Snakes and Ladders (China Megatrip) - Pt.2: Nanchang Sunac Land

[NemesisRider]

Intro: OK, But This Is The Last Time

The story of this trip begins in August 2024, during my heady period of freedom between finishing my degree and starting full time work. In advance of my first ever trip to China the following month, I had come into Manchester to collect my passport from the Chinese visa centre after successfully being deemed mostly harmless by the relevant authorities. However, my pre-travel excitement was immediately dampened when an email from my soon-to-be employer dropped into my inbox. My start date was being pushed back by a month to November 2024, meaning I now had to wait an extra month before I could finally get stuck into corporate life and begin earning a proper paycheck. What was I going to do with myself during that time?

September came, and with it did my planned China trip. As I’ve documented already in excruciating detail, I had a truly fantastic time, and was looking forward to hopefully returning someday.



When the October finally arrived, I was still without a plan of how to best use the month. My rudderless funk was worsened when another email from my to-be-employer landed in my inbox, discussing an update to internal rules that meant that I would likely be unable to return to China once I had started full-time. I had loved my first time trip, and I had nearly two years left on my visa, and there was so much of the country I still had left to see, and-

“Hold on, you’re telling me I can get return flights from London to Changsha for under £400 at about a weeks’ notice?”

So, I took the plunge and began preparing for a spontaneous solo return to China. I had planned to spend the week pre-travel catching up on sleep and hastily trip planning. However, these were unexpectedly derailed by possibly the most insane week of my life, as I went viral on Twitter and ignited a sizable backlash against one of the UK’s largest train operators. Luckily, between the calls with journalists and media appearances, I managed to successfully cobble together a decent itinerary for solo travelling through central China. I would fly into Changsha (the capital of Hunan province), visit two more provincial capitals in Nanchang and Wuhan, then head to the beautiful Zhangjiajie scenic area before returning to Changsha to conclude the trip.



As with my first China TR, I’m going to focus primarily on the coaster stuff, but I will tell a few other stories about the trip.

Day 1/2: Welcome To The Jungle (Trailblazer)

Upon landing in Changsha, I had the immediate realisation that I was now firmly off the beaten track for Western tourists. Despite being randomly pulled aside for a throat swab by border staff, my experience of getting through immigration was simple enough and notably quick than in Beijing. However, unlike Beijing or Shanghai, Changsha airport is fairly small and does not have any form of mobile SIM sales for foreigners. Without any mobile data, I was left at the mercy of very limited and patchy public WiFi until I reached my hotel. This was a bit scary as Alipay (my only way of paying for things), Gaode Maps (my only way of finding my hotel) and Google Translate (my only way to communicate with people) were mostly unusable, so finding my hotel a bit of a stressful game. By the time I was settled at the Holiday Inn Changsha South Station, most of the China Mobile shops in the city had already shut, so I gave up for the night and grabbed a decent if unspectacular dinner nearby.



I was due to head to Nanchang around lunchtime the next day, but before that I still needed to complete my SIM quest. Turns out this is easier said than done, as most China Mobile shops are apparently unable to sell SIM cards to foreigners without a National ID. After experiencing disappointment at stores nearer to my hotel, I ended up schlepping halfway across the city to the one China Mobile* that was willing to take my money. Naturally, the process of getting the SIM was a 45-minute-long bureaucratic nightmare, which culminated in me having to read the SIM terms of use on camera hostage-style to the lady serving me. China gonna China. Anyway, whilst this whole process was a massive faff and did reduce my time in Nanchang a little, I was mostly relieved to be successfully back online. If you're arriving in Changsha, for the sake of your sanity, get an eSIM if you can.



Next time: Nanchang Sunac raises the snakes.

*For future travellers, this was China Mobile Fenglin First Road near Yingwanzhen Metro Station in Changsha. Try here first and don’t waste your time elsewhere if you're a foreigner needing a SIM. But, seriously, get an eSIM if you can.

 

[NemesisRider]

Day 2/3: Nanchang Sunac Land

After the morning’s SIM card psychodrama, the journey from Changsha South to Nanchang West was mercifully easy due to the ever-fantastic Chinese HSR. I’d come to the capital of Jiangxi more or less exclusively to try one of the legendary Chinese wooden coasters which I had missed on my first trip. It was time to get some ticks on the ol’ bucket list.



Nanchang Sunac Land is home to arguably China’s strongest coaster 1-2 punch in Coaster Through The Clouds (AKA: CTTC), an unconventional Intamin hyper, and Python In Bamboo Forest (AKA: the Snake), a gigantic terrain GCI often called the best of its kind. The park is located adjacent to the sizable Sunac Mall, which is themed to look like gigantic pottery pieces (apparently Nanchang’s most famous export). Sunac have created a nice pseudo-resort here, offering several upmarket hotels and a direct metro connection to the HSR station.



