Live Your Best Lives
I stumbled upon a calendar today and couldn't believe it! The 2022 Lunar New Year - the Year of the Tiger - is only 10 days away!
In the Year of the Tiger, the tiger is the king of beasts, symbolizing bravery and strength. Words related to the tiger are generally quite powerful, such as "full of vigor and power," "like a tiger with wings," "full of energy and vigor," and "exuberantly happy" (hmm, that seems a bit off). To help everyone prosper, prosper, and thrive in the Year of the Tiger, You Xiaoxia has compiled a list of "tiger-inspired" travel destinations. Not only are there tiger names, you can even see and touch tigers. Come and "touch the tiger's head in the Year of the Tiger and worry-free!"
đSuzhou, Jiangsu
Tiger Hill is the iconic landmark of Suzhou City, known as the "No. 1 Scenic Spot in Wu." During the Spring and Autumn Period, Suzhou was the capital of the Wu Kingdom. Upon his death, King HelĂź of Wu was buried at Tiger Hill. Three days later, a white tiger appeared perched on the hill, giving it the name Tiger Hill.
When the great Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi was governor of Suzhou, he dug a hole in the mountain to divert water and built the Seven-Li Dike, adding to the beauty of Tiger Hill. Su Dongpo once said, "It would be a pity if one did not visit Tiger Hill when visiting Suzhou."
The two most famous places in the park are the Sword Pond, which looks like a sword from above, and some experts speculate that the tomb of the King of Wu is at the bottom of the pond. The other is the world-famous leaning tower, Tiger Hill Pagoda, which is known as "the most inclined tower in China and the second most inclined tower in the world."
Tiger Hill Pagoda was built in 959 AD, the sixth year of the Later Xiande reign of the Five Dynasties. It boasts a history of over 1,000 years, predating the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa by over 200 years. The top of the tower is 2.34 meters off-center, with a maximum inclination of 3 degrees and 59 minutes.
There are also the "Third Spring in the World", Hanhan Spring, Hufu Zen Temple, Sword-Testing Stone, Yongcui Villa, Wanjing Villa, etc., and just hearing the names sounds majestic.
đJiangxi Yingtan
Longhu Mountain, as the name suggests, is a very impressive mountain. Located in the southern suburbs of Yingtan City, Jiangxi Province, it is a famous Taoist mountain with a long history and is China's eighth World Natural Heritage Site.
Picture @Photo.net
It is also a World Geopark, a National Natural and Cultural Heritage Site, and a National 5A-level Tourist Attraction.
In the middle of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Daoling, the founder of Zhengyi Dao, once refined elixirs here. Legend has it that "when the elixir was made, dragons and tigers appeared", hence the name. Since ancient times, it has been famous throughout the world as "the capital of immortals and a blessed land on earth."
The beauty of Longhu Mountain lies in its mountains and rivers. Made of red sandstone, Longhu Mountain is a typical Danxia landform in China.
The highest point of Tianmen Mountain is 1,300 meters above sea level. It has 99 peaks, 24 rocks, and 108 natural and cultural landscapes. It is a place with beautiful peaks and various shapes.
Here you can also go rafting, watch hanging coffin performances, climb mountains, and visit the thousand-year-old town of Shangqing Ancient Town.
đLijiang/Shangri-La, Yunnan
Tiger Leaping Gorge, renowned for its danger, is one of the deepest canyons in China and even the world. The canyon boasts a vertical drop of over 3,900 meters. The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on the south bank is 5,596 meters above sea level, while the Haba Snow Mountain on the north bank is 5,396 meters above sea level.
Picture @Photo.net
The Jinsha River originates from the Geladandong Snow Mountain in Qinghai Province. After flowing through the first bend of the Yangtze River in Shigu Town, it suddenly turns north and squeezes through the gap between the Haba Snow Mountain and the Yulong Snow Mountain, forming the most spectacular canyon in the world.
The gorge is dotted with reefs, boasting 18 dangerous rapids, seven 10-meter-high plunges, and 10 waterfalls. The narrowest part of the gorge is the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge. Tiger Leaping Gorge is divided into two sections: the Shangri-La section, comprising the Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge, the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, and the Lower Tiger Leaping Gorge.
Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge is the narrowest section of the canyon. A huge rock stands majestically in the middle of the river, lying across the middle of the stream and dividing the rapids into two. The waves are so loud that they shake the sky. The narrowest part is only more than 30 meters.
