Explore Guangxi's autumn colors and visit Haiyang Township and Gongcheng to see the most beautiful ginkgo and persimmon forests.
Preface
As a native southerner, I've always thought there were only two seasons in the south: summer and winter. Spring and Autumn? Isn't that a history book?
I always have a special yearning for the golden autumn, wanting to see the golden world and the scene of harvest. However, it is difficult to have the opportunity to visit it in Guangzhou, until I discovered such a treasure place as Haiyang Township.
Haiyang Township
Haiyang Township, located 40 kilometers east of Guilin City and about a 1.5-hour drive from downtown, is China's southernmost ginkgo town. In 1998, experts at the National Ginkgo Symposium named it "The World's No. 1 Ginkgo Township." Currently, it boasts over one million ginkgo trees.
Ocean Ginkgo Forestcheck the details
The Ocean Ginkgo Forest is located in Haiyang Township, Lingchuan County, Guilin. Home to one million ginkgo trees, the forest blankets the mountains with leaves, transforming them into a golden sea, reminiscent of a fairytale fantasy world. The falling of a single leaf heralds the arrival of autumn, and the fluttering of leaves across the mountains in the autumn breeze heralds the arrival of deep autumn. Over 500,000 of these trees are ancient, the oldest over 500 years old, and over 17,000 are over a century old. The largest, the "Ginkgo King," towers 30 meters, its trunk requiring six people to hug. In late autumn, gentle breezes sweep the leaves, creating a vibrant display of golden leaves. The fallen leaves, both on and off the trees, resemble flakes of gold, creating a unique autumn scene, accompanied by the sight of children and elderly gathering leaves beneath the trees. This breathtaking spectacle only lasts for about two weeks each year, attracting tourists from all over the world to capture the beautiful moment with their cameras.
Recommended months: November-December
6283 recommendations, 5790 visits
Attractions
The famous scenic spots in Haiyang Township include Datongmu Bay, Xiaopingle Village, Siantou Village, etc. They are relatively scattered, so it is much more convenient to travel by car.
Datongmuwan Village
Datongmuwan Village boasts a beautiful environment, simple folk customs, towering ancient trees, and unique, neatly arranged ancient dwellings. The village still preserves traditional agricultural practices, housing a wide variety of traditional production tools, daily necessities, and folk artifacts.
There are dense ginkgo forests around the ancient houses and at the foot of the surrounding mountains, among which there are more than 150 towering ginkgo trees that are over a hundred years old.
There is an ancient ginkgo tree near the ancient residence. The tree is about 50 meters high, with a trunk circumference of 4.8 meters and a diameter of 1.5 meters. It is said to be more than 1,000 years old. It is the largest ginkgo tree in Haiyang Township and is known as the "Ginkgo King".
Xiaopingle Village
Xiaopingle Village is approximately 20 kilometers from Haiyang Township, about an hour's drive. Due to the steep and rugged mountain roads, it rarely sees tourists, preserving the tranquility and serenity of an ancient mountain town. The village's ginkgo trees are most concentrated in Huamei Lane, where a vast expanse of ginkgo trees can be seen upon entering the village.
Si'antou Village
Si'antou Village is approximately 5 kilometers from Xiaopingle, a 10-minute drive. In the past, poor road conditions made it difficult for visitors to reach the village, requiring them to take a motorcycle taxi from Xiaopingle. However, with the opening of a new highway, traffic has improved significantly, making it much easier to get there. Furthermore, with fewer tourists, you can enjoy the entire ginkgo forest to yourself if you're lucky.
transportation
You can go to Haiyang Township from Guilin or Yangshuo, both of which are about 1.5 hours' drive away. You can directly navigate to Datongmu Bay.
When traveling from Datongmu Bay to Xiaopingle, you need to use walking mode for navigation, otherwise the route will deviate.
From Xiaopingle to Siantou Village, just follow the navigation route. There is no parking lot in the village, so you need to park on the roadside.
Viewing time
The best time to view ginkgo trees in Haiyang Township is from late November to mid-December each year. The temperature, rainfall, etc. will have a certain impact on the specific time.
Tips:
There are many farm restaurants in Haiyang Township, with a wide range of choices; there are relatively few restaurants in Huamei Lane, only two, so it is best to make reservations in advance; there are no restaurants to eat in Si'antou.
Accommodation in Haiyang Township is mostly farmhouse guesthouses, with limited facilities and a limited selection. It is recommended to stay in Guilin or Yangshuo.
The entrance fee to Datongmu Bay is 30 yuan per person, while no entrance fee is required for other attractions.
Gongcheng
Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County, part of Guilin City in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is known as the "Hometown of Chinese Longevity," "Hometown of Chinese Moon Persimmons," and "Hometown of Chinese Ponkan Mandarin Oranges." Every household here cultivates moon persimmons. Every autumn, persimmon trees across the mountains are laden with fruit, with bright red persimmons hanging from branches and dried persimmon cakes drying in front of every home, creating a bountiful harvest.
Attractions
Hongyan Village
Hongyan Village is located in Lianhua Town, Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County, Guilin, Guangxi. It is an ecological tourism village that integrates mountain and water sightseeing, rural farming experience, accommodation, catering, leisure, conference and business sightseeing, etc.
The scenic area features tourist facilities such as the Yaosai Wind and Rain Bridge, the Rolling Dam, plum blossom piles, an observation deck, the main venue for the Moon Persimmon Festival, a parking lot, a circular village road, a lighted basketball court, and hiking trails. The scenic area also boasts China's only "Hometown of Moon Persimmons," a 10,000-acre pollution-free moon persimmon base.
transportation
Gongcheng is located southeast of Guilin, about a 2.5-hour drive from downtown. High-speed rail tickets are available directly from Guangzhou. Hongyan Village is about a 30-minute drive from Gongcheng Station, and a taxi from the high-speed rail station costs about 60 yuan.
Viewing time
The persimmons in Gongcheng begin to ripen from mid-November to late December. Hongyan Village will retain an ornamental forest where the persimmons will not be picked, and the villagers will continue to dry the persimmon cakes until the weather turns cold.
Tips:
There are many farmhouses in Hongyan Village where you can eat and stay, but they are often crowded during the peak season, so it is best to make reservations in advance.
Gongcheng is about a 1.5-hour drive from Yangshuo, so you can consider visiting it together with Yangshuo.
No entrance fee is required for Hongyan Village.
What if the attractions are scattered and chartering a car is too hassle? What if you don't know the best time to view the ginkgo trees or can't find the best spot? China-TravelNote offers professional travel advice, carefully selecting travel times and arranging fun itineraries for you, providing you with a satisfying travel experience with high-quality travel services.
Conclusion
Autumn colors are a rare commodity for southerners, especially those living in Guangdong. Compared to the remote north, Guilin is a great choice, with high-speed rail taking only three hours and numerous trains available. Guilin also boasts abundant tourism resources and unlimited potential, making it an ideal destination.
Easter Egg
Finally, here's a tip for enjoying Guilin rice noodles. Of course, when you visit Guilin, you have to try a bowl of authentic Guilin rice noodles. Every noodle shop serves excellent food, but how can you eat like a local? Just like Lanzhou people never call beef noodles Lanzhou ramen, Guilin people never call them Guilin rice noodles; they call them "lucai noodles."
The first thing you hear upon entering the shop is, "Boss, two taels of braised vegetable noodles." Once you've shouted this out and exchanged a knowing look with the boss, the consecration ceremony is complete, imbuing this bowl of braised vegetable noodles with the flavors of the karst landscape. Oh, and if you want a large portion, order three taels.
