Day 1: Zhengzhou → Yongtai Temple → Guanxiang Peak → Songding Alpine Meadow → Taizigou → Yongtai Temple → Zhengzhou
All day
Meeting point (refer to the map for recommended boarding points):
6:30 Liuzhuang Subway Station Exit D1 | 6:40 Shamen Subway Station Exit B, southwest corner of Huayuan Road and Guoji Road | 6:50 Dongfeng Road Subway Station Exit B, southwest corner of Huayuan Road and Keyuan Road
7:00 East Gate of Henan Hotel (near Zijingshan Subway Station Exit E) | 7:10 Greentown Plaza Subway Station Exit F, southwest corner of Songshan Road and Zhongyuan Road | 7:20 Qiliyan Subway Station Exit C, northwest corner of Songshan Road and Hanghai Road
1. Please join the WeChat travel group on the afternoon of the day before your trip (for group entry, please see the "Travel QR Code" in the app's travel notification)
2. Please arrive at the boarding point 5 minutes before the designated time. If you are late, please take a taxi to the last stop (no waiting will be made for latecomers)
Around 9:20 AM, we arrived at Yongtai Temple, one of China's oldest existing imperial nunnery temples. Originally named Minglian Temple, it was built during the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was renamed Yongtai Temple in the Tang Dynasty, Yongchan Temple in the Jin Dynasty, and then again after the Yuan Dynasty, before finally becoming Yongtai Temple and Yongtai Chan Temple. Not only is this the first monastery for nuns built after the spread of Zen Buddhism to the Central Plains, it's also the oldest existing nunnery in my country and is listed as one of the first batch of provincial-level key cultural relics under Henan Province's protection.
After a short warm-up, we started hiking. Walking in the natural oxygen bar, taking a deep breath can purify the heart and lungs.
Around 10:30, you can enjoy the full view of Taishi Mountain from the huge rock on the viewing platform halfway up the mountain. It is magnificent and spectacular.
Arrive at Guanxiang Peak at 11:00 AM. Guanxiang Peak is one of the 72 peaks of Mount Songshan. Its highest point is 1,371 meters above sea level, about 4 kilometers from Junji Peak, the highest point. It is located west of Mount Taishi. Yongtai Temple is to the south.
11:30 Arrived at the Songshan Forest Park trail, saw the sunlight filtering through the gaps in the trees, casting mottled shadows, known as the "Pine Shadow Avenue". I heard the sound of pine waves, saw the dense pine forest, stepped on the several feet thick pine needles, and searched for fallen pine cones.
Enjoy the light of the forest with exotic flowers, exotic grasses, ancient vines, old trees and strange rocks
12:30 PM: Visit the popular Songding Plateau meadow. The Songding Alpine Meadow is the largest pristine alpine grassland in the Central Plains, nestled atop a mountain over 1,260 meters above sea level. It evokes a dreamlike atmosphere, piercing through the clouds and mist. It stretches approximately 2 kilometers from east to west, and varies in width from 200 to 900 meters from north to south, covering an area of over 2,000 mu. The meadow's vegetation is primarily grasses and shrubs, reaching a height of one or two feet, dotted with countless wildflowers. The view stretches as far as the eye can see, resembling a vast sea of alpine grass. In summer, the grass stretches to the horizon, and exotic flowers bloom in profusion. In winter, the meadow is blanketed in snow, creating a breathtaking spectacle, offering a sense of expansiveness and an ethereal feeling. (There are farmhouses nearby; large groups can reserve large pot meals, while smaller groups can enjoy noodles or acorn jelly.)
At 13:30, we visited Songding Meadow, checked in and took photos. The tour leader led everyone to take interesting photos. We also took photos with the popular pine tree.
14:30 Enter Taizigou and go downhill all the way to Yongtai Temple
Gather around 17:00 and start the journey back to Zhengzhou
Arrived in Zhengzhou around 18:30 and kissed goodbye with tears