Picture @Photo.net
Legend has it that a tiger came down the mountain and leaped from the side of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to Haba Snow Mountain using a huge rock in the middle of the river. Therefore, the rock was named Tiger Leaping Rock, and this place was also named Tiger Leaping Gorge.
There is a huge ravine with a depth of 1 km in Lower Tiger Leaping Gorge. It is close to the exit of Tiger Leaping Gorge and is the best place to enjoy Tiger Leaping Gorge.
đMaoming, Guangdong
Tiger Head Mountain belongs to the Tiger Head Mountain Seaside Tourist Area. Surprisingly, it's located on the Nanhai Peninsula in Dianbai County, Maoming City, Guangdong Province. With its azure skies, clear waters, and pleasant climate, it offers an ideal natural bathing beach.
The beach stretches for 12 kilometers, with white sand, wide and flat terrain, clear water, no reefs and no sharks, high sea surface temperature, and more than 280 days a year suitable for sea bathing. It is known as the "Beidaihe of the South".
Two pearls on the coast of the South China Sea, Laohutou Mountain and Yanjing Ridge stand here, interweaving with sunshine, white sand, blue waves and forest belts to form a poetic and dreamy picture of the southern coastal style.
In fact, there are many "Hutou Mountain" across the country, such as Hutou Mountain in Dazhai, Shanxi, Hutou Mountain in Sanming, Fujian, Hutou Mountain in Diebu, Gansu, Hutou Mountain in Hualien, Taiwan, etc. Climbing a nearby Hutou Mountain is like touching the tiger's head!
đDandong, Liaoning
Hutanggou, located in Dandong City, Liaoning Province, is part of the Qingshangou National Scenic Area. With its picturesque scenery and lush green mountains, the area boasts a magnificent landscape, with mostly pristine vegetation, lush trees, deep canyons, gurgling streams, and spectacular waterfalls.
In the deep valley, there are the peculiar "Black Bear Looking at the Moon Stone", "Nine-bend Sky Water", Tiger Roaring Waterfall, Fairy Waterfall, Black Dragon Spring and the "Tiger Back and Tiger Den" which are known as the most dangerous of the dangerous. Mr. Pujie, the younger brother of the last emperor Puyi, particularly appreciated Hutanggou and wrote the inscription "Hutang Quiet Realm".
The "Nine-bend Sky Water" with a large drop is the essence of Hutanggou. It is very beautiful as it flows down along the mountain stream.
The mountain climbing route starts from Jiuqu Tianshui. Huxiao Waterfall and Xiangu Waterfall are both on the mountain. The primitive forest on the mountain is completely different from the beautiful scenery by the stream at the bottom of the ditch.
According to China Daily, wild tigers may become extinct in China within the next 30 years. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has ranked tigers at the top of its list of the top ten endangered species. There are only 3,200 left worldwide, and fewer than 50 in China. Here are three great places to see and pet tigers, so you can soak in the "tiger spirit" of the Year of the Tiger!
đHeilongjiang Harbin
If you want to see herds of Siberian tigers roaring through the mountains, the Siberian Tiger Park in Heilongjiang is the best place to go. It's the world's largest breeding and rearing center for Siberian tigers, home to over 900 of them.
Here you can see purebred Siberian tigers of different ages, white tigers, white African lions, ligers, African lions and other rare large cats in the world.
The colder the weather, the more active the Siberian tigers become. If you visit during the Spring Festival and the weather cooperates, you can see Siberian tigers chatting and playing in the snow.
There are two types of vehicles for admission to the park: ordinary vehicles and thrilling vehicles. There are protective nets outside the vehicles. In the thrilling vehicles, you can experience feeding tigers. Of course, you can even hold a tiger cub here!
đHuzhou, Zhejiang
You canât touch wild tigers, and even if you can, you wouldnât dare to. But with the tiger cubs bred in the zoo, you can at least hug them, touch their heads, and experience feeding them milk and meat, which is very suitable for parent-child relationships.
You can also interact with animals such as giraffes, camels, alpacas, and pet the cute white tiger baby and watch it roll around and act coquettishly. Itâs so therapeutic!
The entire park is divided into two parts. You can drive to the driving area to see wild beasts and large grassland animals.
In the pedestrian area, you can stroll along the forest trails and observe various wild animals up close. There are many theme venues such as Monkey Island and Bird Park, and you can also take a small train.
đHunan Changsha
Changsha Sanzhen Tiger Park is the largest tiger breeding base in Hunan.
There are currently more than 100 tigers, including Siberian tigers and white tigers. It is also one of the few places where you can get close to (and hug) tigers.
