Changde rewards a deliberate pace. The Poem Wall along the Yuan River is best explored in the late afternoon when the light hits the carvings and the evening crowds begin to gather; the riverside parks on either side fill up with locals for dance, kite-flying, and tea. Peach Flower Garden in Taoyuan County is a half-day excursion that needs its own morning or afternoon. The city is a comfortable stopover between Zhangjiajie and Changsha without being merely a transit point.