A Small Jiangnan City Before the Plum Rain Season: Unadorned Ecological Beauty, Even More Charming After the Season Ends!

The plum rain season marks the start of the summer rainy period in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Taiwan Strait, and the Japanese islands, generally beginning in early June and lasting until mid-July. This year, the plum rain period seems to have lasted longer than usual. The end of the plum rain season refers to its conclusion. Today is August 2, 2020, the third day after the plum rain season ended. The overcast, humid, and muggy weather has passed, ushering in clear skies and white clouds.

Ningguo City, located on the southern bank of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, is a tributary city where three Jin Rivers converge into the Shuiyang River. During the plum rain season, Ningguo, like other cities along the lower Yangtze, experienced nearly two months of rainy weather. On June 2, before the plum rain season began, I was still visiting the Southeast Asian Scenic Area in southern Anhui's Ningguo. I couldn't help taking these photos of the beautiful scenery under the blue sky and white clouds.

Ningguo City was the last county in Anhui Province to be upgraded to a city in the last century. With a developed industrial economy, it ranks among the top ten counties in Anhui. Now, the city is attempting to transition to a green, eco-friendly, and sustainable economy. Before the plum rain season, the scenery along the Xijin River wetland in Ningguo's urban area was picturesque, offering a serene ecological beauty.

The landscape is within the city, and the city is within the landscape. Although such landscape cities are not uncommon in China, it is truly rare for a developed economic and trade city in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai-Anhui region to have such an urban park. Before the plum rain season, the environment at Cuizhu Garden in Ningguo was breathtakingly beautiful, and the air comfort level in the park was intoxicating.

Gecun Village, about 8 kilometers from Ningguo's city center, is an ecological village in the western suburbs. The environment here needs no further description—just look at the photos. On the third day of the Labor Day holiday, May 3, I drove with friends to Gecun Village along the "Southern Anhui Sichuan-Tibet Highway." The scenery, resembling the hidden beauty of western Sichuan, greatly fascinated me.

No matter the year, May is always before the plum rain season. On May 3, 2020, Ningguo was certainly still before the plum rain season. At that time, Ningguo was full of unadorned ecological scenery, stunningly beautiful. I wonder if you, like me, prefer the Jiangnan scenery before the plum rain season.

The small Jiangnan city of Ningguo before the plum rain season, with its natural beauty untouched by embellishment, is delightful. You can unexpectedly encounter elements of this ecological wonderland. This little bird seemed oblivious to the outside world, knowing only that this was a place untouched by worldly affairs, so it appeared a bit startled by my arrival.

How can blue skies, white clouds, green mountains, and clear waters not lift one's spirits? Wandering through Ningguo's landscapes, my heart was intoxicated. The beauty of the scenery and the freshness of the air before the plum rain season are hard to describe in words, but the photos give a fairly good idea.

Before the plum rain season, visibility in Ningguo's western suburbs was exceptionally high. From the area near Enlong World Wooden House Village leading to the Southeast Asian villa cluster, I could see mountains in Wangxi and Gangkou towns over ten kilometers away. Beyond those mountains lie the directions to Xuancheng, Wuhu, Hefei, and Nanjing. During the plum rain season, visibility was not as good, but I imagine Ningguo will be even more radiant after the season ends. Today marks the end of the plum rain season, so I plan to visit Ningguo again in a few days to enjoy the ecological scenery after the season.

Before the plum rain season, the little animals also seem languid. Walking on the ecological roads, I could often see cats lazily watching my arrival—a picture of utter leisure. Do you like it?

It is often said that clear waters and lush mountains are as valuable as gold and silver, and indeed, that is true! Ningguo firmly adheres to green and sustainable development, aiming to build an ecological industrial and trade city. Despite its strong industrial economy, environmental protection has never been neglected. At a corner of the development zone, an ecological park like this seems somewhat surprising, doesn't it? Before the plum rain season, the lakeside scenery at the National Ningguo Economic and Technological Development Zone's West Lake was like a beautiful painting. I believe from today onward, it will be even more beautiful. Do you believe that Ningguo after the plum rain season will be even more dazzling than before?

At the southern gate leading to Zhejiang Province lies the highest point in Ningguo's urban area. Before the plum rain season, the hills of the southern gate were equally beautiful. Although it is a transitional area between the southern suburbs and the city, the urban atmosphere is strong, and the ecological environment is excellent. These photos were taken by me on May 9 at the intersection of East Industrial Road and South Ningcheng Road on the southern gate hills of Ningguo City.

In this lesser-known small city of Ningguo, beautiful scenery can be found everywhere, especially before the plum rain season. And of course, after the plum rain season, Ningguo will be even more beautiful and radiant! Walking along any road in Ningguo's urban area, whether in parks or on sidewalks, you can feel this leisurely ecological beauty. Since it's so beautiful before the plum rain season, why not take a few days to explore Ningguo in depth after the season ends?