Through the Youth of Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon, Be a Unfettered Wanderer on the Border | Roaming Tengchong and Mangshi, Encountering a Feast of Golden Ginkgo in a Full Garden of Autumn Colors

After being recommended for a long time, I finally went to Tengchong in late autumn to see the ginkgo leaves covering the city like golden armor.

Someone said that people come into the world for two things: to feel warmth and to experience the landscape. I think here, both warmth and the scenery can be yours.

So I traveled from afar to meet you.

DAY.1 Changsha - Mangshi: Due to flight delays, I lingered in Changsha for a few hours.

DAY.2 Mangshi: Enjoy life while you can, eat and drink to your heart's content.

DAY.3 Tengchong - Yunfeng Mountain - Ginkgo Village: Regretfully, the Volcano Park hot air balloon had an accident the day before, causing the park to close, so I changed plans to Yunfeng Mountain.

DAY.4 Ginkgo Village - Beihai Wetland - Heshun Ancient Town: The morning at Ginkgo Village is a great opportunity for photography.

DAY.5 Heshun Ancient Town - Lotus Hot Spring: Just spacing out in the ancient town is incredibly pleasant.

DAY.6 Rehai Big Boiling Pot - Return trip: One of Yunnan's Eighteen Oddities: eggs sold on a string.

Changsha was not originally on this trip, but due to the flight delay, plans always change. Although it was only eight or nine hours, I had to make the most of it to be fair to myself. After getting off the plane and rearranging the ticket, I went straight to Wuyi Square for food. I couldn’t miss checking out Changsha’s unique internet-famous milk tea, Sexy Tea, which has a shop every few steps, each with long lines. It refreshed my understanding—it felt like attending the Queen Mother's Peach Banquet. After eating my way through the entire Taiping Street, I took Line 2 straight to Orange Isle, but my Sexy Tea was empty before reaching the island. Orange Isle is rich in southern oranges and is also where Chairman Mao once 'pointed out the country.' The stirring words of 'Changsha·Qinyuan Spring' still echoed in my ears.

Arriving in Mangshi at over 1 AM, the Mangshi Hotel, said to be the only five-star hotel in the city, also has some 'historical feel.' The entrance has a China-Myanmar friendship tree personally planted by Premier Zhou Enlai. The hotel is well-located, with moderate distances to various places, and about 10 km from the airport, so it's recommendable for stays.

Waking up naturally, the sun was already blazing outside. Enjoying the warmth of over 20 degrees, I got lost in the sunny and beautiful scenes on the map.

Not far from the hotel is Tree-Wrapped Pagoda, a very magical natural landscape now turned into a parking lot. On the way to Lin's Meatballs, I came across a stall selling 'pounded chicken feet' (the pounding process is called 'chong'). I found it interesting and ordered a portion of pounded chicken feet with burnt skin and wild pepper—it tasted great, full of spices. Many recommended Lin's Meatballs signature trio: meatball rice noodles, rice cakes, and milk tea, all excellent. At the Best Food City, Meng Huan Old Lady's Paoluda and Luotie Small Rice Rolls were my favorites; Ganying Pickled Chicken Feet offers 11 flavors. For digestion after eating, a must-visit is the Meng Huan Golden Pagoda or Silver Pagoda (choose one). The Golden Pagoda is Asia's first hollow Buddha pagoda, with statues of Sakyamuni, Medicine Buddha, Guanyin, and Maitreya in the four directions, and various mythical beast guardians around. It's said that walking around the pagoda three times and then entering (please take off your shoes) brings complete merit. No noise or photography inside.

From Mangshi North Station to Tengchong, the bus ticket is 57 RMB per person, about 2.5 hours. Staying one night in Tengchong city, I found nothing interesting, so my friend and I found a BBQ spot on the pedestrian street for some skewers and drinks. My friend was very interested in insects, ordering grilled grasshoppers and bamboo worms, eating them with relish—high protein. I couldn't bring myself to eat them; I'm better off with meat—can't be happy without it ^_^. The food was quite heavy on spices and spicy (forgive me, I'm not great with spicy food). The BBQ itself had plenty of seasonings, plus dipping sauces. It was my first time eating this way, and it tasted very good.

While in Mangshi, I saw the news about the hot air balloon accident at Tengchong Volcano Geopark. I guessed the park would be closed, but still harbored a hope that the driver lady would take us to try our luck. I chose to charter a car for these two days; during peak season, a small car costs 260-300 RMB per day. After confirming the closure of Volcano Park and Heiyu River, I regretfully changed course to Yunfeng Mountain.

Peaks sharp as bamboo shoots, piercing the clouds. A sacred mountain for wishes; sincerity brings results. Yunfeng Mountain is a famous Quanzhen Taoist mountain in western Yunnan. At the summit is a Taoist temple built in the 7th year of Chongzhen (1634). The mountainside is often shrouded in clouds, giving the distant view of a 'celestial palace.' The view from the top is magnificent, making the heart flutter and giving a feeling of floating like an immortal. You can hike the entire way up, or take the cable car to the Queen Mother's Palace, then climb the last section said to be 689 stone steps to the top. The most treacherous part is the Yunfeng Three-Fold Ladder, steps carved by hand along the rock cliffs, almost vertical, requiring both hands and feet to climb. On both sides are cliffs—thrilling, rivaling the danger of Huashan.

