Things to do in Huangmei

This is a tourist attraction I visit every time I travel. It was my first time here, and it was full of surprises. The place isn't very big, but it's still a good place to bring kids to play. The drone fireworks show at night was beautiful, and releasing sky lanterns was a very ceremonial experience.

You need to drive yourself, the road up the mountain is very beautiful. The buildings in the temple are reconstructions from the Ming and Qing Dynasties to modern times. Some ancient trees and ancient towers are more than a thousand years old. The contemporary buildings next to it are also worth stopping. The ancient mountain road behind the temple can be reached at the half-mountain pavilion. The building on the top of the mountain is in an unfinished state. Parking is free, the scenic area is free, and there are not many tourists.

Located in Dahe Town, Huangmei County, it is the dojo of the fourth patriarch of Zen Buddhism, Master Daoxin. It covers a large area. Except for the surrounding Vimalakirti Pagoda and Lingrun Bridge, which are old buildings, most of the others are newly built. There are not many pilgrims. It does not seem like a place to burn incense and worship Buddha, but more like a pure academy for practice. Buddhist summer camps have been held many times before, but they have been suspended in recent years due to the epidemic. However, there are still many lay Buddhists who live and practice here for a long time. The whole temple is spacious and grand, with a strong academic atmosphere.

Yuanfu Rice Fields is excellent; this is my third visit. The guesthouse and park environment are both very nice. The food at the train restaurant is very affordable and tastes great. There are many activities for children, such as soap making, nighttime field exploration to catch small frogs, and grinding rice to make rice cakes.

Perhaps it's because you can't see anything on a rainy day, so I don't dare to say much about the scenery. You can usually see colorful birds in this season, but there's nothing happening now. However, I feel that the scenic area's management is still a bit lacking.

Xunyang River Scenic Area, located in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, is a scenic spot where history and nature blend seamlessly. Upon entering the scenic area, the first thing that catches the eye is the Pipa Pavilion, famous for Bai Juyi's poem "The Song of the Pipa," as if one can hear the pipa's sound echoing through time. Strolling along the riverbank, the majestic Suojiang Tower and Suojiang Pagoda stand tall in the distance, having withstood centuries of wind and rain. Xunyang Tower, with its simple yet elegant architectural style, particularly captivated me. Climbing the tower, I gazed upon the shimmering Yangtze River, where water and sky merged seamlessly. I also took a cruise on the Xunyang River, gliding across the water and experiencing the idyllic feeling of "a boat sailing on emerald waves, a person traveling in a painting." This trip to Xunyang River Scenic Area left me captivated by its profound cultural heritage and beautiful natural scenery, making me reluctant to leave.

This is a place with a story. We visited to learn about its history and to teach the children. There was a Sichuan opera face-changing performance, but I don't know why Jiujiang would include it. Then there was a brief explanation of the origin of Song Jiang's rebellious poem. The last part was what I found most distasteful: a former calligrapher wrote some calligraphy. He kept saying it wasn't for sale, only for the audience member who cheered the loudest. I immediately recognized the sales tactic. What I disliked was that during the May Day holiday, people from all over brought their children to visit. The children were innocent and focused, listening intently and looking forward to it. When you tell them it's a scam, it's negative, and they won't leave until the end. In the end, it was obvious they wouldn't give it away for free; they charged 200 yuan for the writing. In other words, the calligraphy was written and given away for free; the artwork wasn't actually framed, just a simple scroll with the writing on it. They charged 200 yuan to the viewers. Finally, the children realized it was a scam, learned a lesson about society, and left unhappy. This part was definitely a mistake in this old historical building. Society has developed; even selling calligraphy and paintings using this tactic is outdated. If they had just added more creative souvenirs, fridge magnets, and ice cream, the price would probably have been higher than this, even with more tourists.

If I had to climb one mountain in my lifetime, it would have to be Huangshan. The entire hike up and down took eight hours. Although the weather was uncooperative, with fog covering the entire day, I still felt the unique beauty of Huangshan. It was tiring but joyful, and I look forward to seeing it again.

Start around 4 pm and stayed in the small town about 5 mins drive away from entrance. Wander around and wait till around 6.30pm where the lights start to lit up. Unreal! The night view is absolutely the main event - daytime is just the warm up.

The autumn harvest celebrations were truly spectacular, and the local activities were plentiful. Aside from the crowds, everything was perfect – delicious food, wonderful drinks, beautiful sights, and a great time. I stayed on the mountain for two days, experiencing the post-rain mist and the ancient houses under a clear sky; each was breathtaking.