passage from “Peach Blossom Spring,” enjoy a moment of tranquility
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✅ Day 2: Morning Mist Walk + Visit Ancient Town + Return Trip
Early Morning: Watch Morning Mist and Peach Blossom Forest
- Time: 6:00 – 7:00
- Recommended activities:
- Watch the mist-covered fields from the guesthouse balcony
- Walk slowly along the trail, capture undisturbed morning beauty
- In spring, see dewdrops hanging on petals, like a fairyland
Morning: Visit Taohuayuan Ancient Town or Short Tour in Changde City
- Option 1: Visit [Taohuayuan Ancient Town] (free admission)
- Ancient-style buildings, great for photos
- Buy local specialties: lei cha powder, peach wood carvings, rice wine
- Option 2: Return to Changde city, visit [Liuyue Lake] or [Changde Poetry Wall]
- Check in at “city landmarks,” feel the cultural atmosphere of northern Hunan
Noon: Check-out + Lunch and Return
- Check-out time: before 11:30
- Recommended lunch: local snack shop for “Changde rice noodles” + marinated snacks
- Cost per person: 25 RMB
- Take the tourist shuttle back to Changde Station
- Depart for home
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💰 Expense Breakdown (per person)
Item Cost (RMB) Notes
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Round-trip high-speed rail (from Changsha) 120 RMB One way 60 RMB × 2
Local transportation (shuttle + taxi) 50 RMB Changde Station ↔ Scenic Area round trip
Accommodation 260 RMB Budget characteristic guesthouse
Meals (3 main + 1 breakfast) 200 RMB 2 lunches + dinner + breakfast
Scenic tickets 128 RMB Taohuayuan main scenic area
Optional activities (boating/Hanfu) 60 RMB Boating 30 RMB + Hanfu 30 RMB (optional)
Snacks + souvenirs 82 RMB Rice wine, lei cha, postcards, etc.
✅ Total About 1000 RMB Actual controllable between 980–1020 RMB
📌 Money-saving tips:
- Follow “Taohuayuan Tourism” official Douyin/WeChat for frequent “99 RMB package” promotions (includes tickets + transport);
- Contact guesthouse owners in advance, sometimes offer pick-up/drop-off service;
- Peak season is after Spring Festival to before Qingming, off-peak travel is cheaper.
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Packing List
Category Suggested Items
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Clothing Comfortable sneakers, windbreaker, thin sweater for spring/autumn
Hiking Gear Umbrella/folding umbrella (rainy in Jiangnan), sun hat
Daily Necessities Mosquito repellent, tissues, power bank, ID card
Photography Phone/camera, selfie stick, spare batteries
Others Small cash, masks, eco-friendly bag (for buying specialties)
⚠️ Notes:
- Mountain paths in the scenic area can be slippery, wear non-slip shoes;
- Protect the environment, do not pick peach blossoms or litter;
- For Hanfu photoshoots, bringing your own makeup saves money.
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Three Must-try Experiences
1. An immersive journey “where the forest ends and the water source begins, there is a mountain”
Entering Qin Valley feels like stepping into Tao Yuanming’s ideal world.
2. A bowl of authentic “Taoyuan Lei Cha”
Made by grinding tea leaves, sesame, and peanuts, savory and warming, a local hospitality tradition.
3. A stunning ancient-style social media photo
Wearing Hanfu walking in the peach blossom forest, every shot looks like “a person traveling in a painting.”
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Extended Recommendation (for those with more time)
> “Northern Hunan Cultural Three-Day Tour” combined itinerary
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✅ One-sentence summary recommendation:
> If you want to find a poetic place to live, to step into the “Peach Blossom Spring” from your textbooks in the real world, this is the closest place to your dream. Spend 1000 RMB to escape the hustle and bustle for two days, totally worth it!
Wish you a pleasant journey, may we all meet that peach blossom forest in our hearts🌸📖🌄