4 Summer Retreats Perfect for a 3-Day Stay from June to September

Qiongkushitai, Xinjiang

• Transportation Guide: Drive from Tekes County (about 78 km, 3.5 hours) with 5 scenic viewpoints along the way. Alternatively, take a bus from Tekes Bus Station (~¥30/person). Chartered SUVs from Yining take ~6 hours (recommended due to gravel roads).

• Must-See: Hike/ride horses to Hou Mountain (navigate to "Shanye Homestay" – 3-4 km hike up, ~¥100/horse ride down). Experience Wusun Ancient Trail hiking (navigate to "Qiongkushitai Jingxin Ge Homestay"). Stroll through Kazakh villages with traditional wooden houses.

• Food Recs: Lamb hotpot, wild mushroom stewed chicken, nang pit-roasted meat with butter – all exceptionally tender and flavorful.

• Stay Recs: Front mountain homestays (~¥200/person for sunset views; ~¥400/person peak season for scenic stays) like Qiongkushitai Wanru Guli Designer Homestay or Shanzixian·1983 Homestay.

Litang, Sichuan

• Highlights: Letong Ancient Town·Thousand-House Tibetan Village (world's largest Tibetan settlement) with Renkang Ancient House and Tsangyang Gyatso Micro Museum. Litang Monastery (Kham's largest Gelug temple) houses rare Buddhist scriptures. Don't miss alpine meadows at Kazila Mountain and unique formations at Rabbit Ear Mountain.

• Food Recs: Tsangyang Tibetan Restaurant's butter tea + tsampa set, yak milk latte at Plateau Coffee, and roadside fresh qingke barley pancakes.

• Stay Recs: Luxury – Litang Yalong Hotel; Mid-range – Litang Lajia·Fuji Hotel/Cordyceps Hotel; Unique stays – Kangling·Kaniong Homestay or Cloud Zen Tibetan-style Homestay.

• Note: At 4,014m altitude, avoid strenuous activity. Pack down jackets for temperature swings. Respect local customs: don't step on thresholds or point at Buddha statues.

Gansu

• Top Sites: Dunhuang's Singing Sand Dunes & Crescent Lake (camel rides available), Mogao Caves' millennium-old murals. Zhangye's Rainbow Mountains' colorful hills, Pingshanhu Grand Canyon for hiking. Jiayuguan Fort (Ming Great Wall's western end). Gansu Provincial Museum showcases Silk Road culture.

• Itinerary: Day 1 – Lanzhou (Gansu Museum, Yellow River Mother Statue, Zhongshan Bridge). Day 2 – Chartered to Zhangye (Pingshanhu Canyon & Rainbow Mountains). Day 3 – Dunhuang (Mogao Caves AM, Singing Sand Dunes PM). Day 4 – Yang Pass, Jade Gate Pass, Yardang Geological Park. Day 5 – Return.

• Stay Recs: Lanzhou – near Xiguan; Dunhuang – near Night Market; Zhangye – near Rainbow Mountains.

Shunde, Guangdong

• Tour Routes:
1) "Fragrant Shunde·Gourmet Paradise" – Shunfeng Mountain Park, Happy Coast PLUS, Fisherman's Wharf, Fengjian Water Town.
2) "Wonderful Summer·Cultural Heritage" – Changelong Tourism Resort, Mingshi Garden.
3) "Lingnan Charm·Leisurely Shunde" – Bijiang Golden Tower, Lingnan Harmony Garden.
4) "Water Town Rhythms·Kung Fu Journey" – Fengjian Water Town, Bruce Lee Paradise.
5) "Art Exploration·Trendy Fun" – He Art Museum, Chencun Flower World.

• Food Recs: Daliang rice congee, Huanglian Datouhua roast goose, Sister Huan's Lunjiao cakes, plus Cantonese dim sum at Shunde Fishing Village or Shunfeng Shan Zhuang.

• Stay Recs: Route-based options like Sudi Bieyuan Homestay, Changelong Resort Hotel, or Sofitel Fosun Louvre Hotel.