It is said that ‘a winter without playing with snow is incomplete…’. For winter outings and playing with snow, go to Yichun, Jiangxi. Ski on the mountain and soak in hot springs at the foot. One trip brings double happiness. I have long heard that in picturesque Jiangxi, there is a ski resort where one can ‘ski into the sea of clouds’. It has the fairyland scene described in the ancient poem ‘The bright moon rises from Tianshan Mountain, amid the vast sea of clouds’. It is Mingyue Mountain in Yichun, Jiangxi. So, on the eve of the Spring Festival, I called friends and accompanied them with curiosity and full of expectations to head to Mingyue Mountain in Yichun for the snow. Mingyue Mountain, the beauty of winter rhyme. In beautiful Jiangxi, thousands of waters are as picturesque as a painting. Mingyue Mountain is a romantic mountain. It is the place where Chang’e flew to the moon. There are landscapes such as Moon Rock and Toad Rock on the top of the mountain. And the Xingyue Cave and Qingyun Plank Road in the mountain are the essence of Mingyue Mountain. Mingyue Mountain in Jiangxi is named after there is a stone on the mountain that glows like the moon at night. Therefore, the scenic area takes the moon as its theme and creates the Mingyue Mountain tourist area where ‘there is a Moon Lake on the mountain, a Moon Bay at the foot of the mountain, there are moon sceneries along the way, and moon feelings are reflected everywhere’. Wandering in the winter charm of Mingyue Mountain, enjoying the tranquility and leisure of Mingyue Mountain alone. The charm of Mingyue Mountain is the sea of clouds and peaks dyed by the golden sun after sunset. The undulating mountains fall into the orange ocean, dreamy and charming. The beauty of Mingyue Mountain is the lush pine forest in winter. Under the misty clouds, the mountain peaks gradually emerge, like a shy girl coming in a light gauze, taking away a cloud with the wind blowing her sleeves. The danger of Mingyue Mountain is the Qingyun Plank Road where one can enjoy the beautiful scenery on the cliff. It is surrounded by clouds and mist all year round. Walking on it gives one a feeling of rising in easy steps. The ski resort under the sea of clouds: Mingyue Mountain Ski Resort. A mountain is not high, but it is famous if there are immortals. Mingyue Mountain in Jiangxi has a maximum altitude of 1736 meters. It is surrounded by clouds and mist all year round. It has the peculiar scenery of ‘four seasons on one mountain, different climates within a mile’. Under the warm winter sun, half is green mountains and half is sea of clouds. Under the green mountains and sea of clouds is a ski resort covered in silver. Enter from the entrance of Mingyue Mountain park, pass through the secluded path in the bamboo forest, and reach the cableway station of Mingyue Mountain. Take the cableway and go up slowly, breaking through the clouds. The mountain scenery is clear and picturesque. After two sections of cableway operation, it takes about 20 minutes to reach the top of Mingyue Mountain. On one side of the exit of the cableway station is the ski resort of Mingyue Mountain. In the distance are the barriers of lofty mountains. The natural and graceful sound of the pine forest can be heard. Gallop on the ski field and feel the speed and passion. Although the ski resort of Mingyue Mountain is not large, it can accommodate hundreds of people skiing at the same time. In the skiing area, there is a beginner’s ski slope equipped with a ‘magic carpet’ to send skiers up. The beginner’s slope is about 110 meters long, 40 meters wide, and has a slope of 12.3%. For beginner skiers, this is a skiing paradise.
