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Get out into the wild this fall and explore the natural beauty of China
By Lu Feiran |
September 14, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AUTUMN can be the best season to travel in China and appreciate the wonder of nature. The weather is beautiful and the sky is bluer than other seasons. Shanghai-based travel agencies recommended some areas known for the "most gorgeous autumn scenery" in the country.
1. Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan Province
In the 1970s, a group of lumberjacks found the area accidentally and were immediately fascinated by the gorgeous scenery in the "fairyland."
Soon after, Jiuzhaigou gained worldwide fame for its unique natural landscape. The scenery looks different depending on the season, but Sichuan people believe Jiuzhaigou looks best in autumn.
At this time of year crimson and golden leaves reflect in emerald and royal blue lakes. It looks more like something you would see in a painting than in real life. Meanwhile, there are white waterfalls and snowy mountains beneath the brilliant sapphire sky.
2. Red Leaves Valley, Jilin Province
Red Leaves Valley is often referred to as "Jiuzhaigou in east China," which gives you an idea about its natural beauty. Next to the Jiaohe River, the maple leaves in the valley are believed to be the reddest in the country. The valley stretches for more than 50 kilometers and the vast red leaves color the creeks, farmland and villages.
The leaves are best seen from around September 25 to about October 10.
The long frost season in the area allows the leaves to be redder and the color to last longer.
3. Huzhong, Heilongjiang Province
The scenic area in Daxing'an Mountain Range is the biggest reserve of larch, a coniferous tree with bunches of deciduous bright green needles, in the country.
When autumn comes the needles turn a golden yellow. Light clouds usually hide the top of the mountains, blurring the boundary of sky and earth.
4. Kanas Lake, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
The wide, serene Kanas Lake is surrounded by golden birch and fiery-red maple trees when autumn arrives. Few people inhabit the area and it remains well preserved.
Several minority ethnic groups live in this region.
Although it is a 14-hour trip from Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, to Kanas Lake area, many say it is worthwhile because it is so beautiful.
5. Mount Namjagbarwa, Tibet Autonomous Region
Nestled in the Yarlung Zangbo River Valley, Mount Namjagbarwa stands 7,782 meters and is among the tallest mountains in the world. It is also praised as a natural museum of plants. When autumn falls, various trees wear colorful "coats" to welcome visitors, who may feel the effects of being at such a high altitude.
6. Weichang, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
There is no red leaves here, but what the grand grassland creates is striking. Weichang is loved by shutterbugs. Every angle seems to create another incredible photograph. The capacious sky, boundless grassland and forests of birch trees create magnificent scenery, especially at sunset.
Travelers can go on horse rides, try some roast mutton and watch nomads sing and dance. It's a journey that is truly memorable.
7. Yading, Sichuan Province
The scenery area is titled "the last pure land on the planet" that is guarded by three holy mountains and a holy lake.
People in Yading worship nature and like everything unspoiled. When autumn arrives, the spruce forests on the mountains "glow like the light of Heaven" and the snow mountains glitter in the sunshine.
8. Thousand Lake Mountain, Yunnan Province
The mountain in Shangri-La is well-known for azaleas, but even in autumn, which is not the blooming season for the flower, the place is still worth visiting.
Here the lakes steal the show as there are hundreds in many mind-boggling shapes. According to a local legend, a goddess dropped her mirror when she was combing her hair in Heaven. The mirror fell to Earth and broke into hundreds of pieces, forming the clear lakes in the mountainous area.
9. Qixia Hill, Jiangsu Province
Maybe the autumn red leaves in the lower valley of the Yangtze River look the same as elsewhere in China, but visitors still love this spot.
The scenery is not as gorgeous as in the mountains, but Qixia Hill has a delicate landscape common in southern China. A little creek flows along the hill path, which is paved with freshly fallen leaves.
Ancient emperors loved to spend their holiday in the area. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) built a palace here.
10. Tianping Hill, Jiangsu Province
The hill near Suzhou is well known for the "five-color maples." When autumn comes, maples on the hill change colors four times - from green to yellow, to orange, to red and then to purple.
