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June 3, 2015

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Shutterbugs’ paradise can be found in Zhejiang

By Wu Huixin | June 3, 2015, Wednesday | Print Edition

SPLENDID sights make splendid photographers, as any shutterbug will tell you. Look no further than Zhejiang Province for beautiful natural landscapes and unusual man-made structures to excite any photographer.

Shanghai Daily recommends four places in Zhejiang Province, easily reached by car in a weekend excursion, that provide backdrops for great photos. Even without a camera, visitors will find these areas worth the trip.

Nanjianyan Scenic Area

Nanjianyan, located in the south of Suichang County, is a photographers’ paradise that consists of more than 30 tourist spots in a mountainous setting. The lens can capture terraced paddy fields, swirling clouds, waterfalls and craggy peaks.

The highlight of Nanjianyan is a huge natural pillar-like stone feature called Tianzhu Mountain, which literally means “stone circular column hung from sky.” Locals usually call it the “stone bamboo shoot mountain” because of its shape. This spectacular geologic feature was formed over billions of years.

Adding charm to this oddly shaped stone feature is a lake situated on the top. For the hardy, stone steps lead up to it. People call the lake Yaochi, which in Chinese mythology refers to the pond where the Heavenly Queen Mother lived.

Another attraction in Nanjianyan is the sea of clouds. The area’s abundant rainfall, wide temperature variations and intermittent sunshine often create artistic cloud formations ideal for photographers. Those formations are ever changing, so photographers have to be quick with the lens.

According to Chinese legend, human spirits dwell in places like Nanjianyan. This mysterious ambience can be caught on film in the hands of expert photographers.

Scenic terraced fields are also popular with photographers. When irrigated, they often reflect the azure sky and passing clouds.

Shanghai-Kunming Expressway — Hangzhou Raocheng Expressway — Hangzhou-Xin’anjiang-Longyou Expressway — Longyou-Lishui-Wenzhou Expressway — Shuichang exit

Kuocang Mountain

On the first day of the 21st century, groups of photographers gathered on Kuocang Mountain, the easternmost continental point in China, to photograph the first ray of sunshine in a new millennium. Photos taken at that time popularized the mountain and helped promote tourism.

But the mountain’s allure really goes back many millennia. Early in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), Taoists and alchemists lived there in seclusion. They picked local herbs and tried to refine them into elixirs. Today, the mountain still retains Taoist cultural relics.

You don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to appreciate Kuocang. The mountain is also renowned for the mist that often drapes all or part of its slopes. It has more misty days every year than the celebrated Lushan Mountain in Jiangxi Province, which is renowned for mists and waterfalls.

Kuocang has the fourth-biggest wind farm in China, and its 30 windmills are also a source of many excellent photographs.

Shanghai-Kunming Expressway — Changzhou-Taizhou Expressway — 104 National Road — Tiantai exit

Shepan Island

Shepan Island in the eastern city of Taizhou contains more than 1,000 caves created by stone quarrying.

The island was famous in Chinese history for a special red stone that was quarried there to provide material for ancient carvers. Local houses built with the stone were said to glow in the setting sun. That’s why evening is the time preferred by many photographers to get out their cameras.

The quarrying, which dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), left caves of all sizes and shapes. Small wonder that people dubbed it Thousand Caves Island. The area is no longer quarried.

The floor of the largest cave occupies 1,000 square meters, while the smallest can accommodate only one person. Some caves have complex structures within them. Some link with others. In low-lying areas, caves contain aquamarine ponds.

The Taizhou government, adopting a pirate theme, has added tourist facilities on the island, including hotels, restaurants and guided tours.

In addition to its famous caves, the island has a highly developed fishing industry providing excellent seafood dining for visitors.

Shanghai-Kunming Expressway — Changzhou-Taizhou Expressway — Shenyang-Haikou Expressway — 224 Provincial Road — Shangshe Line

Wuyue Ancient Road

Although Wuyue Ancient Road is no longer in use, it offers unique scenery of lofty trees, creeks, valleys, waterfalls, quirky stones and special herbs used in Chinese traditional medicine. All up, it’s a great place to take pictures.

Dating back to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (AD 907-979) period, this road was built for pedestrians, not vehicles. The road is composed of serpentine sets of steps that connect the present-day Zhejiang and Anhui provinces.

Hiking along this trail, walkers may have the impression of moving through a Chinese ink painting. It’s a popular route for backpackers, and especially those who like photography. The ancient road ends at Zhexi Heaven Pond on the Zhejiang end. The pond area is a protected reserve for sika deer. Photographers consider it a natural location for capturing the animals on film.

Shanghai-Chongqing Expressway — Hangzhou Raocheng Expressway — Hangzhou-Ruili Expressway

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