A Great Place for Photography Travel: Under Luoyang Baiyun Mountain, the Autumn Colors Are at Their Peak

However, when autumn arrives, my writing becomes shy. The words used to describe autumn are used over and over again, yet they still can't fully express its beauty. Leaving aside the grand mountains, great rivers, and alpine meadows thousands of kilometers away, the autumn colors on Baiyun Mountain, not far from home, are now at their peak.

Vast tracts of primeval forest meet here, clusters of colorful trees blooming under the blue sky. "Luoyang Baiyun Mountain" is known as the "Famous Mountain of the Central Plains." Coming again after three years, I find a glass sky bridge, plank roads at Nine-Dragon Waterfall, and perhaps some other new additions, but the beauty remains unchanged!

Continuous rainy weather has caused a sharp drop in temperature in Henan. A few days ago, Baiyun Mountain welcomed its first snowfall of the year. Thinking that autumn had arrived, I came to Luoyang Baiyun Mountain again with some anticipation. Located in the hinterland of Funiu Mountain in southwestern Song County, Luoyang City, Henan Province, Baiyun Mountain covers a total area of 168 square kilometers. It is a World Geopark, a National 5A Tourist Attraction, and a National Forest Park. A natural biological resource gene bank, it is known as a "Natural Museum." With grand landscapes of mountains and waters, primeval forests, and the main peak of the 800-li Funiu Mountain—Yuhuangding—it is a premier destination in the Central Plains for viewing seas of clouds and sunrises!

Because it is my second visit, I already have some understanding of the distribution of Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area. The scenic area is very large, so it is recommended to stay inside the scenic area. This way, you can stay comfortably and it is more convenient to tour, and it is also relatively cost-effective with the package ticket price. The scenic area is divided into five major sightseeing zones: the Primeval Forest Sightseeing Zone, Little Huangshan Sightseeing Zone, Baiyun Peak Sightseeing Zone, Yuhuangding Sightseeing Zone, and also includes the Nine-Dragon Waterfall Sightseeing Zone, which left me exhausted walking down this time!

Luhua Valley is also considered the beginning of the Nine-Dragon Waterfall. Walking inward from here, you will encounter various attractions of different sizes. The colors of autumn bloom here. By mid-October, the mountains are already filled with chill. As I become more afraid of cold, I put on a down jacket from yesterday. The colorful world begins from this moment.

Waking up in the morning, the weather is still not clear. The cold air reveals the desolation of autumn. I recall the scene from that year when sunlight pierced through the golden leaves, gently scattering on our faces, as if it were just yesterday... Autumn changes and changes again. Fortunately, we are still us, and autumn remains beautiful in my eyes. This is also a small happiness in life—no matter how far you go forward, there is always someone behind you.

Walking along a wooden plank road, you will pass by one small scenic spot after another. In fact, every step on the mountain path brings a different feeling. Trees, thickets, flowing water, waterfalls—this is the unique atmosphere of autumn...

Once upon a time, a dragon roared in the sky, rushed into the human world, and turned into a pool. Huanglong Well is a small pool only a few meters in diameter. Compared to the pools at ordinary scenic spots, it is somewhat small, but this does not affect its beauty in the slightest. The pool water is deep and dark, and its bottom cannot be seen. Below it, there is also a row of stone jars about 20 meters high, with walls as smooth as a mirror. When you are there, you can hear the sound of water hitting the stone jars, making a jar-like sound. These stone jars are glacial potholes formed during the ancient glacial period, and they are also historical witnesses to the changes in ancient climate and environment.

Besides Huanglong Well, there is also the famous Black Dragon Pool. Legend has it that a black dragon once lived in the pool. It was said to be irritable—if someone threw a stone to stir the water, the dragon would become enraged, and the weather would suddenly change, bringing a downpour. However, this year's water flow is significantly larger than when I came in 2017. The sound of gurgling water can be heard from far away!

Mountains are not beautiful without water, and water is not serene without mountains. Water is the soul of the mountain, and the mountain is the attachment of the water. Taking an aerial shot from Black Dragon Pool, you can see its depth, but also the beautiful autumn. A pool of green water is surrounded by trees and thickets, with winding roads and streams babbling...

Because of a recent heavy rain, the reeds have lost their most beautiful side, leaning to one side as if washed by the river. The once gurgling streams have become somewhat desolate, but the beauty of Baiyun Mountain remains so clear! Walking through the mountain forest, I feel the colorful autumn. The beauty of life cannot be separated from the lightness of the heart, and the magic of nature always makes people feel refreshed.

