Haiyan—Fengyi Scenic Area

🕐 Best time to visit: Spring and autumn are the best seasons. In spring (March to May), the area is full of blooming flowers like rapeseed and cherry blossoms; in autumn (September to November), the sky is clear and refreshing, rice fields turn golden, and the tea gardens have a unique charm. The climate is pleasant, making it perfect for travel. 🎒 Essentials: Comfortable sports shoes (for hiking), sun protection (sun hat, sunscreen, etc.), rain gear (Jiangnan is rainy, so be prepared), power bank (to keep your devices charged for photos), mosquito repellent (to prevent insect bites in summer). 🚗 Transportation Guide 🚘 Self-driving: Navigate directly to "Fengyi Scenic Area, Tongyuan Town, Haiyan County, Jiaxing City" or "Fengyi Village, Jiangjian Nanyuehu Road." The scenic area parking lot is free, and there are plenty of spaces during the off-season. ✔️ Attractions to check out 1️⃣ Kuang Keng Yuehu (Mine Pit Moon Lake): Transformed from an abandoned mine pit, the emerald lake is like a giant mirror reflecting the surrounding green mountains and trees, creating a breathtaking view. In the early morning, mist hovers over the lake, resembling a fairyland. 2️⃣ Fengshan Exploration - Mine Cave Adventure: A 300-meter-long air-raid shelter that stays warm in winter and cool in summer with a constant temperature. The cave preserves historical relics, allowing you to experience the military culture of the past, as if traveling through time. - Summit Viewing Platform: Climb Fengshan, which is 100 meters above sea level, for an excellent vantage point to overlook the beautiful scenery. 3️⃣ Tea Gardens and Rice Fields - Mountain Tea Experience: Over 600 acres of tea gardens filled with the aroma of tea. You can personally experience tea picking and making, or sit in the tea garden to enjoy a cup of fresh tea and feel the tranquility and poetry of the countryside. - Rice Field Art: In summer and autumn, the rice fields become a golden sea. There are popular photo spots like flower seas and other scenic points, allowing you to fully enjoy the beauty of rural harvest. 4️⃣ Other Featured Attractions - Sandbar Egret Watching: A habitat for egrets and a paradise for nature photographers. Here, you can see egrets soaring freely in the sky and resting and feeding on the sandbar, experiencing the harmony of nature. - Cherry Blossom Viewing at the Foot of the Mountain: Every year from March to April, pink cherry blossoms bloom in competition, forming a sea of flowers stretching for miles that blends beautifully with the green mountains, like stepping into a romantic fairy tale world—perfect for photos and check-ins. 🍜 Food Recommendations 1️⃣ Stove-cooked Dishes: At the farmhouse restaurant next to the Stove Painting Experience Hall, try the braised pork cooked in a traditional stove. The aroma of firewood infuses the meat, which is rich but not greasy, tender, and delicious. 2️⃣ Qing Tuan / Malt Cake: A spring seasonal delicacy made with mugwort or malt, soft and chewy with a sweet but not greasy taste, full of the flavor of spring. 3️⃣ Tea Garden Chicken Soup: A specialty at restaurants near the Mountain Tea Experience, made with free-range chickens from the tea garden, the soup is rich, delicious, and nutritious. ✔️ Accommodation Options When visiting Fengyi Scenic Area, I found an amazing hotel near Jiaxing South Station—the ZION Hotel, highly recommended! This hotel is super convenient, just 4 kilometers from Jiaxing South Station, a short taxi ride away, very friendly for travelers catching trains. The hotel’s decor is a light luxury and stylish style, and you feel the high-end atmosphere as soon as you enter the lobby. The rooms use Mlily zero-pressure mattresses, and the service is very thoughtful. The front desk staff are warm and patient, quickly solving any issues.