How to Explore Around Chongqing During National Day? A Stunning 3-Day, 2-Night Youyang Itinerary Recommended [Photos & Videos]

Before the holiday even arrives, my heart has already wandered far, eagerly counting down the days.

The long-awaited National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival 8-day holiday is finally coming!

But! In popular cities and internet-famous check-in spots, the holiday will surely be “packed beyond packed.” It’s hard to tell whether you’re taking in the scenery or just counting heads.

So, have you made your holiday travel plans yet? If you're coming to Chongqing this National Day, check out this stunning Youyang 3-day, 2-night itinerary!

Youyang Tujia & Miao Autonomous County

Main attractions: Taohuayuan (Peach Blossom Land), Dieshihuagu (Folded Stone Flower Valley), Youzhou Ancient Town, Gongtan Ancient Town, Wujiang Gallery

Day 1: Morning – depart from Chongqing city center; Afternoon – Dieshihuagu; Evening – Youzhou Ancient Town; Overnight – Qing’ai Homestay

Day 2: Morning – Taohuayuan; Afternoon – Gongtan Ancient Town; Overnight – Gongtan Renyi Hotel

Day 3: Morning – Wujiang Gallery; Afternoon – return to Chongqing

Located in the southeast of Chongqing, deep in the Wuling Mountain area, it is a crucial gateway from Chongqing to Hubei, Hunan, and Guizhou. Known as the “Gateway to Southeast Chongqing and the Throat of Hunan-Guizhou,” Youyang County borders Longshan County of Hunan Province to the east, Xiushan County and Songtao and Yinjiang counties of Guizhou Province to the south, faces Yanhe County of Guizhou across the river to the west, and connects to Pengshui County to the northwest, Qianjiang County and Xianfeng and Laifeng counties of Hubei Province to the north.

Remember the super popular ‘pink muhly grass’ from last year? This year’s ‘pink storm’ is back! The sea of flowers in Dieshihuagu Scenic Area, Banxi Town, Youyang is now just beginning to blush and show its full splendor.

Passing through China’s largest stacked-stone art gate, you’ll see Cambrian marine fossils everywhere in the scenic area. In autumn and winter, the hillsides are covered with pink muhly grass, awakening your inner romantic.

The area seamlessly combines sightseeing and interactive experiences, including the Twelve Month God Pillars Stone Formation, the Stacked Stone Magic Pit, the Zip Line Canyon Area, the Three Emperors Platform, the Shaman Ritual Altar Ruins, the Twenty-Four Theatrical Gods, and the Bonfire Terrace.

When a gentle breeze blows, the pink muhly ripples like waves. A single stalk may not be eye-catching, but when they bloom in masses, they become an ocean of pink, sometimes gilded with gold by the sun.

Strolling among the waist-high muhly grass, you’ll feel as if you’re floating in a pink cloud sea. Every casual snapshot radiates romance. The pink muhly grass, like a beauty’s tresses, lazily spreads across the ground. From afar, the pink sea swaying in the wind resembles enchanted cotton candy, transporting you to a dreamy fairy-tale world, adding warmth and romance to the bleak autumn.

As the sun sets behind the mountains, the muhly grass, bathed in the afterglow, appears delicate and graceful, like mist or rosy clouds, hazy and dreamlike. Wandering through the flower-field paths, every breath is filled with nature; the picturesque scenery is intoxicating.

Now, the pink muhly grass in the Flower Dance World is entering its peak bloom, mist-like and radiant, stunningly beautiful. With beauty like this, won’t you come and see it for yourself?

Friends who love pink flower seas, hurry up and visit! Don’t forget to strike a pose and snap some gorgeous photos—they’ll be your secret weapon on social media, instantly outshining any internet celebrity!

A gentle reminder: The blossoms are endless, and so is the romance. When you’re enjoying the view, please appreciate it respectfully—no trampling or picking flowers. Let’s protect this beautiful scenery together!

[Art Village] The Dieshihuagu and the Rural Art Village are accessed with a single ticket; they’re connected, with shuttle carts available for 3 yuan per person.

Over seven months, artists collaborated with local villagers, folk artisans, and intangible cultural heritage inheritors to create 17 art pieces here in Youyang, adapted to local conditions. Each work is a fusion of rural authenticity and modern creativity.

Youzhou Ancient Town is only a 30-minute drive from Dieshihuagu. After an overall upgrade, it will reopen for National Day, using the festive atmosphere of the two holidays to stage a three-dimensional street show in Youyang’s old town, turning every visitor into a participant and creating a ‘Night·Youzhou’ living space and cultural tourism district.

Led by gongs, drums, and ceremonial guards, visitors are guided to watch flash mob interactions along the streets.

The ancient town is divided into the southern and northern parts. The northern part mainly features high-end hotels, while the southern part is lined with inns, taverns, and shops. Here you can savor the ‘Taste of Youyang’ through various local delicacies. In the evening, step into a bar and soak up the ancient town’s unique atmosphere.

Pikachu and Moon Goddess parades, band performances, flash mob dances, roly-poly doll interactions, and more.

The Moon Goddess guides visitors to the ceremonial platform, where a large mooncake is shared to bestow blessings; after dividing the mooncake, the honor guard distributes it for tasting.

