Watching waterfalls, fishing, and enjoying delicious food at Ningguo Dingfeng Farm Hotel, this feeling is like living in a paradise!

Ningguo is a small county-level city in southern Anhui. Because it adopts a name that includes 'country' (guo), it is often joked about by locals. For our first trip of 2020, we chose it, and a travel companion joked, 'So we've been abroad after all.'

Within Ningguo, the mountains are green and waters are clear, the scenery is charming, it's a natural oxygen bar with pleasant ecology. Summer here is cool, making it a rare summer resort. The numerous waterfalls of various sizes in the scenic area, together with mountain plank paths, give you a real sense of contact with nature. Here, waterfalls cluster, strange rocks are diverse, deep forests and sheer cliffs, clouds lock the secluded valleys. Here, experience the infinite surprises nature brings to humanity.

Our group of eight old friends went this time to the Xialin Jiutian Silver Waterfall Scenic Area, located in the mountains at the border of Anhui and Zhejiang. We ate and stayed at Ningguo Dingfeng Farm Hotel, spending four fulfilling and romantic days.

Before breakfast, we exercise in the morning light, listening to the birds singing in the woods; after dinner, we stroll under the night sky, smelling the fragrance of wildflowers by the roadside; in the morning, we leave vigorous footprints on the mountains, forests, watersides, and rocks; in the evening, we scatter happy laughter around the leisure chess and card tables... Enjoying the scenery, chatting about friendship, traveling and having fun together, leisurely and joyful!

The Jiutian Silver Waterfall here features five unique landscapes: flying waterfalls, divine pools, deep ravines, strange rocks, and dangerous gorges, and is known as 'the five wonders of the world's scenery'. Also, with numerous waterfalls of various shapes scattered like stars, it is known as 'the first original waterfall group south of the Yangtze River'.

After entering the scenic area gate, visitors walk not far and the first sight that comes into view is Mingzhu Lake. One sees peaks surrounding it, green color permeating, the water surface as smooth as a mirror, without ripples or waves; blue sky, white clouds, mountains, and trees are reflected in the lake, making it appear clearer, purer, and adding to its tranquility and peace.

Xialin Jiutian Silver Waterfall is a mountain-type scenic area. It connects to the wonders of Huangshan in the west, and the beauty of Tianmu in the south, with deep gorges and ravines, strange peaks and secluded caves, bamboo mountains and forests, steep rocks and flying waterfalls.

People use eight words to summarize its scenic spots: 'one lake, two valleys, three peaks, five points'. 'One lake' refers to Mingzhu Lake; 'two valleys' refer to Wolong Valley and Feilong Valley on the left and right sides of Mingzhu Lake; 'three peaks' refer to Xianglu Peak, Yingzui Peak, and Biyun Peak; 'five points' refer to five highlight landscapes: Guanyin Waterfall, Dalongtan, Shimen, Longxutan, and Wulongtan.

Before us, huge boulders are lined up in disorder; beside us, streams run freely; stone steps wind through secluded forests; the dragon waterfall never stops, the pool never dries; giant boulders form a bridge naturally and wonderfully.

Located in the mountains and forests, with an elegant environment, it surpasses the Eastern Jin and rivals the Peach Blossom Spring described by Tao Yuanming. It allows people to fully enjoy the beauty of nature here: waking up to roosters crowing in the morning, returning under the sunset glow in the evening, completely letting city dwellers experience a life like in a paradise.