After visiting Luhua Valley, I took the scenic area's shuttle bus from the Nine-Dragon Waterfall parking lot back to the hotel for lunch. After a short rest, the afternoon was spent at Nine-Dragon Waterfall. The Nine-Dragon Waterfall Sightseeing Zone is 5 kilometers in total length. Besides Luhua Valley, which I visited in the morning, walking down from the Nine-Dragon Waterfall parking lot, you can see attractions such as Dongtian Plank Road, White Dragon Waterfall, and Nine-Dragon Waterfall along the way. It is one of the five major scenic areas of Baiyun Mountain and the most spectacular part of the mountain's water scenery. It can be said that the stunning natural scenery of Nine-Dragon Grand Canyon truly begins from here.

Although I have crossed many glass bridges, the experience here at Baiyun Mountain is somewhat special. The slightly emerging sun provided just the right light for portrait photography. The golden autumn colors leap before the eyes. Looking down through the transparent glass bridge, the gurgling waterfall flows right beneath your feet. Such a scene is not something every scenic spot can offer with such awe.

After turning off the glass bridge and passing through a mountain tunnel, you can reach the glass plank road. From here, you can see Nine-Dragon Waterfall and the layered vegetation distributed in order... "Due to the significant differences in altitude and climate and soil, the forest vegetation presents a vertical zonal distribution. Deciduous broad-leaved forests, subalpine coniferous forests, mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests, and subalpine shrub meadows represent the typical characteristics of the vegetation of the Funiu Mountain system."

Nine-Dragon Grand Canyon is also known as Nine-Dragon Waterfall. It is 103 meters high, connecting with the blue sky and white clouds above and with the deep blue pool and abyss below. It is the most magnificent spot in the scenic area. The surging momentum is like the Milky Way pouring down, roaring from the sky. If the weather is good, the numerous water droplets under the refraction of sunlight will present multiple rainbows—a beautiful sight in the human world.

Because on the steep rock wall of Nine-Dragon Waterfall, nine obvious rock veins are naturally inlaid, resembling nine dragons playing in the waterfall, it is named Nine-Dragon Waterfall. There is still a long way to go down from Nine-Dragon Waterfall. Even though the landscape is so enticing, for someone like me who hasn't climbed mountains for a long time, going down the mountain was exhausting to the point of collapse. In the end, I was too tired and had to put the camera in my backpack, letting my naked eyes take in the scenery. What remains deep in my memory is the soreness in my thighs and calves that lasted for three days after descending the mountain...

Because I haven't had such intense exercise for a long time, after a whole afternoon of descending the mountain yesterday, my legs were completely worn out. Today, I want to climb again but my strength is lacking. The trip to Yuhuangding and Little Huangshan was left to the two other men who came with me, while I went directly to Liuhou Temple and Baiyun Lake, two places that don't require climbing.

But it doesn't matter if I can't climb—I have a drone. Places I can't reach on foot can be covered by the drone. "Even flying the drone requires taking a cable car and then climbing a bit to launch it." Yuhuangding and Little Huangshan are among the five major sightseeing zones of Baiyun Mountain. Here you can climb the Heavenly Ladder, pass through the Heavenly Gate, worship the Jade Emperor, see the paradise scenery, and also watch the sea of clouds and sunrise, and admire the thousand-year-old alpine azaleas. I'll have to wait for another chance to experience these.

Yuhuang Pavilion was expanded and renovated on the basis of the original Yuhuang Temple, covering an area of 246 square meters. Inside the pavilion, a statue of the Jade Emperor is enshrined. If you have the stamina, you can climb to Yuhuangding and experience the feeling of "Upon the summit, I see all other mountains at a single glance." The altitude here is 2216 meters, the highest peak in the Central Plains. It is named because the peak reaches into the heavenly palace and the top is like a crown. Looking far into the distance, you can see the entire view of three cities and six counties—layer upon layer of green mountains, blue peaks stretching endlessly, just like a splash-ink landscape painting!

There are two ways down the mountain: one is to return the same way, with a slide section halfway; the other is to go down through the Little Huangshan Sightseeing Zone to the parking lot. Little Huangshan has attractions such as Arrow Bamboo Forest, Flying Stone, Red Birch Forest, Couple Stone, Stone Cannon Platform, Chu Great Wall, Jade Rabbit Worshiping the Moon, Observation Deck, Honeycomb Rock, Noble Bending, and many others. It depends on individual time and physical strength.

