Day 1 Worldwide → Nanjing ★ Nanjing Meeting Day
All day
Today is the gathering day for the event. The team leader will send a text message to inform the team members of the meeting hotel and the team leader's contact information in advance. Upon arrival in Nanjing, team members can contact the team leader to go to the meeting hotel to collect their room cards and check in. Afterwards, they will have free time. Those arriving early can visit the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Nanjing Museum, Purple Mountain, and the Yangtze River Bridge. In the evening, we recommend visiting Confucius Temple to see the night view of Jinling. Tourists are also encouraged to try Nanjing's special snacks: the Eight Wonders of Qinhuai, or take a night cruise on the Qinhuai River.
Nanjing Travel Guide
Click here → What to do in Nanjing? Enter the world's literary capital and explore Nanjing through famous works
Nanjing Food Recommendations
Click here → "Explore Jinling and learn about these hidden delicacies in Nanjing"
2nd day: Ginkgo trees at Xiaoling Mausoleum → Ginkgo trees at Qingliang Mountain → Chinese parasol trees at Yihe Road
·morning
Around 9:00 in the morning, we set off for Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum by car. We often say that "Qiu Qixia" should share half of its fame with Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum.
We'll walk along a romantic path adorned with golden and fiery red, along the Stone Elephant Road. Amidst the vast forest, it's like stepping into a time tunnel, where golden and fiery red interweave to create a mirage of history. The Shinto Path is divided into two sections. The Stone Statue Road is the southern section, flanked by six animal statues. From the Shengongsheng Monument Pavilion, from south to north, they are lion, xiezhi, tuoma, elephant, qilin, and horse. Each species has one crouching pair and one standing upright, for a total of twelve pairs. Our guide will lead the way in a search for hidden gems of autumn.
We set off for Qianhu Lake in due time. The autumn scenery of Qianhu Lake is so beautiful in autumn. The leaves on the shore are colorful, and the forest is full of colors. The rich autumn colors fill the scenery of Qianhu Lake. We return to the hotel in due time and have dinner nearby.
·afternoon
Take a short lunch break at noon, you can arrange it freely and take a nap~
At 3 pm, we gathered and set off to Qingliang Mountain to appreciate the ginkgo trees, which is one of the classic autumn viewing spots in Nanjing.
In late autumn, the more than 300 ginkgo trees throughout Ginkgo Valley present a vibrant and vibrant world, their colors intensifying and the scenery becoming even more captivating. As the chilling autumn wind blows the leaves to the ground, the road becomes covered in golden foliage, creating a dazzling display of golden color above and below the trees. (The ginkgo season is short-lived; if you encounter fallen leaves, you'll be redirected to Xuanwu Lake.)
Around 4:30 PM, we headed to Yihe Road, a road that embodies half the history of the Republic of China. In late autumn, the trees of Nanjing's Yihe Road Gongguan District (gingko trees, sycamores, and maple poplars) are draped in a vibrant array of colors. From an aerial view, the diverse buildings and trees shimmer in vibrant shades of red, yellow, blue, and green. It's autumn's most vibrant season, and walking along Yihe Road feels like stepping back in time to 1927, the Republic of China.
Return to the hotel in time to rest and adjust. The tour leader will recommend Nanjing specialties for dinner.
Day 3 Qixia Mountain Red Maple → Zhimaling
All day
After breakfast, we will head to Qixia Mountain, one of the four best places to enjoy red leaves in China. Today, we will spend about 5 hours exploring the mountain to avoid the crowds and explore some of the hidden gems.
The "Qixia Red Maple" of Qixia Mountain is listed as one of the forty-eight scenic spots in Jinling. Since the Ming Dynasty, there has been a saying that "Spring is in Niu Shou and Autumn is in Qixia".
【Encounter the Autumn Colors of the Ancient Temple】
Arriving at Qixia Mountain, after lunch, we strolled along the short Wutong Road near the Qixia Zen Temple archway, visited Mingjing Lake, burned incense and prayed at the ancient Qixia Temple, and encountered the dazzling and charming century-old ginkgo trees. The perfect combination of autumn colors and ancient temples unfolded before us. We passed through the Pilu Hall and arrived at the Relic Stone Pagoda, built over 1,400 years ago, and the Thousand Buddha Rock, carved in stone from the Southern Song Dynasty.
【Climbing Tiger Mountain to see the distant view】
Take a different route and take the newly built plank road to the top of Tiger Mountain. The view from the top is refreshing and pleasant. On the left is the city of Nanjing, and on the right is the surging Yangtze River.
[Drunk by the Maple Forest Lake]
Stroll through red maple forests and ancient ginkgo trees, drift off to Maple Lake, admire the maple leaves at Reading Maple Pavilion and Red Leaf Valley, climb to the First Emperor's Riverside View and Fengxiang Peak, and gaze out over the vast Yangtze River, enjoying a panoramic view and gazing at the Yangtze River Bridge. Ascending the steps, you'll be surrounded by maple trees of varying heights, sparse and dense, their red shadows flickering in a myriad of charming and charming scenes.
·afternoon
【Unlock the beautiful scenery of the back mountain】
Hiking deep into the mountains, passing by Lu Yu Tea House, I unexpectedly stumbled upon a colorful path. The branches and tips of the trees were covered in crimson leaves, like countless sparks frozen in time, transforming into these beautiful maple trees.
After lunch, we will gather at an appropriate time in the afternoon and head to the hotel in Liuhe city.
Day 4: Maling Metasequoia → Huiji Temple Ginkgo → Nanjing Station Drop-off
·morning
Don't sleep in this morning! Don't miss the sunrise over Zhimaling and the morning mist over the Metasequoia trees – a truly dreamy sight. The Metasequoia trees, known as the "water forest," are also a classic sight in Zhimaling.
After admiring the sunrise and the morning glow of the pond cypress trees, we opted for a hike into a vibrant fairytale world. Wandering through the crimson valley and the crimson forest, the dense crimson leaves acted like a natural tent, with sunlight filtering through the gaps between the leaves. The autumn scenery blended seamlessly with nature, creating a captivating experience. Without the usual group, we felt it was a truly private experience.
Regrouping, we set off for Huiji Temple, home to the thousand-year-old ginkgo trees. The landscape has been imbued with spiritual charm since ancient times, reminiscent of the Southern Dynasty Zen Buddhism. Old trees, empty hearts, a place of thousands of Buddhas, warm springs, ancient wells, and three views of Zen.
In autumn, stepping into the ancient Huiji Temple, three golden, thousand-year-old ginkgo trees shade the Tang Dynasty-style temple, their leaves strewn across the ground. It's as if you've been transported back a thousand years—to the 480 temples of the Southern Dynasties, countless pavilions shrouded in mist and rain. These thousand-year-old ginkgo trees were personally planted by Prince Zhaoming, the eldest son of Emperor Wu of Liang, Xiao Yan, during the Southern Dynasties. Each tree is over 1,500 years old. Each has its own name, including "Supporting Heaven and Earth," "Thousand-Year-Old Weeping Breasts," and "Thunderstruck Revival." The ginkgo nuts they bear are known for their pure, unstrained ginkgo nuts, and are hailed as "Buddha's Sacred Fruit."
·afternoon
After the meal, we returned to Nanjing in due time. This marked the end of our autumn outing. Everyone said goodbye with tears in their eyes and we were all sent to Nanjing South Railway Station to end our pleasant journey.
Note: The train arrives at Nanjing South Railway Station at approximately 15:00. It is recommended to book a train after 16:00.
