Complete Guide to Wuyuan Autumn Sun-Drying I’m waiting for you at Huangling

🌾 Wuyuan Autumn Travel Complete Guide 🍂 Why must you visit Wuyuan in autumn? - ✅ The world’s unique “sun-drying” culture: chili peppers, corn, pumpkins, and chrysanthemums cover the rooftops in a burst of color - ✅ Rich layers of autumn colors: golden rice fields + fiery red maple leaves + white walls and black tiles = a perfect blend of ink painting and oil painting - ✅ Photographer’s paradise: Shicheng morning mist, Changxi sunset, Huangling sun-drying terraces, every frame is wallpaper-worthy - ✅ Deep cultural heritage: millennia-old Huizhou ancient villages, ancestral halls, memorial arches, and horse-head walls tell history - ✅ Convenient transportation: high-speed rail direct to Wuyuan Station, easy shuttle from the county to scenic spots --- 🗓 Itinerary (4 days 3 nights · Photography + Slow Life Edition) Day 1: Arrive in Wuyuan | First encounter with Huizhou autumn colors 🚄 Transportation 1. ✅ High-speed rail is the most convenient - Major cities nationwide → Wuyuan Station (direct high-speed rail, within 2 hours from Shanghai/Hangzhou/Nanchang) - Take a taxi from the station to Huangling Scenic Area entrance (about 30 RMB, 20 minutes) 🚗 Or choose car rental/carpool to scenic spots (photography tour recommended) 🏨 Stay at a boutique mid-mountain guesthouse in Huangling ✅ Recommended: [Huangling·Sun-Drying Beautiful Stay] or [Tiyun Renjia] - Open the window to see the sun-drying, some rooms face the sun-drying workshop directly - Includes double breakfast, owner can provide photography guidance 💰 About 800 RMB/night × 3 nights = 2400 RMB (peak season price, book early for discounts) 🌆 Afternoon: Huangling Scenic Area (ticket + cable car 145 RMB) - Key highlights: - Sun-drying workshop: layers of chili peppers, corn, chrysanthemums, stunning aerial views - Tianjie Ancient Alley: 300 meters high ancient street connecting over 100 Huizhou-style old houses - Leixin Bridge: glass plank road suspended between two mountains, overlooking the valley’s autumn colors - Wuguitang, Fangpo Ancestral Hall: learn about Huizhou clan culture 📸 Photography tips: - 4–5 PM, slanting sunlight, best for sun-drying shots - Use telephoto lens to compress the scene and highlight color layers - Drone photography: observe no-fly zones in the scenic area 🍽 Dinner: Huizhou farmhouse feast at the guesthouse - Must-try: stuffed red carp, steamed pork with rice flour, fermented tofu, Qingming rice cakes - About 70 RMB per person 🌙 Evening: Night tour of Tianjie + star photography - Night lights illuminate the sun-drying, creating a unique charm - High spots for star trails and ancient village light shadows --- Day 2: Shicheng Morning Mist | Poetic encounter of maple leaves and cooking smoke 🚗 Depart early at 5:30 AM: Wuyuan → Shicheng (1.5-hour drive) - Recommend car rental (round trip 400 RMB) or join a photography tour (with guide) 🍁 Shicheng (ticket 60 RMB, includes all-access pass) - Certified by China Photographers Association as “China’s Most Beautiful Morning Mist Location” - Two ancient villages (Cheng Village, Dai Village) surrounded by over 200 century-old maple trees - Late autumn mornings with rising mist and curling cooking smoke, like an ink painting 📸 Best shooting time: 6:00–7:30 AM - Best spot: viewing platform on the hill opposite Cheng Village (arrive early to secure position) - Bring tripod, telephoto lens, and hand warmers (cold mornings) 🏡 Morning: stop by Changxi Village on the way back - Relatively off the beaten path, fewer tourists, pristine autumn scenery - Babbling creek, red leaf reflections, perfect for quiet hiking - Experience tea drinking and persimmon beating with villagers 🍽 Lunch: local home-cooked meal in Changxi Village - Recommended: stir-fried cured meat with bamboo shoots, wild mushroom soup, sweet potato cakes - About 50 RMB per person 🏨 Evening: change accommodation to old house guesthouse in Sikou Town/Yan Village (optional) - Recommended: [Houtang Manor] or [Mingxun Courtyard] - Ming and Qing dynasty Huizhou mansions