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November 12, 2014

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Astounding natural beauty a short drive away

By Wu Huixin | November 12, 2014, Wednesday | Print Edition

GETTING off-the-beaten path isn’t easy in China. There’s just so many people that it’s hard to find places where few are around. Zhejiang Province has several places that seldom find their way on the radar of travelers. They are especially attractive during the autumn as the leaves change color.

The Hangzhou government listed a few of these places and now many are wondering why they had never heard of them before. Some have cautioned that these places are not equipped with the infrastructure to handle heaps of tourists and hope the local governments work to ensure the areas are not ruined by over-exploitation.

The government recommends hiking to these places with camping equipment and food, or staying overnight at inns in neighboring towns.

Shanghai Daily packs up its gear and goes exploring.

Redwood forest in Linhai County

This redwood forest is Zhejiang’s answer to Kanas Lake in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Jiuzhaigou Valley in Sichuan Province. Both of those famous attractions are known for gorgeous mountain scenery with tree leaves turning various shades of red in the autumn.

Linhai County’s redwood forest means locals can see such beauty without having to travel across the country. The area has even been dubbed “little Kanas” by some admirers.

The rolling mountain range in Tongkeng Village is dotted with redwood trees, which few hikers and amateur shutterbugs knew about before the government’s list was published. Now many are curious to see if the area lives up to the hype.

Large areas of redwoods cover the slopes, which turns the hills into a kaleidoscope of colors. Numerous creeks reflect the gorgeous color of the changing leaves.

How to get there: Shanghai-Kunming Expressway — Changzhou-Taizhou Expressway — S225 National Road

Shangxi Village

This isolated village in Chun’an County of Hangzhou is 25 kilometers from Qiandao Lake. The serene village is in a canyon where there are 12 waterfalls, which is unusual in the south area of the Yangtze River.

Shangxi villagers are believed to be the descendants of ancient calligrapher Wang Xizhi. There is an ancestral hall devoted to the Wang family in the village.

With mountains on all sides of the village, Shangxi has largely been isolated from the rest of China and has largely retained its rich cultural heritage and folk customs.

In addition, old gingko, maple and camphor trees grow naturally between houses with their yellow and red hues creating a pastoral landscape.

How to get there: Shanghai-Kunming Expressway — Hangzhou-Ningbo Expressway — Hangzhou-Rui’an Expressway — Changwen Road — Heying Road

Gongyu Village

This village and the surrounding area is considered Zhejiang’s equivalent of Shangri-la in Yunnan Province. It is surrounded by karst mountains and cliffs. Mist covers the mountain range year around, making it a mysterious wonderland.

There is no modern road to Gongyu therefore people have to walk along a narrow meandering footpath. It’s worth it though to see a village that has not been commercially developed to cash in on tourism. Villagers grow crops on terraced fields.

There are no hotels or restaurants, therefore people need to bring a tent and food.

How to get there: Shanghai-Kunming Expressway — Changzhou-Taizhou Expressway — Shaoxing-Zhuji Expressway — Zhuji-Yongjia Expressway

Hangzhou


 

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