Live Your Best Lives
If you are tired of the hustle and bustle of the city but are not satisfied with just the scenery, why not find a place full of fireworks like You Xiaojun, read a book, drink tea, walk around, and steal a half day of leisure.
Recently, You Xiaojun has collected 10 villages and towns suitable for a short stay in autumn. Let’s have a wonderful encounter while they are about to usher in the most beautiful season.
"Modern Peach Blossom Spring"
📍Jianchuan County, Yunnan Province
Picture @Wuyanseven
As early as more than 400 years BC, Shaxi Ancient Town was a strategic point between the Nanzhao Kingdom, the Dali Kingdom, the Tang Empire, and Tubo.
Picture @Wuyanseven
Later, as time passed, the prosperity here gradually faded. Until a team of ancient building restoration from Switzerland carefully restored it, preserving the original appearance of the ancient town and turning it into a modern version of "Peach Blossom Spring".
Strolling through Shaxi Ancient Town, you will find the alleys are quiet and quaint, without too much commercial atmosphere, but just the right sense of comfort.
There are many interesting little shops hidden in the streets and alleys, including hand-poured coffee shops, creative cuisine shops, and local specialty restaurants. There are also two or three attractions worth exploring in detail. It is a great place to relax and unwind.
“The most beautiful alpine village in Huangshan”
📍Xiuning County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province
Muli Village is located on the hillside of Kuzhujian Mountain in Xikou Town, Xiuning County, Huangshan City. Founded in the 15th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, it is known as "the most beautiful alpine village in Huangshan."
The village houses extend in a stepped manner from south to north along the mountainside. They are located on the mountain ridge and suspended on three sides. Looking from the front mountain to the opposite side, you can see the whole village.
The houses in the village are different from the common Hui-style buildings. The blue-grey tiles are laid out on both sides, and there are winding stone paths between the houses, making it easy for people to move around.
The sea of clouds here can last for up to a hundred days every year. After the rain, the village in the sea of clouds is like a fairyland, quiet and natural, far away from the hustle and bustle of the world, with a sense of transcendence.
"City of Craftsmanship"
📍Jingdezhen City, Jiangxi Province
Jingdezhen, known as the "Porcelain Capital," was once considered one of China's four famous towns, along with Foshan in Guangdong, Hankou in Hubei, and Zhuxian in Henan during the Republican era. Every October, the annual Jingdezhen International Ceramics Festival is held here.
The ancient town of Yaoli is surrounded by mountains, with lush vegetation, singing birds, and flowing waterfalls. It is known as the "source of porcelain, hometown of tea, and sea of forests."
The Forbidden City is to the north, and the ancient kiln is to the south. Located in Fuliang County, Jingdezhen, the Bingding Clay Kiln is more than just a "clay kiln," it's an "architectural work of art."
Surrounded by bamboo forests and with a quiet environment, it maintains the traditional kiln style while also incorporating modern fashion elements.
After returning from overseas, local ceramic artist Li Jianshen founded Sanbao Village, an ideal destination for ceramic creation. Hundreds of ceramic artists have spontaneously gathered here, where the mountains, rivers, and craftsmen are all part of a truly secluded "pottery" destination.
“One of the Four Great Autumn Colors of China”
📍Yi County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province
Picture @Photo.net
Tachuan Village is located in Yi County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province. It is nestled in a valley, surrounded by trees and dotted with Anhui-style buildings with whitewashed walls and black tiles amidst the jungle.
Picture @Photo.net
Every autumn, Tachuan reaches its peak beauty. Along with the autumn colors of Beijing's Xiangshan Mountains, Sichuan's Jiuzhaigou Valley, and Xinjiang's Kanas, it's considered one of China's four most beautiful autumn landscapes. Even CCTV has visited Tachuan to check in!
Picture @Photo.net
In late autumn, Chinese tallow trees are everywhere in the mountains, and various colors of green, yellow, red and purple are intertwined. Smoke rises from the old houses with white walls and black tiles. The morning mist and the smoke mix together, and the scenery is picturesque and intoxicating.
"A sacred autumn place hidden deep in the Qinling Mountains"
📍Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province
There's a small town in southern Shaanxi that's quite different from the Shaanxi depicted in literature, film, and television. It's neither desolate nor desolate, but rather warm and gentle. It's Liuba.
Liuba is most stunning in autumn. Taiziling is the first place in Liuba to see autumn colors. Standing at the highest point of Taiziling, you can see the mountains covered in red and admire the sea of clouds between the mountains.
