Food
Food in tourist resorts is always expensive. Cheaper food can be found down
the hills, in the village night food markets that are scatted everywhere. Tujia
ethnic food, such as pickled fish, pot-braised dog meat and ga-ga chicken, as
well as local dim sums and hot pot are a must try. Zhangjiajie is also the home
of delicious maize cob and wild Chinese gooseberry. Genuine Hunan cuisine can
be found either in the big hotels such as the Zhangjiajie Hotel, or at the numerous
eating houses in the village.Zhangjiajie abounds with wild food eateries, that
serve locally caught produce including wild chicken, pheasant, snake, white-haired
rat and bullfrog. You'll have to decide for yourself whether you are comfortable
eating while the animals stare at you from their cages.
The best entertainment programs are the local Tujia opera, dance and martial
arts. Along the way into the Zhangjiajie Scenic Area, there are points, such
as the "Folk Song Pavillion", where you can stop and listen to the
silvery voices of costumed Tujia girls, and their echoes from the valleys behind
you. At the end of October, there is a Forest Protecting Festival held locally,
a good time to meet minorities and learn about their folk cultures. With tourism
developing quickly, karaoke, discos and saunas are becoming popular. Good sports
facilities and cafes can be found in some hotels.
Hefei is not bad in its shopping variety, and most of the specialties from around
Anhui and beyond make their way to the markets, stalls, shops and department
stores around town.
The most noteworthy of specialties include feather fans (Yumao shan), pottery
(Taoqi), Gujing wine (Gujing gongjiu), Huangshan tea (Huangshan cha), bamboo
carving (Zhuhuang diaoke), traditional medicines (Zhongyao) and the four treasures
of Chinese calligraphy (Wenfang sibao) - specialist writing paper (Xuan zhi),
writing brushes (Xuan maobi), inkstones (She yantai) and ink (Hu mo).
The city is also notable for the variety of its fruits, that still arrive on
the markets seasonally. Species include pears, pomegranates, grapes and kiwi,
among others.
Shops:
Those hunting for handicrafts and antiques should go to the Anhui Antiques Shop
(Anhui guwan shangdian) at 57 Renmin lu.
If you like haggling for prices for antiques and curios, head to the Chenghuangmiao
Shopping Center (Chenghuangmiao gouwu zhongxing), near the Old City Gods Temple
(Chenghuang miao).
The Hefei Department Store (Baihuo dalou) at 124 Changjiang lu and Shangzhidu
Department Store (Shangzhidu baihuo dalou) on Suzhou lu are good places to look
for wine and tea.
The Foreign Languages Book Store (Waiwen shudian) can be found at 29 Yimin jie.
Good for English maps, postcards and books.