Ecotourism

This Scaly-Sided Merganser Visits Wuyuan This Time of The Year

January 15, 2025

This time of the year, from mid December to early April, about 40 Scaly-sided Mergansers can be spotted enjoying the water in a village 10 kilometers away from Wuyuan town center.

The Scaly-sided Merganser, also known as the Chinese Merganser, is a rare and endangered duck species found in East Asia. This migratory bird breeds in the north, during the winter, it migrates to areas in the south. With a mild winter and plenty of small fish in the river, some of these fascinating birds are happily spending their colder months in Wuyuan.

The adult males and females are very distinctive in their appearances. Males have striking plumage, with a black head that shines green in the light, a white body with black streaks, and a prominent scaly pattern on their flanks, which gives them their name. Females are more subdued, with a gray body, reddish-brown head, and a less conspicuous crest. Both males and females have thin and serrated bills, adapted for catching fish.

Mount Sanqing

April 16, 2024

Mount Sanqing (also known as Mount Sanqingshan National Park) is located in the Northeast of Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province of China. Not only Mount Sanqing displays stunning views of magnificently shaped granite pillars and peaks, more importantly it is also a sacred Chinese Taoist site. The three peaks: Yujing, Yuxu, Yuhua are named after the three divine gods of Taoism, and Mount Sanqing is now a UNESCO world heritage site.

When people visit Mount Sanqing, most likely they will visit Huangling Village (A picturesque ancient village in Wuyuan County) and Jindezhen (the renowned porcelain capital of China), another two attractions in close distance with Mount Sanqing.

Travel information

Entrance ticket: CNY120
Cable car cost: CNY70 for upward ride and CNY55 for downward ride
Opening hours: 8:00-17:30, holidays and weekends: 7:30-17:30
How to get there: Take the high-speed train to Shangrao Train Station from any major cities, then take a bus or carpooling (cost around CNY50, can negotiate the fare with the taxi driver at the bus station before you get in the shared car) to Sanqing Mountain Scenic Area
Where to stay: There are many hotels and guest houses to choose from at the foot of the mountain, and there are accommodations on the mountain too. Hilton Sanqingshan Resort is recommended, its location is excellent, right next to the Waishuanxi Visitor Center(South Entrance/Cable Car). Rishang Villa is recommended on the mountain, it is about 15 minutes uphill walk from the South cable car top exit, reasonably priced and close to the sunset viewing point
Recommended photography spots: Sunrise at Yutai, Sunshine Coast, and sunset at West Coast
Recommended Entry to the scenic area: There are two entrances/cable car stations to the scenic area, East Entrance (Jinsha) and South Entrance (Waishuangxi). There are shuttle buses running between the two entrances, but the schedules are not very reliable sometimes, in that case, you can always use a taxi, which takes about half an hour. It is recommended to go to East Entrance (Jinsha) because you will have easier access to the major attractions after you exit the cable car on the top, also there are more hotels and services at East Entrance area, but the downside is that the East Entrance is always busy and takes longer to get in
Tour route: You can take the Jinsha Cable car(east side) or Waishuangxi Cable car(south side) to the top. The main attractions are covered in a big loop (follow east to west direction), which takes about 6-8 hours. you can make the loop bigger or smaller according to your fitness level or your time. The following are the key spots in this loop: Jinsha(east) Cable car – Giant Python Peak – Jade Emperor Peak – Sunshine Coast – Yujing Peak – Sanqing Palace – West Coast – Waishuangxi(south)Cable car – Wanshou Palace – One line Sky – Yutai – Goddess Peak – Jinsha(east) Cable car
Tips: Avoid rainy days, you won’t be able to see much on the mountain; properly manage your time, don’t miss the last cable car down( 17:30) if you don’t plan to stay overnight on the top; if you go on holidays or weekends, expect long lines to get in or you need to get there really early to beat the crowds
How to get to Huangling Village from Mount Sanqing: There are direct buses running from Mount Sanqing Scenic Area to Shangrao Train Station. From Shangrao Train Station, you can take a high-speed train to Wuyuan Train Station, where there are direct buses to Huangling Village in the high season. You can always take a taxi outside the train station.
How to get to Jindezhen from Mount Sanqing: There are direct buses running from Mount Sanqing Scenic Area to Shangrao Train Station. From Shangrao Train Station, you can take a high-speed train to Jindezhen North Train Station, which takes about an hour.

