Zhaoyuan Travel

Zhaoyuan One-Day Tour｜I Panned for Gold Dust in the “Golden Capital” Underground Mine, Soaked in Hot Springs for Golden Skin, and Explored a Century-Old Vermicelli Workshop to See the “Silver Threads Flying” at Dusk! --- One-Day Tour｜The Only “Golden Capital” in China! A Small City Illuminated by Gold, Hiding Gold Rush Legends, Hot Spring Secrets, and Culinary Intangible Cultural Heritage】 📍Keywords: Golden Capital × Gold Panning Experience × Hot Spring Therapy × Longkou Vermicelli Origin 📅 Suitable for: Family Study Tours / Couples’ Getaways / Cultural Enthusiasts / Hands-on Travel Experts 💰 Budget Reference: Enjoy food, drinks, and activities within 180 RMB per person (excluding round-trip major transportation) --- 🕐 9:00 AM｜Arrive at “Zhaoyuan Station” or drive into town, first stop straight to the “Gold Museum Underground Mine” 🚄 About 1.5 hours by high-speed train + bus from Yantai/Qingdao, taxi or charter recommended to start the full-day trip. 📍First Stop: Shandong Gold Real Scene Expo Park (Ticket 80 RMB｜Includes underground mine experience) 📌 National 4A scenic spot, China’s first gold-themed museum “with access 300 meters underground”! ⛏️ Highlights from experience: - Change into miner’s clothes + headlamp, ride a real mining train into Qing Dynasty-era tunnels - Under professional guidance, pan for gold with a gold pan and actually find tiny gold particles! (Take them home as souvenirs) - Visit modern gold extraction process, see how one ton of ore yields only 5 grams of gold—no wonder the saying goes “Though panning through countless sands is hard, only after blowing away the wild sand do you find gold” 📸 Photo Tips: - The underground mine’s cold light and deep shadows create atmospheric silhouettes - After exiting, take photos with the “Gold Brick Wall,” made of 24K real gold, dazzling on social media 💬 Fun Fact: Zhaoyuan produces one-seventh of China’s annual gold output, truly earning the title “China’s Golden Capital”! — 🍽 11:00 AM Breakfast｜Eat authentic Jiaodong flavors at “Jinyuan Renjia” farmhouse outside the scenic area 🍳 Must-order three dishes: - Sweet potato porridge + corn cakes (fragrant whole grains, paired with wild mountain vegetables) - Stir-fried chives with sea intestine (local seafood specialty, crispy and fresh) - Handmade steamed egg custard with dried shrimp 💰 About 25 RMB per person, the shop hangs a New Year painting called “Gold Panning Picture,” the owner jokes, “Even our chickens love eating gold powder here.” — 12:00 PM｜China Longkou Vermicelli Museum + Xinglongzhuang Ancient Village (Free admission｜National Intangible Cultural Heritage Site) 🚗 20 minutes by taxi, this is the true birthplace of “Longkou Vermicelli”! 🥢 Surprising highlights: - Watch the century-old “pulling and drying” process: sweet potato starch dough → vermicelli dripping → cooking → hanging to dry - In summer and autumn, thousands of meters of vermicelli hang like a silver river, sparkling in the sun, locals call it “Silver Threads Flying” - Hands-on experience making vermicelli strips and hanging rods (staff guidance provided) 🎁 Bonus: Buy authentic additive-free vermicelli on-site, vacuum-packed to take home for only 30 RMB per jin (500g) 📷 Photo suggestions: - Use a telephoto lens to capture the “silver waterfall in the air” spectacle - Wear white clothes walking among the vermicelli for dreamy light effects 💬 Guide says: “Though thin, one vermicelli strand can stretch three meters without breaking—that’s skill and dedication.” — 1:00 PM Lunch｜“Fushanju Restaurant” for a “Full Vermicelli Feast” 🍽 Don’t miss! Creative dishes