Abigail Abe, Quincy Shakespeare and I were college classmates who loved nature and adventure. After graduation, we went our separate ways and never saw each other again. Last month, we reconnected on social media and found out that we had a common wish: to go hunting at Phoenix Mountain Forest Park in Huaihua, Hunan, China. This park is one of the largest national forest parks in China, with rich animal and plant resources and beautiful natural scenery. We decided to take advantage of the holiday and make this dream come true. We booked our flights, hotels and guides online in advance, and also bought some professional hunting equipment, such as night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars, which could help us observe and catch animals better at night. We were full of expectation and passion for this trip, hoping to find the long-lost excitement and joy at Phoenix Mountain Forest Park.
Our trip started from Phoenix Mountain Forest Park. This park is located in the central part of Huaihua City, Hunan Province, about 50 kilometers away from the city center, covering an area of 25,000 hectares. It is one of the largest national forest parks in China. Here the mountains are green, the streams are gurgling, and the forest coverage rate is over 90%, making it a paradise for eco-tourism. The park has many rare and endangered animals and plants, such as leopards, clouded leopards, golden monkeys, crested ibises, ginkgoes, dawn redwoods, etc. There are also many cultural attractions, such as ancient beacon towers, ethnic villages, revolutionary memorial halls, etc. Under the guidance of our guide, we followed the park’s ring road and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Phoenix Mountain. I also used a tool to create a picture of Phoenix Mountain, hoping you would like it.
Phoenix Mountain Forest Park is a place with a long history. Its name comes from a ancient temple on the mountain - Phoenix Temple. It is said that this temple was built by Jianzhen, a famous monk of the Tang Dynasty, on his way to Japan to preach Buddhism. The temple enshrined a wooden statue of a phoenix, hence the name Phoenix Temple. Later, this temple was destroyed by war, leaving only a stone tablet and some ruins. But people still call this mountain Phoenix Mountain to commemorate Jianzhen and his Buddhist spirit. We visited the ruins of Phoenix Temple under the guidance of our guide and felt the historical atmosphere and religious ambiance there. We also climbed up to the beacon tower and overlooked the magnificent view of the whole forest park. The beacon tower was a military facility built in the Ming Dynasty to defend against foreign enemies. They were distributed between various fortresses and passes, and used to transmit information and alarms by lighting fires. We took many photos on the beacon tower and left wonderful memories.
We also visited some ethnic villages and experienced the local folk culture and lifestyle. We saw various ethnic costumes, handicrafts, song and dance performances, etc., and felt the enthusiasm and friendliness of the local people. We also tasted some local specialties, such as dried tofu, hot and sour noodles, oil tea, etc., which were delicious and appetizing.
We spent a pleasant day at Phoenix Mountain Forest Park, feeling the charm of nature and the cultural heritage. We were full of praise and admiration for this park, and also full of expectation and passion for our upcoming hunting trip.
The next day, we started our long-awaited hunting trip. Under the arrangement of our guide, we rented an off-road vehicle, took our hunting equipment, and drove to the depths of the park. Our hunting equipment included night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars, which could help us observe and catch animals better at night. Night vision binoculars are a kind of binoculars that can magnify light in the dark, allowing us to see the outlines and movements of animals. Infrared binoculars are a kind of binoculars that can detect heat radiation, allowing us to see the body temperature and position of animals. This equipment gave us an advantage in night hunting, and also increased our fun.
We found a suitable place in the park, stopped the car, and started our night hunt. We divided into two groups, Abigail Abe and I in one group, Quincy Shakespeare and the guide in another group, each carrying night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars, as well as some other hunting tools. We agreed on a contact signal and a meeting time, and then set off to find our targets.
Abigail Abe and I followed a small road into the forest, using night vision binoculars to observe the surroundings. We soon found a group of wild boars foraging in the woods, their figures faintly visible in the dark. We decided to try infrared binoculars to see if we could see them more clearly. We switched equipment and aimed at the direction of the wild boars. We were surprised to find that infrared binoculars showed us the red outlines of the wild boars, their body temperature was particularly conspicuous in the dark. We immediately felt a surge of excitement and nervousness, and quietly approached them.
When we were about ten meters away from the wild boars, we stopped and prepared to shoot. But just then, we heard a loud noise, like thunder that deafened our ears. We were startled and quickly hid behind a tree. We used night vision binoculars to look at the source of the sound, and found out that it was Quincy Shakespeare and the guide who also found the wild boars and fired first. Their gunshots alarmed the whole forest, making all the animals flee. We had to reluctantly give up this opportunity, hoping to find other targets.