Once home to Zhuge Liang, who stationed troops and raised horses during the Three Kingdoms period, Shizigou Ranch is a pristine, natural pasture brimming with natural charm. Its vibrant autumn forests and expansive meadows make it a must-see destination in Liuba.
Gaojiang Road is a must-see destination in Liuba. This winding road, traversing the Qinling Mountains, is renowned for its stunning autumn scenery. Driving along it, you'll marvel at the golden gallery woven from Metasequoia trees – the most romantic sight of Liuba in autumn.
"God's Reserve"
Burqin County, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
Hemu Village is home to the Tuvan people and is the furthest and largest of the three remaining Tuvan villages (Hemu, Kanas, and Baihaba). Rows of small wooden houses, flowers, grasslands, mountains, forests, and rivers create a fairytale-like experience.
But it is most famous for the intoxicating autumn colors that cover the mountains. The smoke rising from the autumn colors looks like dreamy white ribbons.
Hemu is a village perfect for a leisurely stroll with a camera in hand. Climbing to the misty mountaintop in the early morning, it feels like stepping into a fairyland. The village is dotted with birch forests, grazing cattle, and Tuvan children on their way home from school... It embodies all the qualities of a peaceful and tranquil life. This is the life we long for.
"The air is ethereal, and humans and gods coexist"
📍Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province
Bingzhongluo, a small town at the northernmost tip of Nujiang Prefecture, nestled among fields, appears and disappears in the mist, only to reveal Gawa Gap on clear days. Everything appears peaceful and tranquil, seemingly untouched.
Wuli Village, located in Bingzhongluo, is also known as the "Poetic Pastoral Switzerland of the East". It is one of the few well-preserved traditional villages in Nujiang River. To enter, you need to hike along the ancient Tea-Horse Road that hangs by the river.
The small flat land in the mountains has been transformed into green fields by people. Wooden houses have been built in the fields, and the fruit trees and fir trees next to the houses together form a poetic picture, giving people the illusion of being in Switzerland.
"The Land of a Thousand Blockhouses"
📍Danba County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province
In the western part of Sichuan Province, there is a place known as the "Land of a Thousand Blockhouses". It was once called "the last pure land on earth" by the "National Geographic Magazine of China". This is Danba.
In this beautiful natural environment, 15 ethnic groups, including Tibetan, Han, Hui, and Qiang, live here. Among them, Zhonglu Tibetan Village, one of the most beautiful ancient villages in China, exudes a unique aura.
Hundreds of distinctive watchtowers and village houses with ancient style are built on the sunny and flat slopes, like pieces of art.
In autumn, Zhonglu Tibetan Village is ablaze with color. Mountains blanketed in crimson leaves, valleys imbued with spiritual energy, clear streams, and snow-capped peaks unfold like a poetic landscape painting, offering a glimpse of the city dwellers seeking a secluded paradise.
"Classic in Memory"
📍Gubeikou Town, Miyun District, Beijing
Gubei Water Town, with a history of thousands of years, is quaint, elegant and picturesque. The row upon row of houses, the old streets paved with bluestone and the long alleys all reflect the style of an ancient town in the north during the Republic of China period.
The water town is densely covered with rivers, and ancient buildings and houses are built along the water. Under the shade of towering poplars, it is like a little-known paradise.
As night falls, the ancient town's illuminated nightscape becomes otherworldly, a stark contrast to the harshness, tinged with warmth. Both its intricate design and grandeur are unparalleled in China, a sight not to be missed.
Living in Beijing, I want to experience another Jiangnan, with its long cobblestone streets and narrow alleys. Follow China-TravelNote to encounter the northern water town.
"Classic in Memory"
📍Nanjing County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province
Yunshuiyao Ancient Town, formerly known as Changjiao, is a national 5A-level scenic spot that belongs to the "Fujian Tulou" World Cultural Heritage. Located in Nanjing County, Zhangzhou City, it became famous due to the film "Yunshuiyao."
The village's century-old banyan tree and the waterwheel, a prop used during the filming of "The Clouds and Water Ballad," have both been perfectly preserved and become symbols of the town. At the foot of the mountain, along the streambanks, and in the fields, are scattered earthen buildings, each with its own unique style.
With beautiful mountains and rivers, rich humanities and long ancient roads, the entire ancient town gives people a sense of transcendence.
Why not take some time to find a quiet ancient village or town to fully experience the autumn!
