Lishui locals are so tight-lipped about such beautiful places, they don’t even mention them for free

Parents’ favorite Lishui travel guide | Southern Zhejiang secret realm tour: poetic landscapes and ancient village life** --- ### **📍 Lishui at a Glance** - **Geographical Tags**: "Zhejiang Green Valley," "China’s No.1 Ecological City" - **Core Experiences**: 🏞️ The last secret mountain-water landscape in East China 🏮 Millennia-old ancient villages, living fossils 🍵 China’s golden green tea production area - **Best Seasons**: April-May (terrace irrigation period) / September-November (autumn drying and farming customs season) --- ### **📸 Must-Visit Attractions** **【Natural Wonders】** 1. **Yunhe Terraces (4A)** - **Largest terrace group in East China**: sunrise sea of clouds reflected in mirror-like paddies (best viewing spot: Qixing Dun) - **Hidden activities**: experience She ethnic farming / stay in cloud-top homestays (recommended "Yunyi Courtyard") 2. **Xiandu Scenic Area (5A)** - **Filming location for "The Journey of Flower" and "Monk Comes Down the Mountain"**: Dinghu Peak + classic scene of Old Man Leading the Ox on Zhutan Mountain - **Photography tips**: misty season (June-August), stake out at 5 a.m. 3. **Nanjian Rock** - **East China’s "Little Zhangjiajie"**: thousand-meter vertical drop with sea of clouds and terraced fields - **Hiking recommendation**: 5 km loop trail (glass plank road + bamboo forest secret spot) **【Cultural Ancient Towns】** 4. **Songyang Ancient Village Cluster** - **The last secret in Jiangnan**: 📍 Yangjiatang Village (Golden Potala Palace) 📍 Chenjiapu Village (Pioneer Bookstore cliff branch) - **Experience**: learn to dry red yeast rice wine with old craftsmen 5. **Guyan Painting Village** - **Oujian sailing shadows**: oldest existing water overpass bridge (Tongji Weir) + Barbizon-style oil painting sketching base - **Must-do**: ride a traditional boat on Oujiang River / taste creek fish feast --- ### **🍜 Lishui on the Palate** - **Three mountain and wild flavor treasures**: 1️⃣ Jinyun baked flatbread (meigan cai and pork filling, look for "Jinyun Zhu’s") 2️⃣ Suichang long zongzi (1-meter-long rice dumpling, black rice filling is unique) 3️⃣ Yunhe creek snails (stir-fried with perilla, paired with local red yeast rice wine) - **Hidden menu**: 🍄 Qingyuan hundred mushroom feast (world’s origin of shiitake mushrooms) 🍶 Songyang salt-braised chicken (ancient method of roasting with coarse salt) --- ### **🚗 Route Planning** - **Classic 3-day tour**: **Day 1**: Xiandu Scenic Area → Heyang Ancient Residences **Day 2**: Yunhe Terraces → Baiyin Valley Scenic Area **Day 3**: Songyang Ancient Villages → Return trip - **In-depth 5-day tour**: add Nanjian Rock / Longquan celadon town / Qianxia Lake boat cruise --- ### **💡 Local Tips** - 🚌 Transportation: attractions are scattered, self-driving or charter recommended (Hangzhou high-speed rail 1.5h) - 🏡 Accommodation: - Choose sunrise-view homestays in terrace areas - In Songyang, stay in courtyards renovated from Ming and Qing dynasty old houses - 📷 Photography: - Best light for terraces: 1 hour after sunrise - Cultural village shots: evening cooking smoke time - 🧺 Souvenirs: Longquan celadon / Songyang Dragon Boat Festival tea / Qingyuan shiitake mushrooms --- **✨ The right way to experience Lishui** Touch the sky mirror in irrigated terraces Drink a bowl of Qingming tea under a thousand-year-old camphor tree Turn a corner and meet mottled light and shadow on yellow mud walls — This is the truest Jiangnan style