Canadian World Traveller / Summer 2016 Issue

10
Located in the southeast of China,
Jiangxi province spans the banks of the
Yangtze river in the north into hillier
areas in the south. For the world traveller,
this is a perfect place to visit in China, as
most foreigners in China visit other, better
known provinces. During our visit, this ‘road
less travelled’ offered us less of the crowds
that are found in the other popular Chinese
destinations.
Here we visited ancient villages, climbed
mountains, feasted on wonderful cuisine,
partook in tea ceremonies and witnessed the
once-a-year blooming of the very colorful
rapeseed flower fields.
Located to the northeast of Shangrao City,
Mount Sanqingshan was added to
UNESCO's World Heritage List on July 6th,
2008. Considered a “treasure of the world",
this would prove to be an amazing place to
visit on our first day.
The views from the top of the mountain are
breathtaking, but to experience them, the trip
up the mountain is long, but not overwhelming.
We had to take a gondola to get part of the
way up, a ride that provided lovely panoramic
views, and that was followed by hours of
climbing.
Even though the hiking was on paved steps
and paths, and was easy for just about anyone
to accomplish, the long walk made our
thighs burn with effort and pain. Luckily, we
had lunch at a wonderful restaurant. Here we
were treated to a spicy douchi (fermented
black beans) and tofu (beancurd) stir fry
which offered us a delicious and relaxing
break from the first trail we did, and gave us
energy for the second longer, though less
demanding, trail that afternoon.
All around was pure nature, a good thing
since China is so populated and land is so
over used. An amazing place and great
photo ops all round!
We spent an entire day exploring the Mount
San Qing Shan National Park. Marked by the
concentration of fantastically shaped pillars
and peaks - 48 granite peaks and 89 granite
pillars, many of which resemble human or
animal silhouettes – the magnificence of this
most unique park makes it a must visit for
any serious traveler!
The natural beauty of the almost 2 kilometerhigh
Mount Huaiyu is further enhanced by
the combination of granite features with the
vegetation and the particular meteorological
conditions which make for an ever-changing
and impressive landscape.
Famous as a cultural and ecological tourist
county, Wu Yuan County has several nicknames,
including “the Hometown of Books”,
“the Hometown of Tea”, and even “the most
picturesque village of China”! Many routes
are available for travellers to explore.
Eastward are some attractive and protected
ancient villages of the Ming and Qing
Dynasties placed among a lovely pastoral
landscape.
Covered with forests, the northern route features
Dazhang Mountain and the Wolong
Valley, scenic and tourist friendly. The valley
is home to over 4,000 different species and
also houses more than 150 highly endangered
giant pandas
The west route contains an ecologically protected
area and is one of the largest wild
mandarin duck habitats in the world. We had
great timing, as the rapeseed plants were in
full bloom and would prove to be another
highlight of this trip.
Endless fields of amazing yellow coloured
flowers, which, on a sunny day, were an
incredible site that made me want to sit there
all day and soak in the beauty. It was yet
another great photo back drop.
Right in the middle of this part of the province
was the small, ancient village of Yan, where
time stands still and the locals are warm and
welcoming. Picture-perfect, it offers visitors a
glimpse of rural china. We walked through
small alleyways and saw the locals going
about their day. Some were cleaning, others
preparing meals and enjoying the quiet life.
A moment of peace and tranquility for a busy
traveller!