renovated, deep courtyards, rich cultural atmosphere --- Day 3: Xiaoqi + Jiangling | Autumn symphony of royal chrysanthemums and rice waves 🚗 Morning: Xiaoqi Village (included in all-access pass) - Divided into “Upper Xiaoqi” and “Lower Xiaoqi,” the former is an ancient village, the latter tea gardens - Autumn highlights: - Royal chrysanthemums in full bloom (late October to early November), golden flower sea like a carpet - Ancient camphor tree clusters in the village, over a thousand years old - Huizhou memorial arches and horse-head walls complement each other 📸 Photography tips: low-angle shots of chrysanthemum fields with white walls and black tiles background 🌾 Afternoon: Jiangling Terraces (included in all-access pass) - One of China’s four major rapeseed flower areas, in autumn golden rice fields layer like a painting - Less crowded than spring, autumn is more tranquil - Climb the viewing platform to overlook the “earth fingerprint” 🏡 Experience: join villagers harvesting rice (reservation required) - Experience threshing and sun-drying rice, feel the beauty of farming 🍽 Dinner: return to Huangling or local guesthouse for dinner - Try chrysanthemum stewed chicken — a seasonal nourishing dish --- Day 4: Likeng + Return 🚗 Morning: Likeng Village (included in all-access pass) - Small bridges, flowing water, typical Jiangnan water town layout - No lotus in autumn, but white wall reflections remain charming - Take a small boat (40 RMB/person) for a slow waterway tour 🛍 Noon: shopping for souvenirs in Wuyuan County Town - Must-buy: - Wuyuan royal chrysanthemum (clears liver and brightens eyes, 80 RMB/can) - Stuffed red carp dried fish (vacuum packed, 60 RMB/bag) - Huimo Su, Wuyuan snowflake cake (traditional snacks) - Handmade oil-paper umbrellas or Huizhou brick carvings 🚄 Return: - Taxi to Wuyuan Station (about 30 RMB) - Take high-speed rail home, easy and comfortable --- 💰 Total Budget Breakdown (per person) | Item | Cost | |------|------| | Round-trip high-speed rail ticket (e.g., Shanghai↔Wuyuan) | About 400 RMB | | Accommodation (3 nights boutique guesthouse) | 800 × 3 = 2400 RMB | | Meals (7 main meals + snacks) | About 400 RMB | | Tickets: - Huangling 145 RMB (includes cable car) - Shicheng 60 RMB - All-access pass (includes Likeng, Jiangling, Xiaoqi, etc.) 180 RMB | 385 RMB | | Transportation (car rental + taxis) | 400 RMB | | Shopping/Extras | 300 RMB | | Total | About 3685 RMB | ✅ Keep within 3800 RMB, affordable even for photography enthusiasts! --- 📸 Blogger’s Secret Photo Spots | Location | Photography Tips | |------|----------| | Huangling Sun-Drying Platform | 4–5 PM, shoot against the light to capture color layers | | Shicheng Morning Mist | Arrive before 6 AM, use long exposure for motion effect | | Changxi Village Creekside | Low-angle shots of red leaf reflections | | Jiangling Viewing Platform | Wide-angle shots of terrace panorama | | Likeng Small Bridge | Symmetrical composition of white wall reflections | --- 🍽 Must-Try Food List (Safe bets) | Food | Specialty | Recommended Place | Price per Person | |------|------|--------|------| | Stuffed Red Carp | Wuyuan specialty, tender meat | Guesthouse/Farmhouse | 80 RMB | | Fermented Tofu | Huizhou famous dish, savory and rich | Huangling restaurants | 40 RMB | | Steamed Pork with Rice Flour | Wrapped in lotus leaf, fragrant and soft | Villagers’ home meals | 50 RMB | | Royal Chrysanthemum Tea | Golden and fragrant, good souvenir | Xiaoqi Village Tea Garden | Free tasting | | Qingming Rice Cake | Made with mugwort juice, sweet or savory | Early market stalls | 5 RMB each | --- 📩 Tips: - Best viewing period: sun-drying lasts until late November, maple leaves peak from late October to November 15 - Avoid peak crowds: skip National Day, after October 10 fewer people, better scenery and prices - Accommodation reminder: Huangling guesthouses are in high demand, book 10–15 days in advance - Clothing guide: 20°C daytime, 10°C at night, bring a windbreaker + light down jacket - Photography gear: wide-angle + telephoto + tripod + drone (observe no-fly zones) 💬