There is a maple watching tower at the top of the hill and it is considered the best spot to enjoy the leaves. From the tower, one may see the leaves' color start to change from the top to the foot of the hill, like a colorful cloud drifting down.
1. Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan Province
In the 1970s, a group of lumberjacks found the area accidentally and were immediately fascinated by the gorgeous scenery in the "fairyland."
Soon after, Jiuzhaigou gained worldwide fame for its unique natural landscape. The scenery looks different depending on the season, but Sichuan people believe Jiuzhaigou looks best in autumn.
At this time of year crimson and golden leaves reflect in emerald and royal blue lakes. It looks more like something you would see in a painting than in real life. Meanwhile, there are white waterfalls and snowy mountains beneath the brilliant sapphire sky.
2. Red Leaves Valley, Jilin Province
Red Leaves Valley is often referred to as "Jiuzhaigou in east China," which gives you an idea about its natural beauty. Next to the Jiaohe River, the maple leaves in the valley are believed to be the reddest in the country. The valley stretches for more than 50 kilometers and the vast red leaves color the creeks, farmland and villages.
The leaves are best seen from around September 25 to about October 10.
The long frost season in the area allows the leaves to be redder and the color to last longer.
3. Huzhong, Heilongjiang Province
The scenic area in Daxing'an Mountain Range is the biggest reserve of larch, a coniferous tree with bunches of deciduous bright green needles, in the country.
When autumn comes the needles turn a golden yellow. Light clouds usually hide the top of the mountains, blurring the boundary of sky and earth.
4. Kanas Lake, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
The wide, serene Kanas Lake is surrounded by golden birch and fiery-red maple trees when autumn arrives. Few people inhabit the area and it remains well preserved.
Several minority ethnic groups live in this region.
Although it is a 14-hour trip from Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, to Kanas Lake area, many say it is worthwhile because it is so beautiful.
5. Mount Namjagbarwa, Tibet Autonomous Region
Nestled in the Yarlung Zangbo River Valley, Mount Namjagbarwa stands 7,782 meters and is among the tallest mountains in the world. It is also praised as a natural museum of plants. When autumn falls, various trees wear colorful "coats" to welcome visitors, who may feel the effects of being at such a high altitude.
6. Weichang, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
There is no red leaves here, but what the grand grassland creates is striking. Weichang is loved by shutterbugs. Every angle seems to create another incredible photograph. The capacious sky, boundless grassland and forests of birch trees create magnificent scenery, especially at sunset.
Travelers can go on horse rides, try some roast mutton and watch nomads sing and dance. It's a journey that is truly memorable.
7. Yading, Sichuan Province
The scenery area is titled "the last pure land on the planet" that is guarded by three holy mountains and a holy lake.
People in Yading worship nature and like everything unspoiled. When autumn arrives, the spruce forests on the mountains "glow like the light of Heaven" and the snow mountains glitter in the sunshine.
8. Thousand Lake Mountain, Yunnan Province
The mountain in Shangri-La is well-known for azaleas, but even in autumn, which is not the blooming season for the flower, the place is still worth visiting.
Here the lakes steal the show as there are hundreds in many mind-boggling shapes. According to a local legend, a goddess dropped her mirror when she was combing her hair in Heaven. The mirror fell to Earth and broke into hundreds of pieces, forming the clear lakes in the mountainous area.
9. Qixia Hill, Jiangsu Province
Maybe the autumn red leaves in the lower valley of the Yangtze River look the same as elsewhere in China, but visitors still love this spot.
The scenery is not as gorgeous as in the mountains, but Qixia Hill has a delicate landscape common in southern China. A little creek flows along the hill path, which is paved with freshly fallen leaves.
Ancient emperors loved to spend their holiday in the area. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) built a palace here.
10. Tianping Hill, Jiangsu Province
The hill near Suzhou is well known for the "five-color maples." When autumn comes, maples on the hill change colors four times - from green to yellow, to orange, to red and then to purple.
There is a maple watching tower at the top of the hill and it is considered the best spot to enjoy the leaves. From the tower, one may see the leaves' color start to change from the top to the foot of the hill, like a colorful cloud drifting down.
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