In the Harvest Season, Seek the Poetic Life in Jiangsu’s Beautiful Countryside

2022-10-25

The fragrance of paddy foretells a year of plenty, and the countryside is flushed with infinite excitement. Recently, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, together with the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, unveiled the national rural tourist routes themed “Good Harvest” , six of which from Jiangsu were selected. In the harvest season, you can follow these routes, enjoy the colorful and bumper fields with the “charm of Jiangsu”, and appreciate the brand-new landscape of rural revitalization in the new era.

01 Pukou: A Trip to Golden Fields

The fragrance of golden osmanthus pervades alongside the Pearl Spring, Laoshan Mountain in autumn is covered with brilliant colors. The mid-autumn fete at night in Bulao Village renders a festive atmosphere. The ears of rice on the land of Yongning Town turn golden, and the sea of sunflowers in Zhangxu Village bloom to the full. Crabbing starts in the vast ponds in Xingdian Subdistrict, and the fourth Autumn Aquatic Harvest Festival is taking place in Shanhong Village. You may view the long-awaited stars at the Jiufeng Mountain Observatory and go food gathering at Wancheng Ecological Park to enjoy a bumper harvest in the countryside.

02 Xishan: A Trip of Autumn Fun

The land of Xishan takes on a golden look in autumn. Rice waves spread the joy of harvest, and the bustling Rice Field Cultural Festival kindles people’s passion for food. Colorful blooms in Wanxin Flower Field and Ehu Rose Garden, coupled with chrysanthemum morifolium in Shanlian Village, present a stunning landscape for Xishan. In addition, the fantastic light show and folklore festival attract the world’s attention.

03 Liyang: A Two-day Trip of Golden Hope

As you come across Liyang in autumn on the speeding wheels, you will be astonished by the shimmering lake and the verdant sequoia alongside, by the green bamboo sea and the beauty and elegance of Jiangnan water town and ancient streets. In the ancient Shenxijian Village, you can feel the rural atmosphere in the early autumn and experience the simplest life. In Yangjia Village, you can immerse yourself in the fruitful autumn harvest, and let the wind of rice fragrance take you back to the countryside of your childhood. In Guilin Village, you can savor the Liyang tea made from mountain spring and dream back to the late 1960s to 1970s. In Qingfeng Village, known as the “No.1 village in south Jiangsu”, you can enjoy a joyful journey by breathing the aroma of rice, and seeing the happy harvest from the bumper crop.

04 A Trip of Rural Legend

The route connects Yonglian Village in Suzhou, reputed as the most charming leisure village in China, with Changyinsha Eco-agricultural Tourism Zone, also a national AAA tourist attraction, and Fenghuang Town, a provincial-level historic site. Echoing the theme of “Great Harvest”, the tourist route is built into a popular Jiangnan-style rural tourism brand for its highlighted elements of “fashion” and “legend”.

05 A Trip of Idyllic River and Sea

On Liuxi Half Street, hometown of Zhang Qian who was the trailblazer of the Belt and Road in Han Dynasty, you can experience the traditional folk residences and the local culture nurtured by the Yangtze River and the Yellow Sea. In Yuantoujiao Tourist Resort where the Yangtze River, the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea meet, you can enjoy the Sanya-like Bihai Silver Sand, and the exotic Ocean Flower Island Springs Resort both developed by Evergrande Group as well as the golden beach of consolidated sand. In the thousand-year-old Lvsigang Town, you can feel its glamour, watch the fishing of seafood and satisfy your taste buds with the seafood you pick. In Zhongyang Puffer Farm, you can take a close look at the rare species of puffer fish, Chinese sturgeon, Chinese alligator and giant salamander and taste the delicious seafood in all seasons.

06 An Eco-trip to the Origin of South-North Water Transfer Project

Luyang Lake Wetland Park has become a popular tourist spot for its vast expanse of fir forests and duckweed on the lake. Visitors sail in a boat on Luyang Lake as if they have entered the world in the Wizard of Oz. At noon, you can enjoy a special farm banquet in Baitahe Ecological Resort and pick melons and fruit as many as you like in the planting base. In the afternoon, you can pay a visit to Jiangdu Key Water Conservancy Scenic Area, origin of the National South-North Water Diversion Project, to marvel at the magnificent water conservancy project, abundant natural vegetation and beautiful river scenery.