Zhejiang’s mountains cover 74.6% of the province’s land area. Every fall, forests light up from northwest to southeast, shifting from green to yellow, then flaming red, revealing a captivating scene where every tree shows fall colors and hills glow in the setting sun. Here are top recommendations for fall forest scenery and ancient trail hikes.
🌲 Tianmu Mountain
📍 Location: Northern Zhejiang
✨ Highlights:
• Known as the kingdom of big trees, with more than 5,000 ancient and notable trees.
• Home to the world’s largest grove of ancient cryptomeria, majestic in scale.
• A millennia-old ginkgo spills a golden waterfall over a sheer cliff, spectacular and enchanting.
• The world’s tallest golden larch rustles in the wind, laying an orange and yellow carpet along the mountain paths.
• Zhinan Village in the mountains turns into a golden fairytale world.
🍁 Siming Mountains
📍 Location: Eastern Zhejiang
✨ Highlights:
• Celebrated as the home of red maples in China, with dazzling fall colors.
• Pond cypress along the shores of Siming Lake tinge the water red, creating picture-perfect views.
• Maple forests in Lizhou Village glow like rosy clouds, vibrant and striking.
• The Yangtian Lake Scenic Area is encircled by red maples, ginkgo, and golden larch, like a colorful crown.
🍂 Jinbao Mountain
📍 Location: Southern Zhejiang
⏰ Best time: Mid-October–early December
✨ Highlights:
• Many species of red-leaf trees create a viewing season that lasts nearly 2 months.
• Maples, sycamores, birches, and lacquer trees change color in turn, layering the hillsides with mesmerizing fall hues.
• The winding mountain road offers scenic fall views, ideal for a self-drive trip.
🛤️ Jinhua Xiake Ancient Trail
📍 Location: Jinhua, Zhejiang
✨ Highlights:
• A historic path explored and recorded by Xu Xiake over 400 years ago when he visited Jinhua Mountain.
• From Zhizhe Temple, past Yangjia Mountain, and on to Lutian, with babbling streams and rich fall colors along the way.
• A blaze of foliage creates a spirited and captivating autumn scene.
🌄 Taizhou Nanhuang Ancient Trail
📍 Location: Taizhou, Zhejiang
✨ Highlights:
• Connects Tiantai and Linhai, serving as a key folk trade route since the Tang and Song dynasties.
• Undulating stone steps are worn smooth, still bearing traces of ancient porters and packhorse caravans.
• Centuries-old maples line the route. In bright autumn sun, their leaves cast dappled shadows as the old path winds into the quiet woods.
🏞️ Quzhou Xianxia Ancient Trail
📍 Location: Quzhou, Zhejiang
✨ Highlights:
• Cut by Huang Chao’s rebel army in the late Tang dynasty, running north from Qinghu Wharf in Jiangshan to Pucheng, Fujian.
• Praised as the gateway to Fujian and the key to the southeast, with scenery ranging from serene to rugged.
• Literary giants like Zhang Jiuling and Bai Juyi left immortal verses here.
• As the fall wind passes, leaves carpet the passes with a soft crunch underfoot, while a crystal-clear blue autumn sky stretches overhead.
💡 Travel tip: Wear comfortable hiking shoes. Mountain temperatures vary widely, so bring a light jacket.
Come to Zhejiang and experience the enchanting charm of fall in the mountains!