(Ecns.cn)—There are certain places, not famous ones, but minor paradises nevertheless that native Chinese dream of visiting, if not for the poetic landscapes, for the 'healing magic' they work on their visitors.
Blessed by Mother Nature with splendid mountains and foothills nourished by rivers and lakes, these places can be ideal holiday destinations. Some of them enjoy a great reputation for their tea culture while others are renowned as Zen retreats, but all are good for a long stretch of peace in which to meditate, relax, and heal from the depression brought on by your daily grind.
1. Shennongjia Forest Reserve, Hubei Province
No place else in China conjures up more unsolved mysteries than the Shennongjia Forest Reserve, linked as it is with tales of a Chinese Bigfoot. The existence of the wild man seems far from impossible as soon as you find yourself strolling among this stronghold of prehistoric plant life.
Hidden away 200km north of Yichang in Hubei's far west, Shennongjia Forest Reserve is wrapped around a cluster of mountains that include the 3053- metre-high Da Shennongjia, the tallest peak in central China.
Botanically, this is one of the country's richest repositories, famed for its flora ever since the legendary Taoist immortal Xia king Shennong scoured its heights for herbs. He is credited with introducing mankind to farming, medicine, and tea. More recently, the botanist Ernest Wilson found several new species here in the early twentieth century, which went to grace London's Kew Gardens.
The visitor has a good chance of seeing the rare and endangered golden monkeys that call this mountain sanctuary home. Shennongjia may be on few tourist agendas but the spontaneous will find it easy to reach from Yichang, and three days is enough for a quick return trip. Chinese maps highlight Shennongjia town (known locally as Songbai) at its core.
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2. Mt. Wuyi, Fujian Province
Located in a county-level city with the same name, Wuyi Moutain is in the municipality of Nanping, Fujian province. A national park sits atop the mountain.
This is a place full of sunshine, gentle rainfalls and warm weather even in winter time, a climate that attracts quite a few elderly tourists from all over the country. Among the renowned Wuyi Moutain attractions are the Nine Crooked Creek, the Qinglong Waterfall that's been crowned No.1 Waterfall in East China, and the One Line Sky, a magic cave that offers a horizontal view of the skyline no one should miss.
This is also the place to drink Da Hong Pao and Wuyi green tea, two kinds of leaf deemed soothing to the nerves.
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Wuyi Mountain 3 Days Tour from US$265
