Huaihua travel guide

Known as the western 'bridgehead', Huaihua is a must-pass hub linking Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan and other cities, and it is also one of the cities where migrant workers gather. In recent years, thanks to the ancient county towns described by Shen Congwen and the growing popularity of Hongjiang and Tongdao, Huaihua has drawn increasing attention from travel enthusiasts.

The blue-stone relief gateway of Tianhou Palace, on the west bank of the county town, is finely carved with deep openwork. To reach the palace you must cross Longjin Bridge, a wind and rain bridge that set a Guinness World Record. Its scale, refined structure and imposing presence will move any visitor. Both sites can be visited together with the Anti-Japanese Surrender Memorial Hall on a single route.

Yutou Ancient Village, Huangdu and Huilong Bridge can be visited on a single route. Tongdao county town has long-distance buses to destinations across the country.

By air: fly to Guilin, then take a bus through Longsheng to Tongdao, a journey of just over 170 km. Alternatively, fly to Zhangjiajie and transfer to a train heading Zhangjiajie → Zhanjiang, Xiangyang → Liuzhou, Guangzhou → Dazhou, getting off at Tongdao Station (Xianxi), then taking a bus into the county town.

By train: there are direct trains from Huaihua to Tongdao, four a day. Minibuses into town wait at Tongdao railway station at all times.

By bus: there are direct express buses from Huaihua to Tongdao county town.

Unless you are in very remote areas, local dialects are generally understandable, and Mandarin usually works fine.

The climate is broadly similar to western Hunan's, and the area can be visited in all four seasons.