Enshi

Railway station area (Jingui Boulevard)

Best for one-night stops and early trains; long-distance bus station is opposite. 10–15 min by taxi to the old centre.

Wuyangba / city centre

Shops, restaurants and the riverside; 10 min by taxi to the station, buses along Dongfeng Road.

Daughter Town (Ma'anshan Road)

Tujia-style inns inside the attraction, evening performances on the doorstep; buses 28 and 31 link it to the station.

Etiquette

• Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
• Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
• Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
• Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
• Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
• Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
• Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
• Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4

Scams and watch-outs

• The Grand Canyon is 49 km from the city and the two halves (Qixingzhai and Yunlong Gorge) are far apart: plan transport before you go, not on arrival.
• Summer rain is heavy and canyon paths can close after storms; keep a spare day.
• Scenic-area tickets and shuttle or cable-car fees are separate; confirm the total at the gate.
• English is limited outside hotels; have place names written in Chinese.
• Card and mobile payment work in the city, but small vendors and rural stalls may want cash.