The peach blossoms are now in full bloom like rosy clouds on Dongzhou Island of Hengyang City, Hunan Province, attracting many tourists and creating a romantic spring scene.

Dongzhou Island, located in the east of Hengyang City, is a beautiful island and known as “a peach flower island in Southern Hunan”. Every spring, peach blossoms on the island bloom, making it a major tourist attraction of the local areas.

Dongzhou Island has a long history of peach blossom planting, with a wide planting area, rich varieties and vibrant colors. When peach blossoms are in full bloom, a series of peach blossom cultural programs are held on the island, attracting many tourists.

Photos taken on August 19 show Tiantang Lake in Tianhu National Wetland Park, Changning City, Hengyang City after a rain.

In recent years, the city has made unremitting efforts to promote the construction of ecological civilization, protected natural resources, combined ecological protection with industrial development and rural revitalization, and effectively advanced economic construction and high-quality development of various undertakings.

The Mishui River Water Conservancy Scenic Area lies in the downstream of the Mishui River in Hengdong County, Hengyang City, Hunan Province. The Mishui River is as beautiful as the Lijiang River in Guilin City and people always call it Holy Water because the river flows through the mausoleum of Emperor Yan. With its limpid and unpolluted water, the river is in a good environment and its water grade is always above the grade II.

The Mishui River Water Conservancy Scenic Area is in reservoir areas, boasting picturesque lakes, hills, karst caves in great varieties and popular cultural scenery. For example, the rafting activity in the Mishui River starts from the upstream of the Ganxi River Dam, rowing up the river for 25 kilometers against the current to Caoshi Town. Along the river, we could visit more than 20 scenic spots, like Xiapu Water Market, Fishing Village in Tanjiangkou, Xiyan Cave and Lingshan Old Temple. The related legendary stories make these spots more mysterious and attractive to visitors.

In the hot summer, apart from air conditioners, finding a cool summer resort is also another ideal way to escape the scorching heat. Here are some summer resorts in Heng for you to seek coolness.

Mountain tour

Mount Heng

With a forest coverage rate of 90%, Mount Heng is shrouded in clouds and mist for about seven months throughout the year. The average temperature at the foot of the mountain is 25.8 degrees Celsius, and the average temperature at the mountaintop is 21.6 degrees Celsius.

Even in the scorching summer, the temperature halfway up the mountain remains between 17.5 and 27 degrees Celsius, making it a famous summer resort worldwide. 

Bamboo sea tour

Cai Lun Bamboo Sea

Cai Lun Bamboo Sea is located in Leiyang City, Hengyang City, with bamboo forest covering over 200 large and small mountains. It’s known as “a big bamboo sea” in Asia, with a bamboo forest area of 160,000 mu (about 10,667 hectares).

In addition, the scenic area also has Dahetan ancient street, a natural fountain, the world famous Shangbao crystal mine producing fluorite crystals, bamboo sea and stone forests of unique shapes and natural attractions.

  College entrance examination is entering the countdown stage when the students in the third grade in senior high are preparing for the exam most nervously. To ease the tight strain and nerves of the students, many parents get down to planning activities to get the students relaxed and the great pressure reduced. Travel to reduce stress is the first choice for students to relax themselves.

    Yumu Mount

  Yunmu mount is so-named for the wreathing mist shaped by the special geograph there. It is easy to form clouds and fog here because of the influence of topography. Yumu Mount is located to the southwest of Hengyang, east of which is connected with Huiyan Peak, one of the 72 peaks of Hengshan Mountain, south of which is connected with Shiniu Peak in Hengnan County. Yunmu Mount is the nearest, largest and best ecological place with beautiful mountains and rivers in Hengyang. Water is gurgling down Yumu Mount to form lakes. There are Yunmu Lake in the south, Sitangchong reservoir in the north, Jiulongchong reservoir in the west, Guolutang reservoir wrapping around the base of the mount, like mirrors reflecting the continuous mountains, which is really astounding and fascinating. It is a real good choice to drive there for relaxation and fresh air. It is convenient to have lunch in the farmhouse restaurant at the foot of Yunmu Mount. The delicious preserved fish and meat and meals in local wild game definitely let you want to wolf them down.

  Recommended places: Yunmu Mount, Jiuguan Bridge, Goulou Peak, Xijiang Drift, and Feitian Mount.

  Xijiang Drift

  Xijiang originates from Heaven Mount which is 1265 meters above sea level in Tashan Yao nationality village, Changning city. Its total length is 10 km. And the drop of it is up to 100 meters. There are 16 rapids and more than 20 sharp bends along the way where picturesque shores flush with flourish vegetation. You can listen to music of Yao, watch the local building in Yao village and enjoy folk performances of Yao nationality while drifting in a boat. The travelers can see Yao girls waving to travelers on board or ashore. There are custom parties in the evening. You can taste exquisite Yao cuisines after drift. You are definitely going to have a special and interesting experience there!
 