‘There are two Peach Blossom Lands: one in your heart, the other in Youyang, Chongqing.’ Because of this saying and because of Tao Yuanming’s ‘The Peach Blossom Spring,’ the Youyang Taohuayuan Scenic Area is a national forest park and a 5A-level attraction. Its highlights include a combination of karst geological wonders, Qin and Jin dynasty farming culture, Tujia folk culture, and natural ecological heritage, all encapsulating the most beautiful, pristine scenery.

‘During the Taiyuan era of the Jin Dynasty, a fisherman from Wuling was rowing along a stream, forgetting how far he had gone. Suddenly he came upon a forest of peach blossoms lining the banks for several hundred paces, with no other trees. The fragrant grass was lush and beautiful, and fallen petals covered the ground. The fisherman was amazed and continued forward, wanting to explore the forest to its end.’ This passage from ‘The Peach Blossom Spring’ by the great Jin dynasty poet Tao Yuanming is a must-memorize classic from middle school Chinese literature classes.

This place blends Peach Blossom Land culture, Ba culture, ethnic culture, Tusi (chieftain) culture, and idyllic scenery, presenting a serene, ancient-style pastoral haven.

‘On both sides of the narrow, long alley, smoke still rises from the old houses; in the season just after a drizzle, Mom and Dad once again walk down the old street together.’ Whenever I hear Li Ronghao’s song ‘Old Street,’ images of my hometown always come to mind. No matter when you’re living far away, no matter your profession or identity, everyone has childhood memories and a longing for their hometown.

‘Traditional Bamboo Weaving’ and ‘Ancient Rhythm Schoolroom’: visit a vintage-style private school and experience the traditional cultural inheritance of the Peach Blossom Land.

Gongtan Ancient Town on the Wujiang River is hailed as a ‘gem of ancient architectural art’ in Chongqing. It is the city’s No.1 historical and cultural town and a national 4A tourist attraction. Longtan Ancient Town is also a national historical and cultural town and a 4A scenic area, while Youshui River Ancient Town is a municipal-level historical town.

Gongtan Ancient Town sits at the confluence of the Wujiang and Apengjiang rivers, facing Yanhe County of Guizhou across the water. It is the starting point of Youyang’s ‘Thousand-Mile Wujiang, Hundred-Mile Gallery’ and is known as ‘the core scenic spot and shining pearl of the Wujiang Gallery.’

As the excitement of National Day meets the tranquility of Mid-Autumn, Gongtan Ancient Town’s beauty is reborn. Over the Wujiang River, a thin mist lifts, a small boat rocks gently on the emerald water, and two or three singers with guitars on the riverbank awaken sleeping notes... Gongtan is just like this—untainted by the mundane world, aspiring to be ‘an ordinary person who asks no questions.’

As a renowned historical and cultural town, Gongtan has been deeply imprinted by history. Even the old objects preserved in the town are astonishing. Unlike heavily commercialized towns, Gongtan retains the authentic flavor of an old street.

From the dock, climb the long, bluestone steps into the ancient town. Gazing at the wooden stilted buildings, one can’t help but sigh: a dream of Gongtan, where a thousand years of memories linger...

‘At this age, I no longer settle; some things simply can’t be forced’... Walking along Gongtan’s riverside plank road, through its lanes, or taking a boat on the river, the sounds of folk singers drift through every corner, as if musical notes are dancing in the air.

They seek musical inspiration in Gongtan, letting folk songs wander among the simple, rustic landscapes. Come here to meet these soulful singers; a simple folk ballad seems to tell the thousand-year-old stories of Gongtan.

As music meets the misty beauty of the Wujiang Gallery, the ancient streets, the array of shops, and the shimmering river... all are dotted with endless earthly charm. If you love photography, this is the moment to capture these cultural snapshots with your lens.

‘A dream of Gongtan, entranced for a thousand years.’ If you come to Gongtan Ancient Town and have the time, you must stay overnight. Under the moonlight, with lanterns lining the streets, Gongtan reveals a unique beauty—quieter and full of classical charm. At such times, the green Wujiang River falls into slumber, and the passing pedestrians become the stars of the night.

In the early morning, Gongtan Ancient Town is embraced by mountains and water, veiled in mist. There’s a vague sensation of the poetic, rainy charm of Jiangnan, as if stepping into a dream.

Standing by the tranquil Wujiang River, watching Gongtan, nestled in the deep mountains, slowly come alive, it’s like a serene ink painting unfolding before your eyes.

This is exactly what the renowned Chinese painting master Wu Guanzhong once described: ‘It’s a Tang-dynasty street, a Song-dynasty city, and the home of your grandparents!’

— Gongtan Ancient Town

Youyang Tujia & Miao Autonomous County

Main attractions: Taohuayuan (Peach Blossom Land), Dieshihuagu (Folded Stone Flower Valley), Youzhou Ancient Town, Gongtan Ancient Town, Wujiang Gallery

Admission:

Youyang Taohuayuan: 100 yuan/person

Dieshihuagu: 99 yuan/person (90 yuan/person if booked one day in advance)

Gongtan Ancient Town maintenance fee: 16 yuan

Gongtan Ancient Town Ran Family Courtyard: 10 yuan

Wujiang Gallery premium tour: 158 yuan

Accommodation:

Taohuayuan Scenic Area: Qing’ai Homestay

Gongtan Ancient Town: Gongtan Renyi Hotel

Getting there: Self-driving or chartering a car is recommended; it’s a 4-hour drive from Chongqing to Youyang.