Xiushan County, like a shining pearl, stands in Southeast Chongqing. Located in a wealthy land, she serves as a key gateway. With abundant resources and an advantageous location, she also enjoys profound culture and beautiful scenery.

Xiushan County is the home to Tujia and Miao minorities, with rich in folk culture, such as the world-famous festive lantern music and dance. The location in the center region of Wuling Mountains endows the county diversified tourism resources. It is also an ideal place for enjoying elegant scenery and appreciating folk culture.

Lala Ferry: a ferry in literature and history

Hong’an Ancient Town, known for its special location as the junction of Chongqing, Guizhou, and Hunan, is the prototype of Shen Congwen’s the Border Town, earning Xiushan the name of “border town”. In this novel, Lala Ferry is the place where the beautiful and kind girl waits for her beloved.

In October 1949, Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping directed the troops in the southwest area and liberated Hunan peacefully. On November 6, the spearhead entered Hong’an via Lala Ferry from Chadong to Hunan, captured the town immediately, and liberated Xiushan the next day.

The name of “Lala Ferry” has lasted until today. Fixed to both sides of the river, a steel bar as thick as a thumb goes through the ship. People use a long stick, which has 7-8 inches long, with a mount clipped on the steel bar, and pull it to make the ship forward. With the stick pulled again, the ship will move on. This is what tourists are usually curious about. The fun of this ship never gets old.

In the picturesque town, Lala Ferry, beside the clear Qingshui River, has been a participant in the time-honored history. The past years have smoothened the rigging of the ship, which has witnessed a number of moving stories. This peaceful border town is exactly the mirror of the writer’s longing for pastoral life.

Xijie or West Street: the reflection of Xiushan’s development for 300 years

Xiushan was an ancient town built in the first year (1736) of the reign of Qianlong Emperor in the Qing Dynasty. Combined with the experience in constructing counties in the past, the grandest and strongest city at the junction of Sichuan, Hunan, and Guizhou came into being.

The streets covered with flagstones crisscross the town, where wooden buildings with black tiles and upturned eaves represent the style of Ming and Qing Dynasties. The carvings on the bricks and wood on the lintel look also vivid. All of these have revealed an ancient atmosphere. Moreover, there are other sacred buildings, such as Bagua Well, and Temple of the Queen of Heaven, looking impressive.

West Street used to be the busiest central block in the old town and has witnessed Xiushan’s development and change for nearly 300 years. Generations have left their memories there, and so many people have shown their homesickness there as well. Everything and everywhere has affected the mind of old generations in Xiushan, and have also evoked their memories of the past.

Through years of renovation, West Street can give you an overall view of the history of the ancient town.

Several crisscrossed alleys, more than 100 meters long, seem to be the backbones of the century-old town. Tourists there can have a personal experience of the mysterious and profound history, therefore. Back, the mottled wooden houses and old yards revealed the memories for the last days.

Chuanhegai: the heaven of peace in modern life

Do you want to see the cloud, sunrise, and sunset, and enjoy the starry sky on the top place of Xiushan? Then, the 4A-level Chuanhegai Scenic Area will be your must-go destination. The plains on the top of the Wuling Mountains have a common name called “Gai”. Chuanhegai Scenic Area, located in Yongdong Township, Xiushan County, is at an average elevation of 1,200 meters. With an annual temperature of 12.1 degrees Celsius, it covers an area of 28 square kilometers. Known as the First Gai of Wuling Mountains and the Largest Table Mountain in the World, it is a large alpine ecological scenic area combined with the meadow and flowers in Southeast Chongqing.

It has won another title of “Garden Hanging on the Clouds ”. Beside the Gai are natural stone landscapes, such as Jagged Rock, General Rock, Comb Mountain, Gathering of Three Apes, Century-Old Turtle and Toad for Phoenix. There is also an underground river crossing the whole scenic area, the natural caves like Simen Dong or Four Gate Cave, Black Cave and Bright Cave, as well as wonderful landscapes such as the Longdong Titian or Dragon Cave Terrace under the Gai. Such abundant resources have given birth to super experience space.

As the tourist experts said, “Chuanhegai, with extraordinary beauty hidden in the mountain, is another rarely-known ‘heaven of peace’ in the Wuling Mountains.”