In the ski resort, there are single boards and double boards for tourists to choose. If you are a complete beginner in skiing, it is recommended to ski on double boards. If you have a little skiing foundation and don’t want to continue to improve on double boards, then you might as well try snowboarding. In the ski resort, there are professional ski instructors. You can decide whether to hire an instructor for learning according to your own needs. Put on skiing equipment and take the magic carpet to the top of the ski resort. If your skills are average, you can try to choose a relatively empty ‘ski run’ and slide down. Passing by the strong wind head-on, adjust the skiing angle and control the speed according to the slope. It’s fun and exciting. In addition, in the 1000-square-meter ski park, the park has thoughtfully set up many photo check-in points. If you want to get a beautiful photo that will explode your friends circle, you might as well spend some time posing here. Mingyue Mountain Ski Resort is not only a skiing paradise but also a paradise for beginners and a suitable enlightenment ski field for children. Having fun in the snow is definitely the happiest thing in winter. After skiing, you can also build snowmen and have snowball fights in the snow play area and enjoy the fun of playing with snow in winter. Hiking on the Qingyun Plank Road in Mingyue Mountain. If you want to see the essence and beautiful scenery of Mingyue Mountain, you have to walk on the Qingyun Plank Road. Starting from Mengyue Mountain Villa at the top of the mountain and going down all the way, passing through the 150-meter-long natural cave ‘Xingyue Cave’, you can see the magnificent Mingyue Mountain Canyon. On one side is the famous ‘Qingyun Plank Road’. Mingyue Mountain is the most beautiful in the world. The mountain is majestic and the scenery is magnificent. If you want to see the essence and beautiful scenery of Mingyue Mountain, you have to walk on the Qingyun Plank Road. Starting from Mengyue Mountain Villa at the top of the mountain and going down all the way, passing through the 150-meter-long natural cave ‘Xingyue Cave’, you can see the magnificent Mingyue Mountain Canyon. On one side is the famous ‘Qingyun Plank Road’. Xingyue Cave is a natural stone cave. The cave is not wide. The narrowest part is only about one meter wide. Going down from top to bottom, you can see the winding and circuitous steps. It’s like walking into an underground maze, which is particularly wonderful. When we reach the bottom of Xingyue Cave and look up at the cave roof, there is a sky full of bright moon and starry sky. At first glance, the bare cave appears extremely mysterious. Then, walking along the up and down cliff plank road, you can see all the four unique sceneries of Mingyue Mountain: ‘staggering cliffs, competing strange rocks, beautiful pine trees and brocade-like mountain flowers’. The Qingyun Plank Road is about 3100 meters long. The plank road is built suspended on the cliffs and precipices, just like a coiled dragon lying among the mountains. On the cliff wall, there are thousands of welcoming pine trees and white hanging ice waterfalls. Under the embellishment of the two, a spiritual landscape painting is created. Small train in Mingyue Mountain. Do you believe that the world in anime really exists? In the valley of Mingyue Mountain, there is a fairy tale small train like that in ‘Spirited Away’.
Vintage carriages, spacious compartments, wooden seats… Stepping into this setting feels like wandering through a comic book world. The Mingyue Mountain high-altitude sightseeing train route spans approximately 3.95 kilometers, where the train travels at a moderate pace through the towering mountains, aimed at facilitating tourists to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. To board the Mingyue Mountain sightseeing train, one must first take an elevator, descending 51 meters vertically to reach the train platform. Aboard the Mingyue Mountain high-altitude sightseeing train, you’ll pass through a kilometer-long tunnel and travel along the railway through the forest, surrounded by high mountains, lakes, clouds, and forests… Listening to the mountain stream, basking in the warm winter sun, and looking out the window, the picturesque mountain views unfold before your eyes. Mingyue Mountain’s Selenium Hot Springs are renowned in China’s ‘Land of Longevity,’ and it is in Yichun, Jiangxi, where hot springs are particularly famous. Locals in Yichun are said to live long lives, thanks to the hot springs in Wengtang Town. Hence, there is a saying, ‘Mingyue conveys affection, selenium springs extend life.’ Wengtang Town in Yichun is known as the hometown of hot springs. The selenium hot springs in Wengtang have been flowing continuously for thousands of years, with a constant temperature between 62 to 72 degrees Celsius, yielding nearly ten thousand tons of water per day. The water is clear and transparent, classified as a weakly alkaline, low-carbon, high-temperature, high-quality light hot spring. It is said that the ‘selenium’ in Yichun’s hot springs is the ‘king of anti-cancer elements’ in human trace elements, making selenium-rich water quite precious. At the Mingyue Mountain Vi景 International Hot Spring Resort Hotel in Wengtang Town, nestled against the mountains and facing the water, the environment is serene and elegant. Here, you can experience the combination of mountain climbing and hot spring bathing. The resort’s hot spring pools are divided into indoor and outdoor pools. Both indoor and outdoor pools feature distinctive and multi-functional automatic hydrotherapy pools, medicinal baths, and steam rooms for whole-body nutritional bathing. Rare bamboo and stone forest hot springs in the mountains, as well as hot springs themed around the twelve zodiac signs, are also available. Of course, the most popular is the infinity pool located at the top of the mountain. By following the walking path from the hot spring area and taking the Moon Viewing elevator, you can reach the infinity pool. Lying in the infinity pool, you can enjoy the relaxation brought by the hot spring water and the nourishment of the warm soup, alleviating all aches and pains. Facing the gentle night, you can quietly appreciate the enchanting night view of Wengtang Town. Mingyue Mountain’s Culinary Delights: Wengtang Steamed Cake. Different waters and soils nurture different delicacies. In Jiangxi, a city known for its love of spicy food, I fell in love with a non-spicy dish: Wengtang steamed cake. Walking into the Wengtang Folk Culture Park, you are greeted by a traditional courtyard with local charm. Within the courtyard, there are stages and scenic spots with small bridges and flowing water, adding an air of elegance. When visiting Wengtang Folk Culture Park, be sure to try the signature dish, Wengtang steamed cake, which is sweet and glutinous, leaving a lasting aftertaste.
In addition to the scenic beauty, we also had the pleasure of tasting the restaurant’s signature dishes such as Chopped Pepper Fish Head, Stir-fried Snails, Stir-fried Beef, Salted Lamb Feet, and Health-Preserving Lily Meatball Soup… Each dish was beautifully presented, with excellent taste. During the winter visit to Mingyue Mountain, we enjoyed playing in the snow on the mountain and soaking in the hot springs at the foot of the mountain. We took the highland sightseeing train heading towards the Sea of Forest, passing through picturesque scenery. The itinerary for the trip was as follows: Day One: Changsha – Yichun Station – Yichun Mingyue Mountain – Wei Jing International Hot Spring Resort Hotel – Wen Tang Rice Cake. Day Two: Yichun Mingyue Mountain – Mingyue Mountain Ski Resort – Qingyun Plank Road – Mingyue Mountain Train – Return Trip. Practical travel tips include: 1. Mingyue Mountain Scenic Area: Adult ticket price is 95 yuan per person, and the opening hours are from 8:00 to 16:00. 2. Transportation: Self-driving routes can reach Yichun City through highways such as Hukun, Daguang, and Tongyi. Public transportation: Take the high-speed train to Yichun Station and then take bus routes 113 or 118 from the city center to directly reach the Mingyue Mountain Scenic Area. 3. Accommodation: Wei Jing International Hot Spring Resort Hotel at Yichun Mingyue Mountain. 4. Skiing: (1) Purchase a 298 yuan ski package ticket, which includes Mingyue Mountain Scenic Area ticket, round-trip cable car ticket, snow play and skiing ticket, and skiing equipment (including skis, ski boots, and ski poles). (2) Pay a deposit of 300 yuan per person upon entering the ski resort. Each person will receive a card to collect equipment. Snowsuits, helmets, goggles, and gloves are not included in the package (snowsuits 30, pants, helmets, goggles, gloves/20). (3) Dressing rules for the ski resort: Wear fitted clothing for the innermost layer to absorb sweat and breathe; wear insulating layers to keep out the cold and maintain body temperature; wear a waterproof and windproof outer layer to block moisture. (4) The operating hours of Mingyue Mountain Ski Resort are from 9:00 to 17:00 (no admission after 14:30).
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