Great places to travel in spring

Thread Content

This post was last edited by Thank goodness you're here on 2016-7-5 09:59. 1. China’s most beautiful place – Wuzhen. Location: It is situated at the northern end of Tongxiang City in Zhejiang Province, bordered by Huzhou City to the west and Wujiang County in Jiangsu Province to the north. Reasons to visit: This small, tranquil town in the Jiangnan region, with a delicate and peaceful atmosphere, lacks the fame of Zhouzhuang; it offers only serenity, calmness, and a touching sense of history. White walls, blue tiles, wooden partitions, stone-paved paths, black-painted boats, wood carvings, waterside pavilions, teahouses, and narrow waterways will transport you to a picturesque Jiangnan landscape shrouded in mist and rain… 2. A paradise on earth – Lijiang Ancient City. Location: It is situated in Lijiang County, in the northwest part of Yunnan Province. Reasons to visit: The city boasts the Mufu, where one can enjoy the magnificent view of the rising sun; the Wangu Lou, known as the place of countless dragons; and Heilongtan, with its clear water as pure as jade, along with fish and small stones in it. Lijiang’s simplicity, natural beauty, and serene atmosphere make it a place one cannot easily leave, while the mystery of the Dongba culture adds an extra layer of primal charm to it. 3. The Modern Peach Blossom Spring – Ink-Wash Wuyuan. Location: It is situated in the northeastern part of Jiangxi Province, within the tourist golden triangle formed by Huangshan, Lushan, Sanqingshan, and Jingdezhen. Reasons to visit: The scattered village houses reflected in the water, the weeping willows by the river, along with the wisps of smoke rising in the evening – it’s like a freshly painted ink wash painting. In the evening, walking through the misty rain, watching the wisps of smoke rise from the white walls and black tiles, it feels as though one has entered a fairyland, a picturesque countryside... 4. The Border Town in Wind and Rain – Fenghuang Ancient City. Location: Situated on the banks of the Tuo River in western Hunan. Reasons to visit: A green mountain surrounding the ancient city, a stream flowing around it, a street paved with red stones, rows of small stilted houses, ancient city walls that have withstood the test of time, an old castle with a storied past, a stunning cave, a magnificent ancient stone bridge, and people who are famous throughout the world… Everything is absolutely beautiful, and that’s why Shen Congwen wrote his masterpiece \"Border Town\", depicting his homeland in a poetic and picturesque manner, as if it were a dream or a song, full of emotion. 5. The Wuxi rivers originate in Qianyang, and these rivers flow into the Yuan River; three of them pass through the territory of Qianyang. Dreamland of Xiangxi – The geographical location of the ancient city of Qianyang: It is situated in Qiancheng, Hongjiang City, Hunan Province, more than 40 kilometers away from Huaihua. The ancient city of Qianyang is located in what is now Hongjiang City; its old names were Longbiao and Qianyang County. Among them, Taiping Palace was one of the top ten guild halls of that time; the carvings above its entrance were extremely exquisite. It is said that they were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, and now they are just flat surfaces. Among them, the Baoqing and Hengyang guild halls were severely damaged. The ancient city of Qianyang is the best-preserved group of Ming and Qing dynasty buildings to date. Within the city alone, hundreds of cultural relics were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution; the Confucian temple, the county government office, and the large wooden Buddha from the Song dynasty located opposite the Confucian temple were also destroyed. All the ornamental structures in the ancient city were covered with lime, and the city was filled with declarations from the Cultural Revolution. Of the four city towers, only one—the western main gate—remained intact. Out of a city wall that used to be ten li long, only three or five li remained. This ancient city, which served as the political, cultural, and economic center of the Wuxi region, was so severely damaged that it ranks among the cities most devastated by the Cultural Revolution. Reasons to visit: Severely damaged; see the remains of the ancient city that show the least signs of human intervention – the most natural-looking ancient city! 6. Earthly world and heavenly realm – Jiuzhaigou’s location: It is situated in Jiuzhaigou County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, more than 400 kilometers away from Chengdu. Reasons to visit: This untainted land, with its changing scenery throughout the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, has earned the reputation of being a place that is both like heaven on earth and earth like heaven. In spring, the ice and snow melt, spring waters rise, and the mountains are covered with blooming flowers ； In the summer, it is hidden among lush, verdant shades; the multicolored lakes and waterfall-like streams express the most unrestrained passion of the four seasons ； In autumn, together with the clear water and the deep blue, crisp sky, it creates a colorful, dreamlike spectacle ； In Jiuzhaigou during winter, light snowflakes flutter in the air, helping one to forget about the troubles of the world… 7. The best-preserved ancient county town – Pingyao. Location: The ancient city of Pingyao is situated in the central part of Shanxi Province, on the southern edge of the Taiyuan Basin. Reasons to visit: The Ancient City of Pingyao is an outstanding example of a Han Chinese city from the Ming and Qing dynasties. It consists of a vast complex of ancient buildings, including complete city walls, streets, shops, temples, and residential houses. It was built according to the traditional planning concepts and architectural styles of the Han people. The Town God Temple with its wooden structure, the Shuanglin Temple renowned for its exquisite painted sculptures, and the weathered city walls are collectively known as the three treasures of Pingyao. These days, many period dramas shoot their exterior scenes in Pingyao without even using sets. 8. The Capital of Eastern Art – Dunhuang. Location: Dunhuang is located at the westernmost end of the Hexi Corridor, adjacent to Jiuquan to the east. Reasons to visit: Dunhuang New City is a famous tourist destination known as the \"Capital of Eastern Art.\" The Eight Scenic Spots of Dunhuang include Thousand Buddha Grottoes, Steep Peaks in the East, Moon Spring at Dawn, Remains of Two Fortresses, Spring Plowing in the Fertile Lands, Views of the Ancient City at Dusk, Clear Sounds over the Sand Dunes, and the Party River Flowing Northward. Walking among the solitary mists in the desert, one seems to hear the bells of camels from ancient times, as well as the sounds of battles that echo in the distance... 9. The first village in the west – Baihaba Village in Bortala, Xinjiang. Location: It lies on the flatlands in the valleys of the Altai Mountains, facing the mountains of Kazakhstan in the distance. Reasons to visit: The birch trees scattered casually along the fences of the wooden houses in the village, in shades of gold or green, together with the wooden houses, smoke rising from chimneys, village women carrying water, and children herding sheep, create a warm atmosphere reminiscent of home ； The open and generous Western spirit, along with the lifestyle of working at sunrise and resting at sunset, all convey a unique warmth inherent in life……