The world’s best tourism villages in 2023

October 31, 2023

The World’s Best Tourism Villages initiative was launched by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in collaboration with other global organizations. The program aims to highlight unique villages worldwide that excel in sustainable tourism practices, cultural preservation, and offering authentic experiences to visitors.

I am a big fan of rural travel. For travelers like me who love a slower pace, natural scenery and local traditions, I am so excited to find out that the UNWTO has just put out its list for the world’s best tourism villages 2023. The selected 54 villages across the world ” are leading the way in nurturing rural areas and preserving landscapes, cultural diversity, local values and culinary traditions”, according to UNWTO.

From the list, one village stands out that makes me really proud: Huangling Village in China, my hometown. Here, I would like to give my fellow travelers a tour of Huangling Village in China.

Huangling village is regarded as one of the prettiest villages in China. Perched on the top of a mountain, Huangling is home to a host of original and restored heritage houses and buildings. This ancient village showcases a spectacular view of the blooming canola fields in the spring and boasts colorful harvest scenes every autumn—making Huangling an architecture lover’s delight and a photographer’s paradise.

Endangered birds found home in Wuyuan

July 23, 2021

Wuyuan gets attention from bird lovers and photographers around the world for its varied and rare birds. People here are very conscious about protecting and preserving its environment and bird population, as a result, more than 300 bird speices find their home in Wuyuan.

The mysterious blue-crowned thrushes have a population of fewer than 250 individuals worldwide, its scientific name is Dryonastes courtoisi. This critically endangered species is found exclusively in China. As its name suggests, it has a blue crown on the top of its head. Its face is black while its back is covered in olive feathers. The chest and neck are golden yellows.

Rao Heyuan National Wetland Park

In Wuyuan, Blue-crowned Laughingthrushes are known to nest in a wood area between a tea plantation and the river. One of the species’ most important habitats is Rao Heyuan National Wetland Park. Inside the park, there is a science museum that dedicates to these unique birds. If you are a bird lover or a keen photographer, you should pay a visit to this park while in Wuyuan. Sometimes these birds would show themselves and you might be the really lucky one to catch a glimpse of these extremely rare creatures.

Find Rare Panda Birds in Wuyuan

May 19, 2021

The pied falconet, also known as the white-legged falconet, is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. The falconets found in Wuyun are mainly black and white with distinctive black shadows around their eyes just like a panda and they are small, fluffy, and adorable. Due to its appearance similar to a panda and its rarety, these birds are also known as panda birds by locals. Falconet prey is suitably small, ranging from butterflies, moths, and dragonflies, to lizards, cicadas, and even small birds.

The pied falconets mainly live in Asia. You can find these birds in Eastern China and Yunnan province, but Wuyuan is the place where panda birds consistently show themselves and has the most population. Specifically, Xiaoqi Village in Wuyuan is where you have the best chance to spot these rare and cute creatures.

Xiaoqi Village is located 45 km northeast of central Wuyuan. It is an ecologically well-preserved village with many types of old trees, among them are some huge ancient camphor trees, which the falconets build nest holes and use those bare branches as lookout points. There is a guest house, where most bird lovers and photographers stay and are treated to views of the pied falconets from its rooftop deck.

This Scaly-Sided Merganser Visits Wuyuan This Time of The Year

Mount Sanqing

The world’s best tourism villages in 2023

Endangered birds found home in Wuyuan

Rao Heyuan National Wetland Park

Find Rare Panda Birds in Wuyuan

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