Live Your Best Lives
After the last snow in Hangzhou, the bright and warm spring is finally coming. This is the season that You Xiaoxia looks forward to most in the year. The weather is getting warmer, flowers are blooming, and there is vitality everywhere you go.
If you don't get out and about this season, you'll be missing out on nature's gift of spring. You Xiaoxia has compiled 17 travel destinations perfect for early spring flower viewing in March. Witness a sea of golden rapeseed blossoms, and watch pear, apricot, and peach blossoms vying for glory. All the beauty of spring is hidden in these places.
📍Xinchang County, Shaoxing City
Lidong Village is located in the eastern part of Xinchang County, southwest of Xiaojiang Town. The Liguan Line passes through the village. Entering from the outside village, the road to Wunigang Tea Farm is on the right, where the mountain full of cherry blossoms is.
The village boasts over 600 mu (apple acres) of tea plantations and over 2,000 mu (apple acres) of flower and tree planting, focusing on over 10 varieties, including crabapple, red maple, osmanthus cherry, and crape myrtle. Sitting in the pavilion, one can see the picturesque beauty of Lidong Village nestled in the bend of the mountain, surrounded by cherry blossoms, tea trees, and red maple trees. This small village, known as the "Cloud Tea Village," is a source of pride.
The pink cherry blossoms all over the mountain complement the green of the tea fields, and the faintly visible red maples are so beautiful that one will be deeply intoxicated and unable to extricate oneself at first sight.
📍Dalan Town, Yuyao, Ningbo
Bailu Village, although hidden deep in the Siming Mountains and little known to the public, has the most beautiful sea of clouds and sunrise in Ningbo and is also an excellent viewing platform.
In March, the cherry blossoms bloom at Dalan Shangmagang. A cement road used to transport flowers and trees to the summit of the 600-meter-high hill has become the best way to enjoy the cherry blossoms. Walking along the hill, surrounded by a sea of blossoms, you can also gaze out across the Dalanshan cherry blossoms to the east, west, and east.
On the Minggang Tea Mountains, at the source of the Yuyao River, emerald green tea plantations and pink cherry blossoms complement each other. Not to be outdone, the wisteria blossoms along the ancient path welcome visitors from afar with their captivating fragrance and elegant purple hues. The landscape of Dalan, a vibrant blend of red and green, creates a captivating and delightful scene.
📍Delingha City, Haixi Autonomous Prefecture
This ancient lake, known as "Hala Lake," is the second largest saltwater lake in Qinghai after Qinghai Lake. Set against the backdrop of the 5,826-meter-high Tuanjie Peak, it's also known as the Black Sea. The area is sparsely populated and swampy. Legend has it that reaching this sacred lake requires navigating nine difficult obstacles, making it a largely uncharted territory for travelers.
In March, we will cross Lake Hara, when the cold winter freezes the earth. We will take you through the inaccessible swamps, gallop across the entire lake, soar across the sky, and let you feel the desolation and grandeur of the Northwest, soaring with the goshawks.
Most of the water here comes from meltwater from snow-capped mountains above 5,600 meters. The crystal-clear ice has a slightly white hue, distinct from the blue ice, and more like mutton fat. We've also prepared a delicious lakeside lunch on a warm afternoon, ensuring both a thrilling and satisfying experience.
📍Aba Prefecture
The reputation of "Jiangnan of Tibet" goes not only to Nyingchi, but also to the Jinchuan River Valley!
Sandwiched between the branches of the Great Snow Mountain and the Qiongshan Mountain, the magnificent Big and Small Jinchuan rivers roar and rush. The majestic mountains and wild rivers together shape the Jinchuan River Valley.
Unlike the extreme cold of the plateau, this place benefits from abundant sunshine, warm climate and fertile land. Therefore, it has been a densely populated area throughout history, with a blend of Tibetan, Han and Hui cultures.
From mid-to-late March to mid-April each year, pear and apricot blossoms bloom in the Jinchuan River Valley, bathing the banks in golden light. Snow pear blossoms are in full bloom, and Jiarong Tibetan villages are dotted among them. Combined with the unique Tibetan villages and snow-capped mountains of the plateau, the scene fully demonstrates the grandeur and beauty of the "Snowy Jiangnan."
📍Baisha Town, Yangshuo County, Guilin City
From March to April, rape flowers in Guilin are in full bloom on both sides of the Yulong River. This is the most spring-filled time of the year. You can take a car, a bike, a hike, or a bamboo raft to fully appreciate the beautiful spring scenery of Guilin by both land and water.
The karst peaks here are world-renowned, and the undulating mountains create one of China's most beautiful landscape paintings. Explore the remains of the ancient commercial port in Xingping Ancient Town, and remember to bring a 20-yuan RMB note; the design on the back is from here.
Hike along the Li River, take the ferry to the Osmanthus Ancient Trail, then walk along the mountain to Xianggong Mountain, overlooking the first bay of the Li River.
