A must-visit autumn destination that has become popular nationwide. It's said to feel like the Kanas of Jiangnan after visiting. What do you think?

A few days ago, I was thinking about where to travel for autumn scenery. I've been to Kanas in northern Xinjiang, Hulunbuir in Inner Mongolia, Ngari in Tibet, Wuyuan in Jiangxi, Tengchong in Yunnan, Xinduqiao and Yading in Sichuan... Suddenly, a post in my Moments popped up about "Jiangnan Kanas." I searched for it and found it was in Ningguo, Anhui, not far away, along with the Southern Anhui Sichuan-Tibet Highway. I felt a secret joy.

After driving for over three hours, I arrived in Ningguo City and then headed south along the Southern Anhui Sichuan-Tibet Highway on a brand-new asphalt road. Mountains embraced the right side, while the Qinglongwan Reservoir lay to the left. Along the way were pristine villages and scattered Huizhou-style houses. In the Jiangnan autumn, you can always see lush greenery.

The road was new but relatively narrow with many curves. Despite hurrying, I arrived at Fangtang Township a bit late. The sun had already set, the tour boats had finished, and the afterglow was dim; the photos couldn't capture the colors anymore. Yet the vast stretch of bald cypress trees in the water remained magnificent, though they had lost their liveliness, like a heavy-colored curtain changing scenes. Without prior reservations, most nearby farmhouses were fully booked. I found a homestay on the edge and settled in as best I could.

Fangtang is located in the west of Ningguo City, on the upper reaches of the beautiful Qinglongwan Reservoir. It borders Jingde County to the south, Jingxian County to the west, and Xuancheng to the north. It is a typical agricultural ecological town, known as the backyard garden of Ningguo. Thousands of acres of redwood forest in the reservoir area spread out in front of the village. No one knows who planted them or when they became a forest. Every year from mid to late November, the leaves gradually change from yellow to red, making it the most beautiful time for this village. The owner of the homestay said that the bald cypress turned red early this year, and this week is the best viewing period. The redwood forest in Fangtang Township is bald cypress, which can grow directly in water and have breathing roots. However, in some years when the reservoir water level is low, the bald cypress roots are exposed above the water, losing that ethereal beauty of floating on water.

The next morning, I planned to get up early to watch the sunrise, but unexpectedly I was greeted by a sea of clouds and mist. The distant mountains were green, the wood was dark, and under the billowing vapor, bamboo rafts were already drifting in the morning light, as if riding on clouds. Someone had arrived even earlier than me.

Sunlight pierced through the drifting clouds, and a small boat arrived like an immortal. Where did it come from, where was it going? Such questions lingered until the sun dispelled the hazy veil.

The morning in the reservoir area in late autumn was a bit chilly. The villagers steering the boats weren't wearing much either, but when the sun illuminated the water surface and their figures, the moment turned warm. They say the most beautiful sight is people at work.

At this time, the redwood forest shed its brilliant flamboyance and became gentle, presenting a scene like an ink-wash painting gallery. I really wanted to get on a bamboo raft and wander through this dreamlike painting. This was my first time in Fangtang Township; I wonder if you've ever encountered such a morning.

As the clouds and mist gradually dissipated, the bald cypress began to appear. A sea of clear blue water held up a patchwork painting before my eyes. The long-lost season was turned open, and suddenly I felt, "As if an old friend passed through my heart, looking back, the mountains and rivers are already autumn."

Because I took the wrong fork, I came out from the south exit of the Southern Anhui Sichuan-Tibet Highway and had to go back. By the time I arrived at Fangtang Township, it was already dusk. Thus came the next day, and the morning sea of clouds rolling over the bald cypress forest in the water became the most beautiful travel memory of this late autumn.

Paddling through the forest over water and having close contact with the bald cypress is a must for most visitors. The typical arrangement is: take a tour bus or drive yourself, set off from Ningguo or nearby in the morning, drive half of the Southern Anhui Sichuan-Tibet Highway, arrive at Fangtang Township before noon, buy a bamboo raft ticket for 60 yuan, circle the bald cypress water channel for about half an hour, have lunch at a farmhouse, then enjoy free time, take photos for Moments, and then head back.

Paddling through the forest is also quite poetic. Surrounded by fresh air, with red leaves and green water reflecting each other, it feels like you've stepped into a painting. Up close, you can lightly smell the fragrance of plants. So everyone laughs and sings in unison, hoping that the heartfelt joy will linger for days.

Travelers with drones can also take an aerial view of the stunning scene of bamboo rafts drifting through the colorful forest—perhaps it's the very dreamlike journey you just wandered through, leaving people reluctant to leave for a long time.

Hidden deep in the hinterland of southern Anhui, the low-key Fangtang Township instantly became an internet sensation. If the weather remains normal, it should still be worth visiting next week. Free parking, no entrance fee—it's quite generous. Are you tempted?