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January 27, 2016

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Weekend getaways far from urban sprawl

By Wu Huixin | January 27, 2016, Wednesday | Print Edition

NOT all tourist destinations are centered in big cities. In Zhejiang Province, some low-profile counties feature picturesque scenic areas and popular specialties. Shanghai Daily picked three counties close enough to drive there over a weekend to enjoy soothing hot springs, plucking fruit and wandering through historic villa.

Yongjia County

永嘉县

Yongjia is located in southern Zhejiang Province. Nanxi River runs through it and has led people to settle here centuries ago. Among the villages aorund the river, the most famous is Furong Village.

The village’s history dates as far back as 1,000 years ago, when the Chen family moved there from neighboring Ruian County. Today, most of the villagers are descendants of the Chens, and they still live in the antiqued houses that were built during Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

The whole village was designed according to the eight diagrams cosmology and takes on square shape. It faces toward the east, which is totally different from ordinary villages. In addition, 2-meter-high walls enclose the village and only three gates are available for entering, which makes it a secluded land isolated from the outside world.

Now, the village still retains five Ming Dynasty architectural relics, 18 ancestral halls and 30 ancient traditional houses. They all feature up-turned eaves, painted rafters and carved beams. The Chen Ancestral Hall still worships the forefathers of the villagers and literati who were born here.

A cobblestone street named Ruyi, which literally means happy and satisfied in Chinese, runs through the village and is flanked by ancient residential houses. An old opera stage was located at the end of the street, which is always packed with villagers when local opera shows perform here.

By virtue of long history and centuries-old buildings, Furong was listed as national protected scenic spot in 2009.

Except strolling through the beautiful village, tourists can also pay a visit to the pastoral Nanxi River, which starts on the borders of Yongjia and Xianju counties. Its highlights include Shiwei Hill and river rafting.

Shiwei Hill is a huge natural pillar-like stone dubbed “Tianzhu of southern Zhejiang,” which literally means “stone column hung from the sky in southern Zhejiang Province.” It is famous for waterfalls and craggy peaks.

Rafting down the Nanxi River is also popular among tourists. The river ripples while its sides are flanked with hills, lush vegetation and villages. The tranquil environment, bluish-green water and passing clouds will make you feel like you’re in a Chinese ink-wash painting.

 

How to get there:

Shanghai-Kunming Expressway — Changzhou-Taizhou Expressway — Shaoxing-Zhuji Expressway — Zhuji-Yongjia Expressway

Jiande County

建德县

Jiande lies to the southwest of Hangzhou. It is noted for its hot spring, strawberries and dendrobe.

It boasts Zhejiang Province’s only natural hot sulphur spring that contains 3.07 milligrams of hydrogen sulfide per kilogram of water, more than double the national standard of sulphur content in curative mineral water.

The hot spring has two pools that accommodate more than 100 people, six smaller pools big enough for a dozen people, as well as three separate rooms that feature one small pool. Some of the small pools contain Chinese herbs, rice wine or petals, which have therapeutic effects.

As for the Jiande strawberries, they are usually sweeter and more succulent due to favorable local climate. Late winter and early spring are the prime seasons to pick strawberries. Visitors can pick their own strawberries in farmer’s fields and pay less than they would at a fruit vendor.

Another specialty in Jiande is dendrobe, which is known as one of nine top “fairy herbs” in Taoism and is prized by Chinese traditional medicine practitioners, not for the flowers but for the stems. It is considered good for the digestive system and is commonly used in soups and teas. Tourists can buy them in local planting bases.

 

How to get there:

Changchun-Shenzhen Expressway — Hangzhou-Xin’anjiang-Jingdezhen Expressway — G320 (China National Highway 320)

Anji County

安吉县

Anji is in the north of Zhejiang Province. It has been dubbed “home to bamboo” for centuries. Mountain ranges are covered with lush bamboo forests that have lured many filmmakers to shoot films there.

Though the vibrant green color of undulating bamboo forests fades a bit in the winter, its charm doesn’t decline. On the mountaintops, bamboos are coated with layers of snow, while they are still dark green at the foot of mountains.

Another attraction in Anji is the Jiangnan Tianchi Ski Resort. It features a 150-meter-wide slope, with an 800-meter-long run and a drop of 40 meters. Other short gentle slopes were also built to meet different requirements for beginners and kids.

Since the resort is surrounded by mountains to the east, south and west, the freezing north wind drives straight in every winter. Icicles hang from roofs, buildings are wrapped in hoarfrost and crystal rimes on tree branches shine in the sunshine.

Although the average temperatures stay between zero and minus 18 degrees Celsius from December to February, there isn’t enough natural snow for the skiing slopes. The resort uses snow-making machines to bolster natural snow with artificial snow, producing a base of at least 1.5 meters of snow.

 

How to get there:

Hangzhou-Changxing S14 Expressway — G201 — G205

Hangzhou


 

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