[2025 Suining Attraction] Travel Guide for Shangbao Guguo (Updated May)

#AprilGoodDestinations2025 🏰Travel through time and space! A complete guide to exploring the ancient kingdom of Shangbao in Shaoyang Family members! Discovered the super mysterious "Hidden Kingdom" in Shaoyang - Shangbao Ancient Kingdom🏰! This was once a "kingdom" established by the Miao people during their uprising. The ruins hide 600 years of history, and the beautiful scenery surrounded by mountains is simply stunning! If you want to experience the adventure of secret places, follow the guide! 📍 Location and transportation Shangbao Ancient Kingdom is located in the Huangsang Nature Reserve in Suining County, Shaoyang City🌲. If you drive directly, navigate to "Shangbao Ancient Village", which is about a 3-hour drive from Shaoyang City🚗; you can also go to Suining County first and then transfer to the bus to Huangsang🚌, but there are fewer buses, so it is recommended to drive by yourself for more flexibility~ The mountain road is winding, so drive carefully and slowly! 🎫 Tickets & Opening Hours Tickets are 40 yuan/person🎟️, and students and seniors can get half price with vouchers! It is open all year round, but it is recommended to come in spring and summer (April to June) when the azaleas are in full bloom all over the mountains, which is breathtaking 🌸; in autumn (September to November), the forest is full of colors, which is also great for taking photos! 🏯 Must-see attractions • Shangbao Golden Palace Ruins: The core area of ​​the ancient country. Although only the ruins of the walls remain, you can still feel the grandeur of the past! Standing in front of the ruins, it feels like traveling back to an ancient battlefield🗡️. • Ruins of the Ancient Soldiers’ Camp: Explore the ancient soldiers’ camp along the bluestone road. The city walls and observation towers are well preserved, giving you a sense of adventure! • Stream waterfalls: There are many secret waterfalls around the village, such as the flowing water in Quyou Valley. It is super cool to step on the water and trace the stream in summer🌊! 🏡 Accommodation recommendations It is recommended to stay in a homestay in the village, 100-200 yuan a night, where you can experience authentic Miao life! It's so pleasant to be awakened by the birdsong in the morning and watch the smoke rising in the evening. Some homestays also offer special foods such as Miao bacon and bamboo tube rice, which are so delicious that you will drool! 🌟 Useful tips • The road conditions in the village are relatively primitive, so it is recommended to wear non-slip shoes 👟 to facilitate climbing and walking on stone steps. • Bring your own sunscreen and rain gear, as the weather in the mountains is changeable🌦️. • Respect local customs. There are many taboos in Miao Village, such as not stepping on the threshold. The ancient country of Shangbao is like a corner forgotten by time. It has both a heavy sense of history and beautiful natural scenery! If you want to get away from the crowds and deeply experience the charm of the ancient village, this place is definitely worth adding to your travel list🧳!

| The mysterious ancient village of the thousand-year-old Miao territory. **Highlights**: The first capital in Miao history, the ancient village is built along the mountains and rivers, with winding stone roads and scattered stilted buildings. When shrouded in the early morning mist, it is like a hidden paradise. **Address**: Suining County, Shaoyang City **Humanistic Perspective**: Photograph the daily life of Miao grandmothers weaving cloth and drawing water from ancient wells, recording the simple life that has not been eroded by commercialization.

It's another niche but worthwhile place to visit~ To get to Shangbao Village from Suining County, you need to take a bus. After arriving at the village town, there is actually almost an hour of mountain road ahead, with attractions such as waterfalls along the way. We had a clear goal and headed straight for the ancient Shangbao Kingdom. The ancient Shangbao Kingdom is said to have been established by the Miao chieftain as a 'kingdom within a kingdom'. According to records, during the Tian Shun era of the Ming Dynasty, Li Tianbao from Macheng County in Hubei claimed to be a descendant of Emperor Taizong of Tang. He gathered tens of thousands of Dong and Miao residents in Suining County to rise up, using places like Shangbao as their base. They proclaimed themselves kings, changed the era name to Wulie, and attacked cities and territories, causing tremors near and far. After the uprising was suppressed by the Ming army, Shangbao Village was burned down, and the once prosperous settlement became ruins. Later, Dong, Miao, and other ethnic groups gradually moved here, forming a new settlement. It is hard to imagine today that in ancient times, when transportation was not developed at all, in the mountains surrounded by mountains, and even now it takes an hour to drive in the mountainous hinterland, there was once an independent regime. The existing 'Dismounting Stone' is still there, but the Jinluan Hall has been completely destroyed, leaving only the stone wall in front of the Jinluan Hall's gate. The bell tower seems to have been repaired later, majestic and spectacular. The is very famous locally, which is actually not tea leaves, but the leaves of the Qingqianliu tree. After being dried in the sun and soaked in boiling water, it tastes a bit sweet. It's quite niche, so there are fewer tourists, the climate is pleasant, the air is fresh, and it's a nice choice to spend a day visiting. If you happen to be there on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, it's the very grand , where you can experience many folk cultures.

The ancient village is more than 30 kilometers away from Suining County. The entire village is located in the east, west and north directions, with the north high and the south low, facing north and south. The current population is 421, and they are mainly engaged in grain production. Due to the high altitude and low rice yield, the main source of income for the Miao people is processing bamboo, planting medicinal herbs and ecological vegetables such as Gastrodia elata, tomatoes, taro, etc. Shangbao Ancient Kingdom