Live Your Best Lives
In Guangdong, where the seasons aren't always distinct, it's often said that there are only spring, summer, and winter, but no autumn. Living in a city and not getting out and about often can easily lead to this misconception. After all, it's almost November, and everywhere you look is still lush green.
In fact, it's still autumn in Guangdong, and it's quite beautiful! Yunji Mountain in Xinfeng, Shaoguan, is blanketed in crimson leaves, creating a magnificent spectacle of "mountains ablaze with crimson, the jungle awash in color" in autumn.
Where the Tropic of Cancer passes through Guangdong, there is a mountain with a top that looks like a bun on a grandmother's head from a distance. It is a beautiful mountain all year round, and the scenery in autumn is the most charming. It is the only place in Guangdong with red leaves all over the mountain. It is suitable for viewing whether it is sunny or rainy, and it is even more charming on rainy days.
This mountain, Xinfeng Yunji Mountain, stands 1,434.2 meters tall in northern Guangdong Province. It is a Guangdong Provincial Nature Reserve covering an area of 87 square kilometers. It is also the source of the Xinfeng River and boasts numerous unusual rock formations and waterfalls, most notably the "Tiangou Rock" and the "Xinfeng River Source" waterfall, which drops over 100 meters. The mountain's well-preserved natural environment makes it an excellent retreat.
Yunji Mountain Hot Spring Scenic Area, Xinfeng County, Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province
Guangzhou City - Guangcong Road, National Highway 105 - Street intersection towards Xinfeng (turn left at the flower bed) - Yunji Hotel, there is a road that goes straight for 7 kilometers to Yunji Mountain Hot Springs;
Shenzhen City - Jihe Expressway - Huiyan Expressway - Huihe Expressway - Taimei Toll Station Exit - Turn right to Longmen County - Xinfeng County (go straight past the flower bed and turn left) - There is a road next to Yunji Hotel and goes straight for 7 kilometers to Yunji Mountain Hot Springs;
Dongguan City - Dawangzhou Bridge - Shijie - Zengcheng - Longmen County - Xinfeng County (go straight past the flower bed and turn left) - Yunji Hotel, there is a road that goes straight for 7 kilometers - Yunji Mountain Hot Spring.
Price: 30 yuan/person
Opening hours: 8:00-17:30
Notice:
Children under 1.1 meters in height are exempt from entrance fees to the scenic area. Elderly people over 70 years old with senior citizen cards are exempt from entrance fees to the scenic area. Children between 1.2 and 1.5 meters in height must purchase children's tickets.
The scenic spot ticket only includes sightseeing, not hot springs;
When you go to Yunji Mountain Scenic Area from various places, the first thing you need to do when you arrive is to enter the scenic area gate, get off here, and buy a ticket before you can enter. Tickets are purchased according to the number of people, so one person can buy one. There is a parking lot in the scenic area, and the security guard will tell you where to park.
After getting off the bus, walk forward and you will see two roads: one is downhill to the left, and the other is uphill to the right. Going down to the left is a retro-style building with pavilions and attics, where you can take photos of the buildings and people. Friends who like taking photos can bring Hanfu to take photos, which is very appropriate and beautiful!
Walking to the right is the place where red maples are most concentrated in the scenic area, and it is also the place where you can go directly to the top of the mountain. Before reaching the place where maple trees are most concentrated, you need to walk about 1.1 kilometers to reach the stepped section of the scenic area, which is the entrance to the scenic area.
From the entrance, walk along the steps for about 800 meters to reach the "Source of the Xinfeng River" waterfall complex. Sandiequan Waterfall, the source of the Xinfeng River, has a drop of 128 meters. The pure spring water cascades down from the sky, creating a magnificent scene. The inscription on the rocks next to the waterfall is inscribed by Mr. Shen Peng, Chairman of the Chinese Calligraphers Association, who, in gratitude for the Xinfeng people's silent care for the river's source, wrote the five intertwined characters "Source of the Xinfeng River," creating a breathtaking scene.
As you walk along, you will see more and more maple trees. If you see one you like, you should stop and take pictures. If you see some relatively intact maple leaves on the ground, you can also pick them up and take them away. The bright red maple leaves are so beautiful!
After seeing the "Source of Xinfeng River", walk up and you will find several beautiful maple trees. It is worth going up to see her beauty. After that, there are not many maple trees as you go up, and they are more scattered.