Cycling along the highlights of the Yulong River, China-TravelNote has specially selected a secret cycling route that regular tour groups have never reached. Not only can you admire the rapeseed flowers along the Yulong River, but you can also successfully avoid the crowds. The experience is super cool!
📍Hanzhong City
Southern Shaanxi, nestled between the Qinling Mountains to the north and the Bashan Mountains to the south, boasts a natural geographical advantage, transforming the region into a vibrant rapeseed blossom season from March to April each year. Counties like Mian County, Nanzheng County, Yang County, and Xixiang County in southern Shaanxi host large-scale flower displays to celebrate the most beautiful spring.
The bright yellow sea of rapeseed flowers will make you linger, the magnificent and stunning ancient terraces are stacked layer by layer, the swirling clouds surround the emerald green tea mountains, and the precious national treasure, the red-crowned crane, flies nimbly through the vast sea of flowers.
Compared with the domestic flower season, the rape flowers in Wuyuan and Luoping that are popular here are less crowded and have beautiful scenery. It is a holy land that countless photography experts, self-driving enthusiasts, and travel experts must visit to experience the spring flowers.
📍Hanzhong City
There is a little-known small county at the southern foot of the Qinling Mountains. Although it is not large in area, the richness of its bird species is second only to Xinjiang and Yunnan.
Yang County's unique ecological environment has also made it the habitat of the "Four Treasures of the Qinling Mountains": the crested ibis, takin, giant panda, and golden monkey, all enjoying the harmonious harmony between man and nature.
From mid-March to early April every year, this place becomes a golden sea of flowers, with rapeseed flowers and pear blossoms all over the mountains.
Birdwatching is excellent at this time, and you'll see crested ibises flapping their wings, flying over fields and hilltops with branches in their beaks. Other birds you'll find include fire-crowned sparrows, red-billed leiothrixes, ibis, and mandarin ducks.
📍Xinghua City
In Xinghua, Jiangsu, there is a field of rapeseed flowers on the water that is known as "the most beautiful rapeseed flower sea in the world". You must go and experience it.
The river crisscrosses the rapeseed fields, like thousands of golden islands scattered across the landscape. Therefore, the Qianduo Scenic Area in Xinghua is also known as the "Land of Ten Thousand Islands".
Sit on a three-foot-wide wooden boat and go boating to enjoy the flowers. Feel the willow breeze and listen to the creaking of the boatman's oars. The tenderness of the water town and the shock of the sea of flowers are really intoxicating.
During the Rapeseed Flower Festival, local operas from Xinghua will be performed from time to time on the boats. The sound of gurgling water will be accompanied by the crisp folk tunes of the boat girls in the water village. Close your eyes and blend into the water village, the terraced fields and the sea of flowers, forgetting that you are a stranger in a foreign land!
📍Southwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
The mysterious Pamir Plateau always reminds people of desolation, remoteness and danger, but the Creator hid a field of soft apricot blossoms in the heart of the Karakoram Mountains.
The Pamirs are still covered in silver in March, but the apricot blossoms in the Yarkand River Valley have already sensed the call of spring, and their cloud-like skirts tremble lightly, not fearing the chilly spring weather.
The apricot blossoms in full bloom are just like the tenacious and kind-hearted Tajik people, who have entrenched themselves on this desolate land for generations, bringing the Pamirs the warmth and hope of spring.
Our spring-seeking journey in southern Xinjiang starts from the "Old City of Kashgar", which gathers the essence of Western cultural culture. We will travel along the lakes, in the river valleys, and between the glaciers, and challenge the Tasha Ancient Road and Panlong Highway.
Travel between the Karakoram Mountains and the Pamir Plateau, explore the secrets of the ancient cities in the westernmost region, and gallop through the beautiful scenery of southern Xinjiang.
📍Shache County, Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
People always say that Kashgar is the essence of southern Xinjiang's culture, but they ignore this ancient city with a profound history 200 kilometers away.
This almost forgotten ancient capital of the Yarkand Khanate has recently attracted attention on social media again because of a beautiful and exotic palace.
With its exquisite Uighur ethnic patterns and bright blue Islamic-style domes, this building, which resembles an Iranian mosque, is the Yarkand Khan Palace in Shache.
Shache is one of the 36 countries in the ancient Western Regions, an important node on the ancient Silk Road, the starting point of the Tasha Ancient Road, and the origin of the Twelve Muqams. It has a brilliant culture and profound history.
📍Jiande City, Hangzhou
To enjoy the rapeseed fields and rural beauty, we organize annual trips to Wuyuan, Jiangxi, and southern Anhui. However, Xuling in Jiande, Zhejiang, where Wu Zixu once recuperated, boasts rapeseed terraces that rival those in Jiangling, Wuyuan.
This area is rich in historical and cultural relics. Wu Zixu, a military strategist and strategist from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, once rested here. Climb the thousand-year-old official road and stroll through the terraced fields and sea of flowers, ascending step by step.
📍Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County
The Taohuayuan Scenic Area, located in the mountains near Youyang County, known as the "Cool Capital of Chongqing", is a national 5A-level tourist attraction and is widely regarded as the prototype of Tao Yuanming's "Peach Blossom Spring".
