Shennongjia travel guide

Shennongjia Hongping Airport opened in October 2013. It currently has direct flights to Wuhan, Chongqing and Shanghai; other destinations require a connection. Shuttle buses run to Muyu Town and Songbai Town, departing according to the arrival times of flights.

Since the high-speed rail line opened, reaching Shennongjia has become much easier. High-speed trains run to Shennongjia from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Zhengzhou, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Kunming and other cities.

The Yichang–Shennongjia route takes 2 hours 40 minutes by boat to Xingshan Tourist Wharf. From there, it is a 1.5-hour bus ride to the Muyu Provincial Tourist Resort in Shennongjia.

The main roads within the forest area are National Highway 209 and the Baiguoshu and Honghuaduo provincial roads, while Jiuhuping and the Jiuhu district road link up with them. Roads in the area total more than 1,300 km, running north–south and east–west across the region, and connect with the road networks of Xiangyang, Shiyan, Yichang, Xingshan, Badong and other cities and counties. Most visitors arrive from Shiyan or Yichang. From Shiyan, you first reach Songbai Town; from Yichang, you first reach Muyu Town.

Take an express bus from Yichang to Xingshan County (¥25, one bus every 30 minutes, about 3.5 hours). Then change in Xingshan for Muyu in Shennongjia (¥25, only 40 minutes). Alternatively, take a direct bus from Yichang to Shennongjia: 6 buses daily, ¥76.

Shiyan is about 202 km from Shennongjia, a journey of around 7 hours. There is one bus a day, departing at 9:00 am, for ¥90.

From Wuhan Xinhua Road Long-Distance Bus Station, one bus departs daily at 8:00 pm for Xingshan County, arriving at 6:00 am the next day. In Xingshan, minibuses run to Muyu Town in Shennongjia every half hour. You can also take a train from Wuhan to Shiyan, then catch the 9:00 am bus from the bus station to Songbai Town in Shennongjia.

You can take a boat and disembark at Badong Port, where buses to Shennongjia leave daily at 5:30 am. A direct Chongqing–Shennongjia bus is also now available, with a round-trip fare including admission of ¥498.

The Shennongjia Bus Station runs daily buses to the following cities: Wuhan (1 bus), Shiyan (1), Fang County (2), Yichang (1), Laohekou (1), Xingshan (1), Zigui (1) and Badong (1). You can also take a bus to Xingshan County and transfer to a minibus to Muyu, a 1.5-hour trip costing ¥30 per person.

Internal sightseeing shuttles departing before 7:30 am all stop at the main scenic spots. If you hire a car: a non-air-conditioned 7-seat minivan costs ¥200–300 per day; a 10-seat air-conditioned minibus costs ¥500 per day.

The Shennongjia area has a local rhyme: “Potatoes to eat, fire-baked dough lumps to bite, rice liquor with cured pork — beyond the immortals, there's only me.” It describes everyday local food. When you visit Shennongjia, be sure to try the local cured pork, potatoes and tender tofu.

Wild vegetables are also a local specialty. Shennong Tujia feasts and Shennongjia wild vegetable dishes will give you plenty to enjoy.

Most visitors to Shennongjia stay in Muyu Town, where hotels are concentrated. The local two-star hotels, Shennong Mountain Villa and Tianlu Resort, offer good accommodation and facilities. Other options include Hepingt Hotel, Shenbao Hotel, Big Forest Villa and Shennong Resort. Muyu Tourism Development Zone also has guesthouses in local-style houses.

Local specialties include Shennong tea, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese herbal medicines, wooden chopping boards, Gynostemma (jiaogulan), wild honey, red birch sap, root carvings, crystal stones, wild walnuts and chestnuts. They are sold on the streets of Muyu Town and Songbai Town.