Guide for Fenghuang Maglev Sightseeing Express

The Fenghuang Maglev Sightseeing Express, China's first "Maglev + Cultural Tourism" innovation demonstration project, has attracted numerous tourists since its trial operation in July 2022.

This 9-kilometer maglev line connects the Fenghuang Station of  the Zhangjiajie-Jishou-Huaihua High-Speed Railway with the core area of Fenghuang Ancient Town. Using four distinctive stations as hubs, it creates an innovative tourism corridor that integrates transportation, sightseeing, science popularization, and cultural experiences. It is praised as "China's Most Beautiful Maglev Line."

With a one-way ticket priced at just 28 yuan, this maglev express invites you to embark on a journey blending technology and culture. Its high cost-effectiveness makes it a popular choice for summer family trips, study tours, and leisure travel.

The Fenghuang Ancient Town Maglev Station offers "zero transfer" from the high-speed rail station. Resembling a phoenix spreading its wings in flight, the maglev station warmly embraces visitors from all directions, embodying the open and inclusive spirit of Fenghuang Ancient Town. From here, tourists set out on a spectacular journey blending technology and culture.

Visitors can immerse themselves in tech experiences at the Yingbin Station. The station houses a maglev science education museum, featuring numerous experimental models on electricity and magnetism. Through vivid displays, visitors can explore the secrets behind the maglev train's "gliding close to the ground."

The Fenghuang History and Culture Museum next to the station is a treasure house of ethnic culture, adorned with decorative elements from Miao and Tujia ethnic groups. Walking through it, visitors immerse themselves in rich ethnic customs and experience the unique charm of these cultural imprints.

The Lansheng Station is an "unbeatable" sightseeing site. The aesthetic highlight and experiential core of the line is the iconic "Eye of the Phoenix" observation deck, which features a three-story cantilevered design suspended between the foothills of Nanhua Mountain and the Tuojiang River, offering panoramic views of the river's rippling waters, the ancient town's stilted buildings, and cobblestone streets.

The walkway and sightseeing elevator below the station seamlessly connect to the ancient town, allowing a 5-minute walk into the historic area. Artistic installations like "Rainbow After the Rain" and "Maglev Moon" along the way make this short stroll a highlight for photo opportunities.

Inside the station, the Maglev Technology Experience Hall is full of interactive fun. The simulation cockpit enables visitors to operate a maglev train, and VR equipment transports you to the construction site of the line. Static electricity experiments like "hair standing on end" delight children endlessly.

The Dengdai Station immerses visitors in "living" culture. The "Fenghuang Auspicious" project near the station encompasses three major business formats: maglev performances, cultural tourism commerce, and themed boutique hotels, fully meeting tourists' needs for dining, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment.

The "Waiting for Fenghuang" immersive experience theater is the highlight. Utilizing holographic projection and 5D technology, it vividly brings to life Shen Congwen's "Border Town" and the thousand-year-old history of the ancient city, offering visitors an all-around sensory feast. Meanwhile, the area around the Dengdai Station gathers authentic Xiangxi cuisine, Miao silver jewelry and batik, specialty hotels, and Miao song and dance performances.

Currently, the first train departs daily at 8:45, and the last train departs at 21:30. Trains run every 15 minutes between 12:00 and 18:00, and every 23 minutes at other times. A Fenghuang Maglev single-trip ticket is priced at 28 yuan; the tourism ticket costs 68 yuan, granting two rides within three consecutive days, along with one visit to the Maglev Science Education Museum and the Maglev Technology Experience Hall, and one maglev simulation driving experience.

For eligible discount groups, the discounted tourism ticket is priced at 48 yuan with the same rights as the standard tourism ticket. Children under 1.2 meters in height, active military personnel, and retired military officers receive free admission. Tickets can be purchased online by following the "Fenghuang Maglev Cultural Tourism" Douyin account, official WeChat account, or WeChat mini-program.

Chinese source: Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism