Autumn in Jiangnan’s Secret Realm: Meeting the Landscape of a Masterpiece at Qili Yangfan

Probably no season is more worth traveling than now—crisp autumn weather, neither cold nor hot, so fine that every cloud on the horizon beckons, as if saying, ‘Come, splendid scenery awaits.’

I took a trip nearby to Jiande, located on the upper reaches of the Qiantang River. The Tang dynasty poet Meng Haoran’s timeless poem ‘Staying Overnight on the Jiande River’ has a famous line about Jiande: ‘Vast wilderness, sky low over trees; clear river, moon close to men.’

This is where the scenic Xin’an, Fuchun, and Lan rivers meet at the ‘Three Rivers’ confluence; there’s the 1,700-year-old ancient prefectural city of Yanzhou; the ‘Sandu Fishing Village’ nestled by mountains and water with unique local customs; the green-skinned, sweet and refreshing Sandu mandarins; and Qili Yangfan, known as the ‘Little Three Gorges.’ Yes, the renowned painting Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains was modeled on the scenery of Qili Yangfan, depicting the exquisite early autumn landscape along both banks of the Fuchun River. It brings the vast, rolling blue mountains and green waters to vivid life and is acclaimed as one of China’s top ten masterpieces handed down through the ages.

01 Qili Yangfan

The Qili Yangfan scenic area features picturesque green mountains and gorges along both banks, studded with numerous cultural relics. It’s characterized by ‘verdant mountains, lucid waters, a long history, and serene surroundings’ and represents the essence of the Fuchun River scenery. Together with the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River and the Li River in Guilin, it’s known as one of China’s three famous river-canyon scenic areas.

We boarded a cruise boat at Yaowu Wharf to tour Qili Yangfan. The boat looked like a private yacht, with a lounge on the first floor and an open deck on the second. The day was sunny and breezy, with fluffy clouds floating by; standing on the deck, you could admire the poetic mountain scenery on both banks.

It was a feast for the eyes and soothing to the soul—truly a case of ‘a boat gliding over emerald waves, a traveler wandering in a painting.’

The first stop where we disembarked was Zixu Ford. As the name suggests, it’s associated with the famous Chu state general Wu Zixu. Legend has it that when Wu Zixu was fleeing the persecution of King Ping of Chu, he passed by here. A ferryman not only helped him cross the river but, to avoid revealing his whereabouts to the pursuers, slit his own throat to prove his loyalty. Later generations named this spot ‘Zixu Ford’ in memory of the story and carved it on the cliff at the ford for veneration.

Nowadays, Zixu Ford is partly a children’s playground, with climbing nets, slides, and other facilities—a paradise for kids.

My kid Yuanbao and the other children rushed straight to the playground as soon as they got off the boat, climbing up and down, so happy they didn’t know what to do first.

Besides Japanese-style lanterns and Chinese fish decorations that make great backdrops for photos, the single-person cliffside swing and the double rope swing by the shore are popular Instagrammable attractions at Zixu Ford.

Being hoisted up high and then swinging out over the river is thrilling enough—less terrifying than a cliff swing, it adds a touch of leisurely charm while swaying above the water.

The second stop was Hulu Waterfall. You can take a vintage-style mini-train to the scenic area’s restaurant.

The brightly colored retro mini-train was an absolute favorite for kids of Yuanbao’s age. He sprinted toward it as soon as he saw it, and together with a little boy he met, they chattered away like cheerful little birds.

Besides the retro train, the scenic area also has Instagram-famous bird’s nests and transparent swings for photo ops—snap a picture and it’s instantly a landscape postcard, as if embracing the whole world.

True adventurers dare to challenge the shouting fountain—test how powerful your voice really is.

The environment in the area is wonderful, with dense forests. Walking along, stepping on scattered fallen leaves, it feels like stepping right into autumn itself.

Streams gurgle by the roadside; in summer, you can try the Hulu Gorge eco-rafting.

A must-see for visitors is the iconic Hulu Waterfall, where the cascade emerges from a narrow opening and widens below, forming the shape of a gourd.

The waterfall cascades like a white silk ribbon pouring from the sky, gushing forth and creating a 200-meter-long valley stream. The natural formation of a smaller upper opening and a larger lower one, connected together, looks exactly like an enormous gourd—truly a magnificent sight.

Such a majestic waterfall is rare in Jiangnan, and visitors flock here to take photos.

Returning to the dock, you can ride a vintage car with a green body that’s retro and eye-catching—very stylish.

Tip: There’s a restaurant at the Hulu Waterfall scenic area, so visitors can dine there. The entire boat trip plus sightseeing takes about four hours.

02 Ancient Yanzhou Prefectural City

Leaving Qili Yangfan, we went to the ancient prefectural city of Yanzhou. With a history dating back to the establishment of a county during the Three Kingdoms period, it has over 1,700 years of history and served as the seat of Muzhou and Yanzhou prefectures and Jiande County.

Back when water transport was the main mode of travel, Yanzhou, now known as Meicheng (Plum City), enjoyed privileged scenery. There’s even a saying: ‘In all the world, there are two and a half plum blossoms—Beijing has one, Nanjing one, and the other half is in Yanzhou.’ The ‘plum blossom’ here doesn’t refer to the flower but to plum-blossom-shaped battlements on city walls.

In ancient times, at least during the Ming and Qing dynasties, only the capital city’s walls were allowed to have plum-blossom-shaped battlements. As a prefectural city, Yanzhou had such battlements, which speaks volumes about its elevated status.

Famous classical novels like Water Margin, The Scholars, Officialdom Unmasked, and The Plum in the Golden Vase have all described the cultural and natural landscape of Meicheng. Today, the ancient streets still remain, allowing us to glimpse the former prosperity of this key water transport hub that thrived for a millennium.

When visiting ancient Yanzhou, you must climb the city walls. Originally built by Zhou Ge, the prefect during the Song dynasty, the walls were last reconstructed in the early Ming dynasty by Li Wenzhong, the husband of Zhu Yuanzhang’s younger sister.

Today, the walls stand towering. Above the city gate tower is a majestic, tall pavilion with a plaque bearing the characters ‘Yanzhou’ hanging in the center.

Standing on the city wall, you can overlook the beautiful landscape where the three rivers converge, gaze at the distant Nanfeng Pagoda, and soak in the ambiance of age-old charm and serene remoteness.

Father and son had a great time on the wall.

Gazing at the ancient city wall from Nanfeng Pagoda

Additionally, Jiande boasts a famous greenway, stretching from Qiantan Town in the east to Yandongguan in Meicheng in the west, a total length of 18 kilometers. It runs along the river, nestled by mountains and water, with forest coverage close to 90%—truly living up to its name as a ‘greenway.’ Along the route, there are three service stations where visitors can rent bicycles or electric bikes, replenish supplies, or get tourist information.

03 Sandu Fishing Village

‘View the ancient pagoda, tour the three rivers, sail Qili and revel in the fishing village.’ Next, we visited Sandu Fishing Village, situated at the confluence of the three rivers. Facing the ancient town of Meicheng across the water, it stands quietly by the riverbank like a hidden paradise forgotten by time.

For a long time, Sandu Fishing Village was home to a special group of people—the ‘Nine Surname Fishermen.’

The so-called ‘Nine Surname Fishermen’ were fishing folk who drifted year-round on the Xin’an, Fuchun, and Lan rivers, bearing the nine surnames: Chen, Qian, Lin, Yuan, Sun, Ye, Xu, Li, and He.

Legend has it that these fishermen were originally subordinates of Chen Youliang. After losing a battle at Poyang Lake, they drifted downstream to the banks of the Yanzi River and were later condemned by Zhu Yuanzhang to a life on the water. As defeated foes, they were strictly controlled by local authorities: forbidden to live on land, barred from taking the imperial examinations, not allowed to wear long robes or shoes, let alone marry people from the shore. Over centuries, they formed a relatively closed, waterborne tribe.

From the Ming and Qing dynasties until the Republic of China era, these fishermen held a lowly status and endured great hardships. It wasn’t until after Liberation, in 1969 when the Fuchun River dam was built, that they were finally able to settle on land, go to school, and study…

Today, Sandu Fishing Village is nestled by mountains and water, surrounded by fruit tree groves. The little houses with blue-tiled roofs are tucked away in the lush green hills, very peaceful.

The village still retains its traditional charm, but the once-quiet farm courtyards are now vibrant. Walls are painted with seasonal scenes of the village, and leaping koi fish are transformed into charming decorative lanterns that brighten up the whole place.

04 Sandu Mandarins

‘You must remember the best sights of the year—just when oranges turn yellow and mandarins green.’

Continuing our drive along the Fuchun River to explore the lake and mountain scenery, we took Yuanbao to Sandu Town in Jiande. Surrounded by hills and water, the town boasts enchanting natural beauty, making it an ideal spot for leisure, vacation, and sightseeing.

The unique climate and fertile soil at the three-river mouth are perfect for mandarin oranges, so the hills are covered with orchards.

Lush green leaves, trees laden with fruit bending their branches, and plump, round mandarins hanging all over—mouthwatering indeed.

Yuanbao was excited about picking, and as soon as he heard he could pick mandarins himself, he was eager and raring to go. Once we were in the mandarin orchard in Sandu Town, he turned into a little harvester, with a plastic basket in one hand and scissors in the other, snipping away merrily.

Thanks to Yuanbao, we ended up picking a few hundred mandarins of all sizes—so we’ll have more than enough this year. By the way, in winter and early spring, you can also pick strawberries, which kids adore.

Tip: Picking in the orchard costs 10 yuan per person, and the mandarins you pick are 3 yuan per catty. Don’t be fooled by looks—those with bumpy skins are the tastiest.

Our lovely early autumn trip to Jiande drew to a close. With blue skies, white clouds, dense forests, and cascading waterfalls, we savored the tranquil autumn in Jiangnan and brought home the fragrance of mandarins—the very essence of early autumn.

Some tips:

Getting there: Qili Yangfan is located in the Jiangnan Mysterious Realm International Tourism Resort. It’s about a 1-hour drive from Hangzhou and about 4 hours from Shanghai. The area has a fairly large outdoor parking lot; you can park at either Qianwu Wharf or Yaowu Wharf.

Accommodation: We stayed at the Jiande Fuchun Kaiyuan Fangcaodi Country Hotel, which is inside the Qili Yangfan scenic area. The hotel features distinctive boat-shaped rooms, indoor and outdoor children’s playgrounds, and is so beautiful that kids have a blast and don’t want to leave.