Zibo Hongye Shiyan, a year-round scenic mountain and countryside stroll

### 🌄 **1. Core Highlights: An In-Depth Experience Beyond Copy-Paste**
1. **Night Tour of the Ancient Village: A Dialogue Between Lights and Stars**
- **A Thousand Lanterns to Welcome the New Year**: After 17:00, a thousand lanterns light up the ancient village, with Qing stone slab paths complementing Ming and Qing dynasty stone houses. The best photo spot is the colorful glazed tile plank road viewpoint (requires walking uphill).
- **Limited Night Show**: During Spring Festival and summer holidays, the "Fantastic Liaozhai" night live performance (98 RMB) is open, combining water screen projection and acrobatics; tickets must be purchased in advance. On non-holiday nights, visitors can enjoy the ancient village light show for free.

2. **Less Crowded Hiking Trails to Avoid the Masses**
- **Wild Path Exploration**: From the back fork of "Shiyan Ancient Village," follow the creek upstream (not the main plank road), passing the abandoned quarry site → Lushen Spring → wild cherry forest, ending at "Dream Tower." The whole route takes 2 hours and may encounter small mountain waterfalls.
- **Morning Light Cloud Bridge**: Enter the park at 8:30 am, head straight to the Cloud Bridge (take sightseeing bus line 5 for 25 RMB). Capture stunning shots of the "Cloud Suspended Bridge" in the morning mist, which is more magical than in the afternoon light.

3. **Seasonal Exclusive Activities**
- **Spring (April-May)**: Yunshan Yuhua Garden features 50,000 tulips and celery-leaf peonies, with Dutch windmills and flower staircases to check in; wearing light-colored dresses makes for better photos.
- **Autumn (October-November)**: The best spot to view tens of thousands of native red leaves is the "Steel Grid Suspended Plank Road," offering aerial shots of the valley interwoven with red and yellow leaves; arrive before 10 am on weekdays to avoid crowds.
- **Winter (December-February)**: Spring Festival exclusive intangible cultural heritage parade! A hundred-person Yingge dance and dragon board parade (11:00/14:00), with opportunities to join the mass dance interaction.

---

### 🚶 **2. Itinerary Planning: 1-Day Highlights and 2-Day Leisure Plans**
**1-Day Fast Track** (for those with good stamina):
- **Morning**: East Visitor Center → Geography Museum (quick visit) → take line 5 bus uphill → Cloud Bridge → drift down the mountain (80 RMB, saves 1 hour walking) → lunch at Shiyan Ancient Village.
- **Afternoon**: Ancient Village → Colorful Glazed Tile Plank Road → Glass Platform → Mountain Cart (60 RMB, 1.4 km fast descent) → Time Tunnel → Dinner at Laoyanshen Food Street.

**2-Day Immersive Line** (ideal for families/leisure):
- **Day 1**: South Visitor Center → Aibao Farm (feed alpacas for 30 RMB) → make glass crafts at Yanshenli (reservation required) → overnight at ancient village guesthouse (Yuanshe Qingzhi Guesthouse, mountain view from the window).
- **Day 2**: Hike the wild cherry trail → Dream Tower panoramic view → Glass water slide (2020 meters rapid) → before returning, visit Yaojiayu to buy persimmon cakes (10 RMB/box).

---

### 🚗 **3. Transportation and Money-Saving Tips**
- **Free Shuttle Bus**: From Zibo Station/North Station, take bus line 1 to Boshan Bus Station, then transfer to the free scenic area shuttle bus (operates on holidays, call 0533-4983883 for details).
- **Parking Tips**: East Gate No.1 parking lot is 10 RMB/day; if full, park at "Wanjie Temporary Parking Area" for free and walk 500 meters to the South Gate.
- **Free Admission Opportunities**: Holders of "Qilu No.1" tourist train tickets (valid until June 30, 2025), medical staff ID, or ID cards for those over 70 enter free; student ID holders get half price.

---

### 🍢 **4. Hidden Food Map**
- **Must-Eat on Laoyanshen Street**: Boshan fried pork ("Cui Family Old Shop" is crispy but not greasy), oil powder porridge (sour and spicy, 3 RMB/bowl).
- **Lesser-Known Shops in the Ancient Village**: "Shuipiao Rice Noodles" (with pepper and pickled vegetables, 15 RMB), "Lemon Tea Slam" (made with wild honey, 8 RMB).
- **Bring Your Own Recommendation**: Food prices inside the scenic area are marked up by 30%; you can bring simple meals to picnic on the "Parent-Child Ranch" lawn and occasionally see free-range deer.

---

### 🛏️ **5. Accommodation Choices: Sleep Within the Scenery**
- **Inside the Scenic Area**:
- **Yuanshe Qingzhi**: Stone house renovation, average price 500+ RMB, includes breakfast and VIP parking.
- **God’s Private Camping Ground**: Tent + barbecue package 298 RMB/2 people, top choice for summer stargazing.
- **Cost-Effective Options Outside the Scenic Area**:
- **CLIFFHUB Lan Fang Hotel**: 2 km away, with pool and Boshan cuisine restaurant, starting at 400 RMB/night.

---

### ⚠️ **Avoid Pitfalls Guide**
- Rafting raincoats sold on-site cost 5 RMB each and are poor quality! It is recommended to bring your own.
- Sightseeing buses are single-trip fare (Line AB 10 RMB, Line 5 25 RMB). If planning multiple rides, buy the "All-Access Pass" for 60 RMB at the East Gate.
- The ancient village's "free Hanfu experience" requires a minimum 50 RMB purchase to take photos; bringing your own costume offers more freedom.

Following this guide unlocks 90% of the mountain and countryside charm missed by most tourists. Before departure, it is recommended to follow the WeChat public account "Zibo Bendi Bao" and reply with [Hongye] to get real-time show updates and special ticket offers.