Things to do in Hukou

This is a place with a story. We visited to learn about its history and to teach the children. There was a Sichuan opera face-changing performance, but I don't know why Jiujiang would include it. Then there was a brief explanation of the origin of Song Jiang's rebellious poem. The last part was what I found most distasteful: a former calligrapher wrote some calligraphy. He kept saying it wasn't for sale, only for the audience member who cheered the loudest. I immediately recognized the sales tactic. What I disliked was that during the May Day holiday, people from all over brought their children to visit. The children were innocent and focused, listening intently and looking forward to it. When you tell them it's a scam, it's negative, and they won't leave until the end. In the end, it was obvious they wouldn't give it away for free; they charged 200 yuan for the writing. In other words, the calligraphy was written and given away for free; the artwork wasn't actually framed, just a simple scroll with the writing on it. They charged 200 yuan to the viewers. Finally, the children realized it was a scam, learned a lesson about society, and left unhappy. This part was definitely a mistake in this old historical building. Society has developed; even selling calligraphy and paintings using this tactic is outdated. If they had just added more creative souvenirs, fridge magnets, and ice cream, the price would probably have been higher than this, even with more tourists.

The San Die Quan Waterfall truly lives up to its reputation. The scenery is completely different from Huang Guo Shu Waterfall. Climbing nearly 3000 steps up and down, my legs were shaking. But the feeling of the waterfall's mist splashing on you after reaching the top was truly magical.

The most worthwhile attraction in the scenic area is the Suojiang Tower (a national key cultural relic protection unit). Actually, you can see it very clearly from the outside :) There is a 3D electronic screen inside the tower, and climbing the tower is also a good place to enjoy the river view. However, the design of Suojiang Tower is not user-friendly for viewing the tower.

It's better to take the cable car up and walk down; it saves energy and allows you to see everything you need to see. Unfortunately, we went on a foggy day with low water levels, so we couldn't fully appreciate the atmosphere described in Li Bai's poem. We'll come back during the rainy season.

There's no excessive commercialization, and the bamboo raft boatmen are quite interesting and don't charge extra. A special shout-out to the "One Line Sky"! Having climbed countless "One Line Skys" across the country, only this one is truly authentic!! A place where you can calmly focus on the scenery, a truly peaceful and beautiful landscape.

- Huxi Bridge: The place where the legendary story of "Three Smiles at Huxi" took place in the history of Chinese culture. The bridge is simple and the surrounding scenery is quiet.   ​ - Heavenly King Hall: One of the important buildings of Donglin Temple. The statues of the Four Heavenly Kings in the hall are solemn and majestic, which makes people awe-inspiring.   ​ - Daxiong Hall: The main hall of Donglin Temple. The Buddha statues in the hall are tall and majestic, with incense smoke and Buddhist chants, solemn and solemn.   ​ - Huiyuan Tomb Tower: Located on the hill west of Donglin Temple, it is the tomb tower of Huiyuan, the founder of the "Pure Land Sect" of Eastern Buddhism. It has a simple shape and profound historical and cultural value.

Today, a leader arrived, and they were completely clueless about the preparations. The two security guards were just messing around, completely clueless. The security guard even criticized the tourists. We waited half an hour for the iron flower show, and it didn't even last 10 minutes. The show was so far away from where we were supposed to be, we couldn't even see it clearly. The actual show time was completely different from the schedule, and many things weren't going according to plan. How can you say this is a good experience for tourists? No wonder they don't charge.

The exhibited artifacts were quite good; I've also been to joint exhibitions organized by museums like the Hunan Provincial Museum. The Kremlin artifacts here are well-prepared and thoughtfully designed. However, the souvenir and merchandise section was rather boring. I was thinking of buying a pendant or something, but that saved me some money.

The scenic area is filled with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms. From the top, you can enjoy panoramic views of the Yangtze River Bridge and the Yellow Crane Tower. At the very top, watching the ships on the Yangtze and the cars and trains on the bridge, with the breeze blowing, is very pleasant, and it's not too crowded. The scenic area isn't large; a leisurely hour is about right to appreciate the scenery. Qingchuan Pavilion and Guishan Scenic Area are directly connected by the Iron Gate Pass, which leads to the West Gate of Guishan. Climbing the mountain and enjoying the breeze and osmanthus fragrance is a wonderful experience.

Taking kids to a museum definitely requires a guided tour! Luckily, we met a great guide – Ms. Yuan! Her explanations were very detailed, and we listened attentively. We bought many souvenirs. The chicken cup is a must-buy! The museum architecture is also stunning – highly recommended!