4.0Cuihua Mountain(141 reviews) - Feel the mountain king Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM Bodies of Water • Mountains • Parks • Waterfalls
This is a fabulous mountain hike for all ages. I took my two children - 7 and 10 years old with me and despite some whining in the end thy loved it. We climbed all the way from the bottom up to the lake where we had a picnic then we took a hike over to the rocks and walked through the caves. Both of these places were a hi-light of the trip as well as the incredible views. Really awesome four/five hour hike in amazing mountains. I totally recommend it to other travelers.See more..
4.5Xi'an Qujiangchi Site Park(113 reviews) - Lovely oasis in a big city Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 6:30 PM Bodies of Water • Parks
This is an enormous park that is right outside the grounds of the Great Goose Pagoda Temple. There are beautiful dancing fountains, lots of colorful statues and tableau commemorating famous Chinese operas, places to picnic to sit, separate areas of the park dedicated to opera, literature, etc., and lots of walking paths as well as beautiful plantings and flowers. You could easily spend hours here, meandering around the paths, taking in everything there is to see. Right at the beginning of the park is a group of outdoor vendors selling all sorts of typical touristic souvenirs. This park is a lovely place to visit if you come to the Great Goose Pagoda.See more..
4.0Red Stone Gorge(11 reviews) - Great history and pleasant walking Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Bodies of Water • Canyons
You don't know what to expect until you get there and walk through the gate tower. This place is really lovely and makes for a great afternoon stroll even on very cold days, as it gets the afternoon sun. The history behind the carvings is very interesting, though you probably need someone local to tell you all about them. Carvings and paintings are mostly gone after the cultural revolution madness, and the statues are replicas, but it still give you an impression of the effort and meaning of the place.See more..
4.0Ying Hu(9 reviews) - Great cruise in a nature. Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Bodies of Water
Despite it was really hot, we enjoyed it a lot. It was around 20km drive from to hotel to the tourist center. We bought tickets to the boat which took us to 3 different islands. One of the islands had a small "zoo" or a place with protected animals. Unfortunately this place is kind of ruined, like ppl do not take care of it anymore and many species that are advertised are not there anymore. This island was a bit dissapointing. Another island was more cultural with a beautiful pagoda and according to some information people can go to get married there and have a wedding ceremony. On the last island you can find a hotel and it is linked with some fun activities like fishing, riding a water scooter, etc. The whole trip was tiring tho, took around 3-3,5 hours including time on the boat and visiting the islands but it was worth it. Just I would recommend to visit this place maybe not on hot days and it may not be pleasant to some people.See more..
4.0Hanzhong Zibai Mountain(8 reviews) - Spectacular scenery - but the climb to the top is for the fit. Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Bodies of Water • Mountains
The main attraction is that you take a cable car to nearly the top of a mountain. The views while riding the cable car are spectacular. However once to the top cable car stop, there is quite a hike to the very top. I am obese and found the final climb to be very difficult. Although I did eventually reach the top after several rest breaks. This part of China is rural, mountainous, and unspoiled. I am glad I visited this attraction.See more..
3.5Shimen Reservoir Scenic Resort(6 reviews) - Most excellent, underrated scenic area. Extremely worth the price. Bodies of Water
This is an excellent scenic area that is under-rated. Though the lakeside path, is definitely not original, the modern reconstruction still demonstrates what an ancient military path would have looked like in this area. You get to appreciate the difficulty of moving an army in this terrain in China. There are a series of excellent mural paintings and statues near the entrance. I would recommend bringing a friend who can read Chinese and is well-versed in literature to explain these murals and statues-- these are classic Chinese stories and it is very exciting to see the effort in celebrating, preserving, and introducing these archetypal stories. 这是非常值得去的地方。门口的雕塑和壁画都是中国典故，十分有教育和爱国价值。不喜欢的人是没有文化教养。当然古栈道以不存在，但新修的使你能见道古人在此地型出兵的困难。风景十分漂亮。门票价钱十分值。一定推荐給朋友。See more..
4.0South Lake Park(4 reviews) - 风景不错 Wednesday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM Bodies of Water • Parks
Just give yourself time to stroll and take in the sights. Nice to see a green space as break for the booming city with all it's construction.See more..
3.0Heihe Nationak Forest Park(4 reviews) - foreigners beware, China doesn't want you Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM Bodies of Water • Parks • Forests Apart from the fact that there is trash (a lot!) anywhere tourists stop (and they stop anywhere) especially at the few attractions worth seeing (like the Ju Weng Tan waterfall), nothing has been done in this national park to make it pleasant to visit (no satisfactory signage, no well-planed rest area, only one very narrow road where driving can be a nightmare, no picknick area, but TRASH EVERYWHERE you stop! What is even WORSE is that I when I arrived at a guest house in a small village at the western edge of the park, 4 local "leaders" came to tell me that I was not allowed to stay because I was a foreigner (I'lm white, they would not even have noticed if I had been Korean or Japanese). For close to one hour, they insisted I had to go, but since they were not policemen and my papers/visa are valid, I didn't budge, and they gave up their threats only when I showed a picture where I appear with the Chinese president. Bunch of chickens! The minute you show that you are not afraid, THEY become afraid. I'm being constantly called "laowei" (foreigner), pointed at, laughed at, stared at as if I was a zoo animal, and more, but I cannot accept RACISM, and I will fight for my right to be where I want, the minute it's legal. I was already shocked a little while ago to have to show my ...passport to enter the Yading National Park (yes!!), but I cannot accept RACISM against anyone, including against myself, and I will DEFEND myself tooth and nails if I'm attacked.See more..
3.0Mengmen Mountain(2 reviews) Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM Bodies of Water • Mountains • Islands
4.5Li River(2 reviews) - The back of a Y20 note. Plus coromorant fisherman. Bodies of Water • Scenic Walking Areas
This section of the Li River is printed on the back of the Y20 bill.The sun setting between the mountains was beautiful. The cormorants are so used to people, getting close to the bird I was photographing was not an issue for the bird. Wide angle lens are not preferred for portrait work.See more..
5.0Fengxiang East Lake(1 review) - Lovely, Peaceful Lake Wednesday: 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM Bodies of Water
Visiting East Lake on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, I expected to encounter a lot of people; so, I was pleasantly surprised by the peaceful, quiet atmosphere of this beautiful place. There were quite a few visitors there, but the ambiance of the water and the ancient willows muted any excitement to breathing fresh air and soft conversation. This is a very small lake, easy to walk around in a short time - or easy to meander around if there is no hurry. Although it was a very warm day, the shade of the trees and the close vicinity of the water kept us comfortable. The weeping willow is my favorite tree. Two ancient willow trees that were planted here by famous historical figures remain in different parts of the park, and all the willows drape their fronds toward the water of the lake. I was very impressed and dearly wished I could paint the scene. Photos had to do.See more..
