Reverse National Day Travel Guide: 3 Days from Xi'an to Explore the Misty Wonderland of Han River, Few People and Beautiful Scenery

National Day is crowded, so reverse travel is the way to go! ✨
A short 3-day self-driving trip from Xi'an along the Han River, checking off misty tea mountains, ink-wash ancient towns, and intangible cultural heritage cuisine. Few people, beautiful scenery, and stress relief~ (Even rainy days during National Day have their own hazy beauty 🌧️)

🌿 Day 1 Xi'an → Ziyang: First Encounter in the Fragrance of Tea
📍 Transportation: Avoid peak hours and get on the highway at 8 AM, 3.5 hours through the Qinling Tunnel Group
✨ Highlights:
- Must-eat Ziyang Steamed Pot Dish (Address: Various restaurants in Ziyang County) 🥘 Local chicken and lotus root slow-steamed for 6 hours, the soup is so fresh you'll want to lick the bowl. Be sure to order a large portion! Pair it with a bowl of local pickled vegetable rice for perfection!
- Selenium-rich tea souvenirs (Ziyang Tea City, 10:00-18:00)
- 🚡 Ziyang Square "One Yuan Cable Car" (Operating hours 9:00-17:00)
- ⛰️ Wenbi Mountain Park Ziyang Pavilion (Free, open all day) A 15-minute walk to the top offers a view of the Han River’s "S"-shaped big bend, the city in the mist looks like a vivid ink-wash painting 🌫️
Dinner recommendation: try a clay pot dish to warm your stomach, then rest well ♨️

💦 Day 2 Ziyang → Shiquan: Slow Time by the Han River
📍 Must-visit spots:
- Northern Five Provinces Guild Hall (North of Ziyang County, 8:30-17:00) The suspension bridge is definitely a photo hotspot! 📸
- 🍃 Half-Mu Tea Garden (Outskirts of Ziyang, free entry) Experience tea picking + tea tasting + farmhouse fun all in one place
- Shiquan Ancient City (Center of Shiquan County) At night it turns into a stone pot fish street 🐟 Listen to Han opera Erhuang, the ancient town’s lights create a magical atmosphere!

⛴️ Day 3 Shiquan → Xi'an: Return Trip Full of Memories
✨ Highlights:
- Houliu Water Town Boat Tour (50 RMB/person, 9:00-17:00) The green mountains and clear water on both sides are so healing 🚢
- Houliu Ancient Town (Free all day) Stroll the ancient streets for a strong sense of time travel 🏮
Depart at noon to return to Xi'an, and catch one last glimpse of the Qinling autumn colors, packing the elegance and deliciousness of southern Shaanxi into your suitcase~

💡 Helpful Tips:
1. The riverside road from Ziyang to Shiquan (National Highway 211) has many curves; driving slower lets you enjoy even more beautiful scenery 🌈
2. There really aren’t many people during National Day! Rainy days add a hazy charm ☔️
3. Mountain areas have a day-night temperature difference of over 10°C, bring a light jacket 🧥
4. Recommended accommodations: Ziyang Defuxiang Hotel / Shiquan Jinyuan Hotel, comfortable and clean in the 200-300 RMB price range

No need to squeeze into crowded scenic spots on weekends, it’s so comfortable! The "Little Jiangnan" charm of southern Shaanxi is unforgettable once you visit~ ✨