Guokui Mountain Autumn Ode: The Smoke Tree Ignites the Northern Land

In late autumn, visiting Yabuli Guokui Mountain, one realizes that the "smoke tree" smoke tree (Huanglu) is the soul and base color of northern autumn scenery. When the wind carries the chill of frost across the ridges, the smoke trees cover the mountains in blazing red, painting the most magnificent autumn landscape across thousands of peaks and valleys. In early spring, seeing the smoke tree for the first time, its name "smoke tree" feels just right—the pale purple flower clusters hang from the branches like smoke or mist, lightly veiling the mountains and fields, adding a touch of hazy poetry to Guokui Mountain. In summer, it withdraws its sharpness, quietly dwelling in the forest with deep green leaves, storing energy for the whole season, patiently awaiting the call of autumn frost. Once deep autumn arrives, the smoke tree bursts into its most brilliant bloom. As temperatures cool, chlorophyll quietly fades, and anthocyanins spread wildly through the branches and leaves. The leaves gradually change from light red to rosy red and dark purple, like flames ignited by autumn frost, layer upon layer burning through the slopes and valleys of Guokui Mountain. Walking through the forest, the ground is carpeted with fallen leaves that rustle underfoot; looking up, the red leaves cover the sky, sunlight filtering through the branches gilding the fiery leaves with golden edges. Amid the interplay of light and shadow, even the air is tinged with a warm red hue. This magnificent scene shares the same origin as the crimson maples of Beijing's Xiangshan and the red leaf waves of Jinan's Red Leaf Valley—each an autumn masterpiece composed by the smoke tree's life. Climbing the wooden plank road to a high vantage point, the smoke trees stretch across the mountains, contrasting with the rugged red rocks. The reddish-brown cliffs support the blazing red leaves, creating a majestic scene of "red maples lining the path, red rocks reflecting the sky" under the clear autumn sky. When the wind passes through the treetops, the waves of leaves roll and rustle, whispering autumn's secrets, evoking the timeless charm of the verse: "Stopping my carriage, I love the maple forest at dusk; frost leaves are redder than February flowers." After a day of mountain trekking, as dusk deepens, one longs to find a warm place to settle the autumn mood. The Yabuli Warm Residence Villa quietly awaits in a mountain corner. Opening the door, the scent of natural wood and warmth embrace you. Outside the window, the silhouette of red leaves is bathed in the setting sun; inside, you can brew a pot of mountain tea and recount the day's scenes of colorful forests and leaves dancing in the wind. Holding the cup and gazing afar, the autumn mountains seem intoxicated, the villa's warm light blending with the mountain's red hues, perfectly embodying the comfort of "red leaves fill the courtyard steps, warm residence speaks of autumn leisure," adding a gentle and lasting warmth to this autumn encounter with the smoke tree.