made with vermicelli are stunning: 🔥 Recommended four dishes: 1. Hot and sour vermicelli pot (traditional style, appetizing and flavorful) 2. Vermicelli buns (stuffed with vermicelli, juicy but not greasy) 3. Cold mixed three shreds (vermicelli + cucumber + carrot, with garlic vinegar sauce) 4. Golden Capital specialty stewed chicken (with soybean sprouts and vermicelli, rich broth and fragrant meat) 💰 About 45 RMB per person, the owner proudly says, “Our vermicelli is unbleached, the cooking water stays clear.” — 🕒 2:30 PM｜Luoshan National Forest Park + Linglong Gold Mine Site (Ticket 60 RMB｜Includes forest trails + modern mining relics) 🚗 About 30 minutes by charter, known as the “Green Lung of Eastern Shandong,” and the lifeblood of Zhaoyuan’s gold. 🌲 Highlights from experience: - Climb Luoshan’s main peak (759 meters elevation), enjoy views of lush mountains, legend says there are “72 mine entrances” in the mountain - Visit the German-built ore processing plant ruins from the Republic of China era, red brick buildings weathered by time - 30-minute forest oxygen bar hike, chance to see squirrels darting through trees, crystal-clear streams 📌 Tips: Wear non-slip shoes, some mountain paths are steep; bring mosquito repellent in summer. — 4:00 PM｜Gaojiazai Hot Spring Resort (Ticket 98 RMB｜Includes indoor and outdoor pools + optional gold bath) 📍Zhaoyuan hot springs are rich in metasilicic acid, strontium, and trace gold ions, known as “soaking for golden skin”! 🧖‍♀️ Recommended experiences: - Golden milk bath pool (milky water with floating golden particles, perfect for photos) - Sulfur health pool (relieves fatigue, ideal for travelers on their feet all day) - Herbal pool + fish therapy pool (small fish nibble dead skin, kids love it) 💡Tips: - Bring your own swimsuit for hygiene - Rehydrate after soaking to avoid dizziness 🌙 If time allows, consider staying overnight here to enjoy peaceful moments under the starry sky. — 🌇 5:30 PM｜Return to downtown, climb “Zhaoyuan Drum Tower” to watch the sunset light up the Golden Capital 🏯 Though not an ancient relic, this imitation ancient city tower has become a city landmark. 🌇 From the tower: - City skyline gradually bathed in golden light - Distant mine lights twinkle like the earth’s open eyes - Evening breeze carries a hint of hot spring sulfur and fresh fields I softly recite the old saying from the tower: “The world’s gold source looks to China, China’s gold source looks to Zhaoyuan.” — 🚗 Return Suggestion: Depart before 6:00 PM for Zhaoyuan Station or highway entrance for an easy trip back --- Total Cost Reference (per person): - Transportation: city taxis + carpool ≈ 70 RMB - Tickets: Gold Expo Park 80 + Luoshan 60 + Hot Springs 98 ≈ 238 RMB (⚠️ Discounts for students/60+ seniors, family packages more cost-effective) - Food: breakfast 25 + lunch 45 + snacks 15 ≈ 85 RMB - Souvenirs: Longkou vermicelli gift box / gold commemorative coin ≈ 50–100 RMB (optional) 👉 Actual spending: about 280 RMB or less (off-season promotions + public transport can reduce to 220 RMB) --- 💡 Blogger’s Honest Words: Many think Zhaoyuan is just a “small gold-producing city,” But once you enter a mine, soak in a hot spring, and watch silver threads dance, You’ll understand— The gold here is not just metal, it’s a spirit: It’s perseverance forged through countless trials, It’s patience panning through sand, It’s the wisdom turning ordinary sweet potatoes into “Eastern silk.” Come to Zhaoyuan, Not to get rich quick, But to remember: True value never shines easily, It hides deep in the dark, Waiting for you to bend down and find it.