City C Outing Plan | Hiking in the Secret Landscape of Shijiangyan in Southern Zhejiang

HELLO 2024! The New Year is of course about climbing mountains. Set off early with a few good friends, this time our destination is Zhejiang C, Shijiangyan in Yongjia, Wenzhou - Lingjia Village Loop. Shijiangyan is part of the AAAA level Nanxi River Scenic Tourist Area in Yongjia, with a total area of 671 square kilometers. The Nanxi River Scenic Area includes the large Nanxi River, Shijiangyan, Daruoyan, Taipingyan, Yantanxi, Sihai Mountain, and the source of the eight major scenic areas, which contain more than 800 large and small scenic spots. However, these spots are very scattered and public transportation is not very convenient, so self-driving is highly recommended. It is suggested to set the starting point of the hike at Lingjia Village or the west gate of Shijiangyan, both places have parking lots, very convenient. We parked our car at Lingjia Village and then hiked to the west gate of Shijiangyan. After entering, we followed the Little Three Gorges all the way. Although it is a mature scenic area, there are very few people, and there were almost no one in the early stages, and we didn't meet 10 people until we reached the core area of Shijiangyan. The mountains and rivers of Nanxi River are very much online, and Shijiangyan in winter seems a bit cold and desolate. The route of the scenic area is a footpath built along the canyon between the two mountains, and in the wide canyon between the two mountains, there are 10 peaks of varying heights and shapes. The "Pride of Heaven" in the middle is the 306-meter-high Shijiangyan, named for its resemblance to a ship's mast, and the other nine peaks surround Shijiangyan like stars around the moon. Shijiangyan is surrounded by streams on three sides, and there is a deep pool at the foot of the south side, where you can take a bamboo raft up the stream (but it's actually just a hundred meters or so), or you can walk along the footpath to the cliff, around Shijiangyan, and the stream on the north side of Shijiangyan is surrounded by neatly arranged village houses on the opposite bank, creating a poetic and picturesque rural scenery. After exiting the scenic area from the east gate, there is a stone step path leading up the mountain, which can climb to the top of the mountain on the south side of the Shijiangyan Scenic Area Canyon. This is the best viewing platform overlooking the entire Shijiangyan, bar none. Shijiangyan, Little Three Gorges, Xiakou Village and Xiakou Reservoir are all presented in front of you without any blind spots. After viewing the panoramic view of Shijiangyan, the rest of the journey basically has no scenery to see, but the leaf-covered footpath and the interlaced shadows of the forest make the hiking experience very good. Finally, return to Lingjia Village, the whole journey is about 6.5KM, climbing about 350 meters, taking about 3 hours. It is recommended to set off early and control the time to return to Lingjia Village at lunchtime, where you can feast on the roast whole lamb that this ancient village is famous for. If you don't want to buy a ticket to enter the Shijiangyan Scenic Area, you can walk in the opposite direction from the small path behind Lingjia Village, return to the viewing platform after viewing Shijiangyan, and return the same way, which also takes about the same time. The intensity and difficulty are beginner level, and children can also walk.