Live Your Best Lives
Lishui, located in southern Zhejiang, was called "Chuzhou" in ancient times. Surrounded by mountains and forests, it is also known as the "Green Valley of Zhejiang". It is a good place for recuperation and summer vacation.
Due to its geographical location, it was developed relatively late, but it has also preserved many pristine folk customs and cultures, such as the country's only She Autonomous County, the Haochuan Culture site from the late Neolithic period, the covered bridges of Qingyuan, the celadon of Longquan, and the landscape paintings of Jinyun Xiandu....
Nowadays, more and more homestays are located here, and more and more photographers and painters come here to take photos and collect materials. The new and old cultures have created different sparks here.
The most important thing is that the transportation is quite convenient. The counties are not far from each other. Parents can bring their children and spend 2-5 days to enjoy this secret place in southern Zhejiang, learn about the unique geography and culture, and experience the local customs and practices.
Natural scenery
Guyan Painting Village
On the 800-li Oujiang River, countless white-sailed boats come and go.
Guyan Painting Village has a poetic name, and its ancient streets are bordered by the Oujiang River, Lishui's "mother river." With its boats, distant mountains, and blue skies and white clouds, this place feels like stepping into a painting, which is why it's so popular with photography enthusiasts.
At the same time, the unique "Barbizon School of Painting" was born. Walking on the old streets of Guyan Painting Village, it also attracted many artists and art students to come and sketch and paint.
Besides its scenic beauty, the area is also rich in historical relics: thousand-year-old camphor trees, ancient celadon kiln ruins, ancient inscriptions, ancient docks, ancient towns, and even the Tongji Canal, a nationally protected cultural relic site built in 505 AD. If you have time, stay overnight in a B&B here for a tranquil getaway.
Tips:
Ticket + boat tour 50 yuan
Opening hours: 08:30-17:00 (summer)
Nanjianyan
Suichang, a hidden gem at the source of the Oujiang River, boasts a rich history. Tang Xianzu, while serving as magistrate here, composed the famous "Peony Pavilion," and the Kunqu opera "Ten-part Opera" remains popular among the people.
Once in Suichang, you can visit the Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall and experience the culture of Sichuan and its revolutionary movement. Home to East China's only pristine forest, Suichang's natural scenery is equally stunning, with attractions like the Dake Rice Terraces, Nanjian Rock, and the Wuxi River, all worth exploring in 2-3 days.
The sea of clouds can be seen at Nanjianyan for more than 200 days a year. It combines multiple landscapes such as terraced fields, bamboo sea and waterfalls, and is a national first-class photography base.
There are many surprises to be found here year-round! In spring, terraced rapeseed blossoms bloom, while in summer, this area is a prime summer resort in East China. In autumn, red maple, metasequoia, and ginkgo trees take turns decorating the mountain scenery. In winter, snow drifts and rime can be seen.
Pick a nice guesthouse and stay overnight on the mountaintop, drifting off to sleep under a sky filled with stars. Wake up the next morning to a stunning sunrise and sea of clouds. It's such a delight to bring your children on a immersive journey through nature.
Tips:
Ticket price: 80 yuan/person
Opening hours: 05:00-17:00 in peak season, 06:00-16:30 in off-season
Yunhe Terraces
One of my country's ten most beautiful terraced fields, this important agricultural heritage site is also the largest terraced field complex in East China. Developed by the She ethnic minority who migrated from Fujian over 1,000 years ago, it spans three geological landscape zones: mountains, hills, and valleys.
The Yunhe Rice Terraces, with their thousand-meter drop, thousands of terraced fields, and millennia of history, preserve the most authentic farming culture. Frequently featured in media outlets like National Geographic and CCTV, they are a scenic spot for tourists and a home for local farmers.
The Yunhe Terraces Scenic Area is mainly divided into three parts: Silver Valley, Nine-bend Cloud Ring, and Seven-star Mound.
Jiuqu Yunhuan is the core scenic spot of Yunhe Rice Terraces and the best viewing point for watching the sunrise over the terraces. Its sunrise over the sea of clouds is like a dream and must not be missed; Qixingdun is also a viewing platform, located on another commanding height. It is larger in area than the former and is also suitable for camping; from Qixingdun Viewing Platform, walk all the way down among the terraces and enjoy the mountain scenery, then you will reach Baiyin Valley, where there is an ancient village called Kenggen, which retains some unique old houses with loess walls, and you can also enjoy the ancient bridges, ancient trees and ancient post roads.
The terraced fields themselves are breathtakingly beautiful, with irrigation in spring, rice planting in summer, harvest in autumn, and snowy winters. Children can personally participate in farming activities, experiencing the hard work of growing every grain of rice and experiencing the same life as the older generation.
Tips:
Ticket price: 80 yuan/person
Opening hours: 08:00-16:30 in winter, 08:00-17:00 in summer
Jinyun Fairyland
You are here even when the world is not here, who can go to the ethereal fairyland with you? How can you not go to the fairyland when you come to Jinyun?
The Xiandu Scenic Area comprises the "First Peak Under Heaven," Dinghu Peak, Zhutan Mountain, Xiao Chibi, Niweng Cave, Furong Gorge, and Gufu Rock, boasting a total of 72 peaks and 18 scenic spots and historical sites. Legend has it that this is the place where the Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven. The area is an important site for emperors to offer sacrifices and worship, and large-scale events are held at specific times each year.
Tips:
Ticket price:
Package ticket: RMB 100 (includes Dinghu Peak, Xiao Chibi, Zhutan Mountain, Xiandu Temple, and Niweng Cave, valid for two days); sightseeing bus: RMB 20 (ticket valid for multiple rides within the validity period)
Recommended places to visit:
Morning tour - Xiandu Dinghu Peak Scenic Area (about 3 hours) → Lunch at the scenic area
Afternoon tour: Furong Gorge (about 2 hours), Zhutan Mountain (about 1 hour) → Shaobing Main Store
Ruoliao Primeval Forest
The Ruoliao primeval forest, covering over 40,000 mu (approximately 1,000 acres), lies in a small valley nestled in the Songyang Mountains, at an altitude of over 700 meters. It boasts abundant natural resources, boasting over 80 nationally protected plant species, including the rare and endangered Oriental Isoetes and Taxus chinensis, as well as over 1,000 protected wild animal species, including the clouded leopard and the black muntjac. It is a veritable kingdom of flora and fauna.
The area boasts over 30 scenic spots, including Twin Turtles Exploring the Moon, Sister-in-law Rock, and Guanyin Looking at the Sea. The Dajibei Waterfall, with its three-tiered cascades and a drop of over 70 meters, is particularly spectacular. Every May, the mountains here are covered in a bloom of azaleas. Adults and children can enjoy hiking in the forest, and those interested can also participate in rafting, which has a 450-meter drop.
Traditional ancient villages
Heyang Ancient Houses
In 933 AD, Zhu Qingyuan and his brothers came to Jinyun to avoid the Five Dynasties Rebellion. Since their hometown was Xinyang, Henan, they named the village "Heyang".
Heyang Ancient Residence is a relatively well-preserved, millennium-old residential complex, retaining its original Yuan Dynasty layout of "one street, five alleys, one stream, and two pits," and remaining untouched by commercialization. Locals continue to lead normal lives, and strolling through the alleys reveals leisurely chattering elderly people and playful children.
Tips:
Ticket price: 40 yuan Opening hours: 08:00-17:00
Yanxia Village
In a secluded valley at an altitude of more than 600 meters in Jinyun, there is a village with more than 200 stone houses and an overall well-arranged layout. This is Yanxia Village, which was rated as one of the five most beautiful ancient villages in Zhejiang by "National Geographic China".
Over 600 years ago, ancestors of the Zhu family lived here, leaving behind distinctive architecture such as the old courtyard house built in 1700, the 300-year-old Zhu Clan Ancestral Hall, and the century-old stone arch bridge at the village entrance. The village is surrounded by lush bamboo forests, with winding waterways, ancient bridges, and stone paths fringing the village, creating a picturesque paradise hidden deep in the mountains.
Xuncun Songyang
Songyang boasts a rich history spanning over 1,800 years and boasts a rich folk culture, including Songyang Gaoqiang (singing, singing, and singing) and woodcarving techniques. It also produced a number of prominent figures from the Ming Dynasty, including Ye Fashan, Duke of Yue and a pioneer of health preservation in the Tang Dynasty; Zhang Yuniang, one of the "Four Great Female Poets of the Song Dynasty"; and Ye Mengde, the Left Prime Minister of the Southern Song Dynasty. Songyang boasts over 70 national-level traditional villages and has been hailed by National Geographic as "the last secret place in Jiangnan."
In its county town, there is an ancient street of the Ming and Qing Dynasties known as the "living Along the River During the Qingming Festival". Here you can find traditional handicraft shops such as herbal medicine shops, blacksmith shops, and cotton-fluffing shops, or experience the joy of making pottery, and go to the Baixian Noodle House that has appeared on CCTV to search for various delicacies such as glutinous rice cakes, grass jelly tofu, and wine lees and large intestine water-pulled noodles.
Songyang is also a well-developed B&B market, with a wide selection of accommodation options, from affordable farmhouses to luxurious accommodations. Bring your children and family to spend tens of thousands of yuan in the mountains, enjoying the fresh air and experiencing the slow pace of life there.
About a 10-minute drive from Siduzhaitou is Chenjiapu, a representative ancient village of cliff dwellings. Over 170 households are scattered across a 500-meter-wide rock cliff, forming a terraced pattern. This scientific layout has prevented natural disasters such as mudslides and floods for over 600 years.
Chenjiapu Village was built in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty. Because it is located in a valley and isolated from the outside world, the ancient houses, ancestral halls, ancient roads, etc. have been preserved. In addition, you can enjoy the spectacular sea of clouds all year round, which has attracted many photographers to take pictures.
The people here still live a life of working from sunrise to sunset. However, the villagers here are not surnamed Chen, but rather a clan village of the Bao family. You can visit the Bao Family Ancestral Hall, which is surrounded by over 20 ancient trees, including yew, Chinese torreya, and eucalyptus.
Today, this ancient village has ushered in new vitality, with various mid- to high-end homestays taking root, as well as a high-end bookstore - Pioneer Bookstore Chenjiapu Common People's Bookstore.
Located in the heart of the village, the bookstore was renovated from the former village cultural center and a residential building. The bookstore boasts over 20,000 books, all hand-selected. If you're tired of browsing, you can enjoy a cup of coffee here and enjoy the slow pace of rural life.
Yangjiatang Village
Songyang County has a history of more than 1,800 years. There are still hundreds of ancient villages. The perfect integration of modern culture with them presents a new look. It is the best destination for taking children to decipher rural culture.
Yangjiatang Village, located in Sandu, Songyang, is where our ancestors settled deep in the mountains over 350 years ago. Their houses are built in a terraced pattern. Today, the old houses remain well-preserved, their mud-and-wood structures, tiled roofs, carved beams and painted rafters, and horse-head walls all a work of art.
Yangjiatang Village is also a favorite of photographers. It was once on the cover of "National Geographic China" magazine (the photo was taken from a pavilion high on the south side of the village, which is also the best viewing point). It is known as "the last secret place in Jiangnan."
The earliest school in Songyang was located in Yangjiatang. Our ancestors attached great importance to cultural learning, and we can still understand some of it from the wall culture of ancient houses: almost every family has school journals and official newspapers in their courtyards, and some even have them posted from the central hall to the walls of the guest rooms.
In addition, there is a Song Family Ancestral Hall in the village. The stone carvings, wood carvings, plaques, murals, etc. are of great ornamental value. During ordinary sacrifices, villagers will invite opera troupes to perform on the stage inside.
Bring your children to experience life in the mountains and witness the significance of ecological protection.
Cheqian Village
Cheqian Village has a long history. Mao's ancestors have lived in seclusion here since the Southern Song Dynasty. It still preserves the most complete and largest earthen house with mud walls and tile roofs in southwestern Zhejiang.
Cheqian Village comprises two small villages, Chechuang Village and Qianshan Village, both nestled on a hillside, facing each other across a valley. At 900 meters above sea level, the winding road ascends past acres of ancient terraced fields, small bridges and flowing water, alleys filled with barking dogs and crowing chickens, creating a scene of paradise.
Children can experience being a local for a day here, feel the difficulty of working in the mountains, walk to the commanding heights to overlook the more than 160 yellow mud houses scattered in an orderly manner, and learn stories of the past from the elders.
Dushan Ancient Village
Dushan Ancient Village in Suichang has a history of more than a thousand years. The village preserves ancient architectural cultural relics such as the Ye Clan Ancestral Hall, Baoshou Temple, Zhengtong Ancient Well, Longqing Ancient Well & Stone Archway, and Ming Dynasty Village Wall. It was listed as one of the three historical and cultural protection areas in Zhejiang Province in 1991.
Local villagers use pebbles taken from the Wuxi River to pave roads and build houses. Walking along the stone road, you will reach a street that dates back to the Ming Dynasty. The houses are quaint and the locals still live here as they did in the past.
The ancient village isn't large, but it's well-equipped and full of flavor, not particularly commercialized. It's a convenient way to get to Nanjian Rock. In a nearby village, enjoy a meal of bighead carp from the Wuxi River and play in the water. It's a delightful experience.
Yunzhong Daliang
Daliang, a window into Jingning, is an ancient village nestled deep in the mountains. Nestled in a 1,030-meter-high alpine basin, it is surrounded by towering peaks (over 50 peaks over a thousand meters high), terraced fields, and is shrouded in mist year-round. In winter, you can even witness rime and snow, hence its name.
The most important thing you can't miss when you come here is the Snow Flower Waterfall. The waterfall cascades down from a cliff that is hundreds of meters high. It is magnificent and majestic, and it is especially refreshing in the summer.
Daliang is home to the most ancient trees and buildings (Shisi Temple, the Mei Clan Ancestral Hall, Huguan Bridge, and Hu Bridge, all built during the Song and Yuan dynasties, and also during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties). There are over 200 ancient trees here, including more than a dozen species, including Chinese fir, rosewood, cypress, and ginkgo.
Particularly worth noting is the Cryptomeria king growing on the side of Shisi Temple. It is more than 1,500 years old and has a diameter of about 4.47 meters. Because it was struck by lightning, the trunk of the tree is now hollow, and children can enter the tree and look up at the sky.
It also boasts a rich cultural heritage. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it produced nine Jinshi (imperial scholar) and 23 Juren (juren) scholars. A gardenia grove still remains intact within the village. Nearby Xiaozuo Village is a popular base for sketching and photography, boasting the country's longest terraced fields, which blend seamlessly with local dwellings, creating a beautiful canvas.
Tips:
Ticket price: 50 yuan
08:00-17:30 (Summer)
History, Humanities & Intangible Cultural Heritage
Jingning, a She ethnic minority village
Jingning is the only She Autonomous County in Zhejiang Province, and indeed in China, with a history spanning over 1,200 years. This story begins in the Tang Dynasty, when the She people migrated from Fujian, bringing with them their "Lao"-style architecture and nearly a hundred covered bridges, dozens of which remain well-preserved today.
The most famous of these is the 33-meter-long Meichong Bridge, built over 300 years ago by Zhang Xinyou, but unfortunately destroyed by fire. However, a century later, the Jielong Bridge, with a span of 30.7 meters and a height of 18.8 meters, appeared, becoming Jingning's most spectacular covered bridge.
The She ethnic group has a profound cultural heritage and is also a nation that is good at singing and dancing. She folk songs, She March 3rd Festival, and She wedding customs have been listed as national intangible cultural heritage.
Children visiting Jingning can experience ethnic minority culture, join them for bonfires, dance, and play, and explore the area in depth. They can also try their hand at crafting: traditional root carving, creating rich silver jewelry, learning about traditional medicine and herbs at a She medicine shop, or weaving straw sandals to reminisce about the past.
Longquan celadon
Half of the history of Chinese ceramics can be found in Zhejiang; half of the history of Zhejiang ceramics can be found in Longquan.
my country's original celadon dates back to the pre-Qin period, and mature celadon reached maturity during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Longquan celadon, one of the six kiln systems of the Song Dynasty, boasts a production history spanning over 1,600 years. It was exported worldwide via the Maritime Silk Road, reaching its peak during the Song Dynasty.
Over 600 ancient Longquan kiln sites have been discovered, with nearly 400 located within Longquan itself. The Longquan kiln system is the longest-lasting and most influential in the history of Chinese and global ceramics, and the only ceramic project inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Longquan celadon is divided into two types: Ge Kiln and Di Kiln. Ge Kiln, with its paper-thin body and jade-thick glaze, emerged in the mid-to-late Southern Song Dynasty and is considered one of the five most famous kilns of the Song Dynasty. Di Kiln, with its white body and green glaze, is considered the forerunner of folk kilns.
Children can visit the Celadon Museum to learn about its production process and craftsmanship, try their hand at it, and take the finished products home to keep!
Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall
The opera "The Peony Pavilion" casts a romantic veil over the small town of Suichang. Tang Xianzu, the Ming Dynasty dramatist known as the "Shakespeare of the East," served as magistrate of Suichang. While in Suichang, take your children to this historical memorial museum, housed in the Chen Family Courtyard, a Ming Dynasty residence, to learn about Tang Xianzu's life and works.
The 900-square-meter old house features a typical southern Zhejiang residence layout with a front hall and a back building. In the backyard, there's a stage several meters wide. Donning costumes, learning the rhythms of Kunqu opera from a Kunqu teacher, and standing on the stage, will you feel a sense of movement?
Tips:
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 08:30-17:00 (closed on Monday)
Goldfields National Park
At Suichang Gold Mine National Park, you can not only experience the wonders of nature but also learn about its rich cultural heritage, including ancient mining, smelting, and gold culture. As one of the first national-level mining parks in China, it features a gold museum, a mining heritage preservation area, an ancient gold smelting exhibition area, a modern gold industry exhibition area, and interactive entertainment areas such as sand gold panning, gold brick casting, and "Hugging a Gold Brick."
What to do? After the museum tour, take a train, repurposed from an abandoned mine car, through the darkness, deep underground. Explore ruins from the Tang and Ming dynasties, touch traces of ancient mining, and then pan for gold and conduct scientific experiments on it—a truly enjoyable experience for children.
The temperature inside the mine remains between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius all year round, so remember to bring a small jacket!
Tips:
Ticket price: 98 yuan Opening hours: 08:00-16:30
Huang Family Courtyard
Huang Family Courtyard is the most representative ancient building in Songyang. It was built during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. It took more than 60 years to complete the construction of the house. It is also one of the largest traditional residential buildings in southwest Zhejiang. It is currently a Zhejiang provincial cultural relic protection unit.
Particularly worthy of praise is the exquisite wood carving craftsmanship inside. In the Baishou Hall alone, there are 208 wood carvings of the Chinese character "Shou" made with different brushstrokes. This shows that the reputation of "Hall of Woodcarving Art" is well-deserved.
The history of woodcarving architecture is best explored with a guide, who can tell the stories behind it and learn about the mansion's past and present. Children, of course, shouldn't miss out on some unique experiences, which offer a fun and educational experience. For example, they can learn about the culture of tile ends, make tile rubbings, and craft round fans, all while passing on traditional culture.
Songyang Damushan Tea Garden
The Damushan Tea Garden, located in Songyang, covers a total area of over 80,000 mu (approximately 1,000 hectares). The garden boasts rolling hills, numerous reservoirs, and breathtaking scenery. It boasts over 20 kilometers of cycling trails with various surface conditions, including an 8.3-kilometer leisure and fitness loop, making it the largest cycling tea garden in China.
The scenic area features a tea culture corridor, a cycling observation platform, a visitor center, and other service facilities. High-end mountain bikes and lightweight bicycles are available for rental, as well as sightseeing electric vehicle tours. Adults and children alike can enjoy the fun of cycling!
Tea drinking culture has a history of thousands of years in China. Children can follow tea farmers through tea trees, carefully observing each tea plant and experiencing the process of picking and making tea. If that's not enough, they can visit the Tea Museum and Tea Culture Experience Center to learn more about the history of tea.
If you have enough time, you can rent a B&B nearby for a night, slowly fall asleep in the countryside accompanied by the chirping of cicadas and birds.
Brown Sugar Workshop
Xingcun brown sugar is a specialty agricultural product of Zhangxi Township, Songyang. Their traditional technique of making brown sugar using ancient technology has a history of a hundred years.
After undergoing a renovation designed by an architect, the building seamlessly blends traditional and modern architectural aesthetics. The brown sugar workshop comprises a leisure and experience area, a sugarcane storage area, and a traditional brown sugar processing area. Visitors can observe the traditional brown sugar production process up close from the corridor. The brown sugar processing season typically occurs between November and December each year, and children can even participate in the process and savor its freshest sweetness.
authentic cuisine
If you live in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, you should all know Jinyun sesame cakes. The authentic taste must be found in Jinyun. Wontons are the golden partner of sesame cakes, so remember to order one.
There's a main sesame seed bun shop near Xiandu that you can try. Of course, there are many sesame seed bun shops in Heyang and the old county town, and they're all delicious! We also recommend mustard greens with rice, handmade earthen noodles, and Qingming fruit.
In addition, Suichang's long rice dumplings, Qingyuan's mushroom sauce, rice field fish, various bamboo shoots, sugar cakes, etc. are waiting for everyone to taste one by one!
①2 days of in-depth exploration of the clouds and terraces, a relaxing vacation
② If you like excitement, you can take a walk in Jiangnan Bingchacha, indulge in the mountains and rivers, and dominate the wilderness.
③ Let’s go eat authentic Jinyun sesame cakes, explore the 5A scenic spot Xiandu, and encounter the ancient houses in Heyang!
① Secret Land in Southern Zhejiang: Jinyun Fairyland - Yunhe Terraces - Guyan Painting Village - Pastoral Songyang
②Suichang Smallholder Gold Panning, Underground Gold Mine Exploration, and Living as a Mountain Man with Your Children for a Few Days
Lishui is a summer resort in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. Let us spend a few days visiting people living deep in the white clouds, deeply experience the life of people in the mountains, and feel the leisure time together as a family!