Arriving at Ginkgo Village at dusk, it was just the right time—the world was golden. 'Village in the forest, forest in the village.' Yellow leaves swirled in front of and behind houses, a visual feast. The village has over 3,000 ancient ginkgo trees. The movie 'Wu Xia' and the variety show 'Go Fighting' were filmed here. Upon entering the village, I unexpectedly saw my childhood goddess Chen Farong live-streaming. At sunset in Ginkgo Village, under the ancient trees, I picked a leaf, brewed tea, and basked in the uncrowded sunset glow. I just wished time would slow down... nothing else.

Ticket: 15 RMB/person, sightseeing car 10 RMB/person (not recommended, a bit of a rip-off).

Accommodation: Ginkgo Village offers farm stays; peak season is tight and prices higher. Photography enthusiasts should stay one night.

Food recommendation: Ginkgo chicken stew.

The morning in Ginkgo Village has perfect light. Surrounded by mountains in a valley, morning mist often appears, so light effects like God rays are common. Recommended shooting time: 8-10 AM, before too many tourists arrive. Almost every household’s yard has ginkgo trees; if the door is open, you can visit and take photos. The ginkgo square at the village entrance is too crowded; the locals' yards are more worth shooting. Also, there are said to be two viewing platforms overlooking the whole village, but I couldn't find them; luckily, I had a drone.

Actually, life is bright, everything is lovely, and the world is worth it!

Beihai Wetland is a place where 'the setting sun and the coots rise together, autumn waters merge with the endless sky.' It's Yunnan's only national wetland reserve, a high-altitude volcanic barrier lake. Strolling through, the clear lake and azure sky are intoxicating. Beihai Wetland's biggest feature: floating grass mats. Water plants intertwine densely, new grass grows on decaying old grass roots, repeating day after day, forming these floating meadows like tiny grasslands on water.

Ticket: 55 RMB (now half price), ticket + boat 80, ticket + bamboo raft 100, ticket + grass mat 120.

Spent the night at Heshun Ancient Town, discovered the inn's rooftop terrace is a great place for photos and daydreaming.

Heshun Ancient Town was once a major caravan town, a must-pass on the Southwest Silk Road, and a famous hometown of overseas Chinese. Ancestral halls and archways from the Ming and Qing dynasties dot the town. Here, you can appreciate the charm of Hui-style architecture with white walls and black tiles, enjoy the scene of small bridges and flowing water, and stroll in peace and contentment. Although most domestic ancient towns are similar, Heshun has its own appeal—like the morning market with a human touch, the less commercialized streets, and its overall environment and layout.

In the morning, I missed the shuttle to Lotus Hot Spring. At a small stall opposite the ancient town bus station, I had a rice roll, which was delicious, and I kept thinking about it for days. Before exploring the ancient town, I had to try the local orthodox breakfast: thin bean jelly rice cake. Other local foods and snacks worth trying include pine flower cake, Dajiaojia (a stir-fry), Heshun brain, copper pot beef, rice rolls, and clay pot hotpot. After eating and wandering, basking in the sun with fruit on the inn's rooftop terrace was pure bliss. The warm afternoon sun soaked through my body; I wished time would stand still.

In Tengchong, you must enjoy the hot springs from volcanic geothermal activity. The three most famous are Yue Chun, Bo Lian, and Lotus. I chose Lotus because it's a genuine forest hot spring, with 90% tropical plant coverage. But personally, compared to Fuzhou's hot springs, whether in size, pools, or environment, it falls short and costs more. Shuttle from Heshun Ancient Town to Lotus Hot Spring: 10:00 and 14:40 daily. Return trips: 12:30, 17:30, 19:30. Ticket bought from the innkeeper: about 180 RMB/person including a buffet (all home-style dishes, no fancy stuff, just filling). Sleeping in the dry sauna room at the hot spring was so comfortable. There, I met many people and heard many stories. One guy who went to Antarctica got stuck in the US for half a year due to COVID when returning. A Beijing uncle who had been to Tengchong eight times told us how he made money in Xishuangbanna back then... I think that's the meaning of travel.

As night fell, Heshun Ancient Town wasn't too crowded. I found a bar to sit in, listened to folk songs, and found a home for my soul.

Rehai Scenic Area is a rare location of volcanic geothermal hot springs in China, filled with steam and sulfur smells. There are over 80 gas and hot spring groups, with 10 reaching over 90°C. The topmost 'Rehai Big Boiling Pot' has water temperatures around 96°C. Standing there felt like being in a fairyland. You can see one of Yunnan's Eighteen Oddities: 'eggs sold on a string.' Buy eggs at the entrance for 5 RMB a string, inside for 10 RMB. The eggs boiled in the Big Boiling Pot tasted pretty good. There's also foot soaking at 40 RMB per person.

Rehai Scenic Area ticket: half price now, 25 RMB each; battery car: 15 RMB per person (double-decker).

Travel diary index:

1. Travel is an escape from ordinary life.

2. Route: Fuzhou - Changsha (transit) - Mangshi - Tengchong - Fuzhou

3. Orange Isle: Paying respects to the leader.

4. Wandering on the border.

5. Crossing mountains to see all the scenery, selling sunset to collect the world's gentleness.

6. Seasons change names, but the scenery remains.

7. Without worries on the mind, every day is good.

8. Far away, keep moving. Mountains and rivers, all the way, good luck.

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