Beautiful Water
Green Valley in Southern Zhejiang, Secret Land of Mountains and Waters | Full Guide to Lishui
Lishui, this treasure city hidden in southwest Zhejiang, is like an uncarved landscape painting, integrating strange peaks, beautiful water, ancient villages and terraces. Every inch of land exudes a unique charm.
A. Overview of the itinerary
Recommended number of days to visit: 4 - 5 days, so you can enjoy the essence of Lishui more fully without the schedule being too tight.
Day1: Arrive in Lishui-Guyan Painting Township
Morning: Running from all over to Lishui, taking a short rest to Guyan Painting Village. Tongji Weir, built in 505 AD, is a living fossil of ancient Chinese hydraulic engineering. Stroll along the ancient weir and feel the weight of history; shuttle through the old streets of Painting Village, with galleries on the street, and literary and artistic atmosphere.
Noon: Enjoy local specialties such as stream fish tofu soup at Painting Township Old Street, where tender stream fish is paired with smooth and tender tofu, and the soup is rich and delicious;
Afternoon: Find a riverside cafe or bed and breakfast to take a break, avoid the afternoon sun, wait for the sun to soften, visit the Barbizon Oil Painting Gallery, admire various styles of paintings, or rent a set of painting tools to paint the beautiful scenery in front of you.
Evening: Accompanied by the moonlight and river breeze, stay in Painting Village and sleep on the water. There are a variety of homestay options, including quaint wooden houses and modern inns full of design.
Day2: Clouds and Terraces - Silver Valley
Morning: Get up early and rush to Yunhe Rice Terraces, which is the largest terraced group in East China with different landscapes in all seasons. In the early morning, clouds and mist shrouded among the layered terraces, like a dream, like a fairyland descending on earth. Stroll along the field ridge, breathe in the fresh air, watch the sunlight gradually penetrate the clouds and sprinkle on the water, sparkling.
Noon: Dine at a farmhouse near the terraced scenic area, taste home-grown alpine vegetables, stir-fried seasonal vegetables with a natural sweetness;
Afternoon: Move to the White Silver Valley, a complex of ancient villages with stone houses, ancient roads, and ancient bridges scattered throughout, as if traveling back in time. Stroll around Yinguan Bridge and Hanggen Stone Village to learn about the history of ancient silver mining and feel the life wisdom of our ancestors.
Evening: Back at the B&B near the terraces, night falls, stars dot, fall asleep with the chirping of insects and birds, and enjoy the tranquility away from the hustle and bustle.
Day3: Nanjianyan - Suichang Gold Mine National Mine Park
Morning: Head to Nanjian Rock, which brings together a variety of landscapes such as sea of clouds, terraced fields, stone forests, sea of bamboo, and waterfalls, awarded the "International Photographic Creation Base" by UNESCO. Take the cable car to the top, overlooking the magnificent mountains and rivers. If you are lucky, you can hit the sea of clouds, as if you are on the shore of the sea.
Noon: Dining in the scenic area, taste dried asparagus barbecue, the bamboo forest around Nanjian Rock is lush, dried asparagus is of high quality, more delicious after absorbing the meat flavor;
Afternoon: Run to Suichang Gold Mine National Mine Park, change into miner's clothes, go deep into the underground mines, explore the remains of ancient gold mining, learn about the gold mining process, and try your hand at gold mining sand, experience the fun of gold mining, maybe you can take away a piece of "gold" joy.
Evening: Return to Suichang County Town accommodation, stroll the county town night market, taste various snacks, come a bowl of Suichang powder dried, refreshing strong road, served with special sauce, soothing the fatigue of the day.
Day4: Divine Dragon Valley - Return
Morning: Step into Shenlong Valley, which is extremely forested and a natural oxygen bar. Walking along the canyon, the stream is accompanied by gurgling water, and the waterfalls are flowing straight down.
Noon: Enjoy lunch at a restaurant near the scenic spot, recommended red-broiled stream snails, stream snails are plump, stir-fried with spices such as basil, fresh and flavorful, take a bite, lips and teeth leave fragrance;
Afternoon: End the trip and embark on the return journey with beautiful memories of Lishui. If you have enough time, you can also purchase some local specialties in Lishui city, such as Longquan celadon, Qingtian stone carvings, Qingyuan mushrooms and other souvenirs.
2. Transportation Guide
External transportation:
- Air: You can first arrive at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, then transfer to high-speed rail or bus to Lishui, Xiaoshan Airport to Lishui more buses, the journey about 3 - 4 hours;
- High-speed rail: Lishui high-speed rail station has abundant trains, surrounding cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou and other places have direct trains.
Internal Transportation:
- The scenic spots in Lishui are scattered. To Guyan Painting Village, Yunhe Terraces and other scenic spots, you can take urban and rural buses at Lishui East Station or West Station.
Third, food recommendations
Yuyun Roast Cake: Flour, fresh pork, dried plums as the main raw materials, charcoal grilled, crispy crust, juicy filling, fragrance overflowing, everywhere in the streets and alleys, is one of the most representative snacks of Lishui, eat hot taste best.
Longquan Mushroom Feast: Longquan is the land of mushrooms, so the mushroom feast cannot be missed. From stewed chicken with shiitake mushrooms, meatballs with shiitake mushrooms to shiitake mushrooms and green vegetables, the various methods allow you to appreciate the deliciousness of shiitake mushrooms in an all-round way, especially suitable for mushroom lovers.
Qingtian Rice Fish Love: Qingtian specialty farmhouse dish, the fish raised in the rice fields are cooked together with glutinous rice, vegetables, etc.
4. Accommodation guide
Guyan Painting Village: It is recommended to live in the old street or riverside of Painting Village, which is convenient to travel. You can see the river view when you push the window. You can feel the literary and artistic atmosphere of Painting Village at any time. The quiet time of early morning and night is even more charming.
Yunhe Terraces: Preferred B&Bs around the scenic area. Some B&Bs can watch the sunrise and sunset of the terraced fields. In the early morning, you can have a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery in your room and enjoy the relaxation of being awakened by nature.
Suichang County Town: A variety of accommodation options, hotels near the night market or commercial street are convenient for finding food and shopping in the evening, with relatively complete facilities, you can relax comfortably after a day.
Fifth, precautions
The weather in the mountains of Lishui is changeable. Remember to carry rain gear and warm clothes when traveling. Even in summer, the temperature difference between morning and evening is larger to prevent cold.
When visiting terraced fields and mountain scenic spots, wear comfortable sneakers to facilitate walking on the mountain roads. Some observation decks are on higher ground. Pay attention to safety and do not crowd.
When tasting local cuisine, if the intestines are sensitive, avoid eating too much raw and cold foods, mountainous ingredients are fresh but somewhat more pristine, so that the intestines gradually adapt.
Lishui is like a legacy pearl, with its mountains and rivers humanities quietly waiting for every traveler, prepare your bags to start this unforgettable trip to southern Zhejiang, I believe every scenery of Lishui will become an indelible memory in your heart.