We continued to look for traces of animals in the forest, using infrared binoculars to scan the temperature changes around us. After a while, we found a pheasant pecking at food in the grass. The pheasant was small and exquisite, with beautiful feathers on its body. It seemed unaware of our presence, quietly enjoying its dinner. Abigail Abe and I looked at each other tacitly and made a move: I was responsible for shooting; she was responsible for picking up the pheasant. I carefully aimed at the pheasant’s head and gently pulled the trigger. A gunshot sounded, and the pheasant fell to the ground without struggling. Abigail Abe ran over quickly and picked up the pheasant. We hugged happily and celebrated our first success.
We continued to explore the forest, hoping to catch some more animals. We alternated between using night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars, which improved our efficiency and accuracy. We also found some other animals, such as rabbits, squirrels, hedgehogs, etc., but we did not go after them, because we felt they were too cute or too harmless. We were only interested in those animals that could bring us challenge and fun, such as foxes, wolves, cheetahs, etc. However, these animals were hard to find and hard to catch, requiring us to have more patience and skill.
So, we hunted in the forest for a night, and harvested three pheasants, two wild boars and a fox. We felt very satisfied and happy, but also very tired and hungry. We met up with Quincy Shakespeare and the guide at the agreed time and place. They also had a good harvest, they caught four wild boars, a pheasant and a wolf. We complimented each other on our hunting skills, and also teased each other about our mistakes and thrills. We loaded our trophies on the car, ready to go back to the hotel to rest. We were very excited and unforgettable about this night hunting experience, and also full of expectation and appetite for tomorrow’s food tour.
We started our long-awaited food tour on our third day in Phoenix Mountain Forest Park. We chose a famous local restaurant under the guide’s recommendation, ready to taste some of the specialties of Huaihua, Hunan. As soon as we entered the restaurant, we were attracted by the spicy aroma and lively atmosphere. With the help of the guide, we ordered some dishes that looked very tempting, such as Huaihua rice noodles, Zhijiang duck, Yuanling crispy sugar, etc. We couldn’t wait to taste these delicacies and see if they were as delicious as their names.
Huaihua rice noodles is a famous dish from Huaihua, Hunan. It is a soup noodle made with rice noodles, broth, pickled vegetables, chili and other ingredients. It is characterized by clear and rich soup, tender and smooth rice noodles, sour and spicy appetizers, and meaty aroma. We picked up the bowl and took a sip of the soup, feeling the whole person warmed up. We picked up a rice noodle with chopsticks, put it in our mouth, and felt the rice noodle slippery and refreshing, melting in our mouth. We also picked up a piece of pickled vegetable, took a bite, and felt the pickled vegetable crisp and juicy, sour and spicy, and increased our appetite. We also picked up a slice of meat, chewed it, and felt the meat tender and juicy, rich in gravy, and fragrant. We praised Huaihua rice noodles endlessly, feeling that this was the best soup noodle we had ever eaten.
Zhijiang duck is a famous dish from Zhijiang County, Hunan. It is a stewed dish made with local specialty Zhijiang duck and Zhijiang fermented soybeans and other ingredients. It is characterized by soft and flavorful duck meat, spicy and rich fermented soybeans, bright red color, and fragrant aroma. We scooped up a piece of duck meat with a spoon, put it in our mouth, and felt the duck meat tender and juicy, melting in our mouth. We also scooped up a spoonful of fermented soybeans, put it in our mouth, and felt the fermented soybeans spicy and rich, lingering in our mouth. We also scooped up some gravy, poured it on the rice, and felt the rice became sweeter and more delicious. We praised Zhijiang duck endlessly, feeling that this was the best stewed dish we had ever eaten.
Yuanling crispy candy is a traditional snack from Yuanling County, Hunan. It is a dessert made with sugar, peanuts, sesame seeds and other ingredients. It is characterized by golden and crispy appearance, soft and sweet heart, peanuts and sesame seeds adding aroma and nutrition. We picked up a piece of Yuanling crispy candy, took a bite, and felt the Yuanling crispy candy sweet but not greasy, crisp but not hard, satisfying our sweet tooth and mood. We praised Yuanling crispy candy endlessly, feeling that this was the best dessert we had ever eaten.
Our Hunan trip ended like this. We gained many wonderful memories and feelings. We were deeply impressed and admired by the natural scenery and cultural landscape of Phoenix Mountain Forest Park. The characteristic delicacies of Huaihua were also the best food we had ever eaten. We look forward to meeting again in the future.