The dwelling place of immortals! A dreamy 2-day, 1-night trip to Shangrao, Jiangxi, with your social circle flooding with likes!

🌈 Autumn colors are at their peak, the landscape is picturesque

September and October are the golden seasons to visit Shangrao! The air is crisp and cool, the temperature just right, and the mountains are painted with layers of colorful foliage, like a living painting. As an experienced travel blogger, I must tell you, Shangrao is definitely an underrated treasure destination, with scenery comparable to Huangshan but without the crowds!

✨ Trip Highlights

· A real-life fairy tale world: an ancient town hanging on a cliff, when the lights come on at night, it feels like stepping into a game scene
· Experience Huizhou-style ancient villages: admire the unique folk customs of Huangling’s autumn drying, and taste authentic Huizhou cuisine
· A gallery of mountains and waters: drift on a bamboo raft through picturesque landscapes, truly experiencing “the boat moves on the water, and the person travels within the painting”

🗓️ 2-day, 1-night essential itinerary

Day 1: Huizhou Ancient Charm · Mountain and Water Gallery

Morning: Head to Huangling in Wuyuan. This ancient village hanging on a cliff is a living fossil of Huizhou culture. For centuries, villagers have harmonized with the rugged terrain, creating a charming “autumn drying household” scene.

Noon: Taste authentic Huizhou cuisine in Huangling, recommended local snacks include steamed cakes, Qingming rice cakes, and gray juice cakes. Watching the making process is especially fun!

Afternoon: Take a bamboo raft at Moon Bay. This sandbar in the water is a paradise for photographers. Sitting on the bamboo raft, feel the poetic charm of the mountain and water gallery, and you can even try paddling yourself!

Evening: Head to Wangxian Valley, be sure to arrive around 3 PM to enjoy both the daytime mountain and water scenery and the nighttime light show!

Night: The night tour of Wangxian Valley is the highlight. Tens of thousands of star lights light up the cliff walls in sequence, the Moon Bridge transforms into the Milky Way Magpie Bridge, and wearing Hanfu makes every photo look like a scene from "Cang Lan Jue." It’s recommended to stay overnight in a guesthouse near the scenic area to deeply experience the immortal town’s night.

Day 2: Fairy World · Mountain and Water Wonders

Morning: Continue exploring Wangxian Valley. This gorge hidden in the heart of the Lingshan Mountains features a hundred-meter waterfall cascading from the cliff, with sunlight often refracting a full double rainbow 🌈 in the mist.

Noon: Taste Wangxian Valley’s specialty dishes—Dengzhan Guo (a local intangible cultural heritage food, rice skin wrapped with mountain delicacies), Wangxian winter melon (sweet and refreshing), and Hengfeng kudzu powder (chewy, smooth, and beautifying).

Afternoon: Head to Lingshan Scenic Area. This extraordinary mountain praised by Xin Qiji as “layers of peaks rushing west, thousands of horses turning, all mountains leaning east” features a rare circular granite peak forest landscape. The hiking trails are gentle, suitable for visitors of all ages.

Evening: End your pleasant journey, taking home full memories and beautiful photos!

💡 Helpful Tips

· The best time to visit Wangxian Valley is 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM, to enjoy both the fresh daytime scenery and the dreamy nighttime lights.
· If you want to stay in a cliffside guesthouse in Wangxian Valley, remember to book at least 2 weeks in advance during peak season!
· Shangrao’s attractions are quite spread out, so it’s recommended to hire a car or rent one for convenience.
· The weather cools down in September and October, bring a light jacket for the temperature difference in the mountains.
· Don’t forget sunscreen and mosquito repellent, as there are many mosquitoes in the mountains.

🍜 Must-Try Foods

Shangrao is not only a paradise of scenery but also a treasure trove of food! Besides the above, don’t miss: Yanshan hot rice noodles (ranked first in Jiangxi’s top ten favorite rice noodles), Yiyang braised pork with preserved vegetables (bright red, oily but not greasy), and Yugan braised softshell turtle (delicious and nutritious).

💰 Money-Saving Tips

Consider purchasing the “Jiangxi Cultural Tourism Card,” which costs 199 RMB and grants access to over 100 popular scenic spots in Jiangxi, including Huangling and Lingshan. Note that it may not be valid during peak season periods.

The beauty of Shangrao’s mountains and waters can only be captured one-tenth by photos. Only by standing on that land, breathing the bamboo-scented air, hearing the roar of waterfalls and the creak of waterwheels, can you truly understand what “harmony between heaven and man” means.

This world never lacks beauty, only the eyes to discover it and the courage to pursue it. This autumn, why not come to Shangrao and find your own fairyland! ✨