Avoid the Crowds! Top 5 Off-the-Beaten-Path Destinations for Couples This May Day

While popular attractions are swamped with tourists, true romance awaits you around the corners of lesser-known cities. Skip the crowds and explore these 5 charming towns that time has treated gently—perfect for couples to discover hand in hand. 1. Xiapu, Fujian | Golden Love Letters on the Tidal Flats When morning light gilds the vast tidal flats, share a filter-free sunrise together at the Huazhu Village observation deck. In the evening, stroll hand in hand through the ancient banyan tree grove at Yangjiaoxi, where thousand-year-old trees dangle their aerial roots like natural bridal veils. Recommended stay: Shijian Hai Guesthouse, where you can enjoy White Peony tea in the suspended tea room while watching the tides below trace the shape of love. ### 2. Jianshui, Yunnan | Time Travel on the Meter-Gauge Railway This Southern Yunnan ancient town, more laid-back than Dali, preserves the most complete Ming and Qing dynasty architectural complex. Spend 3 yuan on a plump Ximen tofu and take selfies with your loved one in the reflection of the seventeen arches of Shuanglong Bridge. In the evening, be sure to visit Purple Pottery Street to handcraft matching cups, letting the clay remember your intertwined fingerprints. ### 3. Songyang, Zhejiang | Jiangnan's Last Hidden Gem At Chenjiapu Village, 800 meters above sea level, the cloud-surrounded terrace of Avant-Garde Bookstore is perfect for reading poetry together. Follow the bluestone path to find "Bai Xian Noodle House," where water-pulled noodles cooked over a wood stove paired with preserved vegetable fried eggs offer the most authentic rustic romance. Remember to secure a pair of love locks on the ancient street and hang them among the red silk ribbons on the thousand-year-old camphor tree. ### 4. Jingxi, Guangxi | Blue Love Songs at the China-Vietnam Border Is the Aegean Sea too far? Come to Equan to see the Tiffany-blue lake with its constant 15°C temperature. Ride an electric scooter with your beloved through Tongling Grand Canyon, and pretend to accidentally hold her hand while drifting on the Ancient Dragon Mountain underground river. Local Zhuang grandmothers will teach you how to dye matching handkerchiefs with maple leaves, imprinting the border starry sky onto fabric. ### 5. Zhagana, Gansu | Honeymoon Paradise at the Foot of Sacred Mountains This Tibetan village hidden in Diebu County offers the purest stargazing spots. Embrace each other at the misty Joseph Rock Observation Deck in the morning, then pick a bunch of Gesang flowers at Fairy Beach to tuck behind her ear in the afternoon. As the yak meat hotpot bubbles at the Shicheng Family Inn, prayer flags outside chant blessings for your love. In the corners of your travel bucket list, there are always places that exist especially for those in love. This May Day, stop counting heads at Instagram hotspots—true romance always flourishes where commercialization hasn't reached. Book two tickets in the opposite direction and let love blossom anew in these slow-paced small towns.