I had opted to stay in the Nanchang Sunac Novotel, part of this pseudo-resort. It was 2 minutes’ walk to the park, remarkably cheap (<£45 for 2 nights including breakfast) and basically a perfect choice. Whilst the bed was a little hard, the room was spacious, clean and had views directly over the park. Being able to see Coaster Through The Clouds plunging over that magnificent first drop from my room was very special. The lobby also has its own shop where I could buy snacks and drinks, which was very convenient.



My initial plan for the day had been to head into the centre of Nanchang and go see the sights after dropping off my suitcase at the hotel. However, the sky and short-term weather forecast looked uncertain, so I instantly folded to the cred anxiety and headed straight to Sunac Land.

Sunac Land makes a statement from the moment you arrive, with a big-ass dragon and elaborately themed escalators to bring you to the main entrance. After some brief Google Translate texting, the woman on the ticket desk verified that the Snake and the Intamin were both open, despite her utter bamboozlement that I would choose to pay full price and enter the park with only 2 hours left before close. Having had first-hand experience of the unpredictability of Chinese theme parks and Chinese weather, I was more than happy to pay the ~£20 extra to guarantee bagging the headliners.



Once in the park, I instantly made a beeline for Python In Bamboo Forest. Upon arriving in the ride’s plaza, it was clear that the Snake is already starting to show its age – the entrance has started to be consumed by foliage, the exit shop was dark and vacant, and the paint was peeling from the station walls. Equally, it did make me feel like I was leaving the main park and heading into a deep forest, so points for that I suppose. Alarmingly, the front row of the ride was shut all day on both of my visits; I suspect that this is correlated with the fact that they have decapitated the titular snake by removing the themed zero car shell from both trains, but it may simply be China being China. The mediocre weather had evidently dissuaded most locals from visiting on my first day, so I boarded the train alone and braced myself for whatever came next.



I will confess – my first ride was underwhelming, and it felt like I was on the first train of the day despite it being 4pm. But once this Snake warms up, BOY does it warm up.

Python In Bamboo Forest offers a twist on the standard out-and-back wooden coaster concept, going back and forth multiple times and using the hillside location to its advantage. After a lift hill that feels unnervingly long for a GCI, the ride starts with a twisting first drop. It’s good, but not in the same league as the likes of Wodan. Luckily, this is simply a means to acquire some kinetic energy and really get things going. The train blisters through the subsequent airtime double down with ruthless enthusiasm, before pulling up to give you pause on a high turnaround. The first return lap begins with a respectably sized drop, followed by a sequence of airtime hills which offer respectable floater airtime and some laterals. I found the second outwards run the weakest part of the ride, with the turnaround feeling slightly sluggish and the straight hills offering only weak floater. Luckily, the final turnaround begins to build the momentum back up, before the ride dives down the hill and into a fantastic finale. This section is exactly the kind of thing where GCI most excels, offering violent laterals, sudden airtime pops, and breakneck pacing. After a seriously substantial ride time, the Snake slams its breathless prey into the brakes.



Despite its flaws, I have no problem calling Python (Tython?) In Bamboo Forest the best wooden coaster I’ve ridden so far. The beginning and the finale are both peak GCI, the terrain is expertly used, and the ride genuinely feels like it is never going to end. It does unfortunately lose a few points for the poor upkeep (again – why was the front row shut?) and having a few moments where the tracking goes beyond tasteful roughness. For now, I consider it my 3rd favourite ride in China after Dinoconda and Flash. The massive bruises on my hips were more than worth it, come ride this thing ASAP.



One headliner down, one to go. A short sprint brought me Coaster Through The Clouds, the tallest coaster in China. It certainly makes a visual statement, towering above the park with its unconventional support structure... Could Nanchang Sunac go 2 for 2 on top 20 entries?



CTTC has a bit less of a flair for the thematic than the Snake – whilst the plaza has cool traditional Chinese stylings, the queueline is ugly, concrete and so long that rerides start to feel like a chore. Upon entering the functional station, you are greeted by the lap bar trains seen on the likes of Sik at Flamingo Land – they’re a bit more cramped than the most modern trains on Taron and beyond but offer plenty of freedom to enjoy the airtime.

The ride begins with a rapid cable lift up to the top and the iconic panoramic turn, offering fantastic views of the park and nearby high-rise buildings. A small hump leads into the obscene first drop. This is a fantastic moment – whilst the whole train gets some solid airtime, the back gets very close to the “endless falling” sensation I associate with the B&M gigas. Proceedings continue strongly with an overbank navigated at blistering speed, which left me greying out on several rides, followed by a powerful ejector hill under the lift structure. Unfortunately, the ride then loses its way for a few elements – there’s a great sensation of speed, but they don’t deliver forces-wise. The Stengel dive is a bit of a nothingburger, the subsequent airtime hills feel too shallow to offer much more than floater, and the positives are much too gentle to really kick your arse. Luckily, just in time, CTTC remembers how to be amazing. The strangely twisted airtime hill offers some funky airtime, followed by a final punchy ejector hill, then a turn into the brakes.



