The short holiday at Wujiangzhai is truly delightful
Qingming real test! Is Zunyi Wujiangzhai worth visiting? Here’s a complete guide for eating, staying, playing, and photography—keep it handy
During the Qingming short holiday, I went to Zunyi Wujiangzhai with friends. Honestly, I was a bit worried before setting off—this kind of place sounds like a purely commercial tourist spot, would it feel too "fake"? But after the visit, it actually turned out great. Here’s a fresh, firsthand guide to help those interested.
🚗 How to get there?
We took the high-speed train from Chongqing to Zunyi Station. Right outside the station, there’s a shuttle bus directly to the scenic area, a small 12-seater van, about a 1-hour ride, very convenient.
For those driving, just navigate to “Wujiangzhai Visitor Center.” Note: private cars are not allowed inside the scenic area; all must park in the outside parking lot.
🏨 Where to stay?
Highly recommend staying in hotels inside the scenic area for convenience and value.
We booked the Mushan Hotel, a queen room for one night on April 4th during Qingming cost 741 RMB (normally 647 RMB). The price seems high but includes:
· Breakfast for two
· Two scenic area tickets (120 RMB per person if bought separately)
· Unlimited shuttle rides inside the scenic area
· Free entry and exit from the scenic area
The value is really good, and staying inside is much more convenient.
If your budget allows, I recommend Miao Wangzhai Hotel or Qian Academy Hotel, which are closer to the core scenic spots, so you don’t have to walk far to see the evening performances.
🌄 How to enjoy it fully?
The scenic area isn’t very large, but there are many stone paths and frequent uphill and downhill sections, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes.
Best plan: enter the scenic area in the afternoon. This way, you can experience both the daytime and nighttime scenery—Wujiangzhai is fresh and rustic by day, and when the lights come on at night, it’s a completely different atmosphere.
There are rowboats available (60 RMB per person during the day, 80 RMB at night), and craft experiences like paper making. There are also scheduled performances: light shows, iron flower throwing, drone formations, bamboo pole water walking, parade performances... The program is quite rich, and you’ll encounter one every few steps, so it’s never boring.
⚠️ Warning: Food inside the scenic area is expensive and not tasty, so don’t waste money. It’s better to eat at the commercial street outside the visitor center, where there are more choices and reasonable prices.
📸 How to book photography?
For those wanting beautiful photos, it’s best to arrange makeup and styling on the commercial street outside the scenic area in advance, and book a photographer at the same time. Compare several places as prices vary.
We booked for 199 RMB per person, including makeup + photos, with 20 raw photos and 6 retouched ones. But since we didn’t book ahead, our shoot was after 8 PM.
However, the makeup was very carefully done, taking over an hour with attention to detail, unlike some rushed jobs I’ve had before. Plus, you can choose any outfit; another place I checked charged 299 RMB and only allowed Miao ethnic costumes. This was a good deal.
💡 Final summary
Wujiangzhai is indeed a purely commercial tourist spot, but commercial doesn’t mean it’s not fun. It’s perfect for those who don’t want to worry and like one-stop convenience, and also great for family trips—facilities are complete, activities are rich, and you don’t have to run around.
If I come again, I’d choose March when the rapeseed flowers bloom, with golden fields all over the hills combined with the stilted buildings of the village—it should be even more photogenic~
A small reminder: during holidays, remember to book hotels and photography sessions in advance, so you don’t end up shooting until dark like we did 😅