The Taohuayuan Scenic Area consists of the Utopia, Taigu Cave, Youzhou Ancient City, Taohuayuan National Forest Park, and Eryou Mountain.
March of every year is the season when peach blossoms are in full bloom, and the mountains and fields are dyed crimson.
This is where ethnic minorities gather, with strong ethnic characteristics and a slow pace of life. It is free from the hustle and bustle of a big city, just like what Tao Yuanming wrote: "The old and the young are all contented."
📍Xiannv Town, Wulong District
Wulong Tiankeng is the filming location for Zhang Yimou's movie "Curse of the Golden Flower" and one of the Chinese filming locations for "Transformers 4". It is a national 4A-level scenic spot and a World Natural Heritage Site.
Picture @Wulong Tiankeng Official
It is the world's largest natural bridge group - Longshuixia fissure canyon, and is also an important part of the "Wuling Karst", a world natural heritage site.
Picture @Photo.net
This fissure was formed by the orogenic movement tens of millions of years ago. It is a typical karst landform. The canyon is 5 kilometers long and about 200-500 meters deep. It is large in scale and magnificent.
The scenic area is exquisite and beautiful, with beautiful scenery. It is characterized by deep gorges and steep cliffs, pristine vegetation, waterfalls and springs, rapids and deep pools. Its iconic landscapes include the Yinhe Waterfall, Nine Beaches and Eighteen Pools, and Jiaolong Cold Cave. The mountains, steep ridges, canyons and flowing water in the scenic area together form a beautiful landscape painting.
📍Xinzhou City
“The Wutai Mountain is the most famous mountain in the Buddhist world, and the pure world is dust-free.” In the northern part of Shanxi Province, China, there is a well-known mountain. Its majestic shape, cool climate, and long-standing Buddhist cultural heritage attract many tourists.
Picture @Photo.net
It is a witness to culture for thousands of years. It houses the "Nanchan Temple", a Tang Dynasty wooden structure building that has been preserved in China to this day, and the "Foguang Temple", China's first national treasure.
It is a beautiful picture created by nature. The highest altitude area in North China, "Beitai Yedou Peak", is 3,061 meters above sea level and is the top of North China. It also has national alpine meadows, stunning sunrises and sunsets, and brilliant sea of stars and clouds.
Picture @Photo.net
Mount Wutai means different things to different people. It is a paradise for outdoor hiking, a treasure land for praying and seeking blessings from God, a resort for cooling off from the summer heat, and a blessed land of cultural and ancient buildings.
📍Yangzhou City Hanjiang District
It is said that "Yangzhou is in full bloom in March". Yangzhou is the spring of the world, and Slender West Lake is the spring of Yangzhou.
Slender West Lake, known as "the most prosperous garden in the world," is the soul of Yangzhou's spring scenery. Since ancient times, it has not only been a popular spot for outings and flower viewing, but also a gathering place for poetry, paintings and calligraphy by literati throughout the ages. It is a place where natural and cultural landscapes blend together.
There are rich varieties of peach blossoms in Suzhou's West Lake, with nearly 30 species. In mid-March, early peaches such as beech, winter jasmine, primrose, and early-blooming peach are in full bloom.
Visiting the Slender West Lake gives you a feeling of freshness, elegance, comfort and nature. Compared with the West Lake, it has a thin charm and is very characteristic of the Jiangnan region.
📍Tianshi Town, Xianju County, Taizhou City
Xianju County is located in the southeast of Zhejiang Province and the west of Taizhou City. Since ancient times, it has been a thousand-year-old city with a long history and culture and outstanding people.
"When one person attains enlightenment, his family and friends will also prosper", "The world changes dramatically", and "I praise him to everyone I meet" all happened here. Shenxianju lies secretly in the mountains and is known as "the place where immortals live" and "the last Shangri-La in Jiangnan". There is no shortage of words related to nature here.
Around the Qingming Festival, golden rapeseed blossoms blanket the village, and the surrounding mountains and terraced fields are filled with wild beauty, creating a paradise for hiking enthusiasts. Wandering through the ancient town, time seems to stand still. At night, look up and gaze at the clear, star-filled sky, feeling truly isolated from the world, a paradise on earth.
📍She County, Huangshan City
This ancient village nestled among the mountains has a high terrain and extremely inconvenient transportation. It has long retained its ancient style and is rustic yet beautiful and quiet.
Take a panoramic photo of the earth building at a commanding height in the village, go east along the Xin'an River, and the river stretches all the way through Pukou, then suddenly turns and hides. Wind your way into the village along the narrow path, and a faint fragrance begins to float in the valley.
A stunning scene of blooming flowers like smoke unfolds, with endless clusters of pink flowers all over the mountains and plains, like a dream.
Although the epidemic is reappearing sporadically in various places, we still have to have illusions about a beautiful spring. After the cold winter, there will always be spring flowers blooming. I hope you can have a beautiful spring in this March.