Liuhou Temple is an ancient building, the seclusion place of Zhang Liang, Marquis of Liu of the Han Dynasty. Zhang Liang is known in Chinese history as one of the Three Heroes of the Han Dynasty. According to Volume 25 of the "Records of the Grand Historian," Zhang Liang, courtesy name Zifang, had ancestors who were ministers of the Han state for five generations, and he was a Han noble. After the Qin destroyed Han, he gathered assassins and attempted to assassinate Qin Shi Huang at Bolangsha (present-day Yuanyang, Henan) but failed. Qin Shi Huang issued a nationwide search for Zhang Liang. Later, he defected to Liu Bang, assisted Liu Bang in overthrowing the rule of Qin Shi Huang, defeated King Xiang Yu of Chu, seized the empire, and established the Western Han Dynasty. Zhang Liang deeply understood the principle of "When the birds are all killed, the bow is put away; when the cunning hare is dead, the hounds are boiled" and "When enemy states are destroyed, good ministers perish," so he withdrew to Baiyun Mountain. The ancient building we see now was rebuilt on the site of the original residence where Zhang Liang secluded himself.

After Zhang Liang retired to Baiyun Mountain, he spent his days in the company of clear wind and white clouds, enjoying playing chess and fishing, living a leisurely life as a free spirit, and devoted himself to cultivating the Tao, becoming a legendary tale of Baiyun Mountain. This place is nestled by mountains and rivers, shaded by green trees. The courtyard where the Marquis lived in seclusion is not large. The left wing mainly displays cultural relics and materials related to Zhang Liang, while the right wing mainly shows artworks with local characteristics of Song County for tourists. In front of the main hall, a large stone incense burner is placed for tourists to pay homage to the sages.

Luoyang is a city never lacking in water. Following the water flow, you can reach Baiyun Lake. Here, clouds often gather, filled with spiritual energy. A small white cloud drifts leisurely down, as if tired of the sky, yearning for the earth—it falls to the ground and lands in a certain lake, becoming Baiyun Lake.

There is no urban noise here, no worries of life—only blue sky, white clouds, green mountains, and clear water. "Of course, in autumn, the mountains are covered with red leaves." Aerial photos are more stunning than those taken by a camera. The winding stream is embraced by colorful trees, occasionally dotted with a few pleasure boats, a few wild ducks, a few pedestrians, and a rainbow...

By the way, there is also a grove of ginkgo trees near the hotel. In autumn, it attracts the attention of every passerby. When a breeze blows, golden leaves fall all over the ground. Taking portraits under the ginkgo tree requires no retouching to look beautiful... Occasionally, alpacas from the nearby zoo come here to join in the fun...

"Baiyun Renjia" (Baiyun Home) is located in the autumn-colored forest within Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area. Coming to Baiyun Mountain again, I stayed at the same hotel. The combination of stone and wood, the harmony of iron art and rice paper—it is retro and artistic while interspersed with fashionable and delicate elements. The artistic sentiment of the petty bourgeoisie can also bloom in the autumn mountain wilderness.

All meals on this trip were taken at the hotel. Seemingly simple home-style dishes, each one suited my local taste. Especially the fried eggplant—crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, highly recommended. Order according to personal taste; the dishes are generally fine. If you want something different, fish hot pot is also a good choice...

Scenic area shuttle bus: 70 yuan (including large bus and sightseeing car); single sightseeing car ticket: 10 yuan; second entry bus fare: 15 yuan.

1. Cards: ID card, bank card, credit card, driver's license, etc. Bring any other discount cards you may have.

2. Tickets: Confirm your travel time and choose the mode of transportation in advance—plane, high-speed rail, or train. It's best to download an app to book tickets anytime, anywhere.

3. Digital equipment: Mobile phone, power bank (note: planes allow a maximum of two power banks, each not exceeding 10,000 mAh), photography equipment (wide-angle, telephoto, tripod), various chargers, USB cables.

4. Clothing: In autumn, Baiyun Mountain is already very cold, with large temperature differences between morning and evening. Remember to bring a heavy jacket or down jacket.

5. Other items: Basic toiletries, personal habit items.

6. Medication: Cold medicine, anti-inflammatory medicine, band-aids, etc. Also bring backup medication according to your physical condition. If you get carsick, bring motion sickness medicine.

Autumn is dazzling because of its colors, and because it is brief, it is especially worth cherishing. When a monotonous state of life persists for too long, the heart grows old. You must step out to feel the beauty of life and the magic of nature!

This simple journey comes to an end again, but the beauty of Luoyang Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area will remain in my heart. Even years later, it will still be vivid in my memory—the endless stairs that felt like they would never finish coming down, ultimately ending with three days of sore legs...