A Stunning Autumn Viewing Spot — China’s Number One Village for Sweet Persimmons

In the heart of the Dabie Mountains lies an ancient mountain village. This ancient village is Zanzi Stone Village, located in Sanliban Town, Luotian County, Huanggang, Hubei Province. In 2001, Zanzi Stone Village was officially named the "Hometown of China’s Sweet Persimmons" by the State Forestry Administration. People affectionately call it "China’s Number One Village for Sweet Persimmons." Zanzi Stone Village has over 6,000 persimmon trees that are more than a hundred years old, including more than 700 contiguous ancient persimmon trees with an average age of 200 years. The oldest persimmon tree king has withstood over 500 years of wind and rain. Unlike ordinary persimmons, the sweet persimmons in Zanzi Stone Village are the only natural sweet persimmons in the world that lose their astringency naturally and can be eaten immediately after picking. As soon as you pick them from the tree, you can eat them, and their crisp sweetness is refreshing without any of the usual astringency found in common persimmons. The season for harvesting sweet persimmons is at the turn of autumn and winter. On the last day of October, we went to visit friends and family in Xishui County, next to Luotian. We set off in the afternoon to say goodbye, and seeing the clear sky, light clouds, and bright sunshine, we spontaneously decided to start an impromptu autumn trip. Driving from Xishui to Zanzi Stone Village took about an hour, which is half the time it would take from Wuhan, and soon the car arrived at the village entrance. At that moment, many people had gathered at the village entrance. Several buses parked there were constantly loading and unloading tourists, and a few groups looked like local village staff. "There are many tourists on weekends, so the village invited us to help," said a woman wearing a safety officer badge as she moved the roadblock aside with a smile, signaling that I could drive into the village. There is a creek in Zanzi Stone Village. Finding a quiet spot by the creek to park the car, I couldn’t help but take in the village. Sure enough, in the mountain-surrounded Zanzi Stone Village, as far as the eye can see, there are persimmon trees laden with fruit. Under the blue sky and white clouds, on the hillsides and field ridges, and beside the white walls and blue tiles, tall persimmon trees abound. The persimmon trees twist and turn like coiled dragons, stretching toward the sky or leaning heavily toward the pond. The persimmons are bright and eye-catching, like little lanterns hanging from the branches, creating a breathtaking scene. This is China’s Number One Village for Sweet Persimmons — Zanzi Stone Village, an ancient mountain village that amazed me and made me linger.