  

Feitian Mount

  Feitian Mount is situated in Suxian district of Chengzhou city. Feitian Mount has long enjoyed good reputation. The great geographic expert, Xu Xiake in Ming dynasty praised that no land here is without beauty and no mount here is without oddity. And it is engraved on the mount with" every inch of mount is beautiful". There are rolling hills, criss-crossing ravines and gullies, water and mountains, scattered yet well-proportioned village in scenic region.The delicate are wonderful workmanship excelling nature like having been crafted; The magnificent are roaring across the horizon with soaring aspirations. The picturesque scenery around Cui River can compete with Li River in Guilin which is a very well-known scenic spot in China. It enjoys the reputation of "Little Guilin". As a famous ancient poem said "DanXia landform cuts off green mountains in the distance, stones appear mysteriously" along the river. Drifting on the river, you can appreciate red peaks standing high along the mount, red stones, green water, grotesque rocks, secluded caves, green ancient trees, and vast bamboo sea. The travelers can have a great sightseeing experience in four seasons with green plant, can smell the flower fragrance in three seasons of all the year round. The fantastic Danxia landscape which is said that "Surrounding green mountains are like a screen" and "You can find spring in grass, trees, flowers even in light."

Jiuguan Bridge

  Jiuguan Bridge can catch your eye absolutely. It gives you not a shock, a surprise or a touch but a boundless delight. With a blowing breeze, a landscape painting with a unique visual impact crashes into your scenes, which makes you amazed that clear water and blue sky which is common around Hengyang can be so beautiful! Jiuguan Bridge now has been the preferred destination of Hengyang short-term leisure tourism. Jiuguan Bridge is named for Jiuguan Bridge reservoir hiding in a valley between Zhurong Peak of Hengshan Mountain and Goulou peak. Countless brooks like Jiulong Xia gather and form this large reservoir showing the harmony between artificial architecture and natural landscape. You can go boating, climbing mountains and get wet in Jiulongxia drift. Then you can have a real treat in the happy farmhouses at the foot of the mountain. There are various dishes such as fern, crucian, blood duck, snail and chicken, and nostoc commune.

Goulou peak

  Deep in the undulating mountains and immense forest, abundant forest resources have become unique advantage in forest tourism of Goulou Peak. Its annual average temperature is 17.9 degree centigrade and the vegetation-cover rate of the park reaches 95%. Entering the park, you can enjoy blowing breeze and cool air. In midsummer, you will definitely feel totally cool and comfortable after walking into the central mountains. So Goulou Peak is the best place to spend hot summer since ancient times.Sanmensi reservoir with vast expanse of mist-covered waters and green hills is an excellent place for leisure and entertainment such as rowing or fishing. No wonder predecessors left poems that Goulou peak is peerless among landscape in the world.

Cailun Bamboo Sea got its name from the celebrity born here--Cai Lun, the inventor of paper producing. The bamboo sea here once the original material source of ancient paper production. In the deep bamboo forest still reserves hundreds ancient family workshops of paper. Certainly, Cailun Bamboo Sea is also famous for the statue of Xu Xiake, a geographer in ancient China, and the record made in Shuijing Zhu (Commentary of Waterways Classic) by Li Daooyuan.

In addition to the cultural magnificence of the bamboo sea, it is also well known for the beautiful natural scenery there including the high mountains and the waters beside the mountain. Cailun Bamboo Sea is famous for the natural spring on the river sandbank called Top Spring Under Sky, which can spay 25.62 meter out. Because of the rich water resource, the air there contains more negative anion than other places.

The beauty of Cailun Bambo Sea lies in the various changes and special shapes of the bamboo forest. The wonder of this place also lies in the highest natural spring, the only Baojin Mine in the world and the fossil of ancient fish. Looking at these special products of nature, the tourists will always be surprised by the natural power. And also, we do not know how many secrets there are waiting for our exploration.

Routes to Cailun Bamboo Sea:
Hengyang City-Beijing-ZhuHai Expressway-Gong Ping Town-Huang Shi Town-Cailun Bamboo Sea
Hengyang City-107 State Road-Lei Yang-Zhao Shi-Simen Town-Huang Shi Town-Cailun Bamboo Sea
Hengyang City-107 State Road-Lei Yang- Gong Ping Town-Huang Shi Town-Cailun Bamboo Sea

Translated by Huang Mei.

The China Forest Park Landscape Resources Grade Evaluation Committee recently announced Hengnan Qishan Forest Park was rated as one of the national-level forest parks.

The participating experts said the park has a complete forest ecological system, abundant biodiversity, and good ecological functions. Located in the bordered areas of populous Hengyang, Qidong, and Hengnan counties, the park has a great potential to develop forest eco-tourism.

The park includes two parts of Qishan Mountain and Shiniu Peak. Its application for inclusion into the national forest park list was initiated in May 2017.

The park is endowed with rich plants and natural landscape. It is home to 1,034 vascular plant species and 186 vertebrates.

Fenghuang Valley in the park is known as the largest and best-persevered low-altitude pristine broad-leaved forest in south China. It boasts beautiful wetlands, gorgeous gorges, and time-honored Buddhism temples.

Yinshan Mountain is located in Jinlong village, Miaoqian Town, Changning, Hengyang City, Hunan Province. “Yinshan” is the first all over the country. The Chinese seal patterns of thousands of years are grinded on the rocks, integrating the cultural landscape with natural scenery. The first phase of the project has collected more than 570 seal patterns of different shapes, including ancient and modern celebrities’ seals, seals of famous aphorisms, pictorial seals, calligraphy and stone carvings, etc.