CTTC appeared much more popular with the Chinese public than the Snake. I get it – the coaster is impressive offride, glossy smooth onride, and has a handful of awesome moments. However, this is not top 20 material, and it is certainly not in the same league as something like Expedition GeForce or Hyperion. It’s a great supporting ride, but I think Energylandia stays unbeaten on the 1-2 punch.


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Returning to the park for day 2, I was ready to reride my favourites and sample some of the other excitement the park had to offer.



Let's start off with the remainder of the creds. Creep Caterpillar is a Jinma kiddie coaster with an angry looking zero car. Perfectly tolerable but doesn’t do much. +1.



Upon wandering over to the Pottery Village at the other end of the park, I was sad to see the Jinma Spinner was shut for maintenance with multiple trains in pieces and at least one bloke actively working on them. No +1 here! Wasn't too saddened about missing out on this one though.



My final credit to tick off was the first Made In China SLC of the trip. Kiln Crasher (or Soaring Dragon and Dancing Phoenix, depending on which map you read) has a custom layout with a promising looking first drop. Closer inspection reveals that it looks about 20 years old than it is, and even closer inspection reveals that it is absolutely atrocious to ride. Whilst the restraints are less bulky and restrictive than some of the Jinma (or even Vekoma) SLCs I have ridden, the track profiling is much worse. Every moment that this ride tries to change banking is excruciating, with the inversions being notably terrible. Whilst it didn’t leave me actively bruised like Dinosaur Spine at Lewa Adventure did, Kiln Crasher is an easy bottom 10 entry for me. Yuck.



We can’t do much worse than that, so onwards and upwards? Next door to Kiln Crasher is a spooky walkthrough thing named Haunted Kiln. It’s definitely haunted, but I didn’t see much pottery around the place. It’s pretty standard stuff for China – next to no light, mostly cheap looking horror theming, and a couple of locals following behind me who absolutely s*** themselves at every jumpscare.



Meandering back to the traditional Chinese area around CTTC, one can find a decent sized Intamin gyro tower. Whilst this is on the shorter and less forceful end for the model, it’s still good fun and worth dropping by (heh) on your way between coasters.



Also next door to CTTC is the park’s ferris wheel, which they have decided to ruin by installing a silly view-ruining-thing on the glass sides. Complete waste of an otherwise decent ferris wheel in my books.



On the subject of decent, the rapids is just that - not too wet, not too dry. Bonus points for the very large crab fairly near the entrance.





The last unique attraction I bothered to ride was a zip-line thing that ran across the artificial lake in the centre of the park. Sadly, the capacity was pitiful, resulting in a 30-minute queue for it when I’d been more or less walking on everything else that day. The main chunk of the zipline was rather tame, basically just offering nice views over the lake. However, hitting the brakes at the end was incredibly sudden and extremely violent, causing me to nearly s*** myself 10x harder than any other ride in the park. Worth it.



Despite already having written a veritable essay about this place, there's still plenty of other miscellaneous weird s*** and oddities I've not covered in depth. These included knock-off Olaf sculptures, toilets that analyse your pee, a horse petting zoo, and this dude who might get this post reported. China is truly undefeated in this category of entertainment.








Predictably, I ended my time at Sunac on both days lapping the Snake, being uncontrollably tossed around as day turned to dusk.



Nanchang Sunac Land is kind of a mess – it already feels like it’s starting to degrade under a decade since opening, and I fear particularly for how they’ll look after the Snake in the coming years. However, I really enjoyed my visit here. It’s got two fantastic headliners (unlike most parks in China with one good coaster and a bunch of filler) and a solid supporting cast to make it a full day park. It’s an awkward detour from more touristy cities like Shanghai, but I think it’s worth it for die-hard wooden coaster fans.



Next time: Life Could Be A (Wushang) Dream (Park)

 

[Gavin]

If you're arriving in Changsha, for the sake of your sanity, get an eSIM if you can.

It's obviously too late now, but for the benefit of anyone else reading this, just don't get a sim card when you arrive in China, regardless of the city. There may be exceptions in bigger cities with more tourists, but generally they're a massive faff to register and anything Google will be blocked along with most social media apps and countless other sites, meaning you'll also need a VPN. Unfortunately, even the better, paid options like Surfshark are increasingly patchy and can't be guaranteed to work when you most need them. It's sooooooo much better to sort out a sim card before you go. Travel sims which include China don't have any restrictions since they tend to piggy-back off a Hong Kong provider. E-sims, as mentioned, are definitely the way to go if you can't sort out a physical sim beforehand though you tend to pay a fair bit more for data, especially larger amounts, and not all phones support them.

I'm totally jealous of the multiple rides on Python, The park was very busy when I was there, probably down to being very new, so I only got two rides in. The SLC was also down for the day, though I wouldn't say I'm particularly jealous about that one by the sounds of it. It's definitely starting to look run down. I seem to remember the python at the entrance of the woodie having a pretty vibrant colour compared to how it's looking now.