Autumn colors hide deep in Zhaoyuan’s mountains, with thousand-year-old ginkgo trees and golden leaves covering the sky

Shandong Yantai · Zhaoyuan City Autumn Viewing Guide When autumn colors dye the hills of the Jiaodong Peninsula, Zhaoyuan, a small city known as the "Golden City," quietly blooms with stunning autumn beauty. Here, there are no bustling crowds, only tranquil ancient temples, thousand-year-old ginkgo trees, layered colorful forests, and golden farmlands. Between mineral veins and wild mountains lies a neglected northern autumn secret. --- 📅 1. Best Time to View Autumn Late October to mid-November The peak ginkgo golden period is concentrated in early November, and the red leaf viewing season can last until mid to late November, with cool and pleasant weather. --- 🍂 2. Six Must-Visit Autumn Viewing Spots 1. Lingshan Temple | The Thousand-Year-Old Ginkgo "Golden Rain" Spectacle Zhaoyuan’s most stunning autumn landmark! Inside the temple stands a 1,200-year-old ancient ginkgo tree over 30 meters tall, with a canopy like an umbrella. In late autumn, the tree turns fully golden, with fallen leaves several inches thick, and sunlight filtering through creates a fairyland. In the early morning mist, monks sweep the leaves, full of Zen atmosphere. 📸 Must-shoot: panoramic view of the ancient tree, fallen leaves covering the ground, sunlight shining through leaves 🚗 Transportation: Take the urban-rural bus from downtown to "Lingshan Temple" stop, then a 10-minute walk 💡 Tips: Recommended to visit around November 5th, the peak leaf-fall period 2. Luoshan National Forest Park | Colorful Forest Secret Above the Gold Mine One of the three famous mountains in Jiaodong, not only a gold-producing area but also a natural autumn oxygen bar. Forest coverage exceeds 90%, with maples, oaks, and lindens weaving a colorful tapestry. Climb the main peak "Yunmoding" (759 meters above sea level) to overlook thousands of acres of autumn forest and distant gold mine ruins. 🍁 Highlights: autumn sea of clouds, stream stone steps, wild macaque habitat 🎫 Ticket: 50 RMB, more valuable with combined ticket including the Gold Expo Garden 🚘 Recommended to drive: navigate to "Luoshan Forest Park South Gate" 3. Gaojiazhuang Ancient Village | Stone Old Houses and Red Persimmon Walls A Qing Dynasty ancient village hidden in the mountains, with stone walls and gray tiles, and deep alleys. In autumn, every household dries corn and chili peppers at the door, red leaf vines climb the courtyard walls, and several old persimmon trees hang full of orange fruits, like lanterns lighting up the whole village. 🏡 Activities: sketching, photography, visiting intangible cultural heritage paper-cutting inheritors 📍 Location: Within Zhangxing Town, about 25 km from downtown 4. Jiaqishan Autumn Corridor | A Private Route for Driving Enthusiasts A winding country road through hills, lined with many torch trees and ginkgo trees, forming a 5-kilometer-long "Flame Corridor" in late autumn. Driving through it feels like entering a burning oil painting world. 🚗 Recommended mode: self-driving or cycling, with multiple viewing platforms along the way 📷 Photo spots: S-shaped bends + sunset backlight combination for best shots 5. Taijin Town Surrounding Farmlands | Harvest Autumn Scene of Rice Gathering Although themed as a "gold panning" scenic area, the real beauty in autumn is in the surrounding fields. When rice matures, the fields turn golden, farmers harvest and bundle the rice, straw stacks pile up on the ridges, and children run and play, full of rustic poetry. 🌾 Experience: participate in rice harvesting, making straw scarecrows, tasting fresh rice porridge 🎪 Side visit: Taijin Town live show "Golden Calamity" 6. Cangshan Lake Wetland Park | Autumn Song of Migratory Birds on the City Edge An ecological green lung within Zhaoyuan city, with reeds turning yellow in autumn, swaying like snowy waves in the wind. At dusk, flocks of egrets and wild ducks skim the lake surface, reflecting the sunset and the color-changing trees on the shore, peaceful and healing. 🚶‍♀️ Suitable for: walking, jogging, family birdwatching 🌆 Best time: half an hour before and after sunset, with stunning light and shadow --- 🍱 3. Zhaoyuan Autumn Limited Delicacies - Golden Silk Sweet Potato: local specialty sweet potato, roasted to pull silk and ooze oil, sweet and glutinous without residue - Puluo Leaf Cake: wrapped with autumn-harvested puluo leaves and steamed with red bean paste, uniquely fragrant - Mutton Soup with Huoshao: essential for autumn chill, recommended at "Old Zhou Mutton Soup Restaurant" - Apple Stewed Pork Knuckle: Zhaoyuan Fuji apples cooked in, sweet and sour to cut greasiness, homestyle delicious --- 📸 4. Photography Tips - Lingshan Temple: use a wide-angle lens to capture the whole ancient tree, low angles to catch falling leaves dancing - Gaojiazhuang: candid shots of elders drying autumn produce, contrast of red persimmons and stone walls - Jiaqishan: aerial shots of the entire Flame Corridor, or use telephoto to compress spatial sense - Luoshan: early morning mountain climb to shoot sea of clouds through the forest, rich light and shadow layers --- 🚗 5. Recommended Itinerary (2 days 1 night) Day 1: View ginkgo at Lingshan Temple → Lunch (farmhouse feast) → Gaojiazhuang Ancient Village → Overnight at Zhaoyuan city hot spring hotel Day 2: Climb Luoshan Forest Park → Visit Gold Expo Garden → Evening stroll at Cangshan Lake → Return trip --- This autumn, don’t just focus on popular spots. Come to Zhaoyuan, a mountain and water town nurtured by gold mines— See thousand-year-old ginkgo leaves fall before Buddha, hear mountain winds whisper through colorful forests, In a time with few people and beautiful scenery, collect your own quiet autumn light. 📌 Save this guide, set off while the leaves haven’t fallen yet!