If you continue walking up for about another kilometer, you will reach the end of the scenic area's steps, and the rest of the road will be undeveloped.
To reach the top, walk to the end of the scenic area road. There is also a wild road leading up the mountain, but the road is difficult and slippery. It is not recommended to bring the elderly, children or people without outdoor experience to the top.
It takes about 3 hours to reach the summit. You need to bring enough water and dry food, as well as a headlamp. It is recommended to have at least a few people with you so that you can take care of each other.
You need to calculate the time when going down the mountain at night. It takes about 2 hours. There are no lights on the road in the scenic area, so you need to get down to the foot of the mountain before dark. Even if you bring a headlamp or flashlight, walking at night is still dangerous.
For friends who like the outdoors, this little bit of scenic spots cannot satisfy you. It doesn’t matter. Now I will tell you another way. You can take a pure wild road up the mountain to see more scenery and experience the joy of reaching the top.
The image below shows the hiking route. The route is approximately 10 kilometers long, with a cumulative elevation gain of 1,030 meters, and takes about 7 hours. There are restrooms at the start and end of the hike, but no restrooms or refueling points along the way.
Lunch can be enjoyed near Tengu Rock. Overall difficulty is rated three stars, with a three-and-a-half-star intensity rating (seven stars is the highest). If you're planning this route, it's best to join a group tour with a reliable travel agency; it's not recommended to go it alone. Safety is paramount, so proceed according to your physical strength.
Starting from the starting point, you will first walk up two narrow stairs. The stairs are quite steep and will be quite tiring. After climbing up, you will walk along the canal for about 200 meters. You will cross the canal and start to climb the mountain. After walking 300 to 400 meters, you will see the scenery shown in the picture below: a large area of bright red maple trees.
Continue going up and keep walking for about 3.5 kilometers to reach the place where you can see Tengu Rock. You can have lunch there and see the scenery shown in the picture below.
If it rains, you can also see strings of crystal clear "pearls" as shown in the picture below, which is very shocking to see in person.
Continue going up and walk 1.1 kilometers to reach the fork in the road where you can climb to the summit and take the descent road. If you are not strong enough, you can turn right and take the descent road instead of climbing to the summit.
The path to the summit, which leads to the left, is quite gravelly and slippery. There's a section where you need to pull a rope up, which is quite challenging and can only be accessed one at a time. Someone needs to go up first and help the person who's stuck. When pulling someone up, grab the wrist, not the palm or use a trekking pole. Continuing up, the path is also quite gravelly, so a pair of professional hiking shoes is essential for good anti-slip protection.
After reaching the top, the view suddenly opened up, and I felt the sense of grandeur that comes from being on top of a mountain, overlooking all the other mountains. There are several huge rocks stacked on top of the mountain, which is a great place to take photos. However, those who are afraid of heights should avoid going up there, and be careful when going up there, safety first.
Walk down the mountain for 2.5 kilometers to the steps of the scenic area, and then walk about 1 kilometer to the exit of the scenic area. The road down the mountain is not only steep but also slippery, so you need to go down slowly and carefully. Don't run or rush down, as this can easily hurt your knees.
There is a restroom near the exit of the scenic area with a sign. There is a small shop next to the exit where you can buy water and instant noodles. Instant noodles are 10 yuan a bucket. There are also tofu pudding and sweet potato soup for 5 yuan a bowl.
After the walk, it's recommended to stretch your legs, including your calves, front and back thighs, and buttocks. Effective stretching can alleviate soreness on the second and third days after exercise. Then, enjoy a bowl of hot tofu pudding or sweet potato soup, which is incredibly sweet.
Basic equipment: non-slip hiking shoes (essential), headlamp (essential), backpack (essential), trekking poles, knee pads
Optional equipment: sunscreen, rain gear, walkie-talkie, power bank, camera, personal medicine, etc.
Drinking water: 1.5L drinking water + 0.5L functional drink
Food: Bread, beef jerky, pork jerky and other high-calorie foods, snacks, fruits (you can bring more fruits to replenish water and improve taste), etc.
There are risks outdoors, so be careful when traveling and be sure to purchase insurance.
No matter how many photos you see, it is not as real and spectacular as seeing it in person. In this most beautiful season, the beauty of Yunji Mountain is worth putting down everything to encounter her.
