I arrived in Zhangjiajie in the afternoon from Hangzhou, too late to make a worthwhile visit to the national park. So, instead of wasting the rest of the day, I jumped straight onto another train to Furong Town. Less than an hour later, I was on my way to one of the most beautiful places I saw in China.
Furong Town is touristy and the entrance ticket isn’t cheap, but the setting is special: traditional buildings climb the hillsides around a spectacular multi-level waterfall. And once the lights come on after sunset, it becomes even more impressive.
🚆 How I got to Furong Town from Zhangjiajie
The high-speed train from Zhangjiajie West to Furongzhen takes only around 25 minutes, making this an easy addition to a Zhangjiajie itinerary. The exact timetable changes, so check the current trains before travelling.
My luggage? I didn’t want to carry my luggage around Furong Town, so I ordered a DiDi delivery to my Zhangjiajie hotel from the train station and messaged the hotel through Trip.com to let them know my luggage would arrive before me. This was cheaper than station storage and there was no need to worry about storage opening hours.
I bought my Furong Town entrance ticket on Trip.com while I was still on the train as it is slightly cheaper than getting it at the town. The official 2026 price was 108 yuan.
The railway station is some distance from the old town, though, so don’t underestimate the last part of the journey. Taxis are available, but I found DiDi less widely available than in larger Chinese cities. Amap is worth having as a backup, as it also has a taxi function. From Furongzhen Railway Station, I used the tourist shuttle included with my entrance ticket. There was a lady at the exit directing you to the bus, so it was easy and I didn’t have to wait long.
💦 Furong Town Waterfall is the reason to come
I’ll be honest: I initially thought the entrance ticket was quite expensive just to walk around a touristy old town.
Then I saw the waterfall.
Furong’s traditional buildings sit directly above and around a dramatic multi-level waterfall. You can walk through the old town, follow the paths around the falls and see the water from several viewpoints. The town itself is beautiful, but the waterfall is what makes Furong Town unique.
There are stairs and wet surfaces around the waterfall, so wear shoes with good grip and bring something waterproof if the weather is wet. The spray can also reach your phone and camera.
🌅 Stay beyond sunset
This is my biggest tip: don’t visit Furong only during the day. I found the town beautiful in daylight, but watching the light change and the buildings slowly illuminate was something else.
If you want a restaurant with a good waterfall view, start looking 60–90 minutes before sunset. The best window tables disappear quickly.
The food was also some of the most expensive I had in China. I made the mistake of ordering a chicken curry-style dish and got parts of the chicken I definitely wouldn’t normally eat in Europe, while the breast or thigh I expected was nowhere to be found. It ended up being the most expensive bowl of plain rice I’ve ever eaten.
So choose your restaurant for the view first, and be a little careful with unfamiliar dishes.
Once it got dark, the waterfall and the old town were illuminated. The traditional buildings glowed with warm lights while the waterfall changed colour below them. It looked completely different from the town I’d explored a few hours earlier.
This is why it is best to arrive around 15:00–16:00 rather than treating Furong Town as a daytime stop. You can see the town in daylight, have dinner, watch sunset and stay for the illuminated waterfall.
🚕 Getting back to Zhangjiajie
This was the difficult part of my visit. After the evening lights, I wasn’t sure whether the tourist shuttle was still running. The taxi apps weren’t accepting my requests either because so many people were trying to leave.
Eventually, I saw other tourists negotiating with a driver using a translation app. We shared the taxi, but it still cost around US$12 for four people to reach the railway station. That’s dramatically more than the €2-3 taxi rides I had usually paid elsewhere in China. If you have the time, staying overnight in Furong Town is much more relaxed.
If you prefer everything organised, a guided day trip or organised tour can also be a good option, especially avoiding the evening taxi hassle. In China, Trip.com works especially well for booking these tours, but platforms like GetYourGuide also offer some Furong Town day trip options if you prefer to keep everything in one place.
Experience
Private Transfer from Zhangjiajie to Furong Town and stops at Fenghuang old town11-12h
From US$57.48 per person
Experience
Furong Town night view half-day tour | small group of 10 people + zero-distance waterfall trekking experience6h
From US$67.89 per person
Experience
Start from zhangjiajie Private Day Tour toTianmen Mountain and Furong town11-12h
From US$20.69 per person
🗺️ The ideal itinerary
My ideal schedule would be:
- 15:00–16:00: Arrive in Furong Town from Zhangjiajie
- 16:00–18:00: Explore the town and waterfall
- 18:00 onwards: Find dinner and a good viewpoint
- Sunset: Watch the town light up
- After dark: See the illuminated waterfall and walk around the town
- Later: Return to Zhangjiajie or stay overnight
