Autumn in Xiangyang is a prose poem written in the Maillard color palette.

The entire city dons autumn attire ranging from latte brown and caramel to chestnut, warm and mellow. 🍂 In Gulongzhong, the ginkgo trees in the mountains filter mottled golden light, creating a warm and cool contrast with the ancient blue tiles. The leaves of the Chinese tallow tree in front of Sangu Hall gradually turn from green to red, like slowly roasted coffee beans, exuding the fragrance of wisdom. Here, visitors quietly line up, waiting just to capture the moment of autumn, yet no one shakes the branches to forcibly keep a season that does not belong to them.

🏯 Stepping into Tang City is like entering the prosperous Tang Dynasty soaked in caramel hues. You can take photos with friends in the Imperial Garden, enjoy tea and fragrance in Ximing Temple, or simply stroll around watching leaves and shadows chase and play. Trash bins are clearly categorized everywhere, and young people holding hot drinks will take a few extra steps to accurately dispose of empty cups in the "other waste" bin—these civilized behaviors of tourists make this autumnal tenderness last even longer.

🌳 The autumn colors of Xijia Pool are understated but withstand close appreciation. The pool water remains as green as ever, while the surrounding trees are layered with hues—the light brown of the phoenix tree, the deep red of the Chinese tallow, and the rusty color of the fir forest, reflected in the water like a spilled eyeshadow palette. Visitors tacitly maintain this tranquility; no one speaks loudly, and photography enthusiasts wait at the best vantage points but always leave passageways open so others can also enjoy this moment of beauty.

🖌️ Autumn at the Mi Gong Shrine is like a slowly yellowing calligraphy masterpiece. The century-old ginkgo in the courtyard sheds golden fan-shaped leaves, forming a painting together with the black tiles and white walls. Between the stone inscription corridors, light filters through the branches, casting mottled shadows on the stele inscribed by Mi Fu’s hand, as if time is leafing through an ancient book.

Autumn in Xiangyang is brief and precious, and this Maillard color palette scenery is at its best viewing period. The civilized behaviors in these subtle details—no picking flowers or branches, no littering, no loud noise—together with Xiangyang’s autumn colors create an even more splendid landscape.

Post by Diaz Stephanie Steph | Oct 24, 2025