The cubs are only 50 days old, and netizens described them as "like holding a big fat cat." With a keeper nearby, they felt safe. The cubs are cute and aggressive, but they won't scratch you, and their claws are incredibly soft. It's a truly unforgettable experience.
You can also buy some meat here to feed the tigers. It is also suitable for bringing children!
"Tigers are big cats, and cats are little tigers." It's said that cats are the ancestors of tigers, and indeed, tigers are from the feline family. Now, take a look at these cats photographed by enthusiastic animal photography enthusiasts. Their eyes and posture truly exude a majestic and powerful aura.
If you donât want to go too far to see tigers in the Year of the Tiger, you can stroll around and see and touch the âlittle tigersâ. You can also see their various poses đ
đHuai'an, Jiangsu
Huai'an Cat Island is located in the Baima Lake Ecological Scenic Area. You need to take a boat to get to the island, and some of the ticket price will be used to pay for the maintenance of the cats.
The island's treasure, the Big Green Cat, can be seen from the boat! The central square is also shaped like a cat, with a streamlined building in the middle, offering a panoramic view.
As soon as you get on the island, you will be surrounded by a group of cats. The cats here are very friendly. The staff at the dock put a row of cat food bowls next to the cabin, and the cats will go there to eat when they are hungry.
đFujian Xiamen
Gulangyu Island in Xiamen is probably the real Cat Island in the hearts of thousands of netizens.
On the artistic and photogenic Gulangyu Island, there are flowers, sea, sunshine, old villas built of stone, and cats appearing at any time, adding to the artistic atmosphere.
Maybe because the average temperature in Gulangyu is around 20â, it is a very suitable place to spend the winter.
Without the clamor of cars and the absence of large vehicles, Gulangyu is a perfect place for cats to live. As a result, cats have taken over Gulangyu. Cats can often be seen around Fuzhou Road, the police station, Neicuo'ao Road, and Jishan Road.
The cats are lazily scattered in every corner of the street, sitting and sleeping on the roadside as if they are the masters of this island.
đSuzhou, Jiangsu
The gardens in the south of the Yangtze River always have a poetic feeling. The Liuyuan Garden, a large-scale classical private garden in China, covers an area of ââ23,000 square meters. The garden architecture is integrated with mountains, water and stones, presenting a natural interest.
The Lingering Garden boasts pavilions of varying heights and winding corridors stretching over 700 meters, creating a truly breathtaking scene. It was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1997. The garden is home to a truly diverse collection of cats, adding an unparalleled element of fun to the area.
The wintersweets in Yiyuan are in full bloom recently. The wintersweets are dotted in the side backlight and look particularly beautiful.
Together with this heterochromatic "big white tiger" named "female star" by the photographer, it can truly be described as "sparse shadows of cold plums, round and smooth like a jade pig".
Suzhou gardens are truly numerous and incredibly beautiful, from Canglang Pavilion, the Twin Pagodas, and Xiyuan Templeâyou can find a "little tiger" in nearly every one. The warm winter sun, combined with the poetic beauty of the gardens, creates this unique "cat scene" that will captivate you in no time.
đHangzhou, Zhejiang
The "little tigers" by the West Lake are so blessed to be surrounded by mountains and water. Do you have the eye for beauty that a photographer can find? Come and admire the cats hidden in the scenery of the West Lake.
On the bank of West Lake where there are few tourists and in the grass, people can take a leisurely stroll, bask in the sun, or play together and climb walls, which heals those who come to West Lake to relax.
This "little tiger" with various shapes and forms integrated into the scenery is so cute. Let's go to West Lake and touch the tiger's head!
Oh yes, the cats in Lingyin Temple by the West Lake are a little different. Their posture is more or less "dog-like".
Living here, the catsâ lives are also influenced by the spiritual energy of the temple, and their temperaments and personalities are very âBuddhistâ, and they just do whatever they want.
đJiaxing, Zhejiang
The cats in Wuzhen appear particularly vivid against the backdrop of white walls and black tiles, and with the temperament of the Jiangnan water town.
It also seems to have secretly practiced some kind of kung fu, climbing walls and roofs, flying over eaves and walls, perhaps trying to prove that it is a tiger. Of course, there are also moments of "quiet as a virgin", at which time it blends into the tranquility of the water village.
In the New Year, whether you go to places with the word "tiger" or tigers, or discover the cute "little tigers" around you, you must touch them. "In the Year of the Tiger, touch the tiger's head and you won't have to worry about anything!"
Do you know any other places with the word "tiger" in the name where you can see and touch tigers